Ziz Valley & Rissani

The Ziz Valley is one of Morocco’s most beautiful and least celebrated landscapes — a narrow river valley cutting through the eastern High Atlas and Middle Atlas, filled with over 100,000 date palms that form an almost unbroken ribbon of green from Er-Rachidia south to Erfoud and Rissani. The valley is a key transit route on all Marrakech-to-Fès desert tours. The Ziz Gorges north of Er-Rachidia are carved by the river through dramatic limestone cliffs. Rissani, at the southern end of the valley, was the capital of the ancient Sijilmasa kingdom and the cradle of Morocco’s Alaouite royal dynasty. The weekly Rissani market (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays) is one of the largest and most authentic souks in the Sahara region.