Merzouga Desert Journey
Casablanca to Marrakech via the Sahara
Grand Morocco in 14 Days
The Saghro Traverse
Erg Chigaga & Lake Iriki
From Marrakech
From Fes
From Casablanca
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Families
Friends
Boutique riads
Luxury desert camps
Nights under the stars
Our story
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6-Day Mobile Camp Journey: High Atlas Lakes to Jebel Saghro
A journey for people who want Morocco without the crowds. A support team drives ahead and sets up your private mobile camp, so on two nights you sleep where no other traveller sleeps: at the head of the Valley of Roses and among the rock towers of Bab n'Ali in Jebel Saghro, close to our home village of N'kob. In between, you cross the High Atlas by 4x4 to the lakes of Imilchil, come down through the red canyons of Amellago, and reach the dunes of Erg Chebbi, where you choose your own kind of desert night.
Best for: Travellers who want remote Morocco, nights where no one else sleeps, and real 4x4 tracks.
Highlights
- Two nights in your own private mobile camp
- High mountain tracks from Boutaghrar to Imilchil
- Lake Tislit and the legend of the Imilchil lovers
- The red canyons of Amellago
- Camel ride into the Erg Chebbi dunes
- Bab n'Ali's rock towers in Jebel Saghro, near N'kob
Day by day
Driving times are honest estimates for the time behind the wheel. Stops for photos, tea and lunch come on top, and you can always ask your driver to stop.
Day 1Marrakech – Tizi n'Tichka – Kelaat M'Gouna – Boutaghrar mobile camp
Marrakech – Tizi n'Tichka – Kelaat M'Gouna – Boutaghrar mobile camp
We pick you up in Marrakech and cross the High Atlas on the Tizi n'Tichka pass, with views over the Glaoua valleys. Lunch near Ouarzazate, then east along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs to Kelaat M'Gouna, the rose town. From here a narrow road climbs the M'Goun valley to Boutaghrar, a village of old kasbahs at the head of the Valley of Roses. Your camp team arrives before you: when you reach the camp, the tents are up and dinner is cooking on the fire.
Day 2Boutaghrar off-road – Imilchil – Lake Tislit
Boutaghrar off-road – Imilchil – Lake Tislit
A morning walk through Boutaghrar and its gorge, then the 4x4 takes high mountain tracks north across the High Atlas, past nomad tents, terraced fields and some of the highest villages in Morocco. In the afternoon you reach Imilchil and Lake Tislit. The story says two young lovers, Isli and Tislit, were forbidden to marry and cried until their tears became two lakes; the famous Imilchil marriage festival in September grew from this legend. Night at the Lac Or guest house by the lake.
Day 3Imilchil – Amouguer – Amellago – Goulmima
Imilchil – Amouguer – Amellago – Goulmima
Down from the high plateaus through the Berber villages of Amouguer, then into the red canyon around Amellago, where the river has cut deep walls through the mountains. The road opens out into the palm groves of Goulmima, an oasis town with an old fortified ksar. Night in a guesthouse in Goulmima.
Day 4Goulmima – Tinjdad – Rissani – Merzouga
Goulmima – Tinjdad – Rissani – Merzouga
Through Tinjdad's palm groves, watered for centuries by underground channels called khettaras, and its old ksar. In Rissani, the historic capital of the Tafilalet, you see the busy souk and the mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif. In the afternoon, a camel ride into the Erg Chebbi dunes for sunset. Tonight you choose: your own private mobile camp in a quiet corner of the dunes, or a night at one of the luxury desert camps we use.
Day 5Merzouga – Alnif – N'kob – Bab n'Ali mobile camp
Merzouga – Alnif – N'kob – Bab n'Ali mobile camp
Sunrise over the dunes, then west through Alnif, known for its fossils, and Tazarine to N'kob, our home village of kasbahs at the foot of Jebel Saghro. After lunch the 4x4 climbs into the volcanic Saghro mountains to Bab n'Ali, where tall rock towers rise from the plateau. Your mobile camp waits among the rocks, far from any light: a fire, dinner and one of the darkest skies in Morocco.
Day 6Bab n'Ali – N'kob – Agdz – Ouarzazate – Marrakech
Bab n'Ali – N'kob – Agdz – Ouarzazate – Marrakech
Wake up to sunrise on the rock towers, then drive back down to N'kob and along the Draa Valley palm groves to Agdz. Over the Tizi n'Tinififft pass to Ouarzazate, then the High Atlas once more, reaching your riad in Marrakech by evening, where the journey ends.
Where you'll stay
These are our usual choices. If one is full on your dates we book a place of the same standard, and you can ask for an upgrade.
Choose your dates by the stars
Your nights in the mobile camp are far from any city lights. On nights with little or no moon, the Milky Way stretches across the whole sky. Pick a month to see the darkest nights.
Moon phases are calculated for each night at 10 pm. Clear skies are most common from October to May.
Price per person
| Group size | Per person |
|---|---|
| 2 travellers | €3,070 |
| 4 travellers | €1,690 |
| 6 travellers | €1,230 |
The vehicles, camp and crew cost the same for 2 or 7 people, so the price per person drops as your group grows. Travelling alone, or with 3, 5 or 7? Ask us and we send your exact price within 24 hours.
What's included
Included
- 4x4 vehicle with your own English-speaking driver-guide
- A second support vehicle carrying the camp, with its crew: a cook and camp helpers
- 5 nights: 2 nights in your private mobile camp, a guest house in Imilchil, a guesthouse in Goulmima and your choice of camp in Merzouga
- Breakfast every day
- Dinner every night
- Picnic lunch on the two off-road days
- Camel ride into the Erg Chebbi dunes, one camel per person
- Passenger insurance in the vehicle
Not included
- Flights
- Lunches in towns
- Drinks
- Entrance fees
- Tips
- Personal expenses
Questions about this journey
What is a mobile camp?
It is a private camp that travels with you. Our crew drives ahead in a support vehicle and sets up your tents, beds, bathroom tent and kitchen in a remote place, so when you arrive the camp is ready. It is only for your group.
Is a mobile camp comfortable?
Yes. You sleep in real beds with warm blankets, there is a private bathroom tent, and a cook prepares breakfast and dinner on the fire. It is simpler than a hotel, and much more special.
When is the best time for this journey?
From April to June and from September to October. In winter, snow can close the high tracks around Imilchil, which sits at more than 2,000 metres, and in high summer the desert is very hot.
Do we need a 4x4?
Yes, and it is included. Parts of the route are mountain and desert tracks, so we always run this journey in a 4x4 with an experienced driver.
Can we change the route?
Yes. Because the journey is private, we can add a night, swap a stop or move a camp. Tracks depend on the weather, and your driver will always choose the safest way.
More journeys
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The Slow Oasis Road
Two nights in the Dades, the Roses Valley on foot, the Todra Gorge and two desert nights.
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Where will your road begin?
Tell us your dates and who's coming. Abdou or one of the team will send you a route and a price within 24 hours.