Morocco Trek: Saharan Transhumance 21 Days and 20 Nights
Description
Embark on a profound desert odyssey with our immersive 21-day trek through the Sahara, offering a genuine encounter with nomadic life. Led by a Sahrawi guide and supported by a dedicated team, including a cook and camel drivers, this sports-level journey demands endurance while promising an unparalleled connection with the desert’s essence.
Highlights
- Genuine immersion into Sahara nomadic life: meeting and sharing with nomad shepherds.
- Several weeks in the desert – Immersive trek: 19 days on foot (4 to 5.5 hours of walking per day).
- A sports-level desert journey (endurance required).
- Guided by a Sahrawi guide (Aarib tribe), a cook, camel drivers, and a caravan of camels.
- Replenishment during the trek with fresh fruits, vegetables, and drinking water.
- Discovery of a traditional life that persists with the rhythm of the sun and seasons.
- Assistance in the transhumance of nomadic herds (goats, camels, etc.).
- Unusual landscapes with all the facets of the desert, far from frequented tracks: reg, erg, oasis, hamada, palm grove, dry lake, etc.
- Basic comfort but total authenticity.
- A timeless journey for physical and mental rejuvenation, inviting participants to refocus and temporarily rid themselves of daily concerns.
- Interaction and sharing with fellow trekkers who share the same passion.
Included
- Round-trip transportation from Marrakech (including lunch)
- 21-day trek - 20 nights with full board
- Replenishment(s) in the desert during the trek
- Accompaniment by Osez Le Desert Du Maroc team throughout the stay
Excluded
- Dinners and accommodations in Marrakech before/after the trek
- Tips.
Itinerary
Departure from Marrakech in the morning to reach the small town of Zagora, at the gates of the desert (355 km). The journey between Marrakech and Zagora is a true change of scenery. The road crosses the Atlas Mountains and many Berber villages before plunging into the desert valley of Drâa. The trip takes 6 hours and 30 minutes.
We leave the road to take the track leading to the Moulachar Mountains. Meeting with the camel drivers and the caravan of camels for the start of the trek. Night in a nomadic bivouac in the Souss-Massa-Drâa mountains.
Departure on foot accompanied by a Sahrawi guide (native of the Drâa Valley desert), a cook, camel drivers, and a caravan of camels for a 19-day Saharan transhumance.
This initial walk takes us south, from the Moulachar Mountains to the dried-up lake Iriki, crossing the Hamada du Drâa, a characteristic stone desert of the Drâa Valley.
The caravan of camels then heads east to meet nomadic shepherds with their herds. The rest of the trek takes us to the northeast of M'hamid El Ghizlane (Erg Smar, Erg Zahar, Erg Zmila, Erg Sidi Naji) with landscapes of dunes and desert plateaus.
The return to the village is through the palm grove of the Drâa River. The penultimate day leads us to the comfortable fixed camp (shower, toilet, bedding) located 10 km from M'hamid El Ghizlane.
From the fixed camp, we leave the desert, its nomads, and herds.
Possible stop and visit to the village: the old M'hamid and its still inhabited kasbahs, or a local hammam, then departure to reach Zagora, Ouarzazate, and finally Marrakech in the evening.