Draa Valley and Erg Sahel

Enjoy the beautiful landscape of Moroccan mountains and sand dunes in the Sahara.

In this trip we visit kasbahs to see samples of the Berber architecture in the Draa Valley, we also walk through palmeries and oases and trek the sand dunes at sunset.

You can also make sand bread or take a short camel ride before settling down for the night in the Sahara where you feel you can reach the stars on the sky.

Day 1 / Arrive in Marrakech

Arrive in Marrakech – the ‘Red city’ – any time and meet your guide in the hotel or riad.

Lodging: hotel or riad

Provision: -

Day 2 / Marrakech – Ouarzazate – Zagora – Dunes of Nsrat

We cross the High Atlas Mountains over the famous Tizi n’Tichka pass (2260 m) to Ouarzazate and continue over the Anti Atlas range to the magnificent Draa Valley with its typical fortified clay villages, millions of palm trees, old kasbahs and ksours (typical Berber architecture). Later we meet our camel team and start our adventure through the oasis of Nsrat.

For the night we camp in the dunes surrounded by big palm groves.

Lodging: camping

Provision: breakfast, dinner

Walking: 1 hour

Day 3 / Dunes of Nsrat – Palmerie of Tiraf

Slowly with the rhythms of our camel caravan, we walk among green gardens, small oases and typical Berber villages of the Draa Valley. We cross the Draa River, the longest river in Morocco (1100 km) which passes under sand dunes and flows towards the Atlantic Coast.

On the way, we meet friendly local Berber people and discover their lifestyle.

Lodging: camping

Provision: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Walking: 4 hours

Day 4 / Palmerie of Tiraf – Dunes of Tidri

Today we carry on among fields of henna, barley, wheat and date palms. We explore the Ksar of Sidi Saleh, a typical fortified clay village, which holds an old tomb of a venerated saint (marabout).

After the walk you can relax and refresh yourself with a cup of sweet mint tea in our camp in the dunes.

Lodging: camping

Provision: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Walking: 5 hours

Day 5 / Dunes of Tidri – Erg Sahel

In the morning, we cross a big hamada, a stone desert consisting of high, largely barren, rocky plateaus with very little sand and we head towards the untouched and endless dunes of Erg Sahel.

In the evening we make a fire and bake fresh ‘sand bread’.

Lodging: camping

Provision: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Walking: 5 hours

Day 6 / Erg Sahel – Oulad Driss

Our last-day trekking takes us among peaceful dunes and hamadas. We will have lunch under the shadow of palm trees.

In the afternoon we reach the adobe village of Oulad Driss with its wonderful architecture. Overnight in a Bedouin camp with shower facility and fresh cool drinks.

Lodging: camping

Provision: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Walking: 5 hours

Day 7 / Oulad Driss – Marrakech

After an amazing sunrise in the oasis, we drive along the Draa Valley to Ouarzazate and then we cross the High Atlas via the meandering road of Tizi n’Tichka back to Marrakech.

We can finish the day in the well-known open-air central square, the Djemaa el-Fna that is famous for its food stalls, snake charmers, water-sellers and acrobats.

Lodging: hotel or riad

Provision: breakfast, lunch

Day 8 / Leave Marrakech

End of trip and we say goodbye. Have a nice flight back to home.

Depending on the time of your flight you may have time to visit some of the famous sights of the ‘Red city’ like the medina, the souqs, the Koutoubia Mosque, the Koranic School, the Saadian tombs (back to 16th century), the Bahia Palace or the beautiful Majorelle Gardens.

Please note that we are able to organise a post-trip accommodation if you wish to extend your stay for a few more days.

Lodging: -

Provision: breakfast

• In the campsites we have two-person Igloo tents (with mattress) and shared facilities (toilet tent), but no shower is available.
• Please note that there is not much water available in the Sahara thus we will have only a certain amount of water for cooking and personal use, so please do not expect shower facilities there.

Services Included

• All transport within Morocco, except from and to the airport
• All accommodations: hotels/riads and camps
• All breakfasts, other meals (lunch, snack, dinner) for 5 days (7B, 5L, 5D)
• Professional tour leader and local staff during the whole trip
• Communal tents (kitchen tent including equipment and toilet tents) and sleeping tents (two-person Igloo tents) with mattress

Services Not Included

• Flight ticket to and from Morocco
• Airport transfer (available for extra charge)
• Insurance covering all your adventure activities (obligatory, please bring a copy with you)
• Lunch and dinner in Marrakech (allow EUR 10 to 15 for each meal)
• Soft drinks and personal purchases all over the trip
• Entrance fee to monuments and optional activities (e.g. hammam)
• Tipping local staff (tour guide, driver, camel drivers) – not obligatory, only if you are satisfied

Transport and Porterage

• Waking (5 days)
• Comfortable minibus, Four-Wheel Drive vehicles (4WD) or taxi (depending on the size of the group)
• Bearing of luggage by camels

Team

• Berber mountain guide certified by Morocco’s Ministry of Tourism to give you interesting information about the places you visit, the history and the culture of the country
• Local Berber cook, who will introduce you to the cuisine of Morocco
• A devoted team of experienced drivers and camel drivers

Food

• All breakfasts are included
• All other meals during the trek (5 days) are also included:
  • Lunch: varied salads, hot dish, dessert
  • Snack of tea or coffee with biscuits or cook’s specialty
  • Dinner: soup, traditional hot dish, dessert, hot drinks (tea, coffee, hot chocolate)
• All other meals and drinks (e.g. water) will be for your expenses. Your guide will help you to discover the local restaurants
• Please inform us of any dietary, vegetarian or special meal requirements at the time of reservation

For further information please check ‘General trip info’.