Thousand and one nights

Morning departure at 8am from your hotel or riad in Marrakech Marrakech to Erg Chegaga dunes to cross the High Atlas mountains. After the Tichka pass (2260m), you take a side road to Taznakht, famous for its Berber carpets and rugs. From here you continue for lunch at Foum Zguid. In the afternoon, we make our way across 100km through the varying features of the sahara desert; ‘erg’, ‘reg’, ‘hammada’, oases, to Erg Chegaga which, at 300m high and 45km long, are the largest in Morocco, by the end of the afternoon, there is time to experience a camel ride for about an hour before taking a walk in the sand dunes and ascend Erg Chegaga to watch the sunset from the summit (300m). After sunset, the night will be spent in a comfortable desert camp, which is also the venue for dinner.

After breakfast, the road takes us to M’hamid through another 65km of off-road driving in the sahara desert. From here the drive back to Zagora for lunch is along paved roads via the villages of Tagounite and Tamegroute. In the afternoon, the road leads north again to the Draa valley, followed by some off-road driving along the ancient road of caravans. At the end of the afternoon, Ouarzazate offers dinner and a night’s rest.

After breakfast, we drive from Ouarzazate to Marrakech passing by the kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou (a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is also well-known as being the backdrop to many Hollywood blockbusters). The road then continues along the Ounila valley with beautiful and prosperous villages, stunning mountains and views to Telouet, where you will stop to visit the Telouet kasbah. Alternatively lunch will be in the mountains! We reach Marrakesh at the end of the afternoon.