Highlights
Enjoy a local dinner under the stars and spend the night at the Erg Chigaga desert camp
From the back of a camel, savor the views of the dramatic Erg Chigaga sunset
Spend time in the Casbah of Air Ben Hadou and explore the Berber village
Traverse the High Atlas Mountains and Tizi N'tichka pass
Itinerary
This 3-Day Sahara Desert Tour from Marrakech To Erg Chigaga is the perfect tour for travelers short on time but who want a unique and comprehensive desert experience. Get deep into the dunes and escape from modern civilization!
The trip starts with a pick-up from your hotel or Riad in Marrakech at 8:00 am to head south for the magnificent High Atlas Mountains. You cross the Tizin-Tichka pass, (2660m) the highest pass in North Africa. You will be amazed by the panoramas and will want to take memorable photos. Simply tell your driver where you want to stop.
Along the way, you will visit the former presidential palace, Kasbah Telouet, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou. These are the two most famous kasbahs in Morocco and are an essential part of any desert tour. Before arriving in Ouarzazate, you can visit the Atlas Film Studios, and see the sets of many Hollywood films still in place here.
That night, you will have the thrill of spending the night in a traditional rural riad or an authentic guesthouse in Agdez, a small town just at the head of the Dra'a valley, which descends towards the desert. You'll get the distinct impression that you are on your way to a different world - new and exciting. With a local guide to explain the history, you have the option of visiting the largest of the hundreds of kasbahs in the valley, namely Kasbah Tamnougalt.
From there, the thrill increases as you pull off the road through the Draa Valley, past ancient kasbahs and lush green oases. This is part of the old route of the caravans that carried goods from Mali and Niger after crossing the Sahara for days.
After reaching the largest city before the Sahara, Zagora, visit the cooperative of the famous nationwide green pottery and the Koranic library with its magnificent manuscripts and have a cutting-edge experience riding a camel in the dunes of Erg Chegaga.
At night under the astonishing array of stars, you will sleep in a comfortable luxury camp in the desert at the foot of the largest dunes of the Sahara in Morocco. The next day, the wonder continues as you drive off-road in the Sahara Desert, hunt for fossils in the dry lake of Iriqui, and learn about Berber carpet-making techniques in Taznakht.
Explore the majesty and wonder of our very unique range of Marrakech Desert Tours. Discover the tour itinerary below. Your journey begins here!
day 1Marrakech – Atlas Mountains – Kasbah Ait Ben
Your early departure for the Marrakech to Erg Chigaga desert trip is 8 hours from your hotel or riad in Marrakech to cross the High Atlas Mountains.
After the Tichka pass, you leave the main road and take a secondary road to the Kasbah of Telouet, which belonged to the lords of the Atlas, the Glaoui family. Each addition to the building is today in ruins exposed to the wind and the rain, having been abandoned and looted after the fled of the last pasha of the country. Wait to be pleasantly surprised by the traditional interior decoration as you reach the far end of the Kasbah.
From there you drive along the beautiful and awe-inspiring Ounila Valley, full of bends in the roads. Enjoy the surprising hues of the rock and soil, the Berber villages and gardens, as well as the smaller kasbahs.
Almost at the end of the road, you reach Aït Ben Haddou, where you stop for a delicious lunch. It is Morocco’s most famous Kasbah, one of Morocco’s seven UNESCO World Heritage sites. The architectural style is well preserved also the earthen constructions are perfectly adapted to the climatic conditions and in harmony with the natural and social environment. Probably from the 17th century, it is also famous as the backdrop for many Hollywood blockbusters.
In the afternoon, you will be transferred to your guesthouse.
day 2Ouarzazate – Agdz– M'hamid– Erg Chigaga
day 3Erg Chigaga– Foum Zguid– Taznakht– Marrakech
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