3 days
Three Days to Erg Chegaga: Kasbahs, the Draa and Stars
Three days east to the Sahara: Taroudant, saffron at Taliouine, Ait Benhaddou, the Draa valley, then a camel ride and a night at Erg Chegaga.
- Duration
- 3 days, 2 nights
- Languages
- English / French
- Getting there
- Hotel pickup
- Group size
- Up to 30 people
The experience
About this trip
Erg Chegaga is the real thing: dunes that run for about forty kilometres, far enough from any road that you arrive by camel and leave by 4x4. Three days is the shortest honest way to do it from Agadir.
The first day goes east. Taroudant, with its red walls and markets; Taliouine, where saffron is grown; then Ait Benhaddou, the kasbah that has stood in a hundred films and is on the UNESCO list. You eat there and drive on through Ouarzazate and down the Draa palm valley to Agdz for the night.
Day two is the long desert run: Zagora, the Koranic library and underground kasbah at Tamegroute, lunch at M'Hamid, and then an hour on a camel out to the dunes. There is a welcome drink at the nomad camp, sunset, dinner, and a bed in a tent or out under the sky. Day three comes back through Foum Zguid and Taznakht.
Why this one
Highlights
- Taroudant's red walls and markets on the first morning
- Taliouine, where the saffron comes from
- Ait Benhaddou, the UNESCO kasbah, with lunch nearby
- The Draa palm valley on the way to Agdz
- Tamegroute: a Koranic library and an underground kasbah
- A camel ride into Erg Chegaga, sunset and a night in camp
Your day
How the day runs
Day 1: Agadir to Agdz
East through Taroudant and Taliouine, lunch at Ait Benhaddou, then Ouarzazate and the Draa valley to Agdz.
Day 1: Taroudant
The old walled town, its red ramparts and its markets.
Day 1: Taliouine
Saffron country, then on to the kasbah at Ait Benhaddou.
Day 2: Into the desert
Zagora, then Tamegroute's library and underground kasbah, and lunch at M'Hamid.
Day 2: Erg Chegaga
An hour on a camel out to the dunes, a welcome drink, sunset and dinner in camp.
Day 3: The way back
Breakfast, then Foum Zguid and Taznakht on the road to Agadir.
What is included
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off (Agadir, Taghazout & Tamraght)
- 4x4 transport for all three days with a driver-guide
- Two nights: a hotel in Agdz and the desert camp
- Camel ride into the dunes
- Dinner and breakfast in the desert camp
- Visits to Taroudant, Taliouine, Ait Benhaddou, Tamegroute and Zagora
Not included
- Lunches
- Drinks
- Entry fees where charged
What to bring
- An overnight bag, and a warm layer for the desert at night
- Closed shoes for the camel ride and the dunes
- A scarf for the sand
- Sun cream, sunglasses and a hat
- A torch or a phone with one
- Cash for lunches and entry fees
Know before you go
- Three days and two nights, leaving at 08:00 on day one
- Departures run on set days, so book ahead
- Nights in the desert are cold even when the days are hot
- Lunches are not included
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
How much of this is driving?
A lot of it. The first and third days are mostly road, which is what makes it possible to reach Chegaga at all in three days. The middle day is the desert.
Where do we sleep?
A hotel in Agdz on the first night and the desert camp at Erg Chegaga on the second, either in a tent or out under the sky.
Is the camel ride long?
About an hour out to the dunes, then you have the afternoon and the sunset there.
How cold does it get?
Cold enough to want a fleece. Desert nights drop sharply even after a hot day.
Are meals included?
Dinner and breakfast in the desert camp are included. Lunches are not.
When does it depart?
On set departure days. Check the calendar, since the camp and the hotel are booked in advance.
Ready when you are
Book Three Days to Erg Chegaga: Kasbahs, the Draa and Stars
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