Morocco Sahara Desert Adventure
Let us take you on a spectacular journey from Marrakech to the Sahara desert, over Africa´s highest mountain range the Atlas Mountains, through ancient valleys and dramatic gorges. Camping in the Sahara desert with Touareg Nomads, you will trek on Camels, discover deep canyons and a truly spectacular changing landscape as mountains give way to tundra then to desert.
Your guide exclusive to Xtreme Gap is a highly skilled Berber guide, fluent in English, Arabic, Berber, French and Spanish. He will give you a spectacular insite in to the lives of dessert dwelling Nomadic tribes and will help you navigate your way on a camel, through the dessert to your dessert oasis camp, located at the foot of spectacular sand dunes.
You will spend the night dining on Tagine, with a million stars overhead, with the peace and solitude of the desert mesmerising your senses.
Small Groups, big adventure
Keeping our groups small (maximum of 6) we can give you an intimate Moroccan Sahara experience, and an unforgettable adventure into the worlds largest desert.
Starting in Marrakech you will begin your journey in absolute luxury, staying in one of Marrakech´s finest Boutique Riads, located in the heart of the ancient Medina. You will be surrounded by a maze of small alley ways, and crazy sights unchanged for centuries. The perfect place to hunt for bargains in the Souks, your Riad will be your base to explore the city, allowing enough time to soak up the atmosphere before being taken on an adventure of a life time, to check out the dessert and explore Moroccos largest desert dunes.
Enroute to the Desert
The journey will be nothing short of spectacular, Morocco is a land of extreme landscapes, and you will see much of it during the trip.
As you leave Marrakech behind, you will see the imposing high atlas mountain range come into view. With the highest peak in North Africa located along the chain, the dramatic change in altitude delivers stunning views as you wind up the steep Atlas mountain roads, and cross several passes (peaking at 2260m) heading south to the Sahara.
Why choose this trip
- Small groups, more attention to detail.
- Exclusive Multi lingual Berber guide
- Exceptionally high standard of accommodation in Marrakech.
- We will take you to the most impressive sites in enroute, with flexibility built in to the itinerary to allow for detours and private requests.
Accommodation
An incredibly luxurious Riad (Riad Les Ammonites or of equivalent standard) will be your home from home in Marrakech, delivering an authentic Moroccan feel, yet maintaining a real air of exclusivity. No dirty backpacker hostels here (of which there are many in Marrakech).
Accommodation is based on twin share, with upgrade available to single person supplement available
Enroute we stay a simple and authentic Berber hostel, set in the Toudra Gourge, by a beautiful flowing river, cutting a deep canyon through the land scape. In the Sahara dessert, you will stay in a Nomadic tent, or sleep under the stars for a truly unforgettable Sahara desert experience.
Getting there & when to go
Most low cost airlines service Marrakech, with some excellent cheap flights to be had, enabling you to make this a long weekend away from the UK.
Check EasyJet and Ryan air.
Included
- Airport pickup
- Two nights in a luxury Riad in Marrakech
- Collection and services of a multi lingual berber tour guide
- 4 breakfasts and 2 dinners
- 4 nights Accommodation
- All Transport by 4x4 and Camel
- All bedding will be provided
Excluded
- Flights
- Lunches (paid locally at excellent value)
- Airport drop off (this can be arranged on request)
- Insurance
- Tips
Price and Dates
- Start dates: First Friday of the month if you wish to join a group, or you can arrange a private departure date to suit (minimum 3 people).
- We advise against travel in August due to excessive heat
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Itinerary
5 days 4 nights:
Sahara desert Adventure.
Begins / Ends: Marrakech
Day 1 Friday
Arrive into Marrakech where you will be met at the airport and transferred to Riad Les Ammonites (or equivalent). Depending upon what time you arrive you can relax in the Riad and enjoy the sensational roof top terrace or Jaccuzzi pool in the inner atrium, have a massage in the massage suite, or venture out into Marrakech to explore the souks. Dinner will be served at the Riad enabling you to meet the others in the group.
Stay the night in the Riad and awake for breakfast and departure on Saturday.
Day 2 Saturday
At 7.30 your guide will arrive at the Riad, and introduce himself over breakfast. You will depart Marrakech at 08:00hrs in a modern 4x4 and hit the road. We will start our ascent over the High Atlas mountains, taking in incredible views of the surrounding countryside below, as impressive lush valleys stretch out as far as the eye can see. With plenty of stops to take pictures and soak up the scenery we will progress to Ait Benhadou, one of the most picturesque and famous Kasbahs in Morocco. Situated by a lush green Oasis in a barren landscape, Ait Benhadou has been the setting for many different films. This journey takes approx two and a half hours.
After a break, you will continue to Ouarzazate (approx 1 hour) for lunch in a typical Moroccan restaurant. (own expense)
The Afternoon sees us head to the The Dades Valley, an impressive valley with pretty unusal rock formations (know as the monkeys fingers) and exceptional views all around.
The evening will be spent at your leisure once checked into our guesthouse. Rooms are ensuite and an evening meal and breakfast are included.
The next morning we continue along the Dades valley, visiting Dades Gorge, Todra, Todra Gorge and notice the topography change giving us our first indication of what is to come. Making our way eventually to Merzouga, where the Sahara desert comes into view. Impressive 200 metre sand dunes loom in the distance and get slowly bigger as we reach our Toureg outpost in Merzouga.
In Merzouga we explore the village and meet our Camels who will take us for one and a half hours into the Dunes to reach our desert camp at Erg Chebbi.
You will ride your own Camel and additional Camels are provided to carry your luggage as nessassary.
The Camel trek is usually before the sun goes down, affording amazing views over the dunes, as the shifting sands blaze orange while a big red and gold sun sinks into them.
Upon reaching our desert oasis camp we will settle in and enjoy seeing the night wash over the desert. Sitting round the campfire you will enjoy a hot Tagine and a spectacular view of the stars with no light pollution all around.
Those that wish to can sleep directly under the stars, but there are Nomad tents for everyone.
Day 3 Sunday
You will awake at sunrise to see spectacular coloured sands all around. If you are feeling energetic we recommend you climb up the dunes, to view the camp and desert from above. You will be rewarded by magnificent view across the landscape to the border of Algeria. Two hours of camel trekking follow to explore the area further and we head back to Merzouga.
When we reach Merzouga, we have the opportunity to wash and then we begin our journey through to Zagora and the Draa valley and over the Atlas mountains, with plenty of stops for photos, exploring and lunch, to Marrakech.
We usually return to Marrakech, arriving at around 18:30hrs.
You will be delivered back to the Riad for a final night and well deserved pampering and good nights sleep.
Day 4 Monday Tour Ends
For those wishing to go trekking in the Atlas mountains, or go Kite surfing in Essouira we can arrange your itinerary to be extended as appropriate. If you wish to spend longer in Marrakesh and book extra nights accommodation this also possible.
Map
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