How to get there
Dades Gorge and the nearby Monkey Fingers canyon are a 6-hour drive from Marrakesh, about 340 kilometers on the so-called Route of a Thousand Kasbahs. It’s only about a 2.5-hour drive from Ouarzazate.
The road there is of great quality, and the only reason it takes so long is the low speed limit and the twisty roads, especially when crossing the Atlas Mountains over the Tizi N Tichka mountain pass.
We visited Dades and Monkey Fingers as part of our big Morocco road trip, right after Ait Benhaddou, on the way to Todra and the desert in Merzouga. We started our journey by renting a car in Marrakesh.
There is a 2-hour bus from Ouarzazate to Boulmane Dades, the town in the Dades Valley, and then you can just take a taxi to the gorge.
From Ouarzazate, you can get a private tour to Dades Gorge, and on the way visit the fantastic Kasbah Amridil in the Skoura Oasis and the Valley of Roses. It’s great value for money. We loved Kasbah Amridil!
However, the most popular way to visit Dades if you’re not driving or taking public transport around the country is the desert tour from Fes to Marrakesh. It has a well-optimized itinerary and also stops here.
Are these places even worth a detour?
ABSOLUTELY. Dades Gorge and Monkey Fingers are a great place to stop over on the way from Marrakesh to the desert or the other way around.
And we’re happy we visited, since the rock formations are super unique and the gorge is quite interesting.
Driving the Hairpin Road and seeing it from above
The hairpin road of Dades Gorge is what you see in photos when people talk about roads in Morocco. But actually, this was probably one of the only such roads we drove during our 4000 km road trip in the country.
It’s definitely important to take it slow on the twists and turns of the road to reach the viewpoint above it, but it’s really no big deal, and everyone else is going slow anyway.
We haven’t really seen much aggressive driving in Morocco, except in Marrakesh, of course, and the super fast taxis, but they’re still quite careful. So we had no problems on this road.
Once we drove up, we made a short stop at the viewpoint cafe to see the road from a higher vantage point. We didn’t stick around too long before going back down the way we came, as we were short on time and still wanted to see Monkey Fingers.
Views of the Monkey Fingers rock formations
On the side of the road that goes around a hill opposite the Monkey Fingers rock formations, you can get really great views, and you don’t even have to get up close. Although we wish we did (more on that later).
The rock formations are called that as they resemble long fingers, like those of monkeys.
If we’re not mistaken, this is the only such place in Morocco, so it’s quite a unique sight. It reminded us of rock formations in some US national park we saw on TV (not sure which one anymore!).
We stopped at quite a few different parts by the side of the road to take in the views during the last rays of sunshine, as the sun was about to set.
Hiking in Dades Gorge and Monkey Fingers Canyon
We are incredibly sad that we couldn’t hike inside the Monkey Fingers Canyon, as it looks like a really cool landscape to explore up close and is definitely not something you can find elsewhere in Morocco.
Some say you need a guide for the Monkey Fingers hike, but if you check the latest trail reviews on AllTrails, everyone who did it independently found it well-marked and easy to follow.
It’s an 8.4 km loop if you do the whole hike around, but from what we’ve seen, you can also just do the Monkey Fingers part of the canyon and then turn around and return the same way. Otherwise, the rest of the trail is a dry riverbed with few interesting sights.
It takes about 2.5 hours to go out and back in the Monkey Fingers Canyon, and about an hour more for the full loop.
Don’t wanna do the hike yourself? Check this hiking tour with a local guide. We would recommend a guide if you have limited mobility or don’t like navigating unknown trails.
Time needed and what we’d do differently
Half a day is enough for visiting Dades Gorge and Monkey Fingers, as there’s really not that much to do in the area. However, for the most enjoyable time, staying overnight is ideal. We couldn’t do that since we only had time for Dades on the way.
Since we were arriving to Dades Gorge late in the day, just before sunset, looking back, we wish we actually went for a short hike in Monkeys Fingers canyon, and after that go drive up to the hairpin road.
When coming into the area, you actually pass Monkey Fingers on the way to the hairpin road. From Monkey Fingers, it’s actually a 20-minute drive up the valley! We definitely underestimated how long it took.
Since the hairpin road was less interesting to us, this meant we lost time on the wrong thing. Oh well… Now you know, so you don’t repeat our mistake!
All our troubles happened because we were still catching one last sunrise in Ait Benhaddou that morning and then stopped at the beautiful Kasbah Amridil on the way. So we arrived much later than we anticipated.
Hotel recommendations
If you’re planning a night in the area, the Kasbah Flilou hotel is a great choice, and it’s in the best place to explore both the Monkey Fingers and the Dades Gorge.
When we were planning our trip and didn’t know if we would stay overnight, Flilou looked like the best option, as did Riad Gabsi Dades for a more budget-friendly stay. It even has a pool with a view of Monkey Fingers!
If the hairpin road is your final destination of the day, we recommend staying at Riad Bleu Afriqua right there at the top above it. That way you don’t have to drive anywhere else after you’re done for the day.
Where to eat GREAT food
After our visit to the hairpin road and the viewpoints, we went for dinner at Restaurant Fatima Berber, which was an incredible find!
First, we ordered a coffee and watched the sunset, as Fatima’s restaurant looks towards the Monkey Fingers rock formations. The Cafe Creme was great, and the views were even better.
The food was cooked fresh, so we had to wait a bit. And was it worth the wait!
We got an incredibly big portion of couscous and tagine, the biggest in Morocco, and most of all, super tasty and cooked to perfection. This was such a great way to finish a VERY long day.
Once we finished stuffing our faces with the delicious food, we still had a 1.5-hour drive to Todra, our next destination and where we were staying for the night.
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