The Erg Chegaga Dunes of Morocco are the perfect place for a Sahara Adventure allowing Moroccan Travelers to escape the city lights and find themselves literally in the middle of no where. Erg Chegaga is considered by many to be the “real” Sahara Desert with it’s authentic rustic colored sand dunes and unique flora and fauna. Until recently cell phone coverage was not available in Chigaga and a Sahara journey to the Erg Chegaga Dunes was intended for those who wanted to discover the rocky and desolate areas of the Sahara. Historically speaking, the French and the British were primarily interested in visiting Chegaga however in the past several years that has changed. Americans, Europeans, Asians, Africans and also Moroccans who are interested in an authentic Sahara Desert adventure that takes them deep into the vast Sahara frequent Morocco’s Erg Chigaga Dunes. Centuries ago, the Sahara Desert was covered with water that flowed through and over it. Morocco’s Sahara akin to its rocky piste region of the Onila Valley and Telouet were created by the geologic submergence of water and wind that pressed up against its basalt rock and has today created some of what make up the most magnificent landscape scenery in the Maghreb.
The result of this deluge of water created a Sahara Desert of artifacts found near remains of giraffe, elephant, buffalo, antelopes, rhinoceros, and warthog, as well as the remains of fish, crocodiles, hippopotamuses and other aquatic animals. According to archeologists, the Sahara was much more densely populated thousands of years ago when the desert’s climate was not as harsh as it is today. Fossils, rock art, stone artifacts, bone harpoons, shells and many other items have been found in areas which today are considered too hot and dry to inhabit.
The Sahara is the world’s largest non-arctic desert, and technically the world’s third largest desert. At over 9,000,000 square kilometers it covers most of North Africa, almost equivalent to the size of the United States of America. The Sahara desert stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean.The Sahara has a history that can be traced back to over 3 million years. Erg Chigaga is the only authentic Sahara Desert where the Erg Chigaga dunes lie within a wilderness where the only accommodation is in desert camps. This region is home to the Ait Atta Berber nomads. The Berbers are one of the oldest known inhabitants of the Sahara Desert. They are the people that occupied (and still occupy) more than two thirds of the Sahara’s total surface. The Erg Chigaga Sahara Desert is not built up in the same way as the Merzouga Sahara & ZagoraSahara. Aside from sand dunes and camels, there are only nomad families, wells for water usage, one school, twisted tamarisk trees, apple trees, the Black Sahara (hammada), Iriqui salt flats and Sacred Heart Oasis. Erg Chigagais for the dye hard Sahara Desert Travelers.
3 DAY ERG CHEGAGA (CHIGAGA TOUR) FROM OUARZAZATE
OUARZAZATE – ERG CHEGAGA (CHIGAGA) – M’HAMID SAHARA DESERT
DAY 1: OUARZAZATE – AGDZ – DRAA VALLEY – ZAGORA
►Your Driver will pick you up at your Riad/ Hotel in Ouarzazate at 9:00am to travel to Morocco’s Erg Chegaga Sahara Desert in a 4×4.
►Visit Kasbah des Cigognes which offers a panoramic view of the lake. Continue the road through the Draa Valley, passing Agdz. Once in Agdz continue the road by piste through the Tizi n’Tinififft Pass.
►Have lunch in local restaurant.
►After lunch cross directly through the Draa Valley and witness its incredible volcanic rock, plantations of palmarys and ksours. Arrive in Zagora.
►Diner and Spend the night at a Riad located within the palmary of Zagora.
DAY 2: ZAGORA – TAMAGROUTE – CHEGAGA (CHIGAGA)
►Breakfast at your Riad in Zagora.
▶Visit the old Kasbah Ait Lkaid in the village of Amzrou. At the end of the main road you will find the famous road sign to Timbuktu that reads “52 jours” – 52 hours by camel.
▶Next visit Zagora’s unique, beautifully glazed forest green pottery at the local cooperative in the desert town of Tamagroute. The holy village of Tamegroute’s claim to fame through out history is the beautiful pottery created that has a glaze made of henna and is sun dried.
▶Visit the old Zaouia in Zagora and its underground channels where people live and work.
▶Before taking the road to the Chegaga Sahara Desert, visit heKoranic Library that once held 40,000 volumes and theological college dating from the 11th century. The library contains a collection of illuminated Korans, the oldest of which are written on gazelle skins.
