Erg Lihoudi Desert: 2 Days and 1 Night in the Sahara

Tour Overview

This 2-day, 1-night desert tour from Ouarzazate takes you through southern Morocco’s spectacular landscapes to the Erg Lihoudi dunes, the Sahara’s first dunes. Discover the Drâa Valley’s palm groves, mud-brick villages, ancestral kasbahs, and spend a magical night in a Saharan bivouac. An authentic, immersive journey ideal for a first desert experience, blending comfort, adventure, and culture.

This tour combines adventure, nature, culture, and immersion in Morocco’s authentic Sahara. Perfect for a short desert escape from Ouarzazate!

Price:

From 280 € / person

Day 1: Ouarzazate – Drâa Valley – Caravan Route – Erg Lihoudi Dunes

Depart at 8:30 AM from your Ouarzazate accommodation in a private 4x4 with a local driver-guide. Head south toward the desert, crossing the Anti-Atlas’s lunar landscapes, with ochre and red hues. Stop at the Tizgui Waterfalls, a hidden oasis in the gorges, offering a refreshing moment in a serene natural setting. Continue along the Drâa Valley, Morocco’s longest, a verdant ribbon lined with lush palm groves, fortified villages (ksour), and mud-brick kasbahs, echoes of the ancient Saharan caravan route. Arrive in Zagora, an iconic oasis town, for lunch in a traditional riad, savoring local dishes in a tranquil setting. In the afternoon, head to M’Hamid, the last village before the vast Sahara. Here, the paved road ends, and your adventure turns wild: follow a sandy track by 4x4 to the golden Erg Lihoudi dunes, at the desert’s edge. Upon arrival, enjoy an optional camel ride to the dune crests (about 100 m) for a magical sunset, with warm hues painting the horizon. The evening unfolds with a traditional Moroccan dinner under a tent, accompanied by Saharan songs and percussion, followed by a memorable night in a comfortable bivouac beneath a starry sky.

Day 2: Erg Lihoudi – Tamegroute – Drâa Valley – Ouarzazate

Wake in the Sahara to a magical sunrise over the Erg Lihoudi dunes, a timeless moment bathed in golden light. After a traditional breakfast at the bivouac, enjoy a short desert walk, soaking in the Sahara’s serenity, silence, and raw beauty. Return by 4x4 to M’Hamid, the last inhabited outpost before the vast desert, and explore its mud-brick kasbahs, emblematic of southern Morocco’s traditional architecture and the historic trans-Saharan caravan routes. Continue to Tamegroute, a key village known for its artisanal pottery workshops, famous for their green-glazed ceramics. Visit the Quranic library, home to rare manuscripts dating back to the 12th century, and observe traditional clay kilns still in use. Lunch in Zagora, an oasis town in the Drâa Valley, then head back to Ouarzazate, following the legendary valley, once a major caravan route linking Marrakech to Timbuktu. By late afternoon, cross the Tizi-N-Tinfifite pass (1,660 m), offering spectacular views of the surrounding mountains, before arriving at your Ouarzazate hotel.