7 Days Sahara Desert Trekking Tours in Morocco

Trekking the Sahara desert – highlights:

Discovering cultural sites: Kasbahs Telouet, Aït ben Haddou, and Taoruirt in Ouarzazate

Wandering round the green glaze pottery co-operative and the ancient Qoranic library in
Tamgroute
Trekking in the Sahara Desert for 3 days and 2 nights from the Erg Lihoudi to the Erg
Chegaga dunes
Experiencing the magnificent desert sunsets and sunrises from the top of the dunes each
night and morning
Spending the night in comfortable private tents in the Erg Lihoudi and the Erg Chegaga
dunes
What is included in this desert trekking tour:

Transport in a private air-conditioned vehicle; 4×4 Toyota Prado TX or deluxe van and fuel
Pick up from and drop-off at your hotel or riad in Marrakech
Experienced local English/French/Spanish/Italian-speaking Berber and nomad
driver/guide
Camels and a camel-man to guide you, erect your tents and cook your meals
Accommodation in air-conditioned rooms/suites with private bathroom
The night in the Erg Lihoudi and Erg Chegaga dunes in authentic Berber camp in tents
with bathrooms
All meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner – with vegetarian and vegan options available
Luggage service to the camps and all accommodation
Berber drumming and music
Free time to explore the sites such as Ait ben Haddou, the Ounila Valley, the Dra’a Valley,
Kasbah Tamnougalte, for walks, photos, and tea/coffee breaks
The opportunity to ask the driver to stop when and where you wish
Entrance fees and local guide
Tea, coffee and mineral water in the desert

Desert trek in Erg Chegaga – itinerary:

1St day  : Marrakech – Agdez
our starts with a departure at 8.30 from your riad in Marrakech to cross the High Atlas
Mountains. After reaching the highest point in the road, you will drive into the mountains to visit
Kasbah Telouet. This very famous Kasbah was the property of the Lords of the Atlas, the Glaoui
family. However as the last head of the family plotted against the then King, Mohamed V, the Kasbah
was confiscated from him. The local population took the opportunity to plunder it and all three main
buildings built over the centuries have now been left to the vagaries of the elements.
Sadly, the entire Kasbah is presently closed due to the destruction caused by the earthquake that hit
Morocco in September 2023. Nonetheless, you can still enjoy the exterior with a local guide to
uncover its fascinating history.
At the end of the long, winding Ounila Valley, leading south and where Berber life-styles are very
evident, you reach Aït ben Haddou, the most famous Kasbah in Morocco. It is also one of Morocco’s
nine UNESCO World Heritage sites and has frequently acted as a backdrop to many a Hollywood
film. It probably dates back to the 17th century and the architectural style is well preserved. The
earthen constructions are perfectly adapted to local climatic conditions, and are in complete harmony
with the natural and social environment.
Having crossed the Anti-Atlas south of Ouarzazate, you come to the head of the Dra’a Valley. One
astonishing feature of this valley is the thousands of date palms, producing an amazing 44 varieties of
dates. The date harvest starts in September and lasts a couple of months, so if you are travelling in
this period, you will be able to purchase the freshest one here in the souk.

2nd day: Agdez – M’hamid

A short way south of Agdez is Kasbah Tamnougalte, the oldest Kasbah in the Dra’a Valley. From
here the road passes innumerable villages set on the edge of the oases. So a clear picture of ancient
and modern rural Berber is gained as you travel down towards the desert.
In Zagora, we stop for lunch and just south of there, you come to a small town called Tamgroute. The
local potteries work differently from those you may know in the west, so make an interesting visit. The
Qoranic library nearby is full of exquisite manuscripts to admire.
Later you continue to M’hamid, the gate to the desert, whilst your excitement will surely mount with
the landscapes increasingly showing signs of a desert landscape. You can enjoy the sunset from the
top of the dunes close to the camp.
You have dinner and spend the night at a comfortable camp with a private bathroom, king-sized beds,
beautiful Moroccan furnishings, and lamps tastefully arranged to enhance your enjoyment of the
silence and beauty of the dunes.
3rd, 4th, and 5th days: Camel trekking the Sahara desert
6th day: Erg Chegaga – Ouarzazate
You will trek by dromedary for three days and three nights to discover the most beautiful desert of
Morocco and its vast dunes with its varying features of ‘erg’, ‘hammada’, and oases. On the afternoon
of the fifth day, you will reach the famous Chegaga Dunes. Tonight’s dinner and night will be at an
authentic Berber camp with tents and bathroom facilities.
Walking time each day is approximately five hours a day (two and a half hours in the morning, and the
same again in the afternoon), although it is also possible to ride the camels. Other camels are there to
carry the equipment. Your meals and the tents are prepared by our guides and camel drivers.
After breakfast, you will drive west across further desert areas, including the now dried-up Lake Iriqui.
In the middle of this lake, you are quite likely to experience a mirage shimmering over its flat surface.
But unless it has been raining hard, which is rare, and which anyway would mean you could not cross
the mud, that “water” is not in fact real. On the edge of the lake, you may enjoy casting around for
fossils: some lie loosely around but most are firmly fixed into the rock.
At the edge of the desert you reach Foum Zguid, from where you drive north to Taznakht. This small
Berber town is famous for its Berber rugs and carpets,. You will have lunch here and later turn back
east again to return to Ouarzazate at the end of the afternoon.

7th day: Ouarzazate – Marrakech
After breakfast, you will be able to visit the cinema studios of Hollywood fame and also Kasbah
Taourirt, which also used to belong to the Glaoui family. Driving north, you again cross the Tizi-n’Tichka pass to Marrakech, which you reach at the end of the afternoon. Your Morocco desert trek
comes to an end as your driver escorts you to your hotel in Marrakech.