Marrakech Excursions

Adventures in Morocco's Desert Region

Recommended Excursions into the Sahara and the Deep South

Whilst we offer two great excursions from Marrakech direct to the Sahara and back in two days we would urge you to consider taking a little longer and exploring the south further and enjoying a desert trek at the spectacular dunes of Erg Chebbi (near Merzouga). This is best done on a mini self-drive itinerary although we can provide the services of an English-speaking driver if you prefer not to drive.

			Reservations - All our holidays are tailor-made so please feel free to request any combination of hotels, riads or tours for your own holiday. The minimum reservation for our accommodation only service is 3 nights in total, although not necessarily at same property. Simply contact us by phone or email or complete one of our enquiry forms. Why Rediscover? - All our reservations staff have worked in Morocco (or visited extensively) and will be more than happy to offer advice and suggestions on any of our featured destinations, tours and properties. Prices - our prices are similar to or quite often cheaper than our internet competitors or booking directly and significantly cheaper than those producing expensive brochures whilst our service, knowledge and after sales care is second to none. Security - Rediscover the World is a member of the TTA (T6816), we also hold our own ATOL bond (T7172). We therefore provide full financial security and assistance should any part of your holiday not happen entirely to plan. If you were to assemble your holiday yourself you may not have this sort of protection.

Day 1 - deliver car to your accommodation in Marrakech (and meet driver); depart for south across the High Atlas Mtns with optional visits to the dramatic kasbahs of Telouet and Ait Ben Haddou en route - stay at Les Tourmalines overlooking the lake near Ouarzazate.

Day 2 - See the Skoura Oasis, Dades Valley and Todra Gorge whilst driving east towards the desert; meet your desert guide and swap into a 4WD vehicle for the rough crossing of the semi desert area between Erfoud and Merzouga (see the full excursion details below - includes camel trekking into the dunes, overnight bedouin camp in an oasis as well as your meals).

Day 3 - freshen up at Auberge du Sud on edge of desert before returning to join your car (and driver) in Erfoud. Choice of retracing your steps or taking the 'off the beaten track' southern route back to Ouarzazate - stay one more night at Les Tourmalines overlooking the lake near Ouarzazate.

Day 4 - spend the morning sightseeing in the Ouarzazate area or perhaps walking before heading back across the High Atlas Mtns via the Tichka Pass to Marrakech.

Cost for this trip will be - £ 279 per person based on 2 persons sharing all costs

* includes, 2 nights HB accommodation; fully-inclusive desert trip; car hire (group C with a/c) for 4 days

* if you wish to have an English-speaking driver then this will add £ 52 per day between you.

Meharee Dromedary Trek to Morocco's Erg Chebbi

Details of camel trek included in the above mini-itinerary (contact us for the deluxe upgrade or discounts for families and groups of any size more than 2 persons).

2 DAYS /1 NIGHT - ITCLAS03m

DAY 1: ERFOUD – MERZOUGA – ERG CHEBBI.

From the rendezvous point at the Hotel Tizimi in Erfoud at 2pm during the winter months, 3pm in summer, we set out half an hour later for a 1½ hours’ drive in our 4WD towards the south, crossing the Oued Ziz, first along a tarmacadam road for some 16km, then another 35km of sandy piste trails carved out of the desert crust by motorbikes and other adventurous vehicles to the tiny desert town of Merzouga in an enormous palmeraie.

We shall see, in a dramatic line almost perfectly from north to south, the incredible panorama of the sea of sand dunes of the Erg Chebbi. Once we’ve arrived at Merzouga, we alight to enjoy a traditional welcoming glass, or two, of mint tea at the Auberge du Sud whilst your baggage is being loaded onto the pack animals.

At around 4pm winter (5pm summer) we set off, one person per dromedary, for some 2 hours across a sea of golden dunes. This is the only ‘true’ desert area of the kingdom of Morocco and an area where meteorites continue to be found, as well as crocodile teeth, shark, pterosaur and spinosaurus fossils. We stop in the middle of 'nowhere' to witness, from the high dunes, Nature’s incredible light show of sunset over ever-changing colours of dunes, to continue on under the star-filled heavens to our bivouac site of a carpeted Berber tent in a small oasis. First things first, a glass of mint tea once our packs are being unloaded. Our tagine dinner is prepared and, after dessert, tea or coffee seated around our camp fire - it can get cold at night! – we sing and chat to our heart’s content.

DAY 2: ERG CHEBBI – MERZOUGA - ERFOUD.

Our last brilliant sunrise, equal almost to last night’s unforgettable sunset, a Bedouin breakfast of tea, bread, jam and cheese tucked away, our dromedaries having been saddled up for the return stage, we set off back across the dunes around 8:30 for our final Meharée of some 2½ hours to the Auberge Du Sud, where you are free to freshen up (i.e. take a shower) before boarding our 4WD and an 1½ hour drive back to Erfoud and the original starting point at the Hotel Tizimi.

STANDARD PROGRAMME

THESE PRICES INCLUDE: experienced licensed bi-lingual desert guide and cook throughout; meals * and tented accommodation (maximum 4 persons per tent) as detailed; ‘Portaloo’; trained dromedary & drover; transfer by 4WD Erfoud-Merzouga-Erfoud.

* Those vegetarians or vegans amongst us need to pre-advise at time of reservation.

UPGRADE TO DELUXE VERSION:

OUR PRICES FOR THE DELUXE VERSION INCLUDE: experienced licensed bi-lingual desert guide and cook throughout, tented accommodation (maximum 4 persons per tent); ‘Portaloo’; trained dromedary & drover; transfer by 4WD Erfoud-Merzouga-Erfoud. Folklore music & dancing around camp fire; shower, mini shampoo & shower gel, bath towels, lanterns and candles; dinner includes hors d’oeuvres, 2 main courses of tagine and couscous or kebabs *, fruit basket, mint tea, Moroccan pastries, 1 bottle of wine.

DESERT PHOTO GALLERY

Customer comments:

"The overnight camel trek to Erg Chebbi was also great. The deluxe version was very well organised with a great driver to pick us up and a great guide into the desert. The food was good (plenty of it) and the tents very comfortable."

"Our camel excursion was very memorable: Youssef who was our guide, was fantastic and had a great sense of humour - he may deal with tour groups every day but he certainly made us feel special."

Holiday Prices

- please call or email for a full quote - all our holidays are tailor-made.

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