Dades Valley & Gorges Guide — Monkey Fingers, Rose Valley & Day 1 Desert Tour (2026)

What to See in Dades Valley

The valley stretches from Ouarzazate eastward through Skoura, El Kelaa M’Gouna (Rose Valley), Boumalne Dades, and into the Dades Gorges — one of Morocco’s most dramatic landscapes.

Dades Gorges

The Dades Gorges are the valley’s defining feature — a deep canyon carved by the Dades River over millions of years. The canyon walls rise over 400 metres (taller than the Empire State Building), composed of limestone and marl deposited when this area was beneath the sea. The colours shift from deep red to dusty pink as the sun moves across the sky.

The famous hairpin road (the “Serpentine Road”) winds through the narrowest section of the gorge with a series of tight switchbacks — one of Morocco’s most photographed roads and a highlight of the drive. Several viewpoints along the road offer panoramic photo stops. The gorge creates its own cool microclimate — a welcome relief from summer heat.

On an MDT desert tour, you drive through the gorges on Day 1 afternoon, stopping at viewpoints and the Monkey Fingers before arriving at your overnight guesthouse in the Dades or Tinghir area.

Monkey Fingers

The Monkey Fingers (Doigts de Singe) are Dades Valley’s most surreal natural feature — thin, elongated rock pillars reaching skyward, formed when softer sedimentary rock eroded away while harder layers remained standing. They look like giant stone fingers pointing at the sky.

Located about 6 km north of Boumalne Dades along the gorge road. Free to view from the roadside. Best photographed at golden hour (early morning or late afternoon) when the orange light accentuates the contours and casts dramatic shadows. A short walk from the road gets you closer for better angles. 30–45 minutes is enough to explore and photograph.

Rose Valley & Rose Festival

The Rose Valley (Vallée des Roses) stretches around El Kelaa M’Gouna, west of Boumalne Dades. Thousands of Damascus rose bushes line the riverbanks and irrigation channels — the source of Morocco’s famous rose water and rose oil.

The Rose Festival (Festival des Roses) takes place each May during the rose harvest. Parades, music, dancing, the crowning of a Rose Queen, and stalls selling rose products (rose water ~30–50 MAD, rose oil ~100–200 MAD). Even outside festival season, you can visit rose water distilleries — many offer free tours and sell products directly.

On MDT desert tours in April–May, the drive through Rose Valley is at peak bloom — fields of pink lining both sides of the road. Your driver will stop at a distillery if time allows.

Road of 1,000 Kasbahs

The stretch from Ouarzazate through Skoura and on to Boumalne Dades is nicknamed the Road of 1,000 Kasbahs — Morocco’s densest concentration of earthen fortresses. These mudbrick kasbahs and ksour were built by Berber tribes (Aït Atta, Aït Sedrate, Aït Hdiddou) for defence against rivals and the elements. Many are crumbling, some are restored as guesthouses, and a few are still inhabited.

Notable stops: Kasbah Amridil (Skoura — one of the best-preserved, ~20 MAD entry, featured on the old 50 MAD banknote), Aït Oudinar (intact Berber village with traditional mudbrick homes), and dozens of unnamed kasbahs visible from the road. The scenery — red earth, green palms, snow-capped Atlas — is the most photogenic stretch of the entire desert tour route. What is a kasbah? →

Where to Eat

On an MDT tour: dinner and breakfast at your guesthouse are included. The food is traditional Berber — tagine, couscous, salads, bread, and mint tea. Lunch is typically at a roadside restaurant en route (pay directly).

Must-try dishes: Berber omelet (eggs, tomatoes, spices, cooked over fire — ~25–35 MAD), tagine with local vegetables and meat (~40–60 MAD), and medfouna (“Berber pizza” — stuffed bread, a Dades speciality). Full Moroccan food guide →

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