Cultural Immersion in Rose Valley & Atlas Mountains, Boumalne Dades

5.0 (11 reviews)

Overview

Enjoy a day trip to the Berber communities of the Atlas Mountains, passing through El Kelaa Mgouna, the capital of Morocco's famed Rose Valley, along the way. Here the intensely cultivated plots of farmland are bordered by rose bushes, which are used in the cosmetic industry to make rose water and rose oil. In May, a Rose Festival takes place, celebrating the year’s production.

You can make a quick stop at a rose collective to see the process of converting the petals into water and oil and sample some of the products.  

Then continue to the Atlas Mountains to immerse yourself in the region's unique culture, where you'll enjoy an easy walking tour while interacting with local Berber families. The foothills of the mountains offer a green oasis of vegetation, perfect for quaint towns to thrive. These authentic Berber villages offer a wealth of knowledge about the regional culture, traditions, and way of life.
 
A guide will lead you through the area on an easy walk. Along the way, you'll stop in a few villages to meet with locals. Admire the unique architecture, listen to stories about regional history, partake in fun activities, observe traditional farming techniques, enjoy live entertainment, and more. You'll receive a complete lesson on the Berber people and their lifestyles. 

At lunchtime, join a local family in their traditional house. While enjoying Berber and Moroccan cuisine, learn more about the history of this unique culture and enjoy an authentic tea ceremony.

Discover more cultural experiences in Morocco. 

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Travelers often mention

Summarized by AI based on kimkim traveler reviews

Great Guide

Many reviews praised the guides, particularly Ismail and Mohammed, for their knowledge, friendliness, sense of humor, guidance on the hike, and ability to make the experience memorable. (7 mentions)

Alaina
“Our guide, Ismail, was fantastic and spent seven hours with us!”  — Alaina S.
Alaina
“We cannot say enough good things about Ismail or this experience — he was a stellar tour guide and made our experience incredibly memorable.”  — Alaina S.
D
“Mohamed Amjon, Brilliant guide for of facts and humour.”  — D T.
Hospitality

Reviewers noted the exceptional hospitality of the guides and their families, highlighting their warm and welcoming nature. (6 mentions)

Alaina
“Ismail seemed proud of the town and wanted to show us around, which we really appreciated.”  — Alaina S.
Jackie
“The renown Berber hospitality was second to none!!”  — Jackie O.
Aarti
“It was lovely to end the hike by having lunch with him in his warm and welcoming home and to meet his lovely family.”  — Aarti G.
Delicious Lunch

Lunches prepared by the guides' families were consistently mentioned as delicious and hearty, often including traditional dishes like tagines, and provided a unique look into local life. (6 mentions)

Alaina
“After exploring the kasbahs, we enjoyed a lovely lunch at his family’s home in the center of Boulmane Dades.”  — Alaina S.
Jackie
“The lunch that we enjoyed, prepared by Ismail’s mother Toda (sp?) was both hearty and delicious”  — Jackie O.
D
“His wife made the best food I tasted in the whole trip.”  — D T.
Beautiful Scenery

The hiking routes offered stunning views, including sandstone arches, the Monkey Fingers rock formation, and canyons. The landscape was often described as idyllic and gorgeous. (4 mentions)

Alaina
“It was a rigorous (+1,200 ft elevation gain) but gorgeous hike, with sandstone arches and remarkable views of the Monkey Fingers and surrounding canyons.”  — Alaina S.
Jackie
“The sun shone brightly over this idyllic landscape”  — Jackie O.
J
“Even though the sun had set, he instructed our driver to take us up the famous windy road into the Dades canyon area for a spectacular view over the valley.”  — Julie I.

