Erg Chebbi Desert Tour from Marrakech – 4 days

Sahara Desert Tour from Marrakech:

Experience the enchantment of the Sahara Desert on a 4-day expedition starting from Marrakech and concluding in Merzouga. This journey will transport you from the vibrant markets of Marrakech to the awe-inspiring Erg Chebbi dunes, traversing the southern landscapes of Morocco. Along the way, you’ll traverse the picturesque Atlas Mountains, discover charming Berber villages, and explore ancient Kasbahs. Your accommodations will include overnight stays in authentic guest houses.

Then, embark on a short hike through breathtaking Todgha Gorges and stunning Dades Valley that lead you to the splendid Sahara Desert. Here, you will enjoy a memorable camel trek and climb windswept dunes to witness mesmerising sunsets amidst the towering dunes. To top it off, you get to spend an unforgettable night in a luxurious desert camp within the Erg Chebbi, gazing up at the star-studded night sky.

4-day desert tour from Marrakech to Erg Chebbi dunes – highlights:

• Drive through the scenic landscapes of the Atlas Mountains and the beautiful Berber villages.
• Explore old Kasbahs: Kasbah Teleout and, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou.
• Taste delicious traditional local food, stay in authentic guest houses and learn about life in the south and in the oases.
• Wander the fertile Dades Valley and hike through the massive Todra Gorges, the green gardens and into the mountains.
• Ride camels at sunset, try sandboarding, take epic photos and dance to nomad music and drumming around a fire camp.
• Enjoy dinner under a sky full of stars and spend the night in a private tent in a luxury desert camp in the big dunes.
• Explore the Draa Valley with its huge palm groves, fortified kasbahs and authentic Berber villages.

What is included:

• Transport in a private air-conditioned & comfortable van or 4WD vehicle
• Experienced English-speaking nomad driver-guide
• Pick-up from and drop-off at your hotel in Marrakech
• Meals: breakfast & dinner – with vegetarian and vegan options available
• Accommodation in comfortable hotels with air-conditioned rooms with private bathrooms
• One night in a luxury desert camp in Erg Chebbi under private & comfortable tents equipped with private bathrooms and shower
• A camel ride for about two hours with a guide in Erg Chebbi and free sand-boarding, if desired
• Berber drumming & music in the desert camp
• Hiking in beautiful scenery and free time to explore the sites of interest
• Tea/ coffee in the desert camp

What is not included:

• Lunches
• Local guides
• Entrance fees
• Tipping

Itinerary:

1st day: Marrakech – Dades Gorges

Morning departure from Marrakech to the Dades Gorges crossing the High Atlas mountains. From these mountains, the views over the valleys and the berber villages perched on the mountainsides, sometimes barely distinguishable from the mountains themselves, are spectacular.

After crossing the Tizi-n-Tichka pass (2260 m), the highest peak in North Africa, you take a side road to Kasbah Telouet. This Kasbah was the seat of the El Glaoui family, thus sometimes also called the Palace of Glaoui. You will visit the Kasbah with a local guide for further insight.

In the afternoon, the road continues to the oasis of Skoura where you stop to visit the kasbah Amridhil. Having been beautifully restored, the Kasbah is an excellent example of an adobe building and one of Morocco’s most iconic living museums.

From here, you travel through the Road of One Thousand Kasbahs and the refreshing Valley of the Roses as far as Kela’a M’gouna. You can visit one of the local co-operatives producing cosmetic articles from the abundant roses of the valley.

By the end of the afternoon, you arrive in Dades Valley, where you spend the night in a beautiful guest house overlooking the valley.

2nd day: Dades Gorges – Merzouga

After breakfast, there is time to walk by the Boumalne Dades Valley to explore the oases and learn about life in this harsh but equally beautiful environment.

From here, your 4-day desert tour from Marrakech to Erg Chebbi continues to the Todra Gorges, where you have the opportunity to go for a short hike alongside the river bank, up the gorges and into the mountains if desired. You will have lunch in one of the local restaurants overlooking the valley.

On the way to Erfoud, you will notice strange piles of sand following the road. These are the heads of the “khettarat”, an ingenious underground water channel system designed to minimise evaporation of the water in the desert heat. It is fascinating to climb down to experience the coolness below ground and to wonder at the ancient engineering involved.

In Erfoud itself, you can visit a local workshop and discover how fossil-rich rocks are transformed into practical and decorative artefacts. Your trip continues to Erg Chebbi dunes along the Ziz Valley and the Tafilalte Valley to the dunes of Merzouga for an hour’s camel ride to reach the desert camp near the dunes of Erg Chebbi.

From the top of the dunes (250m), the sunset is spectacular. Here, at Erg Chebbi dunes, you will have dinner and spend the night in a desert camp nested among the big dunes.

3rd day: Merzouga – Ouarzazate

If you wake up early enough, you can watch the spectacle of the sunrise. You will have some free time to wander the dunes and enjoy some moments of pure peacefulness in this magical place.

The return to the hotel for having a shower is on camel back and, after having breakfast, the itinerary continues from Merzouga to Ouarzazate. You will travel via the Berber villages of Rissani, Alnif, Tazzarine (featured in the film ‘Babel’) and finally N’Qob just in time for lunch.

In the afternoon, we drive along the Draa Valley and the ancient Caravans Roads towards Agdez, passing oases and kasbahs, beside the river. For a short while, we drive off-road along the riverbank, to get a better view of the oases and villages. This region is part of the ancient road of the caravans which used to supply goods up from Mali and Niger having crossed the Sahara Desert.

The last part of the day’s journey is to cross the Anti-Atlas Mountains and the Tizi-n-Tinfifite pass (1600 m) to arrive in Ouarzazate. You will spend the night in a beautiful riad.

4th day: Ouarzazate – Marrakech

After breakfast, you will visit Kasbah Taourirt, which served as a residential palace for the powerful Glaoui family and is now the symbol of Ouarzazate.

Just outside of Ouarzazate, you stop to visit the Atlas Studios, a movie wonderland known for keeping its sets and reorganising them in order to offer a wide range of choices to production studios, but also for letting tourists experience the unique thrill of the movies sets.
Driving further north, you continue to descend the mountains until you finally reach Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, which you will visit after lunch. This is the most famous kasbah in all of Morocco and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Kasbah is also renowned for its use as a filming location for many Hollywood blockbusters including “Alexander the Great”, “The Mummy,” “The Jewel of the Nile,” and “Kingdom of Heaven”.

From here, cross the high Atlas Mountains and the Tizi-n-Tichka again to arrive in Marrakech. Along the road, you will stop at panoramic viewpoints to take photos, admire the setting and for breaks. You reach Marrakech by the early evening.

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