3 Days Marrakech to Erg Chegaga 4x4 Desert Tour

Departure from Marrakech early in the morning. Cross the High Atlas Mountains and the Tizi n’Tichka Pass, which rises to 2,260 meters above sea level. After the pass, take a secondary road to the Telouet Kasbah, which once belonged to Pasha Thami El Glaoui. Although looted and abandoned after 1956, the kasbah still reveals refined decoration and remarkable architecture. Continue through the Ounila Valley, an ancient spice caravan trail lined with ochre villages, kasbahs, orchards, and troglodyte ksours. Arrive at Aït Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the finest examples of southern Moroccan architecture. After passing through Ouarzazate, continue south across the Tizi-n-Tinififft Pass to Agdz, where the Draa Valley begins. Spend the night in a guesthouse in the region.

After breakfast, visit the Tamnougalte Kasbah, the oldest in the Draa Valley. Follow the old caravan route, which crosses many villages between the river and the mountains and offers deeper insight into Berber life in the oasis. In Tansikht, you can see large sauropod dinosaur tracks along the roadside. Pass through Tinsouline before stopping for lunch in Zagora, the largest town in the region. Continue to Tamgroute, famous for its traditional green pottery, and visit the ancient Quranic library with its magnificent handwritten Arabic texts. In the afternoon, continue south to M’Hamid El Ghizlane, where the asphalt road ends and the desert begins. Head by 4x4 toward the famous dunes of Erg Chegaga, around 300 meters high, crossing ergs, hammada, and oasis landscapes. You can enjoy a camel ride before dinner and an unforgettable night in Erg Chegaga camp.

After breakfast, explore Lake Iriki, located in Iriki National Park near the Algerian border. The vegetation here includes acacia savannah and wooded steppe, and the area is home to southern gazelles, Barbary sheep, hyenas, and many reptiles such as lizards, snakes, and chameleons. Lunch takes place in Foum Zguid, the first village after the desert. Then continue north to the village of Tazenakht, famous for weaving Berber carpets. To finish this beautiful journey, cross the High Atlas Mountains again and arrive in Marrakech at the end of the afternoon.