Traveler reviews

11 total ratings, 10 with reviews
5.0
Feature ratings
Quality of Experience
5.0
Food
4.9
Guides, Drivers and Staff
5.0
Transport
4.8
Clara
Clara Y.
San Jose, CA | Reviewed on Jun 30, 2024
The hike was fun! We liked walking around the slot canyons. The guide was a good hiking guide. He knows how to hike safely and brought us up and down the slopes. The lunch with the family was nice too. Read more

The hike was fun! We liked walking around the slot canyons. The guide was a good hiking guide. He knows how to hike safely and brought us up and down the slopes. The lunch with the family was nice too.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Alaina
Alaina S.
United Kingdom | Reviewed on Apr 06, 2024
This was one of the most memorable and enjoyable experiences of the trip. Our guide, Ismail, was fantastic and spent seven hours with us! He met us at our hotel at 9 am and asked us about our preferences and comfort levels so he could tailor the hike accordingly. We are in our 20s and avid hikers, so we told him we were happy to go wherever he wanted to take us. The day started with a three-hour climb up and down opposite sides of the mountain adjacent to the “Monkey Fingers” rock formation.... Read more

This was one of the most memorable and enjoyable experiences of the trip. Our guide, Ismail, was fantastic and spent seven hours with us! He met us at our hotel at 9 am and asked us about our preferences and comfort levels so he could tailor the hike accordingly. We are in our 20s and avid hikers, so we told him we were happy to go wherever he wanted to take us.

The day started with a three-hour climb up and down opposite sides of the mountain adjacent to the “Monkey Fingers” rock formation. It was a rigorous (+1,200 ft elevation gain) but gorgeous hike, with sandstone arches and remarkable views of the Monkey Fingers and surrounding canyons. Ismail also brought traditional Berber clothes for us to try on during the hike. The only other people we encountered along the way were a pair of local nomads who stopped to chat with us. For those who prefer a less strenuous hike, there’s a mining road behind the mountain that provides easier access to the overlooks.

Ismail flagged down a local minibus taxi to take us back into town (which was a really fun experience) and then showed us some local kasbahs and rock formations. His English is superb, and he shared a lot of really interesting information about local history and customs with us.

After exploring the kasbahs, we enjoyed a lovely lunch at his family’s home in the center of Boulmane Dades. We met his father, Mohammed, who used to lead these tours, as well as his mother and brother. The lunch was good (veggie and chicken tagines, bread, fruit, and tea), and they happily accommodated our dietary request (we relayed that information in advance through our driver). It was fun to see the inside of a local home — we were worried this part of the experience might feel too “touristy,” but it didn’t.

Lunch was directly across from our hotel (Dar Rihana), so we assumed that would be the end of the day, but we were wrong! We finished lunch at around 2 pm, and then he led us to the top of a nearby mountain for a view of the Tizi n'Tichka Pass. On our way back into town, we ran into several members of his family and stopped to see several local businesses. To be clear, these were not sales stops — Ismail seemed proud of the town and wanted to show us around, which we really appreciated.

We cannot say enough good things about Ismail or this experience — he was a stellar tour guide and made our experience incredibly memorable. It’s a small town, and he was clearly known and liked by everyone we encountered. All told, we walked a little over 10 miles in 7 hours, with stops for lunch and sightseeing along the way.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Jackie
Jackie O.
Canada | Reviewed on Apr 05, 2024
This trek was one of the highlights of our trip, thanks to our friendly and knowledgeable guide Ismail. The sun shone brightly over this idyllic landscape. We felt like we were in paradise as we crossed babbling brooks and over bouldered paths. You’d never want to be out there without the guidance of a local guide familiar with the terrain!
The lunch that we enjoyed, prepared by Ismail’s mother Toda (sp?) was both hearty and delicious. It’s so commendable how throughout the country, the...
Read more

This trek was one of the highlights of our trip, thanks to our friendly and knowledgeable guide Ismail. The sun shone brightly over this idyllic landscape. We felt like we were in paradise as we crossed babbling brooks and over bouldered paths. You’d never want to be out there without the guidance of a local guide familiar with the terrain!
The lunch that we enjoyed, prepared by Ismail’s mother Toda (sp?) was both hearty and delicious. It’s so commendable how throughout the country, the locals were happy to cook for us and yet refrain from partaking in any of the food due to their fasting commitment during daylight hours as they observed Ramadan. This was a really delightful time that both my son and I really enjoyed. The renown Berber hospitality was second to none!!

