Desert Tour from Marrakesh to Erg Chegaga

Your driver will pick you up at 08:00 am from your hotel or the closest accessible point for the car, and you will start  4 days desert tour to Erg Chegaga Desert, across the Tizi-n-Tichka pass of the high Atlas Mountains with an altitude of 2260m, with far-reaching views across the mountains, to the traditional High Atlas Berber villages. After a 4 hours’ drive we will arrive to Ouarzazate where you will have about 2 hours for lunch and to visit Film Studios & Taourirt Kasbahs. Discover how the area has been featured in movies, including Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, and Black Hawk Down. After Lunch we continue over the Tizi-n-Tinfifte pass to Agdez. Descending from the pass you will be amazed at the view of the vast Oasis of the Draa Valley with its thousands of date palms, producing an amazing 44 varieties. This is part of the ancient road of the caravans which used to suply goods up from Mali and Niger having crossed the Sahara. Arrival in Zagora a charming oasis town check in to your hotel and relax by the swimming pool or go on a walk to discover the old town centre with its many traditional kasbahs.

After Breakfast, we will have enough time to visit Zagora and its surroundings with a local guide, explore the Jewish quarter in Amzerou and the palm groves before heading to Erg Chegaga dunes. Afterwards, we continue our trip towards the doorway to Sahara Desert (Mhamid). Along the way, we stop in the the original town of the 16th century dynasty ( Saadian), Tamgroute, to visit an old Coran library and a subterranean kasbah. Later on we drive further south still, to M’hamid, the very gate to the desert and the end of the paved road.  Here we will stop for a picnic lunch before we drive the off Road to Erg Chegaga Desert. Upon arrival you will ride camels to enjoy the sunset. Night and dinner in the camp in the middle of nowhere.

Wake up early to witness the sunrise from the top of the dunes of Erg Chigaga. After breakfast, say goodbye to our family Berber team in the camp. After breakfast, we drive another 90km of the desert with varying sceneries; the natural dried lake of Iriqui, fossils and the plains of black stones. Before taking the asphalted road in direction of the small town of Foum Zguid, the first town after desert, a quick stop to stretch your legs, use the bathrooms or enjoy a coffee... We will stop here for about an hour for lunch before we drive to Taznakht which is one of the biggest centers of carpets in the kingdom where we will visit a cooperative of Berber carpets made by women of the surrounding villages.  After lunch we will drive to Ait Ben Haddou where we will visit the widespread Kasbah as it has been named by Unesco in 1987. Ait Benhaddou is the World Heritage site that has been utilized as a setting for more than 20 movies incorporating “Gladiator” “Indiana Jones” and “Lawrence of Arabia”.

From here you drive along the beautiful and awe-inspiring Ounila Valley also know as salt valley, full of bends in the roads, surprises at the hues of the rock and soil, Berber villages and gardens, as well as smaller Kasbahs. Reach Telouet Kasbah where you will be introduced to your Local guide and learn about the history of the lords of the Atlas " Ethami El Glaoui". We proceed our approach to Marrakesh through the High Atlas Mountains and Tizi n’tichka pass. Tizi-n-Tichka pass of the high Atlas Mountains with an altitude of 2260m, with far-reaching views across the mountains, to the traditional High Atlas Berber villages. After we cross the High Atlas we will reach Marrakech at the end of the afternoon having had the best and the real sahara desert experience in Morocco.