The Dades and Todgha Gorges are situated in central Morocco, in part of the Atlas mountain range. Both these gorges offer epic scenery, but if you only have time to stay and explore one, which should you choose? In this article we break down both the Gorges and what activities you can do there so you can make your decision of which to visit. This is our article comparing Dades and Todgha Gorge in Morocco!
Dades Gorge
The road passing through Dades gorge has been rated one of the most scenic drives in the world! The R704, otherwise known as the “Road of 1000 Kasbah”, snakes its way through the gorge with eye watering turns and drops around every corner. This drive, whilst scenic, is not for the faint of heart! From the town of Boumalnes Dades you can reach the most scenic part of the gorge in about an hour, 50 kilometres into the gorge. The main attraction is really the drive through the gorge but there are other activities and things to do here.
Activities in Dades Gorge
There are a number of treks in the area that will take you through the gorge to a number of scenic spots where you can view the interesting rock formations of the area. Accommodations in the area all have trekking and hiking maps and can offer you information and guided trekking packages.
Hiking the Monkey Fingers Canyon in Dades Gorge
This 8 kilometre trail will take you through some of the most impressive rock formations that Dades Gorge has to offer. It is a relatively easy hike, with only 250 metres of vertical elevation, but the narrow passages through the limestone rock formations are a very unique thing to see. The hike starts in the town of Ait Arbi taking you into and round the canyon, finishing back in the same place. At around 3 hours in total depending on fitness, this hike can easily be completed in half a day, just make sure you bring enough snacks and water!
Accommodation in Dades Gorge
There are no shortage of great places to stay in Dades Gorge, with prices to suit all budgets. All of our recommendations below are properties rated 8+/10 and with most have breakfast included!
Hotels in Dades Gorge View all
When to visit Dades Gorge
You can visit Dades Gorge year round as the weather is usually pleasant. In winter, November to February, you can expect colder temperatures at night, but it is usually pleasant and sunny in the day, around 20 degrees. In summer the day time temperature can soar to over 30 degrees, so if you intend to do hiking this may be the wrong time of year. The shoulder seasons of spring and autumn offer the best temperatures, where it is hot but not scorching in the day, and not too cold at night.
We visited in December, and it was a pleasant 20-25 degrees in the daytime!
Todgha Gorge
Todgha Gorge is characterised by its limestone towering river canyons (also known as Wadis) and steep winding mountain roads. Situated in the Eastern part of the High Atlas mountains, you can reach Todgha gorge from Ouarzazate, or Marrakech in a few hours.
Activities in Todgha Gorge
Todgha gorge is a mecca for rock climbers and world famous for its many climbing routes. There are over 400 mapped climbs ranging from single to multi pitch, at a variety of difficulty levels. The towns in the gorge are well equipped to offer guides and rentals for people wanting to do some rock climbing, and there are no shortage of hotels and guesthouses aimed solely at climbers.
Todgha gorge is also great for hiking. There are some remote Berber villages in the mountains around Todgha that are only accessible on foot, and you can discover these on a number of hiking routes in the area. One we recommend is the Nomad Loop, which takes around 4 hours and starts and finishes in the Gorge itself. This loop will take you up onto the plateau surrounding the area where you can have Berber whiskey (sweet tea) in a traditional Berber village.
Hiking the Nomad Loop in Togha Gorge
The hike starts from inside the gorge, where most tourist buses will bring you to see the cliffs. The town of Ait Tizgui is situated just before the main part of the gorge and if you are staying there you can reach the gorge on foot in 20 minutes. If not you can drive through the gorge and park in the carpark at the start of the hike here.
After walking through the gorge you will see some stairs on the left heading up into the mountains. This signals the start of the hike. From here you ascend up into the mountains for about 3 kilometres, passing donkeys, goats and locals as you go. Once you reach the plateau at the top, you follow the path left and will have stunning panoramic views of the entire region from above.
