Tour of the Erg Chegaga dunes in the Ouarzazate desert
Sahara Desert Tours From Ouarzazate
- Information
- Tour Plan
- Location
- Gallery
What's included
- 3 days Tour in 4x4 vehicles
- Airport Transfer
- All Entrance fees
- All transfers in an air-conditioned vehicle
- Bottle of water / day / person
- English-speaking driver during the tour
- Excursion by Dromedaries in the Desert
- Fuel
- Pick up and drop off to your accommodation
- Private Service (without other travelers)
- Drinks
- Flight
- Snacks
- Tips and what's not listed on the Included list
The ultimate, one-of-a-kind desert adventure in the Moroccan Sahara is yours when you reserve this journey from Ouarzazate to the Erg Chegaga Dunes. Erg Chegaga offers the excitement of a once-in-a-lifetime camel ride. In the midst of the dunes, guests spend the night in cozy, opulent tents.
You can enjoy peace and quiet while gazing at the vastness and majesty of the Sahara in the desert.You cross the Anti-Atlas Mountains to arrive in Agdez, at the head of the Dra’a Valley, where you may access the dunes. Soon after, Kasbah Tamnougalte, the biggest Kasbah in the valley, will greet you and take you on a tour with a native guide.
When you go south, you are retracing the old caravan routes that were once used to transport valuable products from sub-Saharan Africa.Along the route, you will see countless old Kasbahs and verdant oases, both of which are characteristic of this region of Morocco. There is time to see the renowned green glaze pottery factories in Tamgroute as well as the magnificent manuscripts housed in the Qoranic Library.
You may drive past several characteristic desert characteristics in the Sahara Desert itself, and you can go fossil hunting in the arid Iriqui Lake. To obtain an understanding of life in the oases, you can stop by small Berber communities on your route to the dunes and again on your way back.On the way back to Ouarzazate, there are exhibits about Berber rug-making that provide a fascinating overview of this age-old craft.Carpets and rugs are a significant local source of revenue.
Highlights :
- The Anti-Atlas Mountains and the unique Tizi-n-Tinfifte pass rock formation.
- Exploring the Dra’a Valley, which is home to oases, Kasbahs, and palm orchards, and touring the historic Kasbah of Tamnougalte with a local guide
- Tamgroute’s historic Qoranic library and green ceramic studios
- A camel among Erg Chegaga’s magnificent dunes
- The view of the sunset from the top of the dunes is breathtaking.
- Dinner outside under the stars, then a campfire gathering for Berber music in the evening.
- The night in a Saharan luxury tent.
- fossils in Lake Iriqui
- The artistry involved in creating Berber carpets and rugs.
- Day 1
- Day 2
- Day 3
Ouarzazate – M’hamid
You depart in your 4x4 vehicle at 8:30, heading towards the Tizi-n-Tinfifte pass and the Anti-Atlas Mountains. The beginning of the Dra'a Valley is in Agdez, which is located on the far side. You visit Kasbah Tamnougalte, the oldest Kasbah in the Dra'a Valley, shortly after leaving this small hamlet, and then you briefly travel the historic caravan route that runs between the river and the mountains.Many villages and gardens that we pass along the route provide a clear picture of how people live and work.
The intriguing rock carvings of creatures that are extinct in Morocco at Foum Chenna, which date back about 4,000 years, are reached by taking a detour off the main route near the village of Tinsouline, shortly after the police checkpoint in Tansikht.
The biggest town in the region, Zagora, is a nice place to stop for lunch. The potteries, which are run by four local families, are located in Tamgroute, the next larger community. One can only be in awe of the magnificent hand-written Arabic texts found in the ancient Qoranic library.
The end of the asphalt road is marked at M'hamid, which is located further south and is referred to as the desert's gate. Here the great and enigmatic Sahara begins. You have dinner and spend the night at an opulent camp directly by the sand dunes, with a view of the sun setting gently far below.
M’hamid – Chegaga
Following breakfast, you cross the often dry Dra'a River to explore the historic settlement of M'hamid. The historic settlement has covered streets and adobe buildings, typical of desert homes designed to ward off the intense summer heat.After 60km of off-road driving, the 300m Erg Chegaga dunes await in the afternoon. This road passes through oasis and many desert features, such as "erg" (dunes) and "hammada" (stony desert). The whole desert separates these dunes from any nearby communities.
The few surviving nomads endure an incredibly difficult existence, with little rainfall, sandstorms, and unpredictable wind patterns. But this spot is very amazing in terms of its silence, sand expanse, and mysticism.Enjoy a sunset camel ride here while the sun sets.
Dinner and the evening will once more take place in an opulent camp, complete with all the comforts of Mhamid's first desert night.Since the summertime heat in Chegaga may be intense and many camps close, we recommend making the three-day trek to the Erg Chebbi dunes.
Chegaga – Ouarzazate
You pass the now-dry Lake Iriqui and proceed for another 90 km into stony desert. You may probably see a mirage in the middle of this lake, but the water is real only when it has been raining a lot, which is not often. You can look for fossils by the lakeside; some are securely embedded in the rock, while others are just laying there waiting to be picked up.
We drive north to Taznakht, which is well-known for its Berber rugs and carpets, from Foum Zguid, the first settlement at the extreme edge of the desert, and stop for lunch there. By late afternoon, we reach Ouarzazate after reversing our direction and heading east.About 18:00 marks the conclusion of your 3-day excursion from Ouarzazate to the Erg Chegaga dunes tour.