Quality of Experience
The beautiful location and the kind hospitality made this a day to cherish.
Food
Delicious food with wonderful hosts!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Ismail is a happy soul whose love for his village and surrounding area radiates through him. Communication between him and our trustworthy driver Oussama were always flawless so we were never left waiting as he seemingly magically appeared to shuttle us off to the next wonderful vista.
Transport
Oussama was predictably reliable and flawless!
Kathleen
Kathleen B.
Chicago, IL | Reviewed on Nov 26, 2023
Great walk with Mohammad! He was delightful Read more

Great walk with Mohammad! He was delightful

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
J
Julie I.
Seattle, WA | Reviewed on Dec 30, 2022
We arrived later than expected. However, our local guide made sure to feed us quickly (food was great) so that we had enough time for our hike before the sun set. He took us to see the local kasbahs and for a short hike through the 'monkey fingers' rock formations. Even though the sun had set, he instructed our driver to take us up the famous windy road into the Dades canyon area for a spectacular view over the valley. He was so friendly and welcoming. Would recommend! Read more

We arrived later than expected. However, our local guide made sure to feed us quickly (food was great) so that we had enough time for our hike before the sun set. He took us to see the local kasbahs and for a short hike through the 'monkey fingers' rock formations. Even though the sun had set, he instructed our driver to take us up the famous windy road into the Dades canyon area for a spectacular view over the valley. He was so friendly and welcoming. Would recommend!

Tips for future travelers

Leave enough time to take advantage of the opportunities for hiking/walking in this area!

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Janet
Janet H.
Seattle, WA | Reviewed on Oct 30, 2022
We really enjoyed our hike with Mohammad and the lunch with him and his wife. It was a great opportunity to learn about the area from a local. The hike was just beautiful and Mohammad has a great sense of humor. We had a lot of fun. Lunch was delicious. Read more

We really enjoyed our hike with Mohammad and the lunch with him and his wife. It was a great opportunity to learn about the area from a local. The hike was just beautiful and Mohammad has a great sense of humor. We had a lot of fun. Lunch was delicious.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
D
D T.
the Netherlands | Reviewed on Oct 03, 2022
Mohamed Amjon,
Brilliant guide for of facts and humour. His wife made the best food I tasted in the whole trip. Overall one of the best days.
Read more

Mohamed Amjon,
Brilliant guide for of facts and humour. His wife made the best food I tasted in the whole trip. Overall one of the best days.

Quality of Experience
Food
Taste
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Jennifer
Jennifer O.
Morristown, NJ | Reviewed on Sep 28, 2022
Loved spending time with our guide and his lovely wife. They were incredibly welcoming! Read more

Loved spending time with our guide and his lovely wife. They were incredibly welcoming!

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Taxi was definitely an adventure on its own.
Aarti
Aarti G.
the Netherlands | Reviewed on Aug 28, 2022
We absolutely loved our hike in the Dades valley with Mohammed! This was one of the highlights of our trip. Mohammed was very knowledgeable and highly enthusiastic and friendly, sharing with us stories of his life in the valley and many 'Berber wisdoms' that we greatly appreciated! It was lovely to end the hike by having lunch with him in his warm and welcoming home and to meet his lovely family. Read more

We absolutely loved our hike in the Dades valley with Mohammed! This was one of the highlights of our trip. Mohammed was very knowledgeable and highly enthusiastic and friendly, sharing with us stories of his life in the valley and many 'Berber wisdoms' that we greatly appreciated! It was lovely to end the hike by having lunch with him in his warm and welcoming home and to meet his lovely family.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
C
celeste r.
Fair Oaks, CA | Reviewed on Jun 28, 2022
Highly recommend you do this!! Read more

Highly recommend you do this!!

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport

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Chat with our local specialists and let us help you customize your trip with experiences like this.

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Itineraries with Cultural Immersion in Rose Valley & Atlas Mountains