Discover the magic of the Sahara Desert on this 7-day trekking tour departing from Marrakech. The adventure begins with a departure from the bustling city, offering a serene transition into the heart of the desert. The highlight of this remarkable journey is a three-day camel trek, where you will traverse an array of desert terrains, from the sweeping “erg” sand dunes to the flat “hammada” expanses and verdant oases.
Your days will be filled with roughly three hours of trekking in the morning and another three hours in the afternoon, while your nights are spent camping beneath the starry Saharan sky for an authentic desert experience.
But this excursion isn’t solely about the landscapes; it’s also an opportunity to delve into Berber culture. Explore historic Kasbahs, visit a pottery workshop, browse a Qoranic library, and witness the intricate craft of carpet and rug making. Along your path, you may even encounter nomadic camps, giving you a glimpse into traditional desert life.
As you journey through this stunning landscape, you’ll have a chance to unearth ancient geological treasures, from fossil-hunting at Lake Iriqui to marvelling at the rugged mountain terrain en route. This 7-day desert trekking tour from Marrakech is an unforgettable adventure that immerses you in the mesmerising beauty and rich culture of the Sahara Desert.
After your morning departure at 08:30 from your hotel or riad, you set out on your desert trekking tour in Morocco. You travel over the high Atlas Mountains and via the famous Tizi-n-Tichka pass (2260 m). All along the road, you will stop at panoramic viewpoints to admire the beautiful scenery of green valleys and Berber villages.
As you descend the Atlas Mountains, a side road leads to Kasbah Telouet, which used to be the palatial residence of the Lords of the Atlas, the Glaoui Family. The Kasbah now stands in ruins after the last Pasha fled Morocco following the departure of the French in 1956. But, wait to be pleasantly surprised by the architectural marvel of this historic home.
After a scenic drive along the beautiful Ounila Valley, you will arrive at Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou. It is one of Morocco’s nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites and a favourite film location for several Hollywood blockbusters. After lunch in one of the restaurants alongside the Salt River, you will visit the Kasbah to learn about the history and cinematic artworks filmed on this site.
Having crossed Ouarzazate, an hour’s drive takes you to Agdz. As you 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.
You spend the night with dinner and breakfast in a beautiful guest house overlooking the valley.
Agdz is part of the ancient Caravan Road which used to supply goods up from Mali and Niger, having crossed the Sahara Desert. 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 Dra’a Valley. Some parts of the Kasbah are still inhabited, while others, particularly the Jewish quarter, are now crumbling, ever since the departure of its inhabitants to Israel – the last person left in 1963.
From here, you continue your desert trekking tour from Marrakech, 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 Desert and the end of the paved road.
You drive about 45 min to an hour to the dunes outside of M’hamid on the edge of the Sahara. You have dinner and spend the night in a luxury desert camp in your own private tent is equipped with a toilet & shower, king-sized beds, mattresses, sheets, pillows, blankets, carpets & lamps.
Today you will begin your trekking journey to discover the most beautiful desert of Morocco and its wind-swept dunes and its diversified landscape; “Erg” dunes, “hamada” flat ground and oases.
You will trek by camels for three days and two nights. Each day, you will trek for about five hours; two hours and a half and the morning and the same again in the afternoon. However, the pace and distance of the day’s trek is dictated by the trekkers themselves, allowing you to stop whenever and wherever is desired or necessary. You can choose to walk or ride camels. Other camels are there to carry trekking equipment; including your tents, blankets, mattresses, kitchen stuff and your personal luggage.
During the whole time of the trek, you will be accompanied by local guides and camel men on whom you are going to rely to discover the different landscapes and navigate this harsh but equally beautiful environment. They will also equip you with interesting information about nomadic families’ life. They will set up your camping tents for the night and prepare your meals as well as the sandbread.
On the afternoon of the fifth day, you will reach the famous Erg Chegaga dunes. Tonight’s dinner and night will be at a luxury camp with private tents 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 astonishing. 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 4-day Erg Chegaga desert tour from Marrakech continues through another 90km of off-road driving through 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 continue travelling 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.
You drive north from here along paved roads and past fantastic rock formations to the small town of Taznakht, famous for its Berber carpets and rugs. If you are interested, you can visit a display room with looms and women at work.
From here, your journey continues to Ouarzazate where you will spend the night in a beautiful riad.
After breakfast, you will visit Kasbah Taourirt one of the most beautiful Kasbahs in Morocco which also used to belong to the Glaoui family.
Then, you will visit the Film Studios, a movie wonderland just outside Ouarzazate, known for keeping its sets and reorganising them to offer a wide range of choices to production studios, but also for letting tourists experience the unique thrill of discovering the sets where many successful films and series have been shot, including “Gladiator”, “Prince of Persia” and “Game of Thrones.”
From here, you drive along a different road over the High Atlas Mountains, the largest mountain chain in North Africa. Along the way, soak in uninterrupted views of the High Atlas Mountains and its beautiful Berber villages. Near the top, stretch your legs for panoramic views of the mountains.
We arrive back in Marrakech by the end of the afternoon bringing your desert trekking journey to an end.
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