Overview

This tour starts in Marrakesh and heads south. It crosses the High Atlas Mountains via Tizin Tichka pass and stops to explore Kasbah Telouate and Ksar Ait Ben Haddou. It then follows the road south to Ouarzazate and Agdz where you will stay overnight. The following day, it continues south, passing by many old villages and oases along the bank of Daraa Valley until it reaches M’hamid, the last village before you enter the Sahara desert. You will then drive off-road for two hours to get to the camp surrounded by the massive dunes of Chigaga. To allow for maximum time in the desert, you can stay at the camp for 1 or 2 more nights. On your last day, you will leave the camp passing by the dry lake Iriqi on your way to Foum Zguid, another village on the edge of the Sahara desert, and then back to Marrakesh via Taznakhte. Tour To Erg Chigaga From Marrakesh

* Please note that this tour can link to Agadir, Essaouira, Ouarzatate or Casablanca. It can also start from either Agadir, Essaouira, Casablanca or Ouarzazate and end in Marrakesh.

Tour Plan

Package Tour To Erg Chigaga is a marvelous adventure that takes you to the massive Chigaga dunes; far away from all of the city noises and stress. The highlight of your trip will be the peaceful time you spend exploring the Sahara desert and enjoying its charm with the locals who are proud to show you their traditions, whether it is how they camp, trekking with camels or even baking bread in the sand.

01

8:00 am to 4:00pm

Day 1: Over The Atlas Mountains

Setting out the journey from Marrakesh in the morning (pick-up at your Riad or even direct from the airport), you head towards the High Atlas Mountains and cross them via Tizin Tichka pass –beautiful landscapes and breathtaking views of small Berber villages deep down in the valleys. You stop a couple of times on the way in order to drink a coffee or take a picture as well as stopping for lunch on the way. You resume driving south until you arrive at Kasbah Talouate, once was the Castle of Pasha El Galaoui, and then Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou in the afternoon. The old Kasbah is a great sample of Moroccan earthen architecture and has been a world heritage site since 1987. 1h:30 is fairly enough to visit the old Kasbah and rest a bit. Afterwards you drive through Ouarzazate, a big town on the bank of Daraa valley and then head to Agdz, which is a small quiet town on the way to the desert, where you stay overnight

02

8:00 am to 4:00

Day 2: Into The Sahara Desert

After breakfast you leave Agdz heading to the Sahara desert. Following the road south, driving by a lot of old villages and enormous palm tree oases, you reach Zagora, the last province before the desert, where you can stop for a coffee. Around 15 km away from Zagora you arrive in Tamagroute where you not only have the chance to see how green pottery is made, but also to visit the old Quranic library. You then continue south till you reach M’hamid, the last village before you enter the Sahara desert. You stop for lunch there and afterward you head towards Erg Chigaga. It takes you about two hours driving off-road to get to the camp in the massive dunes. Around an hour before sunset you go on a camel ride tour to the big dunes nearby to watch a stunning sunset and come back to the camp. After dinner a campfire is set in the center of the camp. While sitting around the fire and stargazing, the locals play some traditional music, and it is also the chance to have your questions about the nomad’s culture and traditions answered

03

8:00 am to 4:00

Day 3: Crossing The Sahara And Back To Marrakesh

Having finished your breakfast, you get ready to cross the other half of the Sahara desert, driving across the dry Iriqi Lake which used to be a huge lake hundreds of yours ago. After three hours of driving off-road you arrive in Foum Zguid, a small town on the edge of the other side of the desert, and stop for a coffee or a fresh orange juice.(After a great experience in the desert you may consider relaxing and staying overnight in this town in a comfortable hotel with a big swimming pool before going back to Marrakesh). You resume your journey back to Marrakesh passing by the capital of the Berber carpet Taznakhte which is a small town where the road diverges; one leading to Marrakesh via the High Atlas Mountains, and the other leading to Taroudante via Taliouine, the only source of Saffron in Morocco. Including several stops on the way, the whole journey from the desert to Marrakesh) takes 8 to 9 hours