Dades Valley · 7 days / 6 nights

7-Day Morocco Birding Tour: Atlas Mountains and Sahara from Marrakech

Seven private days with a licensed nature guide through the best birding sites of southern Morocco: Oukaïmeden, the Tagdilt and Imider steppes and the Merzouga desert.

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  • Duration 7 days / 6 nights
  • Starts from Your accommodation in Marrakech
  • Group size from 1 people
  • Availability All year; best from February to May
  • days 7

About this tour

This birding tour links the three habitats that make Morocco special for birders: the high mountains of the Atlas, the stony hamada of the Dades valley and the Sahara of Erg Chebbi. Each has its own specialities, many of them hard or impossible to see in Europe.

We start at Oukaïmeden with Crimson-winged Finch and choughs, cross the Atlas by the Tizi n’Tichka pass and give a full day to the Tagdilt track and Imider, home of Thick-billed Lark, Temminck’s Lark, Cream-coloured Courser and Pharaoh Eagle-Owl. Then we drop towards the Tafilalt through wadis with babblers and warblers, and spend two nights in Merzouga for Desert Sparrow, Egyptian Nightjar and the birds of Dayet Srij lake when it holds water.

You travel privately in a 4×4, with dawn starts and breaks in the hottest hours. Pace and stops follow your target list or your photography. Accommodation is in partner hotels, kasbahs and guesthouses, with dinner and breakfast.

Highlights

  • Crimson-winged Finch at Oukaïmeden The High Atlas speciality, on the plateau at about 2,600 m.
  • The larks of Tagdilt Thick-billed and Temminck's Larks on the hamada near Boumalne Dadès.
  • Cream-coloured Courser and sandgrouse Birds of the stony plains, best early in the morning.
  • Pharaoh Eagle-Owl and Lanner Falcon In the canyons of Imider and around Rissani.
  • Desert Sparrow and Egyptian Nightjar Two Erg Chebbi specialities, with a full day to find them.
  • Dayet Srij lake Flamingos and waterbirds beside the dunes when the lake holds water.

Day by day itinerary

  1. Day 01

    High Atlas birds

    Marrakech · Oukaïmeden · Marrakech

    Early departure for Oukaïmeden, about 75 km away. On the way up we stop in the valleys for Moussier's Redstart, Maghreb Magpie and Levaillant's Woodpecker.

    On the plateau, around 2,600 m, we look for Crimson-winged Finch, Red-billed and Alpine Choughs, Rock Sparrow, Atlas Horned Lark and, in spring, Seebohm's Wheatear. Back to Marrakech in the afternoon.

    • Overnight Marrakech
    • Route Marrakech - Oukaïmeden - Marrakech
    • Distance About 150 km round trip
    • Stay Partner hotel or riad
    • Included highlight Crimson-winged Finch on the plateau

  2. Day 02

    Over the Atlas to the Dades

    Marrakech · Tizi n'Tichka · Ouarzazate · Boumalne Dadès

    We cross the High Atlas over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, stopping on the slopes for mountain birds and raptors.

    Beyond Ouarzazate, the steppe around the El Mansour Eddahbi reservoir and the Skoura road bring the first southern species: wheatears, larks and, depending on the season, waterbirds on the lake. Arrival in Boumalne Dadès in the afternoon.

    • Overnight Boumalne Dadès
    • Route Marrakech - Tizi n'Tichka - Ouarzazate - Boumalne Dadès
    • Distance About 310 km
    • Travel time 5 to 6 hours of driving, plus stops
    • Stay Partner hotel or kasbah
    • Included highlight First southern birds on the Ouarzazate steppe

  3. Day 03

    The Tagdilt track and Imider

    Boumalne Dadès · Tagdilt · Imider

    A full day on the hamada. At dawn we work the Tagdilt track, famous among birders for Thick-billed Lark, Temminck's Lark, Cream-coloured Courser, Red-rumped Wheatear and sandgrouse.

    Later we explore the canyons and plains of Imider, where patience turns up Pharaoh Eagle-Owl at its roost, Lanner Falcon, Maghreb Wheatear and Trumpeter Finch. In the late afternoon, a walk in the Dades gorge for Tristram's Warbler.

    • Transport 4x4 on tracks
    • Location Boumalne Dadès
    • Stay Partner hotel or kasbah
    • Overnight Boumalne Dadès
    • Included highlight Thick-billed Lark and Cream-coloured Courser

  4. Day 04

    Wadis and palm groves to the Sahara

    Boumalne Dadès · Tinghir · Goulmima · Rissani · Merzouga

    We head east, stopping in wadis with tamarisk and acacia for Fulvous Babbler, Olivaceous Warbler and other warblers, and in the villages for House Bunting.

