The Off-Road and Erg Chigaga Desert Tour

Overview

On this one-of-a-kind 11 day tour of Morocco, you'll get under the skin of a fascinating country and culture like never before. Starting from Marrakech, you'll explore vast sand seas, incredible ancient fortresses, live with rural communities and experience Morocco from the local perspective. You'll try the local food, see the authentic side to the country and get well off the beaten track on a journey you'll remember for a lifetime.

Tour Summary

Day 1 & 2 Marrakech

Day 3 Skoura

Day 4 Dades

Day 5 N’Kob

Day 6 Zagora

Day 7 & 8 Erg Chigaga

Day 9 Ouarzazate

Day 10 Marrakech

This tour is your chance to get away from the tourist trails you’ll find on standard tours, and get literally off the beaten track as you head off-road in 4x4s, to uncover the extraordinary hidden people and places of Morocco. And the great thing about a tour in the desert? The little added bonus of guaranteed winter sun.

The off-road and Erg Chigaga Desert Cultural Tour helps you discover the very best of Moroccan culture thanks to the local knowledge and invaluable experience of your local guides. Explore Marrakech and its labyrinth Medina, as well as the picturesque gorges of Imi n’Ifri and the jaw-dropping sight of Amridil Kasbah, Morocco’s 17th-century gem.

From there, you’ll drive via The Road of a Thousand Kasbahs to the dramatic gorges of Dades and Todgha, then you’ll set your compass for Morocco’s wildest desert. Pass the Draa valley and reach Erg Chigaga, an otherworldly stretch of towering dunes and golden sand, and the largest sand sea in Morocco.

Your route back to Marrakech, will take you to explore Ouarzazate, the Hollywood of Africa, and the stunning 11th century UNESCO site of Ait Benhaddou. The drive includes Tizi n’Tichka mountain pass, at an elevation of 2,200m this narrow winding road is not for the faint hearted, but rewards you with jaw-dropping views over the Atlas Mountains.

Most importantly though, you’ll get to know the authentic Moroccan culture as you live like nomads on the sand dunes, learn about the legendary Paris to Dakar rally trail, meet with local families and eat the same food that they do. An opportunity you can’t find on your own, you’ll leave Morocco with countless memories of this beguiling, beautiful country.

*from pricing based on 2 people travelling, sharing a twin or double room. For larger groups or solo travellers cost please enquire directly to hello@nitgb.com

Arrival Day

Welcome to Morocco’s capital of tourism and most people’s first taste of the country. After you touch down to Marrakech a shuttle will be waiting for you at the airport, identifiable by a driver holding a card with your name on it.

You’ll be taken straight to your Hotel/Riad to settle in before we start our journey.

Explore Marrakech, Medinas and Markets

Today is your first truly Moroccan experience as you explore with your private Marrakech-born guide, seeking out bustling markets, ancient mosques and the maze-like Medinas.

You will discover the Red City from at its oldest point, wandering the Medina’s narrow, atmospheric alleyways that lead to hidden gems, tombs and religious monuments decked out in marble.

Bahia and El-Badii Palace and Saadien’s Tombs will no doubt be the highlights. Afterward, your driver/guide will pick you up to explore the Majorelle garden, Museum Saint Laurent, and Berber Museum.

While in Marrakech you will encounter thousands of motorcyclists and horse-carts in the city, creating a whirlwind of energy that is truly addictive and fun to explore.

Spend the evening in the vast square of Jemaa El-Fnaa, where it’s carnival night every night, and musicians, acrobats, storytellers and acting troupes tap into the frenetic pulse of the Medina.

Begin your off the beaten track adventure

Your adventure in Morocco truly begins today. You will be picked up by your driver/tour guide and drive east of Marrakech to the central high Atlas, passing through Demnate, a lively town to explore.

After Demnate you’ll arrive at the picturesque gorges of Imin’Ifri, and a natural travertine ‘bridge’ that formed over the Tisslit River 1.8 million years ago.

The paths are clearly marked and you will have the opportunity to explore the area, you can walk down into the gorge and see the natural rock formations and caves.

From there you’ll follow the road to Skoura, an incredible range of imposing Kasbahs. The Ameridil Oued is an extraordinary sight even from the road and is the grandest and most extravagantly decorated Ameridil Kasbah.

Rose Valleys and Kasbahs

Today you’ll travel through the valley of a thousand Kasbahs. The Dades valley stretches out between the peaks of the High Atlas and the Jbel Sarhro mountain range and is a prominent oasis valley. Here, traditionally, the people lived in small Kasbah settlements scattered across the fertile river plain. Many of these Kasbahs are now deserted, but some are still inhabited and maintained in perfect condition.

You will come to Kalaat M’gouna, which means means Valley of the Roses and the city itself is named after the nearby Mount Mgoun.

