Desert Wandering in Sahara

Airfare is not included in this tour, so you are responsible for arranging your own transportation to and from Morocco. The first day is unscheduled, allowing you to arrive at Marrakesh Menara International Airport (RAK), at your convenience. Upon arrival in Marrakesh, make your way to our riad, a traditional Moroccan house, where we'll spend the first night. Depending on when you arrive, you can decide to relax at the riad after the long journey or begin exploring the vibrant streets of Marrakesh and its medina. At its heart is Djemaa el-Fna, one of the largest, busiest, and most exotic squares in Africa, constantly buzzing with life. The square is filled with snake charmers, acrobats, tourists, sizzling grills, musicians, fortune tellers, street dentists, and henna tattoo artists. Later that evening, we’ll gather back at our riad for a welcome dinner and to meet our local guides for a briefing on the journey ahead.

We have an early breakfast, before we board the minibus and head southeast towards the High Atlas Mountains. The drive goes over the Tizi'n Tichka Pass, which is the highest drivable pass in the High Atlas, at 2260 m. It is beautiful here! Mighty mountains, lush valleys and ochre-colored Berber villages as far as the eye can see. We stop for lunch just after the desert town of Ouarzazate. This is Morocco's Hollywood, with several major film studios. Here, films such as Prince of Persia, Troy and scenes from Game of Thrones have been filmed. We continue the trip over the Ait Saouné Pass and the long descent towards the famous Drâa Valley known for all its date palms. We stop in the small town of Zagora where the great desert begins. Here we can buy the hamla, the traditional headscarf, and enjoy a last cold drink before we start our desert walk. We meet our invaluable friends with camels for the coming week and set up camp at the foot of the Jebel Bani mountain.

We are woken up for an early breakfast and get ready for our great desert adventure. We pack up the camp, and the luggage is loaded onto the camels before we head up into the pass on Jebel Bani. We cross the pass and continue onto the rocky Faija plateau. In the distance, we catch sight of tamarind and acacia trees, and it’s here, in the shade, that we stop for lunch—magically prepared by our friends. After a good break, we continue alongside the distinctive Saghro Mountains, making our way through the rocky desert until we reach an oasis with tall date palms in the midst of the dry and arid landscape. Here, we set up camp and enjoy the afternoon exploring the area. If you like you can help gather firewood for the evening’s campfire. Dinner is served in the mess tent before we gather around a crackling bonfire under the starry sky.

We start the day walking down a dried-up riverbed—an fascinating sight—and the smooth, polished rocks make it easy to walk on. We follow the valley, gradually surrounded by mountain formations on both sides. Up until now, we've been walking on rock, stone, and gravel, but the terrain slowly changes as it becomes sandier. We arrive at our camp early in the afternoon, where there are several opportunities for excursions up onto the ridge of Jebel Abbes. The cook serves a delicious dinner, and if you're tempted, you can sleep outside under the open sky and enjoy the stars until you drift off to sleep.

Today is an intense day, with both ascents and descents, and you’ll feel the effort of placing one foot in front of the other in the sand dunes. After breakfast, we leave the valley and continue along the edge of a dry riverbed before heading out onto the plateau, just before reaching the vast sand dunes of the Sahara Desert. From here, we’re treated to sweeping panoramic views of the desert, and we can finally see the mighty Chegaga dunes in the distance. We follow a path used by nomads and their camels, and walking under the scorching sun is a real challenge. We will find shade beneath the acacia trees, enjoy lunch, and take a break. From there, we continue from the rocky desert into the smooth, mesmerizing sand dunes. We pick up the pace through the sand and arrive at the breathtaking Chegaga dunes! We hike to the top in time for what might be the most beautiful sunset in the world—truly magical. Dinner is served at camp, and we gather around the campfire to share the day’s adventures.

We wake up as soon as it gets light and catch the sunrise from the top of the highest sand dune. The view is incredible. After breakfast, we continue our hike through the beautiful Chegaga sand dunes, heading east of Jebel Abbes towards M'hamid. Walking in the sand dunes is tough, so we move onto the plateau in the wide Drâa valley, finding necessary shade under tamarind trees. We have lunch and refill our water bottles. Next, we head towards the large sand dunes of Bougarne. We go up and down several smaller dunes and clusters of tamarind trees. The hike is challenging, with sand filling our boots and our feet sinking into the sand as we walk. We are in wild and beautiful parts of the desert, rarely visited, and at the largest of the Bougarne dunes, we set up camp. The starry sky is vast above us as we relax around the campfire, with drums and singing.

Our Sahara desert adventure comes to an end, and after an early breakfast, we say goodbye to the camels and our helpful guides. We board the minibus and drive west through the Drâa valley, heading towards the exotic Ouarzazate, over the Tizi'n Tichka pass in the Atlas Mountains. Once again, we are fascinated by the majestic mountains and the red and ochre-colored Berber villages. We have lunch along the way, and by early afternoon, we arrive at our riad in Marrakech. Here, we enjoy a well-deserved shower! The rest of the afternoon is free for you to relax on the rooftop terrace, stroll through the bazaars, or witness the exciting transition from day to night at Djemaa el-Fna square. In the evening, we gather for a delightful farewell dinner at one of the city’s excellent restaurants.

After breakfast, our adventure comes to an end. We bid farewell to our guides and each other, hopefully taking home great memories from our time together. From here, participants are responsible for arranging their own onward travel—whether you're heading to the airport for a flight home or continuing your journey elsewhere. If you have time before departure, why not enjoy a final wander through Marrakesh’s UNESCO-listed medina or unwind at a traditional hammam with a steam, scrub, and soak?