    In the Rissani palm groves we look again for Fulvous Babbler and, from spring to late summer, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater. Arrival in Merzouga in the afternoon, facing the Erg Chebbi dunes.

    • Overnight Merzouga
    • Route Boumalne Dadès - Tinghir - Goulmima - Rissani - Merzouga
    • Distance About 250 km
    • Travel time 3.5 to 4 hours of driving, plus stops
    • Stay Partner hotel or guesthouse
    • Included highlight Fulvous Babblers in the palm groves

  5. Day 05

    A full day in Merzouga

    Erg Chebbi · hamada · Dayet Srij

    We leave at dawn for the hamada and the edges of Erg Chebbi: Desert Sparrow, African Desert Warbler, Greater Hoopoe-Lark in display flight, White-crowned Wheatear and, from March to September, Egyptian Nightjar at its daytime roost. Early in the morning sandgrouse come in to drink.

    If Dayet Srij lake holds water, usually from November to May, we check its shores for flamingos, Ruddy Shelducks and waders. The hot hours are for resting.

    • Transport 4x4 on the hamada
    • Location Merzouga
    • Stay Partner hotel or guesthouse
    • Overnight Merzouga
    • Included highlight Desert Sparrow and Egyptian Nightjar

  6. Day 06

    From the Tafilalt to Ouarzazate

    Merzouga · Rissani · Tinghir · Ouarzazate

    A last early outing near Merzouga or Rissani for anything still missing, such as Pharaoh Eagle-Owl or Fulvous Babbler.

    Then a long drive west along the Road of the Kasbahs, with stops in steppe and oases. Night in Ouarzazate.

    • Overnight Ouarzazate
    • Route Merzouga - Rissani - Tinghir - Ouarzazate
    • Distance About 360 km
    • Travel time About 6 hours of driving
    • Stay Partner hotel
    • Included highlight A last try for Pharaoh Eagle-Owl

  7. Day 07

    Back to Marrakech over the Atlas

    Ouarzazate · Tizi n'Tichka · Marrakech

    A relaxed morning around Ouarzazate, then back to Marrakech over the Atlas, stopping if something good turns up. Arrival at your accommodation in the afternoon.

    • Route Ouarzazate - Tizi n'Tichka - Marrakech
    • Distance About 200 km
    • Travel time About 4 hours of driving
    • Included highlight A last crossing of the High Atlas

What's included

  • Private air-conditioned 4x4, fuel included

  • Licensed nature guide for the whole trip

  • Pickup and drop-off at your accommodation in Marrakech

  • 6 nights in partner hotels, kasbahs or guesthouses (1 in Marrakech, 2 in Boumalne Dadès, 2 in Merzouga, 1 in Ouarzazate), dinner and breakfast included

Not included 6
  • Lunches and drinks
  • Entrance fees
  • Binoculars and scope (ask us)
  • Flights
  • Tips
  • Travel insurance (mandatory)

Route at a glance

7 days / 6 nights

  1. Your accommodation in Marrakech Starting point
  2. Oukaïmeden
  3. Ouarzazate
  4. Merzouga
  5. Dades Valley
  6. Your accommodation in Marrakech Ending point

What to bring

  • Binoculars and, if you have one, a spotting scope
  • Layers: dawn is cold in the Atlas and on the hamada, midday is hot
  • Comfortable closed shoes
  • Cap, sunglasses, sunscreen and a scarf for dust
  • Head torch
  • Your field guide or an ID app

Good to know

Pace of the trip

Outings start at dawn, when birds are most active, and the middle of the day is for driving or resting. Distances and driving times are indicative.

Field ethics

We keep our distance from nests and from owl and nightjar roosts, and we do not use playback near breeding birds. No species can be guaranteed.

Booking and cancellation

Accommodation and third-party services are booked with licensed partners. Deposit as agreed and the balance in cash when we meet, in any currency accepted in Morocco. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before if no third-party service is involved; otherwise the partner's policy applies. Travel insurance is mandatory.

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7 days / 6 nights

Frequently asked questions

What is the best time for this birding tour?

February to May: resident birds are breeding, migrants are passing through and temperatures in the south are pleasant. In summer the desert heat means birding is concentrated around dawn.

How many species will I see?

It depends on season, weather and luck, so we do not promise a number. The tour is built around Atlas and desert specialities, not around a long list of common birds.

Is it suitable for beginners?

Yes. The guide helps you find and identify the birds and explains their habits. If you are an experienced birder, stops are planned around your target species.

Can I extend it to the Atlantic coast?

Yes. The 10-day version adds Souss-Massa National Park and Tamri, home of the Northern Bald Ibis.

Will I travel with other people?

No. It is a private trip for you and your companions, on the dates you choose.

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