Your stay · Dades Gorge
Le Vieux Château du Dadès
Your tour includes the first night here, in the heart of the Dades Gorge — a Berber-built classic by the river, below red cliffs that catch fire at sunset. A Moroccan dinner, the sound of the water, and the Sahara ahead.
The hotel
A riverside classic in the gorge, where the cliffs turn red at dusk.
Le Vieux Château du Dadès — the regulars of the valley simply call it “Le Château de Dadès” — stands on the Dades Gorge road, up the valley from Boumalne Dadès, right where the gorge tightens and the rock goes rose-red. The river runs just below, poplars and gardens threading green along the water.
The hotel itself is a gorge institution: built in the Berber tradition with kasbah character, a terrace to watch the light climb the cliffs, and a dining room that fills each evening with travellers bound for the dunes. It’s the honest, welcoming first night on the road to the Sahara.
A look around
The property in pictures
Where you'll sleep
Your room
Rooms come in double, triple, quadruple and family layouts, each with a private bathroom with shower, free toiletries, and towels and bed linen provided. Crucially for the gorge, every room has individually controlled heating and air conditioning — cold winter nights and hot summer afternoons are both handled. Some rooms are built in the purest Berber tradition, with a private balcony hanging over the river.
Included in your stay
What's provided
- Room with private bathroom & shower
- Free toiletries, towels & bed linen
- Individually controlled heating & A/C
- Moroccan dinner & buffet breakfast at the hotel
- Terrace facing the gorge
- 24-hour reception
Wi-Fi: don't count on it in the gorge — connectivity is patchy this deep between the cliffs. The river makes a fine soundtrack instead.
Before you go
Arriving ready
Pack a warm layer
Once the sun leaves the cliffs, gorge evenings cool fast — and winter nights are properly cold. Your room's heating handles the night; the jacket handles the terrace.
Comfortable shoes
The riverside and the village lanes below the cliffs are made for an evening or morning stroll.
Watch the sky after dinner
The gorge is properly dark at night — step onto the terrace and let the stars put on the show.
Camera out at golden hour
The Dades cliffs go rose-red as the light drops — the terrace and the riverside are front-row seats.
A little cash
For drinks, extras and tips — arriving with some dirhams keeps things simple.
An early night helps
Day two rolls on toward the dunes — dinner by the river and an early bed are the perfect setup.
Good to know
Questions guests ask
Where does this night fit in my tour?
It's the first night on our shared 3-day Marrakech to Merzouga desert tours and our shared Marrakech to Fes desert tours — you arrive after the High Atlas pass and the day's kasbahs, sleep by the river in the gorge, and roll on toward the dunes the next morning.
Where exactly is the hotel?
On the Dades Gorge road, up the valley from Boumalne Dadès — in the heart of the gorge, by the river. It's the classic first overnight between Marrakech and the Sahara.
Do the rooms have private bathrooms?
Yes — every room has a private bathroom with shower, free toiletries, and towels and bed linen provided.
Is there heating in winter?
Yes — every room has individually controlled heating and air conditioning, so cold gorge nights and hot summer afternoons are both covered.
Are meals included?
Yes — a Moroccan dinner at the hotel and a buffet breakfast in the morning, exactly what a day on the road calls for.
Can I get a room overlooking the river?
Some rooms are built in the Berber tradition with private balconies over the river — allocation depends on availability on the night, but it's always worth asking.
Is there Wi-Fi?
Don't count on it — connectivity is patchy this deep in the gorge. Enjoy an evening offline; the river and the stars do the entertaining.
What is there to do around the hotel?
Stroll the riverside below the cliffs and through the village lanes, watch the light climb the rock from the terrace, and stay up for one of Morocco's darkest, starriest night skies.