►Take the road to M’hamid. Have lunch in the M’hamid Sahara Desert.
▶ Continue the road by piste to Erg Chegaga then go by dromedary camel trek for 1 hour at sunset into the Erg Chegaga Dunes to camp overnight in a Biouvac tent. Your Tuareg guide will share some of the Sahara Deserts’ secrets. As you glide across humpback on these silent, mystical dunes there will be countless opportunities to photograph the endless rolling dunes.
DAY 3: ERG CHEGAGA (CHIGAGA) – FOUM ZGUID – TAZENACKT – TAZNAKHTE -OUARZAZATE
▶Breakfast in the Erg Chegaga Dunes. Then take the road to Foum Zguid. You will pass deep, desert landscapes, dromedaries along side Nomad families that live in tents.
▶Visit Iriqui, the dry lake and Sahara desert plateau of Akassia. Enjoy lunch at an Oasis.
▶Take the road through Tazenackt, the region that is famous for Berber carpets. Then continue the road back to Ouarzazate This ends your Sahara Tour & Camel Trek to the M’hamid and Erg Chegaga Sahara Dunes in Morocco’s Sahara Desert.
3 DAY ERG CHEGAGA (CHIGAGA TOUR) FROM MARRAKECH
MARRAKECH – ERG CHEGAGA (CHIGAGA) – M’HAMID SAHARA DESERT
DAY 1: MARRAKECH – ZAGORA
►Your Driver will pick you up at your Riad/ Hotel in Marrakech at 9:00am to travel to Morocco’s Erg Chegaga Sahara Desert in a 4×4.
►Departure from Marrakech to M’hamid Sahara Desert.
►En route from Marrakech to Zagora, stop to visit the Argan Cooperativewhere women make Argan Oil, Argan butter and cosmetics. Have a complimentary tasting and sample the products.
►Stop in the Tizin’ Tichka Pass, which boasts breathtaking views of the Tichka region as you continue your journey to the Sahara Desert for tea.
►Arrive in Ouarzazate. Visit the Ait Benhaddou Kasbah. Lunch in Ait Benhaddou at a restaurant with views of the Kasbah.
►Take the road by piste to visit the picturesque village of Aït Benhaddoulocated 32 km from Ouarzazate. Aït Benhaddou is situated in Souss-Massa-Draâ on a hill along the Ouarzazate River. Lawrence of Arabia was filmed here and Orson Welles used it as a location for Sodome and Gomorrah; and for Jesus of Nazareth the whole lower part of the village was rebuilt. In recent years more controlled restoration has been carried out under UNESCO auspices. Aït Benhaddou is one of many locations in this region used for shooting Hollywood films.
►Your guide will lead you on a private tour through this Berber villageof towered and crenulated kasbahs that once guarded the lucrative caravan route through the Atlas Mountains. Explore the kasbahs by foot with the option to ride a donkey across a river.
►Your guide will share the fascinating history of Aït Benhaddou, whichonce served as the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakesh in present-day Morocco. Most of the town’s inhabitants now live in a more modern village at the other side of the river; ten families however still live within the ksar.
►Aït Benhaddou was once a significant stop for traders carrying gold, salt and slaves along the famous Southern Caravan route moving through the Sahara. Only six miles away, is the village of Tamdaght, dominated by the canyon walls of a Glaoui Kasbah. The Kasbah is famous and you will find its towers inhabited by storks. Walk outside the Kasbah’s lush terraced gardens and witness the same desert scenery that used in Gladiatorand Alexander the Great.
►Continue the road through the Draa Valley. Arrive in Zagora.
►Spend the night at a Riad within a Palmary of Zagora.
DAY 2: ZAGORA – TAMAGROUTE – M’HAMID- ERG CHEGAGA (CHIGAGA)
►Breakfast at your riad.
▶Visit the old Kasbah Ait Lkaid in the village of Amzrou. At the end of the main road you will find the famous road sign to Timbuktu that reads “52 jours” – 52 hours by camel.
▶Next visit Zagora’s unique, beautifully glazed forest green pottery at the local cooperative in the desert town of Tamagroute. The holy village of Tamegroute’s claim to fame through out history is the beautiful pottery created that has a glaze made of henna and is sun dried.
▶Visit the old Zaouia in Zagora and its underground channels where people live and work.
▶Before taking the road to the M’hamid Sahara Desert, visit heKoranic Library that once held 40,000 volumes and theological college dating from the 11th century. The library contains a collection of illuminated Korans, the oldest of which are written on gazelle skins.
►Lunch in Zagora, take the road to the M’hamid Sahara Desert. Visit the M’hamid Sahara Dunes then continue the road to Erg Chegaga.
▶ Arrive in Erg Chegaga then go by dromedary camel trek for 1 hour at sunset into the M’hamid Dunes to camp overnight in a Berber Biouvac tent. Your Tuareg guide will share some of the Sahara Deserts’ secrets. As you glide across humpback on these silent, mystical dunes there will be countless opportunities to photograph the endless rolling dunes.
DAY 3: ERG CHEGAGA (CHIGAGA) – FOUM ZGUID – TAZENACKT – MARRAKECH
▶Breakfast in the Erg Chegaga Dunes. Then take the road to Foum Zguid. You will pass deep, desert landscapes, dromedaries and Rocky Mountains.
▶Take the road through Tazenackt, the region that is famous for Berber carpets. Then continue the road by pise to visit Kasbah Telouet and its famous Pacha Glaoui. Kasbah Telouet was once an important stop on the Southern Caravan route for traders carrying spices, slaves and other commodities. Telouet’s Kasbah also known as Dar Glaoui once served as the royal headquarters and residence of the Glaoui tribe. Until Morocco’s independence in 1956, the Glaoui had power in the central Moroccan and French administration.
►Lunch en route.
►Arrive in Marrakech in the early evening. This ends your Sahara Tour & Camel Trek to the M’hamid and Erg Chegaga Sahara Dunes in Morocco’s Sahara Desert.
4 DAY ERG CHEGAGA (CHIGAGA TOUR) FROM MARRAKECH
MARRAKECH – ERG CHEGAGA (CHIGAGA) – M’HAMID SAHARA DESERT
DAY 1: MARRAKECH – ZAGORA
►Your Driver will pick you up at your Riad/ Hotel in Marrakech at 9:00am to travel to Morocco’s Erg Chegaga Sahara Desert in a 4×4.
►Departure from Marrakech to M’hamid Sahara Desert.
►En route from Marrakech to Zagora, stop to visit the Argan Cooperativewhere women make Argan Oil, Argan butter and cosmetics. Have a complimentary tasting and sample the products.
►Stop in the Tizin’ Tichka Pass, which boasts breathtaking views of the Tichka region as you continue your journey to the Sahara Desert for tea.
►Arrive in Ouarzazate. Visit the Ait Benhaddou Kasbah. Lunch in Ait Benhaddou at a restaurant with views of the Kasbah.
►Take the road by piste to visit the picturesque village of Aït Benhaddoulocated 32 km from Ouarzazate. Aït Benhaddou is situated in Souss-Massa-Draâ on a hill along the Ouarzazate River. Lawrence of Arabia was filmed here and Orson Welles used it as a location for Sodome and Gomorrah; and for Jesus of Nazareth the whole lower part of the village was rebuilt. In recent years more controlled restoration has been carried out under UNESCO auspices. Aït Benhaddou is one of many locations in this region used for shooting Hollywood films.
►Your guide will lead you on a private tour through this Berber villageof towered and crenulated kasbahs that once guarded the lucrative caravan route through the Atlas Mountains. Explore the kasbahs by foot with the option to ride a donkey across a river.
►Your guide will share the fascinating history of Aït Benhaddou, whichonce served as the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakesh in present-day Morocco. Most of the town’s inhabitants now live in a more modern village at the other side of the river; ten families however still live within the ksar.
►Aït Benhaddou was once a significant stop for traders carrying gold, salt and slaves along the famous Southern Caravan route moving through the Sahara. Only six miles away, is the village of Tamdaght, dominated by the canyon walls of a Glaoui Kasbah. The Kasbah is famous and you will find its towers inhabited by storks. Walk outside the Kasbah’s lush terraced gardens and witness the same desert scenery that used in Gladiatorand Alexander the Great.
►Continue the road through the Draa Valley. Arrive in Zagora.
►Spend the night at a Riad within a Palmary of Zagora.
DAY 2: ZAGORA – TAMAGROUTE – M’HAMID- ERG CHEGAGA (CHIGAGA)
►Breakfast at your riad.
▶Visit the old Kasbah Ait Lkaid in the village of Amzrou. At the end of the main road you will find the famous road sign to Timbuktu that reads “52 jours” – 52 hours by camel.
▶Next visit Zagora’s unique, beautifully glazed forest green pottery at the local cooperative in the desert town of Tamagroute. The holy village of Tamegroute’s claim to fame through out history is the beautiful pottery created that has a glaze made of henna and is sun dried.
▶Visit the old Zaouia in Zagora and its underground channels where people live and work.
▶Before taking the road to the M’hamid Sahara Desert, visit heKoranic Library that once held 40,000 volumes and theological college dating from the 11th century. The library contains a collection of illuminated Korans, the oldest of which are written on gazelle skins.
►Lunch in Zagora, take the road to the M’hamid Sahara Desert. Visit the M’hamid Sahara Dunes then continue the road to Erg Chegaga.
▶ Arrive in Erg Chegaga then go by dromedary camel trek for 1 hour at sunset into the M’hamid Dunes to camp overnight in a Berber Biouvac tent. Your Tuareg guide will share some of the Sahara Deserts’ secrets. As you glide across humpback on these silent, mystical dunes there will be countless opportunities to photograph the endless rolling dunes.
DAY 3: ERG CHEGAGA (CHIGAGA) – FOUM ZGUID - SKOURA
▶Breakfast in the Erg Chegaga Dunes. Then take the road to Foum Zguid. You will pass deep, desert landscapes, dromedaries and Rocky Mountains.
▶Take the road to Skoura which is known for its Valley of 1000 Kasbahs. Visit Skoura. Dinner & Spend the night at a Guest House that has views of the Skoura Palmary and 1000 Kasbahs.
►Lunch en route.
►Arrive in Marrakech in the early evening. This ends your Sahara Tour & Camel Trek to the M’hamid and Erg Chegaga Sahara Dunes in Morocco’s Sahara Desert.
DAY 4: SKOURA – AIT BENHADDOU – MARRAKECH
►Breakfast at the Guesthouse in Skoura. Visit Ait Benhaddou.
► Located 32 km from Ouarzazate lies the picturesque village. Aït Benhaddouof Aït Benhaddou is situated in Souss-Massa-Draa on a hill along the Ouarzazate River. Lawrence of Arabia was filmed here and Orson Wellesused it as a location for Sodome and Gomorrah; and for Jesus of Nazareththe whole lower part of the village was rebuilt. In recent years more controlled restoration has been carried out under UNESCO auspices. Aït Benhaddou is one of many locations in this region used for shooting Hollywood films.
►Your guide will lead you on a private tour through this Berber village of towered and crenulated Kasbahs that once guarded the lucrative caravan route through the Atlas Mountains. Explore the Kasbahs by foot with the option to ride a donkey across a river
►Make sure to bring along your camera and photograph this spectacular siteand the stunning views that surround this Kasbah and its crenellated towers and dark red pise walls. By the river, you will find observe a collection of Kasbahs whose walls are decorated with blind arches and geometric designs. Make sure to take a walk behind the Kasbah and visit the series of ksars, individual plain earth houses still inhabited by Berber families. Your guide will share the fascinating history of Aït Benhaddou which once served as the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech in present-day Morocco. Most of the town’s inhabitants now live in a more modern village at the other side of the river; ten families however still live within the ksar. Aït Benhaddou was once a significant stop for traders carrying gold, salt and slaves along the famous Southern Caravan route moving through the Sahara.
►For lunch, relax on a terrace with clear views of Aït Benhaddou.
and enjoy a traditional Moroccan tajine. After lunch, browse the village shops then climb back in the comfortable air-conditioned/heated 4×4 and head to the village of Tamadaght.
►Next take the road back to Marrakech, passing the Tiz N Tichka Pass with its impressive High Atlas Mountain views.
►Enroute stop at the Argan Cooperative where you can see women make Argan oil, butter and cosmetic products from the Argan nut. Continue the road and arrive in Marrakech in the early evening. This ends your Travel Exploraiton Morocco Sahara journey.
For more information about Travel and Tours to Morocco plus highlights on Moroccan culture visit Morocco’s Imperial Cities, Seaside Resorts,Sahara Desert, Berber villages, A Taste of Morocco, Magical Kasbahs, Ruins & Waterfalls, Absolute Morocco, The Best of Marrakech, Fes, and Ouarzazate
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