Erg Chegaga Desert Tour from Marrakech – 4 days

Desert Tour from Marrakech to Erg Chegaga 4 days:

Set out on a 4-day desert expedition departing from Marrakech, venturing into the untamed and pristine Erg Chegaga dunes – an idyllic escape from the bustling cities, offering a chance to reconnect with your inner self amidst the windswept sands.

Your journey will lead you through the awe-inspiring Atlas Mountains, and the picturesque Draa Valley, adorned with verdant date palm orchards, fortified kasbahs, and charming Berber villages, culminating in a memorable night’s stay at a luxurious nomadic camp nestled amid the Erg Chegaga dunes.

This captivating tour also includes visits to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Kasbah Ait Ben Hdaou and Kasbah Telouet. The pinnacle of this desert adventure features a camel ride into the golden sands for a sunset experience followed by an enchanting night under the celestial canopy of the Erg Chegaga Desert.

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

• Travel through the scenic landscapes of the Atlas Mountains and beautiful Berber villages.
• Tour ancient Kasbahs: Kasbah Teleout and, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou.
• Embark on a camel trek at sunset, try sandboarding, take epic photos and dance to nomad music.
• Taste delicious traditional local food and stay in your private tent in a luxury desert camp
• Drive through the Draa Valley with its fortified kasbah, huge palm groves and green oases.
• Learn about pottery crafts in Tamgroute village and visit a carpet cooperative in Taznakht.

What is included:

• Transport in a private air-conditioned & comfortable 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
• Two nights in comfortable hotels with air-conditioned rooms with private bathrooms
• One night in a luxury desert camp in Erg Chegaga 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

Marrakech to Erg Chegaga Desert Tour 4 days – itinerary:

1st day: Marrakech – Ouarzazate

Morning departure from your hotel in Marrakech at 08:30, heading south on your 4-day desert tour to Erg Chegaga dunes. You travel across the magnificent Atlas Mountains and through beautiful Berber villages. 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. The Kasbah was the seat of the El Glaoui family, thus sometimes also called the Palace of Glaoui.

From here, 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”.

You will spend the night in a beautiful riad.

2nd day: Ouarzazate – M’hamid

After breakfast, an hour’s drive will bring you to Agdz. As you descend from the Tizi-n-Tinfifite pass at an elevation of 1660 meters, you’ll be treated to breathtaking vistas of the lush green oases and countless palm trees, marking the beginning of the Dra’a Valley.

Agdz is a significant part of the historic Caravan Road that once facilitated trade from Mali and Niger, spanning the Sahara Desert. In the present day, it boasts thriving palm groves that yield an impressive array of 44 date varieties.

For a brief period, you’ll venture off the main road, winding through the Dra’a Valley amidst mountains and along the river. This route will take you through several villages, providing a glimpse into the unique way of life sustained by the oases. You’ll make a stop to explore Kasbah Tamnougalte, the oldest Kasbah in the Dra’a Valley. While some parts of the Kasbah are still inhabited, others, particularly the Jewish quarter, have gradually crumbled since the departure of its residents to Israel, with the last person leaving in 1963.

Continuing on your 4-day Erg Chegaga desert journey from Marrakech, you’ll head south along the Ancient Caravans road until you reach Zagora, the final and largest oasis in the valley, where you’ll have lunch. Just outside Zagora, you’ll have the opportunity to visit local green pottery cooperatives and an ancient Quranic library in the Tamgroute village.

In the afternoon, your desert expedition will carry you even further south to M’hamid, where the sandy terrain at the roadside signifies the commencement of the vast Sahara Desert. M’hamid village serves as the gateway to the Sahara Desert and marks the end of the paved road.

From there, you’ll drive for approximately 45 minutes to an hour to reach the dunes outside of M’hamid, situated on the fringes of the Sahara. Here, you will dine and spend the night in a luxurious desert camp among the big dunes.

3rd day: M’hamid – Erg Chegaga

Rise early to witness the sunrise from the dune summit and enjoy some free time exploring the desert. After returning to camp, breakfast is served, and you will set out to explore the region.

The traditional villages here are typical of desert dwellings, constructed entirely from adobe, an excellent insulator against the intense summer heat due to its thick walls. You’ll explore these villages and learn about life in this challenging yet beautiful environment, with the option to visit a local family for tea.

Following lunch, your journey continues to the Erg Chegaga dunes, covering about 65 kilometres of off-road terrain through various Sahara landscapes, including dunes, stony deserts, and oases.

Arriving at the camp, you will check into your tent and enjoy tea with Moroccan biscuits. Later, a camel ride takes you to the summit of the 300-meter-high Erg Chegaga dunes, which stretch over 45 kilometres, making them Morocco’s largest. They offer a remote and awe-inspiring experience.

As night falls, dinner is served, followed by an evening of nomadic music and drumming around the campfire. You will spend the night in your tent in a luxury desert camp among the big dunes.

4th day: Erg Chegaga – Marrakech

If you wake up early enough, you can witness the serene spectacle of the sunrise, as it gracefully bathes the dunes in an enchanting array of colours. You will also have time to wonder about the dunes and enjoy some moments of pure peacefulness in this magical setting.

Back at the camp, breakfast is served. Then your 4-day Erg Chegaga desert tour from Marrakech continues through another 90km of the Sahara Desert with varying scenery: Lake Iriqui, where you are likely to experience a vast mirage in the heat, the mountains, with the opportunity to look for fossils.

From here, you travel west following the old track of “Rally Paris-Dakar” as far as Foum Zguid, the first village after the desert and the venue for lunch. Then, you drive north along paved roads and past fantastic rock formations to the small town of Taznakht, famous for its Berber carpets and rugs. If interested, you can visit a display room with looms and women at work.

After a tea break in Ouarzazate, you cross the Atlas Mountains via a different road. You will stop at panoramic viewpoints for photos and stretch your legs along the way. You arrive in Marrakech by the end of the afternoon.

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