Music · Culture · Drâa · M'Hamid · Chegaga
To the Rhythm of the Desert Blues
Discover the living music of southern Morocco. Along the oases, the ksour and the Saharan landscapes, encounters with musicians set the rhythm of the journey: Ahwach, Ganga, Rokba, Chamra, Ahidous and desert blues.
From Marrakech
6 days / 5 nights
From Ouarzazate
4 days / 3 nights
From M'Hamid
3 days / 3 nights
Programme
Day 1 - Marrakech • Telouet • Aït Ben Haddou • Ouarzazate
Early departure by 4x4 across the High Atlas via the panoramic Tizi-n-Tichka pass. Visit of the Telouet kasbah, former home of the Pasha Glaoui, a witness to the past splendour of the lords of the South. Then a descent through the majestic Ounila Valley, a ribbon of greenery lined with mud-brick villages and forgotten kasbahs. Lunch and an artistic break at the Taman'Art Space, a place of creation and dialogue between the arts. In the afternoon, discovery of the legendary ksar of Aït Ben Haddou, an earthen jewel listed by UNESCO. Check-in at the hotel in Ouarzazate, dinner and a musical evening with local artists - Ahwach and modern music with Imidriwen and Tarwa-N-Tiniri.
Day 2 - Ouarzazate • Agdz • Drâa Valley • M'Hamid
Departure south across the Anti-Atlas mountains via the Tizi-n-Tinfifte pass. First immersion in the Drâa Valley, its lush oases and fortified villages. Traditional lunch in an earthen house accompanied by oasis songs. Visit of the village of Tamegroute: historic Quranic library, pottery workshops, then onward to the great oasis of Ktaoua. Welcome by the Joudour Sahara Music Program team in M'Hamid El Ghizlane, walk through the last palm grove of the Drâa wadi via the ksour of Talha and Oulad Mhia, visit of the Sidi Khalil kasbah - the former starting point of the caravans to Timbuktu. Departure by camel to the Joudour Sahara garden, check-in at the permanent bivouac, welcome tea, sunset over the dunes. Saharan dinner and a “Desert Blues” musical evening around the fire.
Day 3 - M'Hamid • Ecological project • Chegaga dunes
In the morning, visit of the ecological and solidarity tree-planting project run by Joudour Sahara and the Sahara Roots foundation - plant your tree in the desert (palm, olive or pomegranate), a living symbol of your visit. Musical activities around Saharan rhythms: Rokba, Ahidous, Ganga, Chamra… In the afternoon, head for the great Saharan expanses, between steppes of Acacia raddiana, tamarisk dunes and reintroduction areas for rare species (addax, oryx, red-necked ostriches). Picnic lunch in the desert. Arrival at the majestic Chegaga dunes, setting up of the mobile bivouac, climb of the dunes for sunset, tea ceremony. Nomad evening around the fire: music, jam sessions, tales and the silence of the desert.
Day 4 - Chegaga • M'Hamid
Return by 4x4 along the secret tracks of the South, following the Drâa wadi. Lunch with a local family at Ksar Zaouia, a special moment of exchange and generosity. Visit of the old ksar of M'Hamid, the last stronghold before the Saharan expanses, then free time in the centre of the village. Dinner and night at the bivouac, lulled by the powerful, mystical rhythms of Ganga music.
Day 5 - M'Hamid • Ouarzazate
Sunrise over the dunes, breakfast, then a visit of the ksour of Bouno and Oulad Driss, witnesses to a thousand-year history at the crossroads of the caravan routes. Return to Ouarzazate through the Drâa Valley, lunch on the way at Tamnougalt or Agdz, clay villages frozen in time. Dinner in Ouarzazate and a musical meeting with young local talents.
Day 6 - Ouarzazate • Fint Oasis • Marrakech
Morning departure for the mystical Fint oasis, hidden in the heart of the mountains, a jewel of palm trees and springs. Return to Marrakech, arriving late in the afternoon with drop-off at your hotel.
What's included
- ✓2 nights in a hotel in Ouarzazate (half board)
- ✓2 nights at the Joudour Sahara bivouac (1 of them with a musical evening)
- ✓1 night at the mobile bivouac in Chegaga (half board)
- ✓Camel ride
- ✓4x4 excursion to Chegaga with driver
- ✓Lunches: with a local family (Day 2 & 4), picnic in the desert (Day 3), at the bivouac (Day 3)
Not included
- –Drinks on site
- –Personal purchases, souvenirs
- –Tips
The essence of the experience
- ✦Music shared at every stage
- ✦Wild nature & rare landscapes
- ✦Living cultural heritage
- ✦Nights under the stars & the silence of the Sahara
- ✦Eco-responsible tourism & sustainable projects
Frequently asked questions
How long is the “To the Rhythm of the Desert Blues” journey?
From Marrakech: 6 days / 5 nights. From Ouarzazate: 4 days / 3 nights. From M’Hamid: 3 days / 3 nights.
Where does the journey start?
Depending on the formula, in Marrakech, Ouarzazate or M’Hamid. In the 6-day itinerary, the first day links Marrakech to Ouarzazate via Telouet and Aït Ben Haddou.
What is included?
2 nights in a hotel in Ouarzazate (half board), 2 nights at the Joudour Sahara bivouac (1 of them with a musical evening), 1 night at the mobile bivouac in Chegaga (half board), the camel ride, the 4x4 excursion to Chegaga with driver, and lunches with a local family, as a picnic in the desert and at the bivouac.
What is not included?
Drinks on site, personal purchases and souvenirs, and tips.
