multi day
2 Day Merzouga Adventure
Two days in the Sahara: quad biking, a 4x4 tour, a camel trek, a night at a desert camp, sunrise and nomad visits.
7 Day Sahara Expedition
Our seven-day Sahara expedition: deep desert driving, nomad trails, abandoned cities and a full week off-road.
Tour Overview
The 7 Day Sahara Expedition is our flagship trip, a full week in the Moroccan Sahara. It goes well past the usual tourist routes into remote parts of the desert that few outsiders see. You follow old nomadic trails, stop at prehistoric rock art sites and walk through abandoned cities. At night we camp in some of the most isolated places we know. If you have a week and want to see the desert properly, this is the one we would choose.
Tour Highlights
- Driving deep into the desert
- Old nomadic trails
- Prehistoric rock art sites
- Abandoned desert cities
- Six nights of accommodation
- A full week off-road
- All meals and activities included
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Merzouga Arrival
You arrive in Merzouga and are welcomed by your guide, who takes you to your hotel to settle in. The afternoon is free to rest after your journey, walk to the foot of the dunes or sit with a mint tea and watch the colours change on Erg Chebbi.
In the evening your guide joins you to go through the week ahead: the routes, the vehicles, what to pack for the nights out and how the days are paced around the heat. It is a good time to ask questions before the expedition begins. Dinner is at your hotel, followed by an early night. Tomorrow begins after breakfast, when the dunes are still cool.
Day 2: Erg Chebbi Deep
After breakfast you head into the heart of Erg Chebbi. Following a safety briefing at our base, the guide leads you through the high dunes, far from the busier edges, with long climbs, bowls and ridge-top runs. You stop often to rest, take photos and take in the scale of the sand sea.
Lunch is served in the shade, with a longer break in the hottest months. In the afternoon you continue across the erg, reaching the quieter southern dunes by late afternoon. You watch the sunset from a high crest before arriving at a desert camp for dinner and a night under the stars. The camp is simple and comfortable, and the silence here is complete.
Day 3: Nomad Trails
Today follows the tracks used by nomad families across the hamada, the dark stony plain around the dunes. Your guide takes you to several family camps, where you are welcomed with tea and can learn about herding, water, weaving and how the families move with the seasons. These are informal visits, and your guide translates throughout.
Lunch may be shared with one of the families, sometimes with bread baked in the hot sand. The afternoon crosses open desert where you rarely meet other travellers, and the night is spent at a desert camp, with dinner and quiet time around the fire. Your guide often shares stories of the desert as the stars come out.
Day 4: Rock Art & Fossils
The route heads south toward Taouz, close to the Algerian border, where ancient rock engravings are carved into dark stone outcrops. Your guide shows you figures of animals and people left by those who lived here when the Sahara was greener, thousands of years ago.
On the way back you stop at fossil beds where ammonites, orthoceras and occasionally trilobites lie in the rock, remains of the ocean that once covered the region. You learn how to recognise them and how old they are. The day ends at a desert camp, with dinner served under a wide, clear sky. Far from any town, this is one of the best places in Morocco to see the Milky Way.
Day 5: Abandoned Cities
Today is about the ghost places of the desert. You visit the old mining settlement at Mifis, where empty houses and rusting equipment tell the story of the lead mines that once drew workers here. Then the route turns north to Rissani and the ruins of Sijilmassa, the medieval city that controlled caravan trade in gold and salt across the Sahara.
You also explore abandoned ksour, fortified earth villages slowly returning to the land, and hear from your guide how they were built and why families left them. The night is spent in a traditional guesthouse in the area, with a home-cooked dinner. After several nights in camp, a hot shower and a proper bed are very welcome.
Day 6: Oases & Return
After breakfast at the guesthouse, you explore the oases of the Tafilalet, where date palms shade gardens of vegetables and alfalfa. Your guide shows you a khettara, an old underground channel dug by hand to carry water to the fields, and explains how villages managed water long before modern pumps. In season, you may taste fresh dates straight from the palm.
In the afternoon you head back toward Erg Chebbi through palm groves and along the edge of the hamada. You reach a desert camp in time for a last sunset over the dunes, followed by a final dinner and an evening around the fire with your guide and crew, who by now feel like old friends.
Day 7: Sunrise & Departure
Wake before dawn and climb a dune near camp to watch your last Sahara sunrise. After a week in the desert, this quiet hour is a good moment to look back over the routes you have travelled: the high dunes, the nomad camps, the rock art and the empty ksour. Bring a warm layer, as the air is cool before sunrise.
Breakfast is served at camp, then your guide drives you back to Merzouga, where you can shower and collect your luggage. From there you continue your journey by road toward Fes, the Dades Valley or Marrakech, or travel to Errachidia for onward transport. Your guide is happy to help with the arrangements and can suggest good places to stop along the way.
What's Included
- All vehicle tours
- Six nights accommodation
- All meals
- Professional guides
- All activities and entrance fees
- Desert camping equipment
What's Excluded
- Tips and gratuities
- Personal expenses
- Travel insurance
- Drinks
- Flights
Equipment Information & Vehicle Details
Some rock-art and remote-trail sections sit well beyond normal phone signal, so on this week-long trip our vehicles carry satellite communication equipment on top of the standard first-aid kits and extra fuel and water. The six nights combine desert camps with a guesthouse stay. Full desert camping equipment is provided for every overnight stop. Learn more about our fleet.
Safety Information
The nomadic trails and prehistoric sites on this route are properly remote. That is why satellite phones and a comprehensive first-aid kit come as standard, and we brief everyone on our emergency protocols on day one. Group size is capped at twelve so guides can keep a close eye on each person. We keep the pace measured, with rest built into each leg instead of rushing from site to site. Read our full safety standards.
Reviews
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, solo travellers are welcome. A single supplement applies.
Groups are capped at 12 travellers, which keeps things small and personal.
We take it seriously. We carry satellite phones and first aid, and we have emergency protocols in place.
Book This Tour
To check dates or ask a question about 7 Day Sahara Expedition, send us a message on WhatsApp, call us or use the booking form on this page. We reply within 24 hours to confirm your booking.
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