 TAROUDANNT OVERNIGHT TRIP
"The Little Marrakech"
(MARRAKECH - TAROUDANNT - MARRAKECH)
Day 1: Marrakech to Taroudannt
(280 km or 174 miles)
Meet your driver at your hotel at 8:00am and travel through the High Atlas Mountains via the Tizi-n-Test Pass to the city of Taroudannt. On your way is Ijoukak (where a piste (dirt) road leads into the less visited, but beautiful, Agoundis Valley). Close by stand the ancient Kasbah of Talat N'Yaccoub, surrounded by olive groves, with the foaming Oued (River) Nfiss lapping at the foot of its ramparts. Dominating an adjacent knoll, with the snows of the western Igdet as a backdrop, is the Agadir N'Gouj, a former stronghold of the Goundafi tribe that was notorious in the 19th century for its dungeons. The entire location is now regarded as one of the outstanding beauty spots of the Great Atlas chain.
Higher up on the other side of the stream is the 12th-century mosque of Tin Mal, birthplace of the Almohad movement that eventually gave rise to the famous Berber dynasty of the Middle Ages. This mosque, which is roughly contemporary with the Koutoubia in Marrakech, has now been renovated and is one of the few in Morocco that non-Muslims can visit outside of prayer times.
The mountain behind the mosque is Gourza, first climbed by the Hooker botanical expedition in 1871. The Test road narrows near the top of the pass but then has a good surface all the way to Taroudannt. Animals winding along in Indian file and sentinels watching over groups of dromedaries are images that will be etched on the travelers' minds.
 Night at Hotel Riad L'Arganier d'Or in the mountains outside of Taroudannt. (Lunch, Dinner included) (Hotel Riad L'Arganier d'Or is not a "guest house.")
Day 2: Taroudannt to Marrakech (280 km or 174 miles)
The walled city of Taroudannt sits, like a miniature Marrakech, in the heart of the valley. Centuries ago Taroudannt was a staging post for dynasties on the road to power, and was a temporary seat of government before the capture of Marrakech itself. In 1912, it was also the stronghold of El Hiba, the "Blue Sultan," whose short-lived revolt against the French protectorate ended in his bloody expulsion at the hands of High Atlas Berbers allied to the colonial power.
Few monuments to the city's rich history now remain, apart from the walls, which still follow their Almoravide plan. Taroudannt's chief attraction is its souk, and as a result this once quiet, largely tourist-free city has become a popular coach excursion from Agadir. Prices and hassle have increased accordingly, but the small scale of the souk and the individualistic crafts on offer make it an enjoyable and easy place through which to wander.
Return to Marrakech. (Breakfast, Lunch included)
COST: Overnight Trip from Marrakech: 2 people, dbl. occ. w/1 room - $450.00 USD; 4 people, dbl. occ. w/2 rooms - $850.00 USD; 6 people, dbl. occ. w/3 rooms - $1,000.00 USD (Includes: 4x4 rental, fuel, driver, normal entrance fees and meals as indicated). Leave your hotel at 8:00am and return the next day at 6:00 – 7:00pm (560 km or 348 miles round-trip).
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