Casablanca to Marrakech Tour with Erg Chigaga, 6 Days
This Casablanca to Marrakech tour goes on past Marrakech to the Erg Chigaga dunes and returns to Casablanca in six days. You spend a night in a Marrakech riad at each end, drive down the Draa Valley and stay two nights in the dunes with time for camel rides and sandboarding.
- DURATION
- ROUTE
- TOUR TYPE
- PICKUP
- PRICE
Casablanca to Marrakech tour at a glance
- 6 days / 5 nights
- Casablanca · Marrakech · Aït Benhaddou · Ouarzazate · Zagora · M'hamid · Erg Chigaga · Foum Zguid · Marrakech · Casablanca
- Private tour
- Riad or hotel pickup
- Best time: October to April
Casablanca to Erg Chigaga via Marrakech
A night in Marrakech on the way out and another on the way back break up the long road from Casablanca, and give you time in the medina as well as the dunes.
In Erg Chigaga you have two nights and a full day for camel rides, sandboarding or walking in the high dunes. You leave the desert across the dry bed of Lake Iriki to Foum Zguid.
Highlights
- A night in Marrakech at each end
- Aït Benhaddou and the Draa Valley
- Two nights in the Erg Chigaga dunes
- Camel rides and sandboarding
- The crossing of Lake Iriki
Read more: Medina of Marrakesh, a UNESCO World Heritage site and Erg Chigaga.
Day-by-day itinerary
How the six days go, from your pickup in Casablanca to the drop-off.
Day 1 · Casablanca to Marrakech
Pickup in Casablanca and the drive to Marrakech, with the evening in the medina.
- Overnight: Riad in Marrakech
Day 2 · Marrakech to Ouarzazate
Over the High Atlas to Aït Benhaddou and Ouarzazate.
- Overnight: Hotel in Ouarzazate
Day 3 · Ouarzazate to Erg Chigaga
Down the Draa Valley through Agdz and Zagora to M’hamid, then by 4×4 into the dunes.
- Overnight: Desert camp in Erg Chigaga
Day 4 · A day in Erg Chigaga
Camel rides, sandboarding or a walk in the high dunes.
- Overnight: Desert camp in Erg Chigaga
Day 5 · Erg Chigaga to Marrakech
Across Lake Iriki to Foum Zguid and back over the High Atlas to Marrakech.
- Overnight: Riad in Marrakech
Day 6 · Marrakech to Casablanca
The drive back to Casablanca or the airport, about three hours.
What is included and not included
Included
- Private vehicle and driver for the six days, with a 4x4 for the desert tracks
- Pickup and drop-off at your riad or hotel in Casablanca
- Two nights: riad in Marrakech, dinner and breakfast
- One night: hotel in Ouarzazate, dinner and breakfast
- Two nights: desert camp in Erg Chigaga, dinner and breakfast
- Camel ride in the dunes
- Sandboards at the camp
- Fuel and road costs
Not included
- Lunches and drinks
- Entrance fees and local guides at the sites
- Tips
- Travel insurance
Pickup, best time to go and what to bring
Pickup points
Pickup at your hotel in Casablanca or at Mohammed V airport; tell us your flight time.
Best time to go
October to April is the most comfortable time. Days are warm and nights cool, and in December and January the desert can drop close to freezing at night. From June to August the afternoons are very hot, so we start early and rest in the middle of the day.
What to bring
Layers, with a warm jacket for the desert night from November to March; a hat, sunglasses and sun cream; a scarf against wind and sand; shoes you can walk in on sand; a head torch; a small bag for the camp night, since your main luggage stays in the vehicle; cash in dirhams for drinks and tips; a power bank.
Good to know
Carry cash in dirhams: camps and small villages rarely take cards, and the last cash machines are in towns such as Ouarzazate, Zagora and Erfoud. Phone signal is often weak in the dunes. Camps have toilets and showers, shared at standard camps and private at luxury ones. Keep cameras and phones in a bag when the wind lifts the sand, and ask before you photograph people in the villages. Your main luggage stays locked in the vehicle overnight.
Price, deposit and cancellation
Prices are per person and depend on the size of your group. You book with a 20% deposit by card or PayPal and pay the balance on the first day of the tour.
If you cancel 30 days or more before the start, we refund the deposit in full; after that the deposit is kept. You can change the date once for free if you ask 14 days or more before. The details are in our Cancellation Policy.
Questions about the Casablanca to Marrakech tour
How far is Marrakech from Casablanca?
About 240 km, two and a half to three hours on the motorway.
Can the tour end in Marrakech?
Yes. If you fly home from Marrakech, we finish the tour there.
What is the desert camp like?
You sleep in a tent at a camp in the dunes, with dinner and breakfast. Camps range from simple to comfortable tents with a private bathroom; tell us the level you want and we suggest camps that fit.
Can we change the route or the hotels?
Yes. We can add nights, change hotels or swap the order of the stops, since only your group is on the tour. Tell us what you have in mind when you enquire.
Can we bring children?
Yes. Tell us how old they are and we plan the driving, the stops and the pace around them.
How do I book?
Send an enquiry with your dates and group size and we reply with availability and a quote. When online booking is open for this tour, you can also reserve with a deposit by card or PayPal.
Book this tour
Send your dates and group size and we reply with a quote.
- Private tour, only your group
- Free enquiry, no obligation
- Private tour, only your group
- Free enquiry, no obligation
- Route and stays adjusted to you
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