Private Desert Trek Marrakech to Erg Chigaga: 4 Days

Trek the Erg Chigaga dunes on dromedary, camp under open sky, and return through the mountains

A private 4-day desert tour from Marrakech combines off-road jeep travel through the High Atlas and Draa Valley with two nights in a desert camp and a full day trekking the Erg Chigaga dunes on camelback. You'll pass through UNESCO-protected Ait Benhaddou, walk date palm oases, ride across 50 km of open desert track, and trek through sand dunes with guides who prepare a traditional nomadic lunch in the shade of tamarind trees. The tour includes hotel pickup, a live guide in English, French or Arabic, all transport, camp accommodation and meals.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Ait Ben Haddou to Agdz

• Stop for lunch at Ait Benhaddou
• Visit Kasbah Taorit and film studios
• Walk in Draa Valley oasis
• Overnight in Riad Dar Amazir in Agdz

Day 2: Zagora to Erg Chigaga dunes

• Pass through Zagora and Tamegroute
• Reach M'Hamid desert outpost
• Travel off-road to Erg Chigaga dunes
• Stop for tea at Iriki oasis
• Overnight in desert camp Sahara Feeling

Day 3: Trekking in Erg Chigaga dunes

• Watch sunrise over Erg Chigaga dunes
• Trek on dromedaries through dunes
• Lunch under Tamarind trees
• Return to camp for sunset and dinner
• Overnight in desert camp Sahara Feeling

Day 4: Return to Marrakech via High Atlas

• Jeep journey to dried salt lake of Iriki
• Stop for orange juice at Foum Zguid
• Lunch and rug shopping in Tazenakht
• Drive through High Atlas via Tizi-n-Tichka pass
• Arrive in Marrakech in early evening

The experience

The journey starts south from Marrakech toward Ait Benhaddou, a UNESCO-protected village that has stood in for ancient cities in films like Lawrence of Arabia and The Gladiator. After lunch there, you'll drive into the Draa Valley, where millions of date palms stretch across one of Morocco's most fertile oases. You'll spend the first night in a traditional riad in Agdz with tea service and a full dinner, settling into the rhythm of the route before the desert begins.

Day two takes you deeper south through Zagora and Tamegroute, known for its pottery craft, to M'Hamid, the last outpost before open desert. From there, the jeep leaves the paved road and travels 50 km of track into the Sahara, stopping at the oasis of Iriki for tea before reaching the dunes of Erg Chigaga. You'll sleep two nights in Sahara Feeling camp, a desert settlement in the dunes where the sky opens completely at night.

The trekking day is the heart of the tour. You'll wake for the sunrise (the light moves across the sand in layers of gold), then mount a dromedary after breakfast and ride through the dunes for several hours with your guide. Around midday you'll reach a stand of tamarind trees where the guides cook a traditional nomadic lunch of kebabs and fresh bread in the shade. The afternoon trek brings you back to camp, where you can watch the sunset and eat dinner under the stars.

On the final day, the jeep follows the old Paris-Dakar rally track past the dried salt lake of Iriki and a fossil mountain, then climbs back toward pavement at Foum Zguid. You'll stop in Tazenakht for lunch and a chance to browse rugs from the region's famous weavers, then cross the High Atlas through the Tizi-n-Tichka pass at 2,260 meters (a route lined with oak woods, walnut groves and Berber villages) arriving in Marrakech by early evening.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup from Marrakech.
• private jeep with driver.
• live guide in English, French or Arabic.
• accommodation in a traditional riad in Agdz on night one and in Sahara Feeling desert camp on nights two and three.
• lunch each day.
• dinner and tea service at the riad and in the desert camp.
• dromedary trekking through the Erg Chigaga dunes on day three.
• all transport through the High Atlas, Draa Valley and Sahara.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (5 to 12 years) · Infant (under 5): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, French and Arabic

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Sahara Feeling

Is this one for you?Your guide speaks English, French or Arabic, so book this tour if your group's language matches one of those three. The four-day structure with two nights in the desert camp is what makes a full trekking day possible. A shorter trip would cut either the camp time or the dunes themselves, so this length holds the experience together.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, French and Arabic.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 12 years); Infant (under 5): free.

What's the difference between a camel and a dromedary on this tour?

The Erg Chigaga trek uses dromedaries, which are single-humped camels native to the Sahara and built for desert heat and long distances. They're the working animal of the region and what nomadic guides have used for centuries to cross the dunes.

How much of the tour is actually spent trekking versus riding in a jeep?

The jeep carries you for the first two days through the mountains and valleys to reach the desert. Day three is the trekking day: several hours on dromedary through the Erg Chigaga dunes with a midday break for lunch. Day four is jeep travel back to Marrakech.

What's included in the meals during the 4 days?

Lunch is included each day. The first night in Agdz includes a full dinner and tea service at the riad. Both nights in the desert camp include dinner and tea prepared by the guides, and breakfast is served before each day begins.

What happens if someone isn't comfortable riding a dromedary?

The trekking day is built around camel riding as the primary way to move through the dunes, and it's the main activity of the tour. If camel riding isn't possible, the jeep can follow an alternative route, though this changes the experience significantly: discuss any concerns when booking.