7 Days Motorbike sahara Desert Tour From Ouarzazate, Embark on an epic adventure with our 7-day Moto KTM desert tour from Ouarzazate. Ride through the stunning landscapes of the High Atlas Mountains, explore traditional Berber villages and experience the beauty of Morocco’s desert landscape. Spend the nights in cozy guest houses and Berber camps, enjoying delicious local cuisine and stargazing under the clear desert skies. On day four, ride through the stunning Draa Valley and explore the mesmerizing dunes of the Erg Chigaga sahara desert. On day six, ride through the picturesque landscapes of the Anti-Atlas Mountains and visit the famous Kasbah Ait Benhaddou. Our experienced guides will take you on a thrilling adventure, creating unforgettable memories along the way. Book now for an epic Moto KTM desert tour from Ouarzazate.
DAY 1: OUARZAZAT – FOUM ZGUID:
In the morning after breakfast.
turning onto our first track of the day, you’ll be on the asphalt for another 80 kilometers, giving you plenty of time to get acquainted to your bike and the terrain.
With a few loose rocky spots, the route is winding and undulating. After a quick pit stop on the tarmac, we’re off again on a 50-kilometer stretch of fast but twisty hard packed sand… Keep an eye out for the unexpected.
Lunch in the shade of an acacia tree near the Bou Azzer gold mine. After lunch, some pleasant desert riding through low hills before reaching the plateau that leads to Foum Zguid and our evening accommodation. Our hotel includes a fantastic pool, as well as beer.
DAY 2: FOUM ZGUID TO M’HAMMED EL GHAZLLEN (APPROX. 170KM):
We drive 5 kilometers from our accommodation to Foum Zguid, where we refuel before venturing out into the desert. We arrive at the dry (we hope) lake bottom of Lac Iriki after a rocky start. Arrive on the western side of the Chegaga Dunes after 40 kilometers of quick riding across the lake. There are also roughly 40 kilometers of medium-sized dunes to cross before we arrive at our dunes bivouac, where we will rest for lunch.
Those who don’t want to commit to the dunes at this point in the tour (there will be many more possibilities later on) can take a 60-kilometer detour around the dunes… However, you would have to cross an 18-kilometer sandy riverbed before reaching the lunch break.
After lunch, we’ll ride swiftly across a plateau and across some tiny dunes before reaching Mhamid’s asphalt. We arrive at our hotel after 6 kilometers on the road, where pool and beers await us as always.
DAY 3: OUALID DRISS TO DESERT BIVOUAC:
A quick day ride along the ancient military road bordering the Algerian border.
We leave at 09.00 and return 6 kilometers up the road to Mhamid to refuel the bikes. From here, it’s back into the little dunes and sandy riverbeds as we go 40 kilometers north to Tazzarine. After refueling, we set off down the Draa River, passing through the palmeraie.
We should anticipate to be stopped by Moroccan military on at least two occasions once we get to the desert, as the border with Algeria is not far away and this area has once again become a sensitive area.
We’ll be on great, fast desert tracks that were originally used in the Paris/Dakar rally… Stop and say hello to Elmer Symons, a South African who died in 2007 while participating in the rally. A big stone cairn and a waypoint on your GPS memorialize his collision location, which serves as a reminder to drive carefully on these fast desert roads.
On Lac Maider, a vast dry soda lake, we’ll have lunch at a desert auberge. After 60 kilometers of sand and “fesh fesh” (bull dust), we arrive at our desert bivouac for the night. Alongside some
medium-sized dunes.
Ascend an 80-meter dune and toast the sunset before enjoying an incredible lunch and listening to local drummers over a roaring campfire.
DAY 4: DESERT BIVOUