4 Days Trekking desert Morocco

Day 1 :Marrakech Mhalmid ( Optionally )

Trekking desert Morocco (4 Days) : Early morning pick-up at riad / hotel in Marrakech and transfer to the desert frontier village of M’hamid El Ghezlane, at the end of the tarmac road, on the Draa Valley. Today’s journey is wonderful – traverse the High Atlas Mountains via the highest main road pass in Morocco (the Tichka Pass at 2260m), pass typical Berber villages and lush valleys by the road-side, beyond Ouarzazate cross the Anti-Atlas mountain range before meeting the course of the Draa River valley (the longest river in Morocco and flanked by glorious date palm oases & crumbling kasbahs) and driving via Agdz and Zagora. Overnight just outside M’hamid El Ghezlane in the palm grove of Bounou, staying at one of the best guesthouses in the region. Overnight on half-board basis .

Day 2 : Mhamid – Sidi-Naji

After breakfast, your vehicle will drive you the short distance to M’hamid from your guesthouse. There, meet your desert guides & camel caravan where the camels are loaded with your luggage / equipment. Your guides will also help you to wrap your turban, ideal protection in the desert. The morning’s trek follows the southern banks of the Draa River, through the vast palm groves and original settlement of M’hamid (purported to be approx. 300 yrs old); take time to visit some of the ancient pise-mud buildings, now abandoned, and enjoy the partial shade offered by the trees. Once at the end of the palm grove, take lunch at a point known as Ras Nkhal. Here, the palm trees open out and give way to desert scrub and stone (hamada), earth banks & tamarisk trees for the rest of the day’s trek. After lunch, continue on a south-westerly course for approx. 2.5 hours towards the marabout (the shrine of a holy man) of Sidi Naji, close to where overnight camp will be established, in the seclusion of small dunes. Today’s trek time: 5-6 hours, depending on the pace of the group.

Day 3 : Sidi-Naji – The big dunes Erg Ezzahar

After breakfast, camp is struck, and the day’s goal, the large, remote sand dune region, of Zahar, will be reached before lunch. Today’s trekking terrain is largely flat, plateau-like earth (a dried lake) which gradually transforms into rolling sand dunes, with far less vegetation visible today. Camp is established at the foot of the tall dunes, between smaller dunes, and lunch is served. This is a little-visited dune region and your afternoon is given to exploring Zahar, reaching the highest point to enjoy the wide-reaching views across the ‘erg’ (sand sea) and then the sunset. Zahar is also known as the ‘screaming dunes’, for a legend that tells of a village buried beneath the sands there. Today’s trek time: 4 hours, depending on the pace of the group.

day 4 : Erg Ezzahar – Erg Essmar

After breakfast, camp is struck. This morning, for the first time since leaving M’hamid, you will cross the bed of the Draa River, to its northern banks, to start the return trek in the direction of your starting point. The size of the river bed is astonishing, given it now runs dry, but once flowed in abundance through the desert (so much so, that up to 35 families lived on its banks, at the settlement of Erg Smar, further west from your route). Water does still run deep underground here and today’s trek will see more vegetation, some lining the course of former river tributaries. Lunch is taken under the shade of the tamarisk trees. After lunch, trek across flat land which was once fertile (when water was present) and you will come across remnants of agricultural land which is now used as pasture for grazing camels. Overnight camp will be established, in the seclusion of small sand dunes. Today’s trek time: 5-6 hours, depending on the pace of the group.

Day 5 : Erg Essmar – Back to Mhamid

After breakfast, camp is struck. Today’s goal is the village of M’hamid, to complete your four day circuit. The terrain once more becomes marked by desert scrub and earth banks, and palm groves become more apparent the closer you reach M’hamid. You will break for lunch, in shade, before reaching the village. Your vehicle will be waiting to transfer you back to your overnight guest-house, at the palm grove of Bounou. Today’s trek time: 4 hours, depending on the pace of the group.

Day 6 : Mhamid – Back to Marrakech

Early morning departure from your guesthouse, to re-trace the journey north to Marrakech. Expect to arrive to your riad / hotel in Marrakech late afternoon.