7 Best Sights in The Great Oasis Valleys, Morocco

In most cases your hotel is your best bet for an organized tour of Erg Chebbi. Every auberge near the dunes is there because it's a prime jumping-off point for a sunrise or sunset journey, either on foot or by camel. Most auberges have their own permanent bivouac in the dunes, often not far from others but generally fairly well concealed—which lets you pretend no one else is around even if they are. Most bivouac areas are organized into series of small tents for couples and larger groups, so you don't have to share with everyone. If you want to be utterly private, make sure your auberge doesn't share a tented site with any other, or ask to camp in the dunes on your own.

The splendid Erg Chigaga dunes are the principal reason why visitors make the trek south to M'hamid. Wild, remote, and largely unspoiled, they’re only accessible by heading west out of the village on 50 km (31 miles) of dusty and stony pistes. The journey takes three hours in a 4x4 vehicle or three days on a camel, though hurried jet-setters bound for Erg Chigaga’s luxury bivouac camps sometimes come by helicopter direct from Marrakesh. Morocco’s highest dunes, rising almost 1,000 feet, are approached by crossing smaller dunes, hammada (rocky Martian-like terrain), and flat expanses, which are sometimes flooded in winter. A few nomadic families still live in the region, herding their camels and goats through the pasture, which can be surprisingly lush.

About 20 km (12 miles) outside of town, heading south via Tarmigte, the picturesque Fint Oasis is a popular destination for day-trippers. The track leading to it is rough but can be handled in a standard vehicle if you drive with extreme care. Head off-road toward the dark, rocky escarpment and the track eventually meets the river, where palm trees spring into view. You can walk through Amazigh villages along the riverbed and stop for a simple lunch at one of the few local inns.

Many agencies in Ouarzazate can arrange half- or full-day guided visits to the oasis.

To better understand and appreciate how water is obtained in the desert, it's worth stopping to see the traditional underground water channel system. The channels, known as "khattarat," are an important part of this region's history. This is also a great stop to see baby camels. You'll be offered tea and a tour by someone from a local family upon arrival. There's no set price, but you should tip about 50 DH for their time and effort. 

Just north of the Zaouia of Sidi Mohammed Ben Naceur is a 17th-century medersa that still lodges 400 students preparing for university studies. The accompanying Koranic library once held the largest such collection in Morocco, with 40,000 volumes on everything from mathematics, philosophy, medicine, and astronomy to linguistics and Berber poetry. The remaining tomes are plenty impressive: a genealogy of the prophet Mohammed, manuscripts adorned with gold leaf, a medical book with afflictions written in red and remedies in black, and hand-illuminated manuscripts penned in mint (green), saffron (yellow), and henna (red) on gazelle hide. Ask for a look at the 13th-century algebra primer with Western Arabic numerals, which, though subsequently abandoned in the Arab world, provided the basis for Western numbers. There is no official admission charge, but a small donation is expected (20 DH).

Skoura's weekly souk is one of the largest in Morocco and takes place every Monday. It's the perfect spot to get a glimpse at local life as people from the surrounding villages come here to pick up their fruits, vegetables, and meat. It's also a good place to pick up snacks, souvenirs, and various household items. This souk doesn't see as many tourists as the ones in cities like Marrakesh and Fez, so it's best to dress conservatively out of respect for the more conservative rural culture.

Lining virtually the entire Drâa Valley from Agdz to Zagora are some two dozen ksour and kasbahs on both sides of the river. Perhaps the most amazing ksour in this region are at Tamnougalt, 6 km (4 miles) south of Agdz—the second group of red-pisé fortifications on the left. The resident Amazigh tribe, the Mezguita, governed its own independent republic from here until the late 18th century; the crenellated battlements and bastions were a necessary defense against desert nomads. For a deeper understanding of the tribe’s traditional way of life, peruse the displays of farming and household implements in Tamnougalt’s Kasbah des Caids du Mezguita museum. Occupying a restored 16th-century edifice, it is run by Hassan Aït el Caid (a descendant of the original caids who controlled the trade caravans passing through the region). Hassan can also take you on a walking tour through the village and the oasis, and explain the local Amazigh tribes and their origins en route. Donkey treks and picnics can be arranged as well.