Once you reach the other side of the plateau, you will come across the Berber village. This was a highlight for us and made the hike really unique. These Berber people live up here completely remote, and offer passersby a hot cup of tea when they walk through the camp. We had fun speaking to the family, especially the small girl who liked to play with the baby goats. You can make a donation of your choice to say thanks.
The descent back down the other side of the gorge is the most impressive part. Once you get over the plateau the views stretch for miles in all directions. Half way down you will be able to see Ait Tizgui again, like an oasis of green nestled in the limestone cliffs. A short while afterwards you will be back in the town. You enter the town from the rear, before emerging back onto the main road where you started the hike.
Accommodation in Todgha Gorge
There are no shortage of great places to stay in Todgha gorge, with prices to suit all budgets. All of our recommendations below are properties rated 8+/10 and with most have breakfast included!
Hotels in Todgha Gorge View all
When to visit Todgha Gorge
For climbers, the best season is September to November, and February to May. These periods avoid the winter months where it might be too cold, or covered in ice and snow, and the summer months where temperatures reach 40 degrees! We visited to hike in December, and whilst the weather was great for us, the previous year at the same time the gorge was freezing cold and covered in snow.
Which one is best to visit?
Having had the time and the good fortune to have visited both gorges with our van, we can truly say that they are both breathtaking and well worth seeing. However, if we had to choose which of the two we would absolutely recommend not to miss, we would probably choose the Todgha Gorge! Here the 3 main reasons:
- In our opinion, the scenery to reach this gorge is more impressive than the Dades gorges, and with fewer kilometres to drive. Driving to the Todgha Gorge canyon, you can admire the entire valley from above and stop at several points to take beautiful photos of the views from above.
- At Todgha Gorge, there are more activities to do and more trekking for those who want to stay several days and fully enjoy the beauty of the place.
- The accommodations in Todgha Gorge are more central and concentrated than in the Dades Gorge, allowing you to walk to the start of the treks and climbs without having to move again by car or other means.
If you have enough time, below we suggest organised tours that will allow you to see both gorges!
How to get to Dades and Todgha Gorge
Because of their remote locations there are no bus services that go to either Dades or Todgha gorge. Your only option to reach them is to hire a car and drive yourself, take an expensive taxi or visit them as part of an organised tour. You can check car rental prices for Morocco here.
Note: Travel insurance is a must for any travel abroad, especially when renting a car. Although problems rarely occur, it is better to be covered in case they do. We use SafetyWing and recommend it to anyone travelling the world.
Visiting both in a organised tour
Can’t decide which gorge to visit? You can visit both of these incredible places as part of an organised tour from major cities all across Morocco. If you are in Marrakech, you can book a tour that will take you to Dades and Todgha gorge, as well as Ouarzazate and down to the Sahara desert to visit Merzouga. This is a great option for those looking to see more of what Morocco has to offer without the complexity of taking local buses, or renting a car. These are our top recommendations for tours including the gorges from different parts of Morocco.
From Marrakech
We recommend: This 3 days 2 nights trip from Marrakech to the Merzouga desert dunes, including a stop at Todgha Gorge!
From Ouarzazate
We recommend: This road day trip discovering both Dades and Todgha Gorge from Ouarzazate!
From Casablanca
From Tangier
We recommend: This 10 day tour of the whole of Morocco, starting in Tangier. You will see everything this incredible country has to offer!
Where to go after Dades and Todgha Gorge?
You can head south to the Sahara desert to visit Merzouga. We spent 2 nights camping in the desert dunes here and wrote all about our experience here on the blog. This is a must do experience in Morocco!
Alternatively you can head west towards Marrakech and stop off at Ouarzazate to visit the ancient mud city of Ait Benhaddou. Read all about the top things to see and do in and around Ouarzazate on the blog here.
If you have any suggestions or comments, don’t hesitate to let us know by leaving a comment!
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