3 Days Atlas Mountains & Desert Trip From Marrakech

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MARRAKECH ERG CHIGAGA DESERT TOUR 3 DAYS

PRIVATE MARRAKECH TO ERG CHIGAGA TOUR

OVERVIEW

The 3-Day Sahara Desert Tour to Erg Chigaga from Marrakech is the most exciting tour for travelers with only three days available who want a unique and comprehensive desert experience. On this trip, you are far away in the dunes, far from any impression of civilization. It starts by being picked up from your hotel or Riad in Marrakech at 8:00 am to head south for the magnificent High Atlas Mountains. You cross the Tizin-Tichka pass, (2660m) the highest pass in North Africa. You will be amazed by the panoramas and will want to take memorable photos. Simply tell your driver where you want to stop. Along the way, you will visit the former presidential palace, Kasbah Telouet, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou. These are the two most famous kasbahs in Morocco and an essential part of any desert tour. Before arriving in Ouarzazate, you can visit the Atlas Film Studios, and see the sets of many Hollywood films still in place here. That night, you will have the thrill of spending the night in a traditional rural riad or an authentic guesthouse in Agdez, a small town just at the head of the Dra'a valley, which descends towards the desert. From there, you get the distinct impression that you are on your way to a different world - new, exciting, oriental. With a local guide to explain the history, you have the option of visiting the largest of the hundreds of Kasbahs in the valley, namely Kasbah Tamnougalt. From there, the thrill increases as you pull off the road through the Draa Valley, past ancient kasbahs and lush green oases. This is part of the old route of the caravans that carried goods from Mali and Niger after crossing the Sahara for days. After reaching the largest city before the Sahara, Zagora, you will have the opportunity to visit the cooperative of the famous nationwide green pottery and the Koranic library with its magnificent manuscripts, have this cutting edge experience to ride a camel in the dunes of Erg Chegaga. At night under the astonishing array of stars, you will sleep in a comfortable luxury camp in the desert at the foot of the largest dunes of the Sahara in Morocco. The next day, the wonder continues as you drive off-road in the Sahara Desert, hunt for fossils in the dry lake of Iriqui, and learn about Berber carpet-making techniques in Taznakht. Explore the majesty and wonder of our very unique range of Marrakech Desert Tours. Discover the tour itinerary below. Your journey begins here!

HERE ARE THE MARRAKECH TO ERG CHIGAGA 3-DAY DESERT TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Enjoy a Berber dinner under the stars and spend the night at your Erg Chigaga desert camp
  • Sit in the back of your camel and enjoy the views of Erg Chigaga with its dramatic sunset
  • Take a promenade along the stream in Todra oasis to the majestic gorges
  • Spend time in the Casbah of Air Ben Hadou and explore the Berber village
  • Traverse the High Atlas Mountains and Tizi N'tichka pass

THIS IS THE ITINERARY OF THE POPULAR 3 DAYS MARRAKECH TO ERG CHIGAGA DESERT TOUR

1ST DAY : MARRAKECH – ATLAS MOUNTAINS – KASBAH AIT BEN HADOU – OUARZAZATE
Your early departure for the Marrakech desert trip is 8 hours from your hotel or riad in Marrakech to cross the High Atlas Mountains. After the Tichka pass, you leave the main road and take a secondary road to the Kasbah of Telouet, which belonged to the lords of the Atlas, the Glaoui family. Each addition to the building is today in ruins exposed to the wind and the rain, having been abandoned and looted after the fled of the last pasha of the country. Wait to be pleasantly surprised by the traditional interior decoration as you reach the far end of the Kasbah. From there you drive along the beautiful and awe-inspiring Ounila Valley, full of bends in the roads, surprises by the hues of the rock and soil, Berber villages and gardens, as well as smaller Kasbahs. Almost at the end of the road, you reach Aït Ben Haddou, where you stop for a delicious lunch. It is Morocco’s most famous Kasbah, one of Morocco’s seven UNESCO World Heritage sites. The architectural style is well preserved also the earthen constructions are perfectly adapted to the climatic conditions and in harmony with the natural and social environment. Probably from the 17th century, it is also famous as the backdrop for many Hollywood blockbusters. After crossing Ouarzazate, we continue south through the Tizi-n-Tinfifte pass to Agdez. As you descend from the pass, you will be amazed by the view of the vast oasis and the number of palm trees, all indicating the beginning of the Draa Valley with its thousands of date palms, producing 44 amazing date varieties. The date harvest begins in September and lasts a few months, so this is the best time to stop in Ouarzazate for the freshest. We spend the night in a guest house.in Dades Gorges.
2ND DAY : OUARZAZATE – AGDZ– M'HAMID– ERG CHIGAGA
After breakfast, it’s time to visit Kasbah Tamnougalte, the oldest Kasbah in the Draa Valley. Apart is still inhabited but the Jewish quarter has collapsed since the departure of its inhabitants for Israel, the last woman had left in 1963. From there, we take for a short time the old caravan route between the river and the mountains. . which was used to transport goods from sub-Saharan Africa and Morocco and passes between the mountains and the river, passing through many villages and gardens. This route allows you to get a better idea of ​​the Berber way of life in the invigorating oases. Just before Tansikht Police Station the driver can stop and show you the dinosaur footprints right by the roadside. We then arrive in the village of Tinsouline, from where you can travel about a kilometer off-road to the fascinating rock carvings of long-extinct animals in Morocco at Foum Chenna, which is around 4000 years old. Zagora is everyone’s biggest city. region and here we will stop for lunch. Later we pass through Tamgroute, where a stop for the famous pottery for the green glaze, which you may have seen in Marrakech before. You can also visit the ancient Koranic library with exquisite hand-written Arabic texts. In the afternoon, we drive further south, to M’hamid, the very gate of the desert and the end of the asphalt road. In the dunes of Erg Lihoudi, we stop for lunch. Alternatively, lunch will be at Ksar Bounou. You continue to the dunes of Erg Chegaga (300 m) with 60 km of off-road driving. This route passes different features of the desert; ‘Erg’ (dunes), ‘hammada’ (stony desert), an oasis. These dunes are far from civilization, in the desert itself ……. and the silence and the expanse of the sand are overwhelming. Once there, you can take a camel ride of about an hour and a half, you dine and spend the night in a luxury camp with a private bathroom, king-size beds, beautiful Moroccan furniture, and lamps. tastefully arranged to enhance your enjoyment of the silence and the beauty of the dunes.
3RD DAY :ERG CHIGAGA– FOUM ZGUID– TAZNAKHT– MARRAKECH
After breakfast, our desert trip takes us west through 90 km of the desert with varied landscapes: Lake Iriqui, where you may discover a large mirage in the heat, mountains, and fossils. Lunch will be in Foum Zguid, the first village after the desert. “Foum” means “mouth”, so the name is the “mouth/source” of the Zguid river. From there, the road heads north along cobbled roads and past amazing rock formations to the small town of Taznakht, famous for its Berber rugs and carpets. From there, we cross the High Atlas again to reach Marrakech in the late afternoon after having

Included

  • A/C modern 4×4 with experienced English / French speaking driver-guide
  • Pick up from your Marrakech hotel / Riad.
  • First night Ouarazate (Private A/C ensuite room) with dinner & breakfast.
  • Sunset camel rides in Erg Chigaga.
  • Overnight at a Sahara desert camp located at the edge of Erg chigaga ( Private tent ) with shared bathrooms – Showers available in the morning at the camp operator’s lodge – Dinner and breakfast are included
  • Upgrade to a deluxe camp with an ensuite tent available upon booking your desert tour ( €70 per person )
  • Drop off at your Marrakech hotel or the closest accessible location to your riad if not car accessible.
  • All meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner – with vegetarian and vegan options available
  • Free time to explore the sites such as Ait Ben Haddou, the Ounila Valley, the Dra’a Valley, Kasbah Tamnougalte, for walks,

Not Included

  • Drinks
  • Extra
  • Tips

Reviews

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Mark
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This trip was by far my top experience! From the moment of pick up at the airport, our tour guide (Khalil) was extremely friendly and professional. We were in constant communication prior to the trip which eased my fears going abroad. I definitely recommend this private tour because there’s so much more you can get from the experience that you wouldn’t get on a large tour bus. I went with two of my girlfriends and had a great time. We traveled from CasaBlanca to Marrakech but each day we stayed at a different raid or hotel which was a great experience to see something new each day. Since it was a private tour, many times you can choose to stop at shops or market places or ofcourse take photos(: we also went camel back riding at the Sahara and ATV riding in Marrakech. The food is great, lovely culture, people and country. If you are looking for an adventurous, exotic, Yet relaxing- girls or couples trip? I definitely recommend this trip. I really enjoyed my experience.
Jean
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We asked for a trekking program in the southern Moroccan desert. DesertBrise Travel has concocted a magnificent program with excellent service. We were taken care of in Marrakech at our Riad, a day's drive to Mhamid with pludierus stop including one in a restaurant with delicious multiole dishes in a fabulous setting. In Mhamid an efficient, friendly and professional team awaited us. Our youngest son of 8 years old, as well as one of his 12 year olds loved their days on the back of a dromedary (which you can ride if you don't want to walk). The meals were delicious (tagine, couscous, sand bread ...) a king's menu in the desert. Camel driver, cook and guide were adorable. Only positive and only one desire, leave with DesertBrise Travel. THANKS
Lora
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Fabulous trip in the desert of Morocco! Very practical for covering a large distance in a short time. However, we spend most of the time by car, but the landscapes are magnificent. Our guide, khalil, was very pleasant, funny and professional, which made the trip even more interesting. In addition, he speaks English very well, which we did not expect! We recommend this agency!
Steven
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My friend and I took a 3-day tour from Marrakech, to Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi dunes, to arrive in Fez. Our guide khalil made the experience perfect since he is friendly, he spoke French and drove very well on difficult roads. He explained to us what we saw on the road, told us about the customs of the country and answered all our questions. He knew a lot and was very interesting. We saw the most magnificent landscapes, spent an unforgettable night in a Berber tent in the dunes and discovered the Dades gorges which have become our favorite place in Morocco. I highly recommend Morroco Desert Tour, these are well organized circuits that are definitely worth a visit. And I wish you to have khalil as your guide!
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