If you only have three days for southern Morocco, this is the loop that covers the essentials without compromise: the UNESCO Kasbah of Aït Ben Haddou, the twin gorges of Dadès and Todra with their kasbahs and canyon walls, and a scenic return through the little-travelled Ounila Valley to the Glaoui Kasbah at Telouet.
Ideal for a first trip to Morocco, for families, or for anyone short on time but big on wanting the grand landscapes of the Atlas and the Sahara's edge.
Cross the High Atlas via the Tizi-n-Tichka pass (2,260m) through dramatic mountain scenery. Stop at the UNESCO-listed Kasbah of Aït Ben Haddou, famous as a film location, then visit Ouarzazate's Kasbah Taourirt and, if you wish, the Atlas Film Studios.
Follow the Route of the Kasbahs into the Dadès Valley to see the ‘Monkey Fingers’ rock formations and the valley's ruined kasbahs. Continue to the Todra Gorges for a walk along the riverbed beneath 300-metre cliffs, then loop back through the Dadès Gorges with photo stops among the kasbahs.
In the morning, visit the rose water cooperative at Kalaat M'Gouna, then descend via the spectacular Ounila Valley piste to the Glaoui Kasbah at Telouet before returning to Marrakech over the Tizi-n-Tichka pass, arriving in the late afternoon.