5-Day Tour from Marrakech to Essaouira via Erg Chigaga & the Atlantic Coast

Day 1: Marrakech – Ait Ben Haddou – Ouarzazate – Agdez(290 Km)

You depart in the morning by 4×4 car from Marrakech and travel to Ouarzazate. We will pass through the stunning High-Atlas mountains via the famous Tizi-n-Tichka pass (2260m). At panoramic viewpoints, there will opportunities to stop and take photos. Our first scheduled stop of the day is to visit the once glorious kasbah of Telouet. We then drive from Telouet through the lunar landscapes of the valley of Ounila to the kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, where we have lunch. Ait Ben Haddou is a Unesco World Heritage site, where films such as Gladiator and Lawrence of Arabia were filmed. In the afternoon, we explore the famous 11th century kasbah, in the afternoon, we continue south to the valley of Draa. We reach Agdez by the end of the afternoon, dinner and night in a hotel.

Day 2: Agdez – Zagora – M’hamid – Erg Chegaga dunes (280 km)

After breakfast, we drive from Agdez to the dunes of Chagaga passing by the ancient road of caravans, Zagora, Tamegroute and M’hamid (the gate to the desert) where we stop for lunch. In the afternoon, we continue to Erg Chagaga (300m) with 65km of off-road driving. By the afternoon, we have arrived to Erg Chagaga, there is time to have a camel ride for an hour before taking a walk to watch the sunset from the summit of Erg Chagaga (300m). After sunset, the night will be spent in a desert camp, which is also the venue for dinner.

Day 3: Erg chegaga – Foum Zguid – Taznakht – Taroudant (360 Km)

If you wake up early enough, you can watch the spectacle of the sunrise. After breakfast, the road takes us from Erg Chagaga to Taroudant across the sahara over the stony desert, “reg” and “hammada” and across the now dried-up Iriqui Lake. In the middle of this lake, we can search for fossils. At the edge of the desert at Foum Zguid, we drive north to Taznakht where we stop for lunch. After crossing the Tizi-n-Ikhsane and Tizi-n-Tighatine passes, we reach Tilouine, the heart of the saffron growing region. The road takes us on to Taroudant where we stop for the night in a hotel.

Day 4: Taroudant – Agadir – Taghzout – Essouira(270 Km)

In the morning, there is a visit to the town known as “the little Marrakesh”. It is spectacular for its massive ramparts and beautiful medina. From here you travel along the Souss river valley with all its argane groves as far as Agadir. The road then travels up the coast along the paradise valley, driving through Taghazout where lunch will be served. On arriving in Essaouira, you can explore the town, the Skala, the medina and all its innumerable shops as well as the sea front with its fresh fish restaurants. The night is spent in a hotel in Essaouira.

Day 5: Essaouira – Marrakech(157 Km)

After breakfast you can continue to wander round Essaouira, getting to know it better, perhaps enjoying more of the fresh fish. Return to Marrakech, stopping in a forest of argane trees and the co-operative of argane oil producers. We pass many Berber villages on the way. We reach Marrakech by the end of the afternoon.