6 Day Silence and Stars in the Unexplored Sahara Private Tour

4.0 (1 reviews) Marrakech, Morocco
Duration6 days
Instant confirmationYour booking is confirmed right away
TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted
LanguagesEnglish
Private tourOnly your group will participate
Pickup offeredSee the meeting and pickup details below

Overview

We are Ella and Omar - from the UK and Morocco - and together we run unique tours around Morocco! Itran Travel is family run business born out of our love for Morocco and a desire to share this beautiful country with travelers looking to discover the real Morocco.

This trip will take you to the Sahara that you have not seen before, away from the touristic routes and camps, to explore parts of the desert where the nomadic way of life remains largely unchanged.

The highlight of the trip will be spending the night under the stars in a completely secluded spot, away from any camp or tourist areas, where you will enjoy a candlelit dinner and the silence of the desert.

You will be accompanied by a guide who grew up in a semi nomadic family herding animals across this region of the desert, who will share with you stories of this way of life.

What's included

  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Breakfast
  • Lunches (apart from the desert picnic) - purchased locally for around 100 dirhams per person per day

What to expect

Day 1: Marrakech – Tizi n Tichka – Skoura - Dades Gorges
  1. Tizi n Tichka
    1h
    Departing from Marrakech, we will travel over the stunning Tizi n'Tichka pass through the Ounila Valley, dotted with ancient villages and kasbahs
  2. Ait Ben Haddou
    2h
    Then, we will continue south to the ksar (fortified village) of Ait Ben Haddou where we will visit the famous Kasbah (declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986). Famous films have been shot in this spectacular set, including Gladiator and Game of Thrones. There will be free time for lunch in town.
  3. Valley of the Roses
    Pass by
    After lunch, we will continue to Ouarzazate, also known as “The Gate of the Desert.” Here, we will see the Taourirt kasbah, one of the most spectacular ksars in Morocco. The next site on our itinerary will be the Rose Valley as we drive through the big Skoura palm grove, a beautiful place with more than 700.000 palms and numerous kasbahs that are built in the surrounding area. In this Valley damascenes roses are raised for cosmetic use, such as rosewater. The Rose Festival is held here annually in May.
  4. Dades Gorges
    2h
    Finally, we will reach the Dades valley where we´ll spend the night. Your hotel has spectacular views of the valley and a panoramic swimming pool.
Day 2: Dadés Valley - Todra Gorges - Merzouga Dunes - Camel ride and night in a nomad tent
  1. Dades Gorges
    Pass by
    After breakfast we will enjoy one of the most beautiful views of the Dades Valley from a strategic lookout in the mountains. From there you can see a great number of kasbahs. A good asphalt road will take us up the valley from the city of Tinerhir and then to the desert.
  2. Todra Gorge
    1h
    After some stops along the way, we´ll reach the Todra Gorge where the scenery is spectacular. Thanks to its rocky sides with many uneven surfaces, these gorges are popular among rock climbers. Local people live in the area and we will see their adobe villages.
  3. Tinejdad
    1h
    After a short walk in the Todra Gorge, you'll have free time for lunch in Tinejdad and then we will continue our way to the desert to reach the spectacular dunes of Merzouga.
  4. Merzouga
    2h
    We´ll take a camel ride lasting around an one hour to our nomad camp located in the middle of a sea of dunes (Erg Chebbi). Before dinner we´ll see the sunset at the top of a dune and then you will sleep in a tent under a beautiful starry sky.
Day 3: Merzouga – Khamlia – Ramlia – Tafrouate Sidi Ali
  1. Merzouga
    1h
    To get the most out of your desert experience, we recommend you wake up early in the morning to watch the splendid sunrise over the Sahara dunes. After breakfast in your camp, we will head out into the heart of the desert.
  2. Ramlia
    3h
    We will stop in Ramlia, a sleepy desert village and the end of the tourist trail. Along our way today your guide will stop to share with you his local knowledge of the desert, from edible desert plants and tree sap, to the signs left behind by desert creatures moving at night.
  3. Tafraoute Sidi Ali
    2h
    You will spend the evening in a desert auberge with outdoor swimming pool. You have the option to enjoy a private hammam (optional additional cost) before dinner in the peace of the desert.
Day 4: Wild desert day: Sidi Ali – Mharch Oasis
  1. Tafraoute Sidi Ali
    2h
    Today we have a full day in the desert, where we will explore and discover more about the life of nomadic families still living in this area. We will take a picnic lunch before continuing our exploration of the surrounding settlements.
  2. 3h
    In the evening, we have a very special experience planned for you. You will spend the night in the sand in an authentic nomad tent tent surrounded by nothing but the desert. Unlike other locations, there are no other tents – this is a truly authentic desert experience.

    This is not a permanent camp and instead it is a temporary camp set up by local nomads for our guests. You will learn to cook tagine over a wood fire, and cook bread under the sand using hot embers like nomads.

    ou will enjoy a candlelit dinner in a secluded spot, before spending the rest of the evening relaxing under the stars and soaking up the silence of the desert.
Day 5: Mharch – Tamegroute - Tizgui Pools - Agdz
  1. 1h
    After waking up to catch the splendid sunrise over the Sahara dunes, we will head to Agdz off road via the famous moto-rally road connecting Paris to Dakar.
  2. Travel Tamegroute
    1h · Admission ticket included
    We will stop visit Tamegroute pottery, which has been making gorgeous traditional green ceramics since the 17th century in exactly the same way.
  3. Agdz
    2h
    In the afternoon we will arrive to Agdz. With endless palm groves and beautiful earthen clay architecture, the fortified ksour village of Agdz is located on the old caravan route connecting Marrakech to Timbuktu and played an important role for merchants carrying goods across the Sahara.

    We will spend the evening in a beautiful lodge nestled in the palm groves, where you will enjoy dinner.
Day 6: Agdz - Ighrem n’Ougdal - Marrakech
  1. Ouarzazate
    1h
    On our final day, we will make our way back to Marrakech through the stunning mountains.

    You have the option to stop in Ouarzazate if you would like to visit the cinema studio, or do some final shopping in the sleepy old medina.
  2. High Atlas Mountains
    1h
    We will stop for a late lunch in Ighrem n’Ougdal, a spot high up in the mountains with stunning panoramic views.
  3. Marrakech
    Pass by
    Your trip will end in Marrakech late afternoon/early evening, where we will drop you to a spot of your choice.

Meeting and pickup

Pickup details

We will pick you up from your riad, hotel or chosen location in Marrakech

Additional information

  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation policy

If you cancel at least 3 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.<br>If you cancel within 3 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.

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