Day 1: Marrakech – Agdz

Your majestic Erg Chegaga honeymoon desert trip begins with a morning departure from your riad in Marrakech at 8:30 AM. Along the way, panoramic viewpoints in the High Atlas offer countless photo opportunities. After lunch in Ouarzazate, you’ll visit Kasbah Taourirt in the town center—expanded in the 19th century by the powerful Glaoui family, who dominated the region and symbolized the feudal era of the Lords of the Atlas.

In the afternoon, you’ll drive 90 kilometers across the Tizi-n-Tinfifte pass to the head of the Draâ Valley, where your luxury rural riad awaits. There, you can enjoy a romantic private dinner.

Day 2: Agdez – Erg Chegaga Dunes

After breakfast, take time to visit Kasbah Tamnougalte, the oldest kasbah in the Draâ Valley. Some of it remains inhabited, though the Jewish quarter has been crumbling since its residents left for Israel decades ago.

Just before the police checkpoint in Tansikht, your driver can stop to show you dinosaur footprints right beside the road. Another glimpse into Morocco’s ancient past lies just outside Tinsouline: at Foum Chenna, you’ll find fascinating rock carvings of animals long extinct in Morocco, estimated to be around 4,000 years old.

The Draâ Valley is Morocco’s date basket, growing some 45 different varieties—from green, yellow, and brown to nearly black. Fruit trees and vegetables are the main crops, though henna is also a well‑known product of the region. Agriculture is labor‑intensive due to the extremely dry soil; seguías (small canals) irrigate the fields from the river.

Zagora, the largest town in the area, will be your lunch stop. Later, pass through Tamegroute village to visit the potteries famous for their green glaze—you may have already seen their work in Marrakech’s souks. Here, the ancient Quranic library displays exquisite hand‑written Arabic texts, well worth a visit.

In the afternoon, drive further south to M’hamid, at the edge of the desert. From there, continue to the Erg Chegaga dunes, crossing about 60 kilometers of desert. The silence and the sheer expanse of the dunes are breathtaking and unique. You’ll be greeted in traditional style with a relaxing glass of mint tea, biscuits, and peanuts. A camel ride leads you to the summit of the dunes to watch the spectacular sunset.

Dinner and the night are spent in a luxury camp, where each tent features its own private bathroom, king‑sized beds, and lovely traditional Moroccan furniture.

Day 3: Erg Chegaga Dunes – Full Day Trekking

After breakfast, embark on a full day’s trekking across the magnificent Sahara Desert. You’ll take the camels—and depending on your preference, you can ride them or simply walk beside them. The camels will carry everything you need for a lunch in the dunes.

You’ll be accompanied by local guides and camel men, who will point out the varying desert landscapes: hammada (stony desert), erg (dunes), and oases, while sharing insights into nomadic family life.

Walking time is approximately five hours—two and a half in the morning and the same in the afternoon. Of course, the pace and length of each trek can be adjusted to your preferences, allowing you to stop whenever you wish.

Dinner and the night are back in your luxury camp, with its private bathrooms, king‑sized beds, and traditional Moroccan furnishings.

Note: Weather conditions and temperatures in southern Morocco are rarely stable. If it becomes too hot (from May through September), we may advise against trekking in the dunes. Alternative options elsewhere can be discussed.

Day 4: Chegaga Dunes – Ouarzazate

After breakfast, the road takes you west through another 90 kilometers of desert with ever‑changing scenery: Lake Iriqui, where you are likely to see an expansive mirage due to the heat; distant mountains; and fossils, which you can easily search for if you wish.

Lunch will be in Foum Zguid, the first village after the desert. “Foum” means “mouth,” so the name translates as “the mouth/source of the Zguid River.”

From here, the drive continues north along paved roads, past amazing rock formations, to the small town of Taznakht, famous for its Berber carpets and rugs. Here, you can observe women weaving and knotting these traditional works of art—skills passed down from their mothers and grandmothers.

Once back in Ouarzazate, you spend the night in a riad.

Day 5: Ouarzazate – Marrakech

After breakfast, depart in the morning for Kasbah Aït Ben Haddou—the backdrop to many Hollywood blockbusters, including Kingdom of Heaven and Gladiator, and now one of Morocco’s nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is the most famous kasbah in Morocco and one of the most visited spots in the entire country.

You’ll continue up the Ounila Valley, where green fields and gardens run parallel to the river below. Crops of olives, almonds, fruit trees, a few vegetables, and wheat are the mainstay for mostly self‑sufficient families.

This stunning road leads to Kasbah Telouet, set right in the midst of the mountains. It was once the seat of the last Pasha of Marrakech, Thami El Glaoui. Two of the three main buildings now lie in ruins, exposed to the elements, as the entire kasbah was completely abandoned following the departure of the French in 1956.

Unfortunately, the whole kasbah is now closed due to damage caused by the earthquake that struck Morocco in September 2023. Nevertheless, it is still worth visiting the exterior with a local guide to discover its rich history.

From here, the highest pass in Africa—Tizi‑n‑Tichka—was controlled, and the entire region dominated. The Glaoui’s wealth came in part from the salt mines just outside the village. Each addition to the kasbah now stands in ruins, exposed to wind and rain, abandoned and plundered after Glaoui’s property was confiscated in 1956 as punishment for his role in plotting to send the King into exile.

At the end of the afternoon, you arrive back in Marrakech, marking the end of your honeymoon itinerary in the Erg Chegaga desert.