Agadir to Erg Chigaga: 3-Day Private Desert Tour
- Duration
- 3 Days / 2 Nights
- Tour type
- Private Tours
- Tour category
- Desert Tours
- Availability
- To be confirmed by MTT operations.
- Languages
- English
Overview
Out of Agadir through Taliouine, where Morocco's saffron is grown, and Tamagroute, which keeps one of the country's oldest Quranic libraries. The dunes of Erg Chigaga close it.
Tour highlights
- Taliouine, the capital of Moroccan saffron, where a local cooperative opens its doors and you can buy at source
- Tamagroute, where one of Morocco's oldest Quranic libraries keeps 13th-century manuscripts, and the pottery workshop with its green glaze
- The 4x4 leaving the road to cross erg, reg, hammada and oasis ground on the way to Erg Chigaga
- A sunset trek by camel over the Erg Chigaga dunes
- A night at the camp in Erg Chigaga, Moroccan dinner, nomad musicians at the fire and a sky full of stars
- A second ride at sunrise on Day 3, back over the dunes
- M'Hamid, the last of the tarmac and the first of the Sahara
- 90 km of changing desert, taking in the Iriqui salt flat and the old rally track from the Paris-Dakar
- Foum Zguid, where the desert finally releases you, and Taznakht, a name in Berber carpets and rugs
- Lunch at Agdez, then south down the Draa Valley between date palms, kasbahs and Berber villages
- Half board in Zagora, at a hotel with a pool, a garden, air conditioning and ensuite rooms
- Your own air-conditioned Toyota Land Cruiser and an English-speaking driver-guide across the 3 days
- Collection and return at an Agadir hotel or at Al Massira Airport
- the source page had no highlights section, so the list above was assembled from the summary facts, the overview and the itinerary
- No practical-information section: pickup time, what to bring, availability, season and clothing guidance were all absent
- Maximum group size: not published, with prices shown only up to 5 people
Route at a glance
3 Days / 2 Nights · Agadir → Erg Chigaga M'Hamid
- Agadir Starting point
- Draa Valley
- Erg Chigaga M'Hamid
About this tour
Agadir is both the start and the finish of this three-day private run out to Erg Chigaga and its remote dunes. You travel in a Toyota Land Cruiser, and your driver-guide works in English. Day 1 heads east to Taliouine, Morocco's saffron capital, where you can visit a cooperative, then Agdez for lunch and the Draa Valley heading south, ending at a Zagora hotel for the night. Day 2 calls at Tamagroute for its Quranic library and its green-glazed pottery workshop, carries on to M'Hamid where the paved road stops, then leaves the tarmac for Erg Chigaga, a camel trek at sunset and a night at a desert camp. Day 3 opens with a sunrise camel ride and comes home by way of the Iriqui salt flat, then Foum Zguid and the carpet town of Taznakht, putting you back in Agadir by early evening. From 285 EUR per person. That covers the Land Cruiser, your pickup and drop at hotel or airport, dinner and breakfast on each night, and the two camel treks.
Day by day itinerary
Print this itinerary-
Day 01
Day 1 of 3
Agadir - Taliouine - Agdez - Draa Valley - Zagora (6h drive) / Saffron Country, Lunch at Agdez and the Draa Valley to Zagora
Your driver collects you at your Agadir hotel or at the airport and heads east for Taliouine, Morocco's saffron capital, where a local cooperative shows how saffron is grown and processed and you can buy it at source. From there the road runs on to Agdez, where lunch is taken, though it is not included in the price. The afternoon belongs to the Draa Valley, running south between date palms, fortified kasbahs and Berber villages that thin out as the desert draws closer. Zagora comes in the late afternoon: check in at a hotel that has ensuite rooms, air conditioning, a garden and a pool, and dinner is served there. The Night 1 accommodation is listed as a hotel of that standard in Zagora or a comparable riad in the town, dinner and breakfast included in either case.
-
Day 02
Day 2 of 3
Zagora - Tamagroute - M'Hamid - Off-Road - Erg Chigaga - Sunset Camel - Camp (4h drive) / The Tamagroute Library, M'Hamid and a Sunset Ride into the Deep Sahara
Tamagroute is the morning's business, first the Quranic library, one of Morocco's oldest, with manuscripts going back to the 13th century, then the pottery workshop nearby that is known for its green-glazed ceramics. The drive carries on to M'Hamid, the last of the tarmac and the start of the Sahara, and lunch is taken there at your own cost. In the afternoon the Land Cruiser drops off the asphalt and picks a line across erg, reg, hammada and the odd oasis until the Erg Chigaga dunes come into view. In the evening a camel takes you out across the dunes as the sun drops, and the desert camp is where you end up: a Moroccan dinner served in the open, nomads playing round the fire. The Night 2 accommodation is listed as the Erg Chigaga desert camp or its luxury version, with dinner and breakfast included in either case.
-
Day 03
Day 3 of 3
Erg Chigaga - Iriqui Lake - Foum Zguid - Taznakht - Agadir (~7-8h drive) / Sunrise on the Dunes, the Iriqui Salt Flat, Taznakht and Home to Agadir
You are awake before dawn for a camel ride over the Erg Chigaga dunes at sunrise, with breakfast waiting at camp afterwards. The Land Cruiser then covers 90 km of mixed desert, the flat salt pan of Iriqui and the old Paris-Dakar rally track among it, and pulls into Foum Zguid, the first village to appear once the desert releases you. The afternoon runs on to Taznakht, a town with a name for Berber carpets and rugs, and lunch happens there, and then west into Agadir for an early-evening arrival, with drop-off at your hotel or at Al Massira Airport. Day 3 is a long one, about 7 to 8 hours, but the scenery changes constantly, from the lakebed to the Anti-Atlas to the Souss Valley, and there are stops for lunch and photographs.
What's included
Included
- A Toyota Land Cruiser of your own, air-conditioned, and an English-speaking driver-guide for the 3 days
- Picked up and dropped off at your Agadir hotel or at the airport
- Night 1: half board at a hotel in Zagora, ensuite room, air conditioning
- Night 2: the desert camp at Erg Chigaga, a tent to yourselves, bathrooms shared, dinner and breakfast
- Day 2's camel trek at sunset
- Day 3's camel ride at sunrise
- A luxury ensuite camp available as an upgrade, +120 EUR per person
Not included
- Lunches and anything you drink
- Entrance fees at the sites, paid as you go
- Local guides, where you choose to take one, paid on the spot
- Anything you hand the driver-guide as a tip
- Travel insurance, which we advise you to arrange
What to bring
- To be confirmed by MTT operations
Good to know
The luxury ensuite desert camp costs an extra 120 EUR per person, with a tent to yourselves and a hot shower in it. Arrange it at the time of booking
Day 3 is the long one, roughly 7 to 8 hours at the wheel between Erg Chigaga and Agadir, with breaks for lunch and photographs
The camel ride is not compulsory. If you would rather skip it, the 4x4 takes you straight to the camp
Group rates
| Group size | Price per person |
|---|---|
| 1 person | €895 per person |
| 2 people | €525 per person |
| 3 people | €395 per person |
| 4 people | €315 per person |
| 5 people | €285 per person |
Frequently asked questions
Is three days enough to reach Erg Chigaga from Agadir?
Yes. You are collected in Agadir, Erg Chigaga comes on Day 2, and you are back on the evening of Day 3, with Marrakech never entering the picture.
How does this compare with the four-day Agadir to Merzouga trip?
The dunes are different. This one goes to Erg Chigaga, which is remote, reached off-road and largely free of crowds, while our 4-Day Private Desert Loop from Agadir to Merzouga goes to Erg Chebbi at Merzouga, where the dunes are bigger and the traffic heavier.
What is there to see at the Tamagroute library?
One of the oldest Quranic libraries in the country, with manuscripts going back to the 13th century, and a pottery workshop beside it turning out green-glazed ceramics. Both come on the Day 2 morning.
How long is the Day 3 drive back to Agadir?
Around 7 to 8 hours, by way of Iriqui dry lake, then Foum Zguid and Taznakht, broken by lunch and photographs, and Agadir arrives early in the evening.
And the Iriqui dry lake, what is it?
A salt lake that dried out, flat and empty now, lying between Chigaga and Foum Zguid. Water filled it once, and the crossing runs along what was the Paris-Dakar rally route.
Can we upgrade to the luxury camp?
Yes. For 120 EUR more per person you get the luxury ensuite camp, a tent of your own with a hot shower. Say so when you book.
Can you collect me from Agadir airport?
Yes. Al Massira Airport works, and so does any hotel in Agadir.
What if I do not want the camel ride?
Then the 4x4 drives you to the camp instead.
Guest reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to tell others how it went.
Leave a review