A true taste of Saharan adventure awaits you on this 3-day desert tour from Ouarzazate to Erg Chegaga, the most remote and untouched dunes of Morocco. First, you will travel through the Anti-Atlas Mountains, where you can soak in breathtaking views. Next, you visit Kasbah Tamnougalte in Agdz followed by an exploration of the Dra’a Valley’s palm groves and adobe Kasbahs. Then, you will discover Tamegroute’s green pottery and an ancient library.
As a part of this adventure, you ride camels up the Erg Lihoudi and the impressive Erg Chegaga dunes, which stand at a remarkable 300 meters in height, offering stunning sunsets. In the evening, you can relish dinners under starry skies, serenaded by nomad music, and retire to the comfort of your private tents in luxury desert camps. Experience 4×4 off-road driving, and fossil hunting at Iriki Lake, and learn about Berber carpet crafting in Taznakht.
Come back to Ouarzazate, carrying treasured memories with you.
Number of persons | 2 Persons | 3 Persons | 4 Persons | 5 Persons | 6 Persons |
Price per person | 445 € | 415 € | 395 € | 365 € | 365 € |
Total price | 890 € | 1245 € | 1580 € | 1825 € | 2190 € |
Departure in the morning at 08:30 from your hotel, and you venture south on your 3-day desert tour from Ouarzazate to Erg Chegaga. You travel south over the Anti-Atlas Mountains as far as Agdz, a oasis town well-known for the variety of palm dates. As you start to descend the Tizi-n-Tinfifite pass (1660m), you will be amazed by the splendid views of the extensive green oases and the innumerable palm trees, all indicating the beginning of the Dra’a Valley.
Agdz is part of the ancient Caravan Road which used to supply goods up from Mali and Niger, having crossed the Sahara. Nowadays, its abundant palm groves produce an impressive 44 varieties of dates.
For a short while, we go off-road through the Dra’a Valley, between the mountains and the river, passing through many villages to gain a better idea of the way of life along the oases. You will stop to visit Kasbah Tamnougalte, the oldest Kasbah in the valley. Some parts of the Kasbah are still inhabited, while others, particularly the Jewish quarter, are now crumbling, having been abandoned.
From here, you continue your 3-day Erg Chegaga desert trip from Ouarzazate, travelling south alongside the ancient Caravans road as far as Zagora, the last largest oasis in the valley and the venue for today’s lunch. Just outside of Zagora, you visit the local green pottery co-operatives and an old Quranic library in Tamgroute village.
In the afternoon, your desert adventure continues further south as far as M’hamid, where the sand alongside the road signifies the beginning of the mighty Sahara Desert. M’hamid village is the gate to the Sahara and the end of the paved road.
Here a camel ride leads to the summit of the dunes to enjoy an unforgettable sunset. You have dinner and spend the night in a luxury desert camp in your own private tent equipped with a toilet & shower, king-sized beds, mattresses, sheets, pillows, blankets, carpets & lamps.
Get up early to witness the sunrise from the top of the dunes with free time to wander the desert dunes, and immerse yourself in moments of utter tranquillity. Back at the camp, breakfast is served and you set out on your adventure to explore the region.
The old villages here are typical of desert dwellings, where houses are constructed entirely of adobe. This excellent building material keeps out the summer’s searing heat due to the walls’ thickness. You will explore these villages and learn about life in this harsh yet equally beautiful environment.
After lunch, you continue to Erg Chegaga dunes with about 65km of off-road driving through the varying features of the Sahara Desert; ‘erg’ (dunes), ‘hammada’ (stony desert) and oases.
At the campsite, you check in to your tent and enjoy a relaxing glass of tea and Moroccan biscuits. Then, you take a camel ride to watch to summit of the Erg Chegaga dunes, which stand at a remarkable 300 meters in height, offering stunning sunsets. These dunes are far away from civilization, and the silence and the expanse of the sand are overwhelming.
Back at the camp, dinner is served, followed by an evening of nomad music and drumming around a campfire. You spend the night in your private tent, equipped with a private toilet & shower, king-sized beds, mattresses, sheets, pillows, blankets & carpets, lamps and beautiful Moroccan furnishings, all tastefully arranged to enhance your stay.
If you get up early enough, you will be rewarded by an incredible sunrise, when the colour of the dunes and the play of shadows are an incredible sight. You will also have time to wonder about the dunes and experience the tranquillity of this magical place.
Back at the camp, breakfast is served. Then, your 3-day Erg Chegaga desert tour from Ouarzazate 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.
You travel west from here, following the old track of “Rally Paris-Dakar” as far as Foum Zguid, the first village after the desert and the venue for lunch. From here, 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.
Turning back east, you arrive in Ouarzazate by the end of the afternoon. Your driver will transfer you to your hotel which marks the end of your 3-day desert tour from Ouarzazate to Erg Chegaga.