Camel trekking (Méharrées) - 6 days

Moroccan Camel treks offer a unique way to travel the south as you explore nomadic villages and Kasbahs situated in palm groves, surrounding valleys, mountainous landscapes, gorges and sandy Saharan dunes. The charm of camel trekking is that it will help you to gain insight into how Moroccans traveled through the desert for decades and centuries before.

The best time to trek is October to May. 

Day 1: Marrakech - Ouarzazate - Zagora - Faija.

We leave Marrakech early in the morning via the spectacular Tizi n'Tichka-pass (2260m above sea level). The beautiful mountain road with unforgettable sceneries is the highest road in the country. We continue via Ouarzazate and Zagora, with its magnificent palm grove. We change direction just before the famous sign ’52 days until Timbuktu’ to continue the plateau of Faija. Overnight stay in the camp in Faija.

Day 2: Faija - Oum Laachar-pass - Oued Mhasser.

After loading the camels, we start our hike with crossing the pass of Oum Laachar. Next we go along a dry river until a hidden oasis between the mountains. We continue with short climbs and descents till we reach our camp on the river bank of Oued Mhasser. About 5 hours walk.

Day 3: Oued Mhasser – Chegaga.

We walk along the river of Oued Mhasser and cross a pebbly desert. If it is clear, we can already see the great dunes of Chegaga. First very small, but as we get closer more and more impressive. When we reach the plateau of dunes, we join our team in the camp. At night we enjoy an amazing sunset over the dunes and we have a tasty meal around the campfire. About 5 hours walk.

Day 4: Dunes of Chegaga – Dunes of Bougarne.

We get up early to enjoy a splendid sunrise over this beautiful location. We continue our hike and cross a dry lake and rocky desert to reach Oued Laatach (‘river of thirst’). Along the way we see camps of real nomads with their flock of goats. We cross another rocky desert to reach our camp near the dunes of Bougarne. These dunes are less high then those of Chegaga, but are also very beautiful. From the top of the dunes, we can enjoy another impressive sunset. About 5 hours of walking.

Day 5: Dunes of Bougarne - Oued Naam.

To enjoy a beautiful sunrise, we get up early. We cross a rocky desert plateau, which gives a mineral edge to the landscape. After a long walk, we arrive in our camp next to Oued Naam, with his famous well. We can have a wash, nonetheless without misusing the precious water. About 5h30 walk.

Day 6: Oued Naam - Mhamid - Marrakech.

We leave on time, because a long journey awaits us. First we walk across a plateau of small dunes and then a forest of Tamaris. At the end of the morning, we arrive in the village of Mhamid, the last village before the vast Sahara. We say goodbye to our team of camel drivers and drive back to Marrakech, via Zagora and Ouarzazate. About 4 hours walk. Overnight at the hotel or Riad.