Look at your finest personal Your finest opportunity to see and learn about Morocco’s largest desert sand dunes at a glance is the 3-day Erg Chigaga Desert Tour from Marrakech. The most amazing 4-day Erg Chigaga Desert Tour from Marrakech will take you to the magnificent Erg Chigaga Great Desert as well as the picturesque scenery along the Draa Valley.
On the first day of your private 4 days Marrakech to Erg Chigaga Tour, take a drive across the Atlas Mountains and stop by the Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou. You can visit the Atlas Film Studios before you go to Ouarzazate to see the sets of numerous Hollywood productions that are still in existence. Come join us at our Zagora desert camp before dusk.
Marrakech/ Marrakech
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This Marrakech to Erg Chigaga Tour via Zagora, Mhamid, and Foum Zguid is intended for serious desert enthusiasts who want to escape the busy city life and appreciate the magnificence and stillness of the desert!
The desert excursion from Marrakech to Erg Chigaga can be extended to four days. This half-board desert excursion is conducted in Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles.
At 7:30 AM, your Marrakech to Erg Chigaga desert tour will begin with a pickup from your hotel or riad in Marrakech.
Leave Marrakech and travel across the Atlas Mountains, crossing the Tichka Pass, where you’ll be treated to some truly breathtaking vistas. There are several pauses to enjoy the view and take pictures.
After lunch, we go to Ouarzazate and then cross the Draa River to Zagora. Here, a vast oasis stretches for almost 200 kilometers at the base of the Anti-Atlas mountains. A number of palm trees will cast their shadows between Kasbahs and fortified settlements that are interspersed with vegetable, henna, and corn fields.
Once breakfast is served, we head to M’hamid, the end of the paved road. Along the way, we stop at the neighboring kasbah known for its potters’ factory and the village of Tamagroute, where we may see one of Morocco’s oldest Quranic libraries.
You can eat lunch at your leisure in M’hamid. We leave in the early afternoon and go through the “Erg,” “Reg,” “Hammadas,” and oases to reach the Erg Chigaga dunes. The sand is incredibly silent amid the remote Erg Chigaga dunes, which are cut off from civilization.
Sail across the dunes on your camels and take in one of the most breathtaking sunsets over the shifting sand dunes.
As the local nomads perform traditional music over the campfire, savor a delicious meal beneath the stars.
After breakfast, the road takes us through another 90km of the desert with varying scenery: we first cross the flat dried salt lake of Iriqui and the Anti Atlas mountains, following the old track of “Rally Paris Dakar.”
Then to Foum Zguid, the first village after the desert, where the paved road begins.
After lunch, continue to the Berber village of Taznakht, famous for its Berber carpets and rugs.
We arrive at Ouarzazate late in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Ouarzazate.
“The Hollywood of Africa,” the film studios, are not far from Ouarzazate, and we can have a tour of them after breakfast.
After that, we continue our tour to Kasbah Ait Ben Hadou, a world heritage site that was formerly the backdrop for over 20 popular Hollywood films, including as “Lawrence of Arabia,” “Gladiator,” and “Indiana Jones.” Explore the Kasbahs’ classic Moroccan architectural design by taking a stroll around the property.
Our route to Marrakesh continues across the Tizi n’Tichka Pass and the High Atlas Mountains. Lunch is served on the road to Marrakech in the Atlas Mountains or Ait Ben Hadou, depending on the time of day.
Your 4 days desert tour from Marrakech to Erg Chigaga will conclude with a drop-off at your Marrakech hotel or riad, or a location of your choosing, upon arrival by 17:00 PM.
I recently took the 4-day Marrakech to Erg Chigaga tour, and it was incredible! Each day was filled with breathtaking sights and seamless experiences. The drive through the High Atlas Mountains, visiting Ait Benhaddou, and staying in charming riads were fantastic starts. The highlight was definitely the camel trek to the Erg Chigaga dunes and the night in a desert camp under a sky full of stars. Our guide was knowledgeable and friendly, and the whole trip was perfectly organized. Highly recommended for anyone seeking an unforgettable Moroccan adventure!