The Off-Road and Erg Chigaga Desert Tour

Highlights

  • Live like the nomads at the largest sand sea in Morocco and drink in the Saharan sunset
  • Discover the old Paris-Dakar rally trail and endless dunes of golden sand
  • Explore old fortified Kasbahs and desert oases featured in your favourite films
  • Watch musicians, acrobats, and snake charmers in Jemaa el-Fna Square
  • Get to know local life, culture and cuisine as you get off the tourist trail
From £2375 pp*
  1. Select your start date
  2. Choose the number of people in your group
  3. Check availability
Request Availabilty

What you'll do

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...Read All

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.

 

 

Accommodation

A comfortable riad in Marrakech

Meals No meals included today

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...Read All

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 do...Read All

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 ...Read All

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.

 

 

Accommodatio...Read All

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...Read All

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...Read All

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.

Accommo...Read All

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...Read All

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 th...Read All

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.

What's included

Included

  • Professional driver/tour guide
  • Shuttle from and to the Airport
  • Accommodation for 10 nights
  • Meals: 11 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches, 6 Dinners
  • Private Transportation: 4WD vehicle and camel
  • City Guide: Marrakech Medina guided tour
  • Visit to women's cooperatives
  • Camel ride in the desert
  • Some meals will be home-cooked with local families
  • An opportunity to give back and meet up with locals
Your local host

Aziz

My name is Aziz (meaning, the Dearest one). Our business was created to bring people together, to authentically connect you, not only to Morocco’s incredible destinations, but to the heartbeat that lies beneath. I want you to come away with an eye for the beauty of its natural environment and the hopes and challenges of our people. I want you to touch and feel good quality workmanship and to taste the Ras El Hanout in our tagines. I would like you to build authentic connections and know that your visit matters.

My name is Aziz (meaning, the Dearest one). Our business was created to bring people together, to authentically connect you, not only to Morocco’s incredible destinations, but to the heartbeat that lies beneath. I want you to come away with an eye for the beauty of its natural environment and the hopes and challenges of our people. I want you to touch and feel good quality workmanship and to taste the Ras El Hanout in our tagines. I would like you to build authentic connections and know that your visit matters.

Location

The tour starts and ends at Marrakech, where your host will pick you up from Marrakech Menara Airport.

From there, you’ll head southwards for 6 days from Marrakech towards Erg Chigaga and the border with Algeria, before heading back to Marrakech to complete your itinerary.

Accommodation is organised at all stages of the tour, as well as private transport throughout so that you can simply sit back and enjoy the journey.

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

Join our community

Get off the beaten track and support local communities that you visit.

Sign up for inspiriation for your itinerary, new experiences and special offers.