5 Days Marrakech to Erg Chigaga Desert Tour

Your Sahara journey begins in Marrakech, leaving the city behind as you climb into the High Atlas Mountains. The road winds through dramatic mountain scenery, traditional Amazigh villages and panoramic viewpoints where there will be time for photographs and short stops. Continue to the legendary Ait Ben Haddou, a remarkable fortified ksar built from traditional earth and clay. Take time to walk through its narrow passages and admire the historic architecture before continuing through Ouarzazate. From Ouarzazate, travel south across the Anti-Atlas Mountains toward Agdz, where the scenery opens into the beautiful Draa Valley. Thousands of date palms, old kasbahs and earthen villages create one of southern Morocco’s most distinctive landscapes.

After breakfast, continue south through the heart of the Draa Valley, following a landscape of palm groves, kasbahs and traditional villages toward Zagora. The journey continues to Tamegroute, known for its distinctive green pottery and historic religious heritage. Visit local pottery workshops and discover craftsmanship that has been passed from generation to generation. Continue toward M’Hamid El Ghizlane, where the palm-filled Draa Valley gradually gives way to open desert landscapes. M’Hamid marks the end of the paved road and is one of the traditional gateways to the wild Sahara and Erg Chigaga. Spend the evening enjoying the quiet atmosphere of Morocco’s deep south.

Today you leave the paved roads behind. After breakfast, depart M’Hamid in a 4×4 and travel into the Sahara across changing terrain of hammada, sandy tracks, tamarisk landscapes and open desert. The journey itself becomes part of the experience as civilization gradually disappears and the immense Sahara opens around you. Erg Chigaga is reached by desert piste rather than a paved road, making this part of the tour considerably wilder than an ordinary road journey. Arrive at the magnificent Erg Chigaga dunes and enjoy time to relax at your desert camp. Later in the afternoon, experience a camel ride through the dunes at sunset. As evening arrives, return to camp for dinner and traditional music around the fire. Far from the lights of Morocco’s cities, finish the evening beneath the Sahara stars.

Wake early for one of the most memorable moments of the journey: sunrise over the Sahara dunes. After breakfast at camp, begin a completely different desert crossing toward Lake Iriqui and Foum Zguid. Travel by 4×4 across wide desert plains, rocky hammada and the remote landscapes surrounding Iriqui National Park. Lake Iriqui is generally a vast dry lakebed, creating an extraordinary open landscape on the route between the Chigaga region and Foum Zguid. After reaching Foum Zguid, return to the paved road and continue toward Taznakht, a region well known for traditional Amazigh carpets and weaving. Continue through southern Morocco to Ouarzazate for a comfortable evening after your Sahara crossing.

After breakfast, begin the final stage of your journey. Depending on your interests and available time, you can discover more of Ouarzazate, including its kasbah architecture and famous cinema heritage. Then begin the journey back toward Marrakech, crossing the High Atlas Mountains once again. Stop at panoramic viewpoints along the way to enjoy the mountain landscapes and take photographs. The scenery gradually changes from the dry landscapes of southern Morocco to the valleys and mountain villages of the High Atlas before arriving back in Marrakech. Your 5-day Erg Chigaga Sahara adventure ends with drop-off at your riad, hotel or agreed location in Marrakech.