Explore the breathtaking desert landscapes on a 4 day tour from Marrakech to Erg Chigaga. Journey over the Atlas Mountains and North Africa’s highest mountain pass, discovering kasbahs, oases, and ancient caravan routes. Experience Berber villages, visit the carpet capital of Morocco, and immerse yourself in the desert. Our skilled drivers will guide you through diverse desert terrain to a desert camp. Enjoy camel rides in the dunes, try sandboarding, and witness stunning sunsets from the tallest sandy dune. Connect with nomads, play drums, and spend the night in a nomad tent beneath the stars.
From Marrakech to Marrakech
Depart from Marrakech at 8 am
Our 4-day tour from Marrakech to Erg Chigaga is a Desert Tour from Marrakech that will take you to visit the Erg Chigaga Desert, Ait Ben Haddou, Atlas Mountains, Zagora and Mhamid El Ghazlan.
Your Morocco desert excursion from Marrakech to Erg Chigaga will begin at 7:30 a.m. with a pickup from your Marrakech accommodation or Riad.
Depart Marrakech and wind your way up through the Atlas Mountains to the Tichka Pass, where the views are spectacular. Further, you will have a few stops to enjoy the surroundings and take some pictures of the high mountains.
After we cross the mountains, we will visit the famous Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, which is home to many international movies like Indiana Jones and Gladiator. Afterward, we leave for Ouarzazate for lunch before continuing to Zagora via the Draa River, which has a vast oasis stretching over 200 kilometers in the foothills of the Anti-Atlas mountains.
After breakfast, we drive to M’hamid (where the paved road ends), stopping at Tamagroute to visit one of Morocco’s oldest Quranic libraries, and then to the neighboring kasbah noted for its potters’ factory.
Lunch will be given at your leisure in M’hamid. We leave early in the afternoon for Erg Chigaga dunes, passing through various desert features such as ‘Erg,’ ‘Reg,’ ‘Hammadas,’ and oases. The Erg Chigaga dunes are remote from civilization, and the sand’s solitude is deafening.
Ride your camels across the dunes and take in one of the most spectacular sunsets over the changing dunes.
Enjoy a delicious dinner under the stars next to the bonfire while being entertained by local nomads playing traditional music.
After breakfast, the road leads us through another 90 kilometers of desert with diverse scenery. We first traverse the flat dried salt lake of Iriqui and the Anti Atlas mountains, following the old course of the “Rally Paris Dakar.”
Then to Foum Zguid, the first village after the desert, where the paved road begins.
After lunch, go to Taznakht, a Berber town noted for its Berber carpets and rugs.
We reach Ouarzazate late in the afternoon. Dinner and stay at your hotel in Ouarzazate.
After breakfast, we can go to the film studios just outside of Ouarzazate, which is renowned as the “Hollywood of Africa.”
The studios are places where many international movies were made, including “Gladiator,” “Indiana Jones,” and “Lawrence of Arabia.” Further you will walk to see the studios from inside and learn about all its parts.
Finally we continue to Marrakesh over the High Atlas Mountains and the Tizi n’Tichka crossing. Lunch can be provided in the Atlas Mountains on the way to Marrakech, depending on the time of day.
Your 4-day desert excursion from Marrakech to Erg Chigaga will conclude with a drop-off at your Marrakech hotel / Riad or a location of your choice.
This was a fantastic trip. Well organized with fascinating sites to see and stays in beautiful Riad hotels every night. Our driver, Mohamed/ Mo was an amazing person who we now think of as a friend. He was very flexible and changed the tour to suit our needs or desires on any given day, such as adding in a hike in the desert or altering the route to get us somewhere faster. He arranged meals at amazing local restaurants where we sometimes were the only ones eating beautiful homemade Moroccan food. The staff of the tour office, and every hotel we stayed at, and the desert camp in the Sahara, we’re all amazing people! Highly recommend Moroccan Travel company and especially Mohamed as driver.
We have just returned from a 4 day tour to Erg Chigaga with Ali. We would thoroughly recommend the experience, despite a sandstorm, for our first time in the Sahara. Ali is a good guide and provided interesting insights along the way. Being from a nomadic family, his knowledge of the desert is second to none.
A sunrise camel ride over the dunes was the highlight and worth the long drives!
Accommodation is good.
Food good. I highly recommend Moroccan Travel
We had an incredible time on the 4-day tour from Marrakech to Erg Chigaga. The desert landscapes were simply breathtaking, and the dunes of Erg Chigaga were like something out of a dream. Our guide was knowledgeable and friendly, providing us with insights into the local culture and history. The campsite under the stars was a highlight, and the camel ride at sunset was an unforgettable experience.
Highly recommended!
