Erg Chigaga Sahara Desert Tour & Legzira Wild Beach – 9 Days

This unique Sahara Desert tour covers a large stretch of Morocco, taking in the High Atlas Mountains, the Erg Chigaga Desert, and the Atlantic coast. You’ll cross the magical Draa Valley, sleep under a million stars in the Erg Chigaga desert, and end this tailor-made Morocco tour at one of the country’s most beautiful beaches: Legzira.

Day 1:  Marrakech

Meet up at the airport in Marrakech and drop off at the riad. Freshen up and rest. Go out and visit Marrakech on your own. A special welcoming Dinner at the riad/hotel, followed by a local spectacle.

Day 2: Marrakech – Visit to the City

Your private English-speaking guide will uncover Marrakech and its treasures for you. He will pick you up at 9 AM at your riad. It is inspired to start with the Bahia Palace and nearby, the ruins of the Badi’a, guarded by the storks. Next door, the imposing marble columns of the golden dynasty, the Saadis, adorn the mausoleums. The small yet richly decorated Douiria is a fine example of crafts and architecture from two centuries ago. Across the souks, the Medersa Ben Youssef Koranic school will awe you with its intricate stucco engravings as well as the Qoubba Almoravide, the oldest still-standing structure in the city. Accommodation as per the previous night. Dinner on your own.

Day 3: Marrakech – Ait ben haddou – Ouarzazate – Zagora

After breakfast, leave Marrakech behind to take on the Atlas Mountains and their dense forests through one of the most winding and dramatic routes in Morocco. Reach the Tizi n Tichka pass at 2200 meters high to enter the Great South. Stop and visit the UNESCO World Site Ait Benhaddou to later skirt through Ouarzazate and then cross the gorges and reach 1700 meters high, from where the panorama of the legendary Draa Valley unfolds.
Outside Agdz, it is worth visiting the Black people’s village and the ksar of Tamnougalt. Before Zagora, a dusty off-road will take you to local prehistoric rock engravings of Foum Chenna. Reach Zagora early evening. Dinner and accommodation at a beautiful Kasbah at the heart of the Draa Valley

Day 4: Zagora – M’hamid – Erg Chigaga

After breakfast, discover the nearby village of Amezrou and its Jewish heritage – the old adobe synagogue and the silver jewelry craft. Further on, the stoves of Tamegroute cast the emerald glaze so easily identified on mosque tiles, dishes, and pots across Morocco. The nearby Nassiria library holds a 10th-century-old gold-engraved Koran and various treaties on astronomy, medicine, and Arab poetry, among other gems. Before leaving the tarmac behind and taking on the Sahara, we recommend visiting a traditional ksour and having lunch with a local family. From Mhamid, across various types of desert, you will reach the dunes of Erg Chigaga, the last bit by camel. Dinner and accommodation in the luxury tents with an ensuite shower and toilets.

Day 5: Erg Chigaga Desert

Today is a day full of off-roading in the Sahara Desert. Leave the camp after breakfast and then drive to explore the tallest dunes and the different terrains of the Sahara desert. Lunch is included today, and it will be planned in a beautiful shady oasis in the middle of the Sahara. In the early evening, trade the 4WDs for camels and ride them to the top of the dunes for a magical sunset. Dinner and fireside music. Overnight at the Sahara desert camp once more.

Day 6 : Erg chigaga – Foum-zuid – Tazenakht – Taroudant

Wake up to admire the sunrise and stroll around the dunes. Later on, you will take on the hamada ( rocky desert ) and cross the dry lake Iriki. Have tea with the nomads, pry out fossils, and later join the tarmac again at Foum Zguid. Have a tasty lunch by the pool at Bab Rimal or opt for the more formal choice of a kefta in the village. Take the route west and soon reach the village of Tazenakht, very famous for its huge selection of Berber rugs and it’s the destination of merchants who sell rugs in other Moroccan cities. Reach Taroudant at the end of the afternoon. Dinner and accommodation in a beautiful hotel in the palm grove.

Day 7 : Taroudant – Agadir – Massa park – Mirleft – Legzira

After breakfast, have a caleche ride around the city walls and/ or browse the souks for the best argan oil or honey in Morocco. Or, arrive rather early in Legzira to make the best out of your time there. Discover the stunning Spanish architecture in Sidi Ifni, the silver work craftsmen in Tiznit, and enjoy the overall relaxed ambiance of this amazing beach. You don’t have to plan anything ahead, but rather decide on the day. Follow the Atlantic coast all the way to Massa National Park to see some of the rare birds like the Bald Ibis, and have a picnic lunch at the park. Admire the goats up in the trees as you approach Legzira. Dinner and accommodation at A beautiful Hotel by the beach.

Day 8 : Legzira – Sidi ifni – Legzira

After breakfast, have a walk on the beach of Legzira, famous for its huge red-orange colored arches carved by the ocean in coastal cliffs. The place is still not particularly known to the general public, but well-known among surfers and paragliders. Picnic at the beach or a café, then later in the afternoon, take some time to visit Sidi Ifni, which is a little coastal town with an interesting history and eclectic Moorish Art Deco architecture. It was the last Moroccan city surrendered by Spain in 1969. It was called Santa Cruz de la Mar Pequeña and was kept under Spanish control even after Moroccan independence in 1956. Spain resisted a series of Moroccan attacks to take the territory in the Ifni War of 1957–58. It eventually ended in 1969. There is no special tourist infrastructure here, but you can walk in the old Spanish Town. Dinner and accommodation as on the previous night

Day 9 : Legzira – Tiznit – Agadir – Marrakech

Leave Legzira early to have an early arrival back to Marrakech to make the best out of your time there. We will be taking one of the most picturesque mountain routes in the country, going north over Tizi n’Test ( elevation of 2092 m) in the High Atlas mountains to Marrakech. Dinner and accommodation at a charming riad in the Medina. The next day, and depending on what time your flight is, the driver will be there to take you from your accommodation to the airport. You should be there at least two hours before your flight. End of your private Sahara desert tour.