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Ouarzazate desert tour to the Erg Chebbi dunes – overview:
Step into the world of the Sahara to go deep into south Morocco on this 3-day desert tour from Ouarzazate to the Erg Chebbi dunes in Merzouga. You can stroll in Skoura’s oasis, visit the beautiful Kasbah Amredhil, sample the Damascene rose cosmetic products in the Valley of the Roses, and have tea with a nomad family in their caves.
In the Dades Valley, you can marvel at the geologically fascinating rocks and hillsides. You will spend the night in this fascinating valley in a beautiful guest house. The following day there are the other gorges in Toudgha to discover and walk in.
In the desert, you get to have that much-anticipated camel ride to watch the sunset; one of the highlights of the day. Back at the desert camp, you will enjoy a delicious traditional meal. Round a campfire, the day is brought to a close with nomad and Berber music. The peace and calm of the desert lull you to sleep as you reflect on the day’s excitements. The next morning enjoy the spectacle of the sunrise from the top of the nearest dunes.
In the Dra’a Valley with its innumerable palm trees, ancient housing and desert oases, you will understand more about how the Berbers have lived here for thousands of years. The oldest Kasbah in the Dra’a Valley is well worth a visit.
Book your trip now, and you could soon be exploring the spectacular dunes of Erg Chebbi in Merzouga, making unforgettable memories.
3-day desert trip from Ouarzazate to Merzouga – highlights:
- Getting a glimpse of traditional Berber life in the Skoura oasis by visiting Kasbah Amredhil
- Exploring the cooperatives in Kelaat M’Gouna to discover cosmetic products made from Damascene roses
- Exploring the famous Dades Valley and the Toudgha Gorges, possibly taking a walk with a local guide
- Enjoying a sunset camel ride to the summit of the dunes (300 m), and sand-boarding
- Having dinner under a starlit sky, followed by an evening of nomad music around a campfire
- Spending a night in a private tent in a luxury camp nestled among the big dunes of Erg Chebbi in Merzouga
- Discovering the Dra’a Valley, with its Berber villages, thousands of palm trees and ancient Kasbahs
What is included in this Erg Chebbi dunes tour 3 days:
- Transport in a private air-conditioned vehicle; 4×4 Toyota Prado TX or deluxe van and fuel
- Experienced local English/French/Spanish/Italian-speaking Berber and nomad driver/guide
- Accommodation in air-conditioned rooms/suites with private bathroom
- Overnight in a luxury camp in Erg Chebbi in Merzouga with a private toilet and shower, lamps, and traditional Moroccan furnishings
- All meals; breakfast, lunch, dinner – with vegetarian and vegan options available
- A camel ride with a guide. And if you wish to do some sandboarding, just speak to the camp staff!
- Option to go to and return from the camp by 4×4
- Luggage service to the camp and all accommodation
- Berber drumming and music
- Free time to explore the sites such as the Dra’a Valley, Kasbah Tamnougalte, for walks, photos, and tea/coffee breaks
- The opportunity to ask the driver to stop when and where you wish
- Entrance fees and local guide
- Tea, coffee, and mineral water in the desert
What is not included:
- Drinks
- Tips
- Extras
Good to know about Sahara tours from Ouarzazate:
- This Ouarzazate desert tour can be customised to be more personal and special
- Consider our 3-day desert tour to Erg Chegaga from Ouarzazate for an authentic desert-themed experience.
- Activities such as a full day’s trekking or an extra day in the Erg Chebbi dunes can be added to this desert tour from Ouarzazate
- Here is a downloadable packing list to help plan for your Moroccan desert tour
- We require a 30% deposit of the total price to book the car, while the balance is payable to the driver or to us in the office in Ouarzazate
- We accept payment through PayPal, bank transfers in Europe, by credit card, or cash (USD, Euro, GBP or MAD)
- We offer a 25% discount for all children under 12, while, in any one family, one child below 3 can travel free of charge
- These prices are liable to fluctuation according to the current exchange rate
- Our prices can be subject to an increase over the busy season, and, in particular, the Christmas and New Year’s Eve period
Sahara tour from Ouarzazate to Merzouga – itinerary:
1st day: Ouarzazate – Dades Gorges
Setting out at 8.30 the journey heads for the Dades Gorge, first passing Skoura Oasis. Many of the vast kasbahs have been abandoned by their owners, victims of the frequent droughts in Morocco.
Here, you will stop to visit Kasbah Amredhil, which has been beautifully restored and is well worth visiting. Constructed entirely of adobe, an excellent building material that keeps rooms cool in the summer and warm in the winter thanks to the thickness of its walls.
Next is Kela’a M’gouna, the Valley of Roses, where cosmetic articles made locally from the valley’s abundant blossoms are on offer in a plethora of shops. These products are much loved throughout Morocco and are available everywhere, though the best quality is sold in the villages in the valley.
After lunch, an off-road route allows for a clearer impression of the landscape and for you to visit Berber nomads for a glass of tea. You stop in the Dades Gorge for lunch. If you wish to walk in the valley or the gorges, there is plenty of time to do so. You spend the night in a hotel or Kasbah, although, if you wish, you could walk into the hills to spend the night with a Berber family.
2nd day: Dades Gorges – Merzouga
After breakfast, the trip continues a short distance to Tinghir and the very different Toudgha Gorges. Here a short walk reveals the stunning sight of the steep high sides with just a narrow expanse of the sky above.
From there, you continue your adventure southeast to the Chebbi dunes via Tinjdad, and the Oasis of Tafilalet near Erfoud, famous for its Date Festival, and Rissani, the seat of the Alaouite family of the present king of Morocco.
Between Tinjdad and Erfoud, you can stop to go down into the fascinating underground water channels deep below the earth, always cool and preventing evaporation at this source of irrigation. In Erfoud itself, you can stop to see the workings of thousands of fossils made into a multitude of beautiful and artistic artefacts.
From here, you continue driving east to Merzouga, where the sand dunes mark the beginning of the mighty Sahara Desert. At the edge of the dunes, you will take the camels to reach the camp, where you will be received with biscuits and the ubiquitous glass of mint tea.
Back at the camp, dinner is served, followed by an evening of nomad music and drumming around a campfire. This luxury camp provides private tents and bathrooms, offering great comfort in this barren and dry environment.
3rd day: Merzouga – Ouarzazate
If you rise early, you will be rewarded with a mesmerising desert sunrise, where the colours and shadows create a unique spectacle. You will have time to wander through the dunes and soak in the tranquillity of this magical setting.
After breakfast, the drive back east to Ouarzazate takes you along the length of the Dra’a Valley, passing through the villages of Rissani, Alnif, Tazarine (featured in the film ‘Babel’), and N’Qob, just in time for lunch.
Arriving at the Dra’a Valley at Tansikht, you will cross the river and follow the ancient caravan route to discover the real Dra’a Valley, with its towering palm trees and ancient villages. North of Agdez, you can visit the oldest kasbah in the valley, Kasbah Tamenougalte, which is still inhabited by several families living much the same way as for centuries.
We rejoin the paved road in Agdz and return to Ouarzazate, crossing the Anti-Atlas Mountains and the pass of Tizi-n-Tinfifite (1660m). You will arrive back in Ouarzazate by late afternoon, concluding your 3-day desert trip from Ouarzazate to Merzouga as your driver transfers you back to your riad.
Map of Erg Chebbi dunes tour – 3 days:
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