In the late spring months, the city is literally covered in roses. A pink carpet as far as the eye can see dots the otherwise brown landscape. It is believed that pilgrims who arrived in Morocco from Saudi Arabia in the 10th century brought the variety of roses that are grown in this region, and they continue to play a part in the city’s culture today.

After that, we go off-road and into the Atlas and the M’goun Mountains, where you can glimpse some of the best views along hidden livestock tracks, to the ancient rust-red and crumbling Kasbahs & Ksour that line the valley of Dades.

Another essential stop is the natural rock formations known as Monkey Toes before you head to your accommodation, where after a cup of mint tea at your hotel you have the option of hiking the beautiful canyons of the Dades gorges.

Gorges and Ancient Towns

This morning you’ll have the chance to see Todgha Gorges by as the sun rises, with their gigantic rock walls changing colour to magical effect as the day unfolds.

Later on, you leave Todgha Gorges and head towards the rambling settlement, Ksar of N’kob. With prehistoric rock-carving sites and 45 mud-brick ksours it’s a stunning place to explore and stay, and is a place that makes you feel as if you’ve stepped back in time.

Journey through Mountains and stop at ancient Kasbah

Start your day in the morning from Nkob, ensuring you have a full day to explore the attractions. Head towards the Draa Valley, a picturesque drive through captivating landscapes. The journey itself is part of the adventure, offering stunning views of mountains and desert scenery.

Stop at Kasbah Tamnougalt, an ancient Kasbah that is a significant historical site. Explore its architecture, learn about its history, and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Visit some of the prominent Kasbahs and Ksar in the road to zagora Zagora.

Continue through Draa Oasis, which is known for its lush palm groves and gardens to Zagora, a town famous for being a gateway to the Sahara Desert.

Gateway to the Desert

Today, you’ll strike out southeast to Morocco’s wildest desert via the Draa valley, a 125km belt of palm trees, oases and small settlements that eventually merges into the Sahara near M’hamid.

We’ll stop in what was once the most important settlement in the Valley of Draa thanks to its green pottery artisans and craftsmen. The Zawiya Naciria is still a site of pilgrimage, and you’ll also find a working Quranic school with a library that was once the richest in Morocco, made up of ancient illuminated texts containing 4000 books.

Leave Temegroute through a dauntingly bleak landscape of sun-scorched rubble to the end of the paved road at M’hamid El-Ghizlane. Here, you reach the climax of the tour and the gateway to the towering dunes of Erg Chigaga.

Camel Explorations in the Desert

Riding a camel is by far and away the best way to live the nomad life, explore the desert and listen to the eerie wind whispering its way through the dunes.

Today you will have the chance to live a real desert experience with your camel guide, heading out to discover the fauna, flora and history of the desert.

Lunch will be served in what must be the definition of the middle of nowhere, set amongst in the 300 meter-high dunes offering endless views to the horizon.

Farewell to the Desert

Wake at dawn to watch the sun starting its daily arc, the cool blue morning sky replacing the Sahara shadows before becoming a glowing ball of fire.

You’ll leave Erg Chigaga and head north to Ouarzazate via a rough-road, 80 km across the long dry lake bed of Lac Iriki made famous thanks to the Paris-Dakar rally.

You will pass through the Sahel region to Foum Zguid, and then 85km north to Taznakht, a the Taznakht tribe are famous artisans and have been practicing the crafts of pottery making , wood carving and especially carpet weaving for hundreds of years. One generation of craftsmen transfers their skill and expertise to the next providing sustainability for the tribe and ensuring that the ancient local art and craft culture is preserved. You will stop here for a quick snack and to take a look at the wonderful crafts and carpets for sale.

Your journey today will end in Ouarzazate, known as a gateway to the Sahara Desert. Its huge Taourirt Kasbah, with its 19th-century palace, has views over the spectacular rugged local landscape. This area has featured in many famous movies, and for this reason Ouazazate is known as the Moroccan Hollywood. Here you can rest and recharge after a full day of exploration.

Fortified Cities and Mountain Passes

This morning you leave Ouazazate and head to Marrakech through some of Morocco’s most stunning landscapes, beginning with Ait Benhaddou, the breathtaking UNESCO-protected red brick Ksar from the 11th century, you will se why this stunning location has been used as the back drop to so many film sets.

After lunch with a local family and a visit to the Ksar you’ll drive along craggy cliff tops to tiny Berber villages in North Africa’s highest mountain range, stopping off at the splendid Glaoui Kasbah in Talouate and the lush green Ounilla Valley.

You’ll drive virtually the full length of the incredible Tizi n’Tichka high mountain pass before you arrive back in Marrakech.

Departure Day

Today is not goodbye, it is merely “take care and see you soon” for another adventure.

Your guide will drop you off directly at the airport when you have checked out of your riad, and your amazing Moroccan adventure will come to an end.

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