3 Days from Marrakech to Erg Chegaga

Overview

In short: Private tour · 3 days / 2 nights, starting and ending in Marrakech — about 845 km and 12 places, including 1 night in the desert.

Duration

3 days / 2 nights

Starts

Marrakech

Ends

Marrakech

Tour type

Private tour

Group size

Up to 50 travellers

Language

Flexible, on request

Distance

≈ 845 km in total

Stops

12 places

Erg Chegaga is Morocco's quieter and wilder dune sea: south-east of Marrakech towards the Algerian border, more than 60 km beyond the nearest town (M'hamid), reachable only on sandy and rocky tracks.

Expect a rustic experience with no hotels nearby, which is why it needs at least three days: Ait Ben Haddou and the Draa oases on the way in, the rocky desert before the dunes, and a return across dry Lake Iriqui, Foum Zguid and Taznakht.

Highlights

• High Atlas crossing via Tizi n'Tichka
• Panoramic stops over valleys and Amazigh villages
• Ait Ben Haddou (UNESCO World Heritage) and Kasbah Telouet
• Kasbah of Tamnougalt with a local guide
• Draa Valley palm groves, oases and kasbahs
• Tamegroute green pottery and Koranic library
• Off-road driving across varied desert terrain
• Camel ride and sandboarding on high dunes
• Sunset from the dunes, dinner with Amazigh drumming
• Private nomad tent near the big dunes
• Fossil hunting at Lake Iriqui
• Taznakht Amazigh carpets

Route

• Day 1
• Day 2
• Day 3

Lines join the stops in order; they are not the exact roads. Distances are road estimates. Open the route in Google Maps

Day by day

1. Day 1Marrakech – Tizi n'Tichka – Ait Ben Haddou – Tamnougalt – Zagora

   Marrakech › Tizi n'Tichka › Ait Ben Haddou › Tamnougalt › Agdz › Zagora

   Early departure over the High Atlas via the Tizi n'Tichka pass (about 2,260 m).

   Discover the historic kasbahs of Ait Ben Haddou, where films such as Astérix & Obélix, Gladiator and Babel were shot.

   Lunch inside the Kasbah of Tamnougalt, then south across the Anti-Atlas and the Draa Valley with its palm groves, ksour and mud-brick villages.

   ≈ 335 kmOvernight: Hotel in ZagoraMeals: Half board (breakfast + dinner)
2. Day 2Zagora – Tamegroute – M'hamid – Erg Chegaga

   Zagora › Tamegroute › M'Hamid › Erg Chegaga

   Visit Tamegroute's pottery workshops and its famous Koranic library.

   Drive to M'hamid, then on through sandy riverbeds and varied vegetation, with possible encounters with nomad families.

   Arrive at a camp deep in the dunes: optional camel ride, sunset and a night under the Saharan stars.

   ≈ 150 kmOvernight: Camp in Erg ChegagaMeals: Breakfast + dinner
3. Day 3Chegaga – Lake Iriqui – Foum Zguid – Taznakht – Marrakech

   Erg Chegaga › Lake Iriqui › Foum Zguid › Taznakht › Marrakech

   After breakfast, head for the Anti-Atlas foothills on a route once used by the Paris–Dakar rally, crossing Lake Iriqui (a dry lake bed) and Foum Zguid.

   Stop in Taznakht, home of women's cooperatives weaving Amazigh carpets using weaving, knotting and embroidery techniques.

   Return to Marrakech over the High Atlas.

   ≈ 360 kmMeals: Breakfast

What’s included

Good to know

• Best season for the desert: October to April. In summer daytime heat often exceeds 40°C; in winter nights at camp can drop close to freezing.
• The Tizi n'Tichka pass (about 2,260 m) can get snow or brief closures in winter; the driver adjusts timings to road conditions.
• Pack a small daypack for the camp night (water, charger, warm layer, toiletries). Large luggage stays in the vehicle or hotel.
• Essentials: sunscreen, sunglasses, a scarf/cheche against sand, comfortable shoes and a warm jacket for the evening.
• Mountain roads are winding; bring motion-sickness medication if you need it.
• Carry small dirham notes for tips, purchases and meals that are not included; ATMs are scarce in villages and in the desert.
• Always ask before photographing people, especially women, children and nomad families.
• The M'hamid – Chegaga – Foum Zguid section is an unpaved track that needs a 4×4; check that the vehicle provided is suitable.

Guided visits on this route

Our local guides also lead these walks and day trips in towns this tour passes through. Ask us to add one.

Read before you go

Questions about this trip

Compare with similar trips

How this trip compares with the two closest alternatives.