Majesty in Erg Chegaga desert dunes and Imlil – 6 days

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Majesty in Erg Chegaga desert dunes and Imlil – overview:

This may be your absolute dream desert tour benefitting from a night in two different areas of the Moroccan Sahara; in Erg Lihoudi at the gate to the Sahara, Mhamid el Ghizlane, and the remote, more expansive dunes of Erg Chegaga.

Add two different passes over the magnificent High Atlas Mountains, Kasbahs Telouet and Aït Ben Haddou, as well as the adobe housing and the date palms all along the Dra’a Valley.  All this gives a full impression of the variety of landscapes in this area.

Tamgroute’s green pottery co-operative run by four families and a highly regarded ancient Qoranic library, plus Berber rug-making in Taznakht, the saffron production in Talouine are examples of local Moroccan produce.

Desert highlights are a camel ride through the dunes, the sunset and sunrise, dinner under the stars, evenings of music and drumming and the joy of a private luxury tent.

And the final night of this special adventure is in the High Atlas near Toubkal Mountain, the highest peak in North Africa, where the landscapes and way of life differs greatly from that of the valleys and oases.

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Atlas Mountains and Sahara Desert tour – itinerary:

1st day: Marrakech – Ouarzazate

Morning departure from your hotel/riad in Marrakech at 8.30 and at panoramic viewpoints as you traverse the High Atlas Mountains, there will be opportunities to stop and take photos.

The first scheduled stop is at the Kasbah of Telouet, which served as a magnificent residence of the powerful Glaoui family. Their wealth grew from the ownership and control of the nearby salt mines. Each addition to the building now stands in ruins exposed to the wind and the rain, abandoned and plundered by locals after the last Pasha ‘s property was confiscated. That was his punishment for plotting with the French to have the King exiled.

Unfortunately, the whole Kasbah is now closed due to the damage caused by the earthquake that struck Morocco in September 2023. Nevertheless, it is still worth visiting the exterior with a local guide to discover its rich history.

Then the route leads south down the Ounila Valley with the green fields and gardens running parallel down below full of bends in the roads, surprises at the hues of the rock and soil, Berber villages and gardens, as well as smaller Kasbahs. Here olives, almonds and fruit trees are the main crops and the mainstay for many families.

This stunning road leads to the Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, the oldest and most famous Kasbah in Morocco and one of Morocco’s seven UNESCO World Heritage sites. The architectural style is well preserved and the earthen constructions are perfectly adapted to the climatic conditions and in harmony with the natural and social environment. Probably originating in the 17th century, it is also famous as the backdrop to many Hollywood blockbuster films. In Ouarzazate, you spend the night in a riad.

2nd day: Ouarzazate – M’hamid

After breakfast, we continue south over the Tizi-n-Tinfifte pass to Agdez. Descending from the pass, you will be amazed at the view of the extensive oasis and the number of palm trees, all indicating the beginning of the Dra’a Valley with its thousands of date palms, producing an amazing 44 varieties of dates.  The date harvest starts in September and lasts a couple of months, so that is the best time to stop in Agdez for the freshest ones.

Shortly after this small town, you stop to visit Kasbah Tamnougalte, the oldest Kasbah in the Dra’a Valley, before taking the ancient caravan road between the river and the mountains for a short while. On the way, we pass many villages and gardens so that you can gain a better idea of the way of life in the life-giving oases. Soon after the police checkpoint in Tansikht, we come to the village of Tinsouline, from where you can drive just a kilometre or so off-road to the fascinating rock carvings of animals long extinct in Morocco at Foum Chenna, some 4000 years old.

Zagora is the largest town in the whole area and where we shall stop for lunch. Later we pass through Tamgroute, where a stop for the potteries famous for the green glaze, which you may have already seen in Marrakech, and also for its ancient Quranic library with exquisite hand-written Arabic texts.

In the afternoon we drive further south still, to M’hamid, the very gate to the desert and the end of the paved road. This is where the Sahara starts.

You have dinner and spend the night at a luxury camp with a private bathroom, king-sized beds, beautiful Moroccan furnishings and lamps tastefully arranged to enhance your enjoyment of the silence and beauty of the dunes.

3rd day: M’hamid – Chegaga dunes

After breakfast, you return to M’hamid to visit the old village across the now frequently dry Dra’a River. The old village is typical of desert dwellings with adobe buildings and covered streets to keep out the searing heat of the height of summer.

In the afternoon, there is the departure for the Erg Chegaga dunes (300m) with 60km of off-road. This route passes different features of the desert; “erg” (dunes) and “ hammada” (stony desert), oases. These dunes are far away from civilisation, in the desert proper, where nomadic life is hard, subject to the vagaries of the wind, sandstorms and sparse rainfall.

Here a camel ride leads to the highest dune to enjoy an unforgettable sunset. The silence and the expanse of the sand are overwhelming.

Dinner and the night will be in a luxury camp, with all the amenities of the first desert luxury camp in Mhamid.

4th day: Chegaga dunes – Taroudant

After breakfast we drive another 90 km across the Sahara over the stony desert, “reg” and “hammada” and across the now dried-up Lake Iriqui. In the middle of this lake, you are likely to experience a mirage and unless it has been raining hard, which is rare, and in which case we cannot cross due to the mud, we can assure you, that “water” really is not real. Here you can search for fossils; some lying loosely around but most fixed firmly into the rock.

At the edge of the desert at Foum Zguid, we drive north to Taznakht, famous for its Berber gelims and carpets, where we stop for lunch. After crossing the Tizi-n-Ikhsane and Tizi-n-Tighatine passes, we reach Taliouine, the heart of the saffron growing region. The little government-run museum is interesting about saffron agriculture and as you enter the scent of saffron is delicious.

The road takes us onto to Taroudant, where we stop for the night in a riad.

5th day: Taroudant – Imlil

In the morning there is a visit to the town known as “the little Marrakech”, so-called due to its massive, intact ramparts and beautiful medina.

Retracing our steps a little, we turn left and north back up over the High Atlas Mountains across the famous Tizi-n-Test pass. Normally we would stop at the beautiful, brick Tinmal Mosque, but it has almost been completely destroyed in the earthquake of September 8th, and there is nothing left to see other than rubble.  Lunch will be in a mountain restaurant with superb views.

From here we continue through the mountains to the village of Imlil, where we stay the night. Here the quiet and beauty of the views are overwhelming.

6th day: Imlil – Marrakech

After breakfast, we have time to walk and look up at Toubkal Mountain, the highest peak in North Africa. Passing the Toubkal National Park we reach Asni, a small Berber village, which is famous for its permanent as well as for its weekly souks. We then pass the mausoleum of Moulay Brahim, a well-known Moroccan Sufi saint who died in 1661. Here you can have tea with a local Berber family, who will show you the traditional hammam and bread ovens.

On the drive back to Marrakech, you have an opportunity to visit the stunning Anima Garden designed by Andre Heller over a period of about ten years and full of colourful sculptures and plants from across the world.

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