# Marrakech To Essaouira Morocco Desert Tour

Five days via the Erg Chigaga dunes to the coast at Essaouira.

- Length: 5 days
- Route: Marrakech, round trip
- Private tour with your own driver

## Price per person

| Group | Price |
|---|---|
| 1-2 people | €520 |
| 3-4 people | €468 |
| 5-6 people | €442 |
| 7+ people | €426 |

Prices are per person. A solo traveller pays the 2-person price. A 30% deposit confirms the booking; children count as full travellers. Book: https://privatedeserttours.com/book-now/?packid=561

## Highlights

- The Tizi n'Tichka pass over the High Atlas
- The Telouet kasbah
- The kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou
- The Erg Chigaga dunes
- Essaouira on the Atlantic coast
- Camel ride in the dunes

## Itinerary

### Day 1 · Marrakech to Ouarzazate, 200 KM | 4–5 Hours Drive

Morning departure at 8 o’clock from your hotel or riad in Marrakesh to cross the High Atlas Mountains. After the Tichka pass, you leave the main road and take a side road to the Telouet Kasbah, which belonged to the Lords of the Atlas, the Glaoui family, and which now stands in ruins after the last Pasha fled the country following the departure of the French. From there you continue for lunch at Ait Ben Haddou along the newly asphalted connecting road. This is the most famous Kasbah in Morocco and is a UNESCO World Heritage site, which we visit after lunch. Later we continue as far as Ouarzazate to spend the night in a riad there.

Overnight: Hotel or riad in Ouarzazate

### Day 2 · Ouarzazate to Erg Chigaga, 260 KM | 6 Hours Drive

After breakfast the route continues to the Dra'a Valley with a stop to visit Kasbah Tamnougalte, the oldest Kasbah in the Dra'a Valley, and still partly inhabited. We continue by taking the ancient caravan road between the river and the mountains. On the way, we pass many villages and gardens so that you can gain a better idea of the way of life along the oases. We drive to M’hamid, the gate to the desert, to the dunes of Erg Lihoudi, where we stop for lunch. Here a two-hour camel ride is scheduled. Later we continue to the Erg Chagaga dunes (300m) with 60km of off-road driving. This route passes different features of the desert; ‘erg’, ‘reg’, ‘hammada’, oases. These dunes are far away from civilization, in the desert proper and the silence and the expanse of the sand are immense. Dinner and a night's sleep are in a bivouac of nomad tents.

Overnight: Desert camp at Erg Chigaga

### Day 3 · Erg Chigaga to Taroudant, 380 KM | 7 Hours Drive

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, we can search for fossils. 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 road takes us on to Taroudant, where we stop for the night in a riad.

Overnight: Hotel or riad in Taroudant

### Day 4 · Taroudant to Essaouira, 250 KM | 4 Hours Drive

In the morning there is a visit to the town known as “the little Marrakesh”. It is spectacular for its massive ramparts and beautiful medina. From here you travel along the Souss river valley with all its argane groves as far as Agadir. The road then travels up the coast along the Paradise Valley, driving through Taghazout and through the mountains. On arriving in Essaouira, you can explore the town, the Skala, the medina and all its innumerable shops as well as the sea front with its fresh fish restaurants. The night is spent in Essaouira.

Overnight: Hotel or riad in Essaouira

### Day 5 · Essaouira to Marrakech, 190 KM | 2.5–3 Hours Drive

After breakfast you can continue to wander round Essaouira, getting to know it better, perhaps enjoying more of the fresh fish. Return to Marrakesh, stopping in a forest of argane trees and the co-operative of argane oil producers. We pass many Berber villages on the way.

## Included

- Private Transportation aboard a comfortable and air-conditioned 4x4 vehicle
- Pick up from your Hotel/Riad in Marrakech (or from the airport)
- Drop off at your Hotel/Riad in Essaouira
- English-speaking Berber nomad driver
- Fuel for the entire Chigaga travel desert package
- All nights accommodations
- Camel trekking in Erg Chigaga dunes
- Berber music at night around the fire under the stars in Erg Chigaga desert camp
- Free stops when you want

## Not included

- Lunches
- Drinks
- Tips
- Extra

## FAQ

### Is this a private tour or a group tour?

It is a private tour. Only your own party travels in the vehicle with your driver-guide, there are no fixed departure dates, and no other travelers join along the way. Every tour on this site runs this way.

### How long is this tour, and where does it start and end?

It takes 5 days. Pickup on day 1 is at your hotel, riad or the airport in Marrakech. On the last day you are dropped back at your hotel or the airport in Marrakech. Our driver meets you at the pickup point between the departure time and 30 minutes after it.

### How much does this tour cost?

The price is per person and depends on the size of your group: EUR 520 for 1 or 2 people, EUR 468 for 3 or 4, EUR 442 for 5 or 6, and EUR 426 for 7 or more. A solo traveller pays the 2-person price and children count as full travellers. A 30% deposit confirms the booking; send us your dates and we confirm within 24 hours.

### What is the cancellation policy?

Cancel more than 50 days before the departure date and you get a full refund. Cancellations less than 50 days before departure, and no-shows, are not refunded. Tickets for events or attractions and airport transfers are non-refundable. The full booking terms are on our Terms and Conditions page.

### How fit do I need to be for this tour?

Most days are spent in a private vehicle, with stops for short walks in kasbahs, gorges and villages. The camel ride to the desert camp takes about one to two hours; if you would rather not ride, tell us when booking. Tell us about any mobility, dietary or medical needs in writing before you confirm and we plan the days around them.

### Can the itinerary be changed?

Yes. The day-by-day plan on this page is a starting point. You can add a night, swap a stop, change the pace or combine it with another route; we confirm the changes and the price in writing before you book.

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Private Desert Tours · Rue la Marche Vert, Mhamid 47402, Morocco · Phone and WhatsApp +212667897512 · https://privatedeserttours.com/contact-us/