The Monkey Fingers is a scenic trek through the Dadès Gorge region, specifically in an area known for its unique rock formations that resemble the fingers of a monkey’s hand. These formations are located near the village of Tamellalt in the High Atlas Mountains.
The hike offers an exciting combination of dramatic landscapes, towering red rock canyons, and narrow gorges, making it a popular destination for adventurous travellers and nature lovers. Hikers can explore the rock formations and the surrounding valleys, discovering small Berber villages, and beautiful viewpoints over the gorge. The area is also dotted with kasbahs (traditional mud-brick fortresses), adding a cultural dimension to the experience.
How to get there?
From Marrakech or Ouarzazate
You can start your journey from Marrakech, which is about 300 km from the Dadès Valley. Most people combine a trip to the Dadès Valley with a tour of the Sahara Desert.
Ouarzazate is closer to the Dadès Valley (about 140 km) and is often a stopover point. Many travellers visit Ouarzazate for its proximity to both the Dadès and Todra Gorges.
By Car
Renting a car is the most flexible way to travel. From Marrakech, take the N9 road towards Ouarzazate, passing through the scenic Tizi n’Tichka Pass in the Atlas Mountains. From Ouarzazate, continue on the N10 road towards Boumalne Dadès (the town nearest to the Monkey Fingers).
From Boumalne Dadès, you’ll drive a further 25 km into the Dadès Gorge until you reach the village of Tamellalt, the starting point for the Monkey Fingers hike.
By Bus
You can take a bus from Marrakech or Ouarzazate to Boumalne Dadès. The journey from Marrakech takes about 7–8 hours, while from Ouarzazate, it’s roughly 2–3 hours. Popular operators include CTM or Supratours.
Once you arrive in Boumalne Dadès, you can hire a taxi or arrange for local transport to Tamellalt and the entrance to the Monkey Fingers trail.
By Tour
Many tour operators offer guided trips to the Dadès Valley from Marrakech or Ouarzazate, often as part of multi-day desert tours that include the Sahara, Ait Benhaddou, and Todra Gorge. These tours will handle all transportation and logistics, making it a more convenient but less flexible option if you want to explore at your own pace.
The best time to visit
Plan your trip in spring or autumn for the best weather conditions. While winter is generally mild, it can get quite cold at night and in the mornings, with temperatures occasionally dropping close to freezing, especially at higher elevations. Summer can be hot, but temperatures are milder in the mountains.
You should always have some warmer layers, regardless of the season. In the end, it’s mountains there!
Where to stay?
If you decide to spend a night in the area, you won’t have problems finding a place to stay. A good choice might be Monkey Fingers House by Fatima Mellal.
How long is the hike?
The distance of the loop is about 8 kilometers and you should plan at least 3 hours to walk it comfortably.
Do you need a guide?
You may want to hire a local guide from the village to lead the hike, especially if you’re unfamiliar with this kind of activity. A guide can also help you up in case you choose to follow the trail that goes to the top of the rocks and involves some scrambling. Ask about one at your accommodation.
For hiking enthusiasts, there is absolutely no need to hire a guide. Just get yourself a good offline map such as Mapy.CZ to check your position on the trail in case of doubts.
The hike around Monkey Fingers
I parked the car at the roadside near Imzzoudar and walked through Ait Arbi village. Very atmospheric place but it looked like abandoned, without any inhabitants visible around it. I was following the trail anti-clockwise in the direction of the rocks.
Once you get to the bottom of the rocks, you will need to make a decision. There are 3 routes to choose from. The first leads along the base of the rocks, with interesting formations on your right side. The second one goes in the middle of the gorge, while the third one climbs up the rocks for better panoramic views. Eventually, they all merge.
I chose the trail that goes higher and includes climbing on top of the rock mass. There were sections where I had to think where to put my feet but if you are reasonably fit and you don’t mind pulling yourself up, then it will be alright. The views from up there were simply incredible!
At some point, I met a group walking in the opposite direction with a guide and he gave me some advice on how to descend to rejoin the track going at the base of the rocks. BTW, he was doing the track in flip flops. People never stop amusing me.
After merging with another track, the rest was a piece of cake. At the crossroads of trails, I turned left and then left again into a beautiful valley with a dried riverbed. Soon, I returned to the car. Very glad and satisfied that I decided to go for that hike! Well worth it.
Sidi Boubker
A bit further down the road towards Boumalne Dades in another gorge – Sidi Boubker. You can park the car near Hotel Atlas Gorge Dades and walk down. On my visit in November, there was a lot of water in the gorge so I was not able to explore it deeper.
