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Erg Chigaga Luxury Camp Tour from Marrakech, 5 Days
On this five-day trip from Marrakech you spend two nights at an Erg Chigaga luxury camp, in the quietest of Morocco’s big dune fields. You stay at a kasbah hotel by Aït Benhaddou on the way out, cross Lake Iriki by 4×4 on the way back and spend a last night near Ouarzazate.
- DURATION
- ROUTE
- TOUR TYPE
- PICKUP
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Erg Chigaga luxury camp tour at a glance
- 5 days / 4 nights
- Marrakech · Aït Benhaddou · Agdz · Zagora · M'hamid · Erg Chigaga · Lake Iriki · Foum Zguid · Ouarzazate · Marrakech
- Private tour
- Riad or hotel pickup
- Best time: October to April
Two nights at a luxury camp in Erg Chigaga
Erg Chigaga is reached by 4×4, about two hours past the end of the road at M’hamid, and only a few camps stand in its dunes. The luxury camps there have large tents with private bathrooms, set well apart.
Over five days the drives stay reasonable, with a full day in the dunes between the two nights at camp. You go in through the Draa Valley and come out across the dry Lake Iriki to Foum Zguid.
Highlights
- A kasbah hotel near Aït Benhaddou
- The Draa Valley palm groves
- Two nights in a luxury tent in Erg Chigaga
- The 4x4 crossing of Lake Iriki
- A night near Ouarzazate on the way back
Read more: Erg Chigaga and Ksar of Aït-Ben-Haddou on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Day-by-day itinerary
How the five days go, from your pickup in Marrakech to the drop-off.
Day 1 · Marrakech to Aït Benhaddou
A late-morning start and the drive over the Tizi n’Tichka pass to Aït Benhaddou, with time to walk up through the ksar before dinner.
- Overnight: Kasbah hotel near Aït Benhaddou
Day 2 · Aït Benhaddou to Erg Chigaga
Through Ouarzazate and Agdz and down the Draa Valley to M’hamid, then by 4×4 to the camp in time for sunset.
- Overnight: Luxury desert camp in Erg Chigaga
Day 3 · A day in Erg Chigaga
A free day for a camel ride, a long walk on the dunes, sandboarding or rest at camp.
- Overnight: Luxury desert camp in Erg Chigaga
Day 4 · Across Lake Iriki to Ouarzazate
Across the dry lake to Foum Zguid, then north through Tazenakht to a kasbah hotel near Ouarzazate.
- Overnight: Kasbah hotel near Ouarzazate
Day 5 · Ouarzazate to Marrakech
Over the High Atlas back to Marrakech, arriving in the afternoon.
What is included and not included
Included
- Private vehicle and driver for the five days, with a 4x4 for the desert tracks
- Pickup and drop-off at your riad or hotel in Marrakech
- One night: kasbah hotel near Aït Benhaddou, dinner and breakfast
- Two nights: luxury desert camp in Erg Chigaga, dinner and breakfast
- One night: kasbah hotel near Ouarzazate, dinner and breakfast
- Camel ride in the dunes
- 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
We pick you up at your riad or hotel in Marrakech at the time you choose. If your riad is in a lane cars cannot enter, the driver waits at the nearest square or gate and someone from the riad walks you there.
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 Erg Chigaga luxury camp tour
Why choose a luxury camp in Erg Chigaga?
The dunes are only reached by 4×4 track, so there are far fewer camps than at Merzouga, and from a good camp you see few or no other tents.
How do we get to the camp?
By 4×4 from M’hamid, about two hours on sand and stone tracks. Your luggage comes with you in the vehicle.
Why Erg Chigaga and not Merzouga?
Erg Chigaga is harder to reach and much quieter, with fewer camps. Merzouga is easier to get to and has more to do around it. Both have good luxury camps.
What is a luxury camp like?
Large tents with proper beds and a private bathroom with a shower. Dinner and breakfast are served at the camp. Tell us if you have a camp in mind and we check availability.
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.
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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