7-Day from Marrakech to Erg Chigaga Tour

Your expedition begins with an 08:30 AM pickup from your Marrakech Riad. We scale the High Atlas Mountains via the Tizi n’Tichka pass (2,260m) before descending into the pre-Saharan plains.

We dedicate the afternoon to exploring Ksar Ait Ben Haddou, the UNESCO-protected clay fortress that once guarded the trans-Saharan trade routes. After your historical walking tour, we make a short transit into Ouarzazate to check into your local Riad.

• Driving Time: Approx. 4 hours.

• Accommodations: Authentic Riad in Ouarzazate.

• Meals: Dinner included.

After breakfast, we leave Ouarzazate and cross the rugged, volcanic ridges of the Anti-Atlas Mountains via the Tizi n’Tinififft pass.

We drop down into the Draa Valley—Morocco’s longest continuous date palm oasis. We follow the riverbed south through the village of Agdz, stopping to explore hidden, crumbling kasbahs shaded by the palm canopy. We conclude the day in Zagora, the historical staging point for caravans heading to Timbuktu.

• Driving Time: Approx. 3.5 hours.

• Accommodations: Traditional Riad/Hotel in Zagora.

• Meals: Breakfast and Dinner included.

Today, the asphalt ends. We drive south through Tamegroute, known for its distinct green-glaze pottery and ancient Quranic library. We reach M’hamid El Ghizlane, the literal “end of the road.”

Here, your driver engages the 4×4 systems. We leave civilization behind, navigating two hours of rough, unmarked desert tracking through stone hammadas and scrubland until the massive, rolling dunes of Erg Chigaga rise on the horizon. Mount a camel for a sunset trek before settling into your remote, private desert camp.

• Driving Time: Approx. 2 hours paved + 2.5 hours off-road 4×4.

• Accommodations: Private desert tent (Standard or Luxury options).

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included.

Unlike shorter tours, a 7-day itinerary gives you a full, uninterrupted day deep inside the Sahara.

After a slow morning and breakfast at the camp, you can spend the day sandboarding the 300-meter dune peaks, taking extended camel treks, or simply enjoying the absolute silence of the deep desert. In the afternoon, visit a local nomadic family settlement to share tea and learn about their off-grid survival in this harsh environment.

• Driving Time: Minimal (Local 4×4 exploration).

• Accommodations: Private desert tent at Erg Chigaga.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included.

We depart the dunes early, driving west across the Sahara. We hit the expansive, blindingly flat dried salt flats of Lake Iriqui, allowing the 4×4 to open up on the old Paris-Dakar rally tracks.

We re-enter paved roads at the military outpost town of Foum Zguid. From here, we drive north through the carpet-weaving capital of Taznakht, turning west to reach the walled, 16th-century market city of Taroudant—often called the “Grandmother of Marrakech.”

• Driving Time: Approx. 3 hours off-road + 3.5 hours paved.

• Accommodations: Authentic Riad inside Taroudant.

• Meals: Breakfast and Dinner included.

After a morning exploring the incredibly authentic, tourist-free souks of Taroudant, we begin our return journey to Marrakech.

Depending on weather conditions and your comfort with mountain roads, we will either tackle the dramatic, sheer-drop switchbacks of the Tizi n’Test mountain pass (one of the most breathtaking drives in Africa) or take the smoother modern highway via Agadir. We arrive back in Marrakech by late afternoon, returning you to your Medina Riad.

• Driving Time: Approx. 5 to 6 hours.

• Accommodations: Authentic Riad inside the Marrakech Medina.

• Meals: Breakfast included.

Enjoy a final relaxed breakfast in Marrakech. Your private driver will coordinate with your outbound flight schedule to provide a direct, seamless transfer to Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK).

• Driving Time: ~20 minutes to RAK Airport.

• Meals: Breakfast included.