7-Day Erg Chegaga Camel Trek from Marrakech

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Duration: 7 days / 6 nights
Departure: Marrakech to Erg Chegaga tours
Type: Private, tailor-made

7-day camel trek from Marrakech in the Erg Chegaga desert

7-day camel trek from Marrakech in the Erg Chegaga desert: a private, tailor-made trip with your own driver and a flexible itinerary.

This is a trekking route with dromedaries through the Erg Chegaga desert. You walk 4 to 6 hours a day with a caravan of cameleers. At night you sleep in a bivouac under the stars. It is ideal if you enjoy walking and want a desert without crowds.

Day 1: Marrakech – Tizi n’Tichka – Agdz – Draa Valley – Zagora – M’Hamid

We leave Marrakech around 8:30 by minibus or 4×4. First, we cross the Tizi n’Tichka, the highest and most beautiful pass in the country. Then we have a picnic lunch past Ouarzazate. Next, we drive down into the Draa Valley, with 200 km of date palms and old ksour. After a short stop in Zagora we reach M’Hamid. There the cameleers are waiting. Night at a camp in the oasis.

Day 2: Oasis – Sidi Naji shrine (about 5 h 30 walking)

We get up early and load the dromedaries. First, we walk across the hamada, among small dunes and tamarisks. Then we descend into virgin sand desert, with some vegetation and nomad tents. We have lunch in the middle of the valley. In the afternoon we reach camp, next to the Sidi Naji shrine.

Day 3: Sidi Naji – Erg Ezahar

We follow a dry riverbed onto a wide stone plateau. From there we see the sea of dunes in the distance. Then we climb a small pass and descend over black rocks polished by the wind. We have lunch by a water point with a single palm tree. In the afternoon we speed up to reach the dunes at sunset. Night in a bivouac at the foot of the dune.

Day 4: Erg Ezahar – Bougarne dunes (about 5 h)

We leave the last Chegaga dunes behind and walk east, along Jbel Abbes. We have lunch in the shade of tamarisk trees. Then we continue to the Bougarne dunes, a little-visited area. Tonight we sleep under a sky full of stars.

Day 5: Bougarne dunes – Oued Naam dunes (about 16 km)

We set off early for sunrise over Bougarne, with acacias and dromedaries on the slopes. Around 2 pm we stop for salad, fruit, bread and tea. In the afternoon we pitch our tents near a well.

Day 6: Oued Naam dunes – M’Hamid

Today we walk among hills of small dunes with shrubs and tamarisks, on the trail to M’Hamid. After lunch we visit a kasbah that keeps old manuscripts. Then we return through the Draa Valley. Night in a bivouac in the palm grove.

Day 7: M’Hamid – Ait Ben Haddou – Marrakech (about 7 h driving)

In the morning we head for Ouarzazate. We have lunch at Ait Ben Haddou and visit the kasbah, a World Heritage Site. Then we continue to Marrakech and drop you at your hotel.

Why choose this trek

You experience the desert on foot, at the pace of a caravan, like the nomads. You also cross areas that tourists rarely reach. The trip is private, so we adapt the stages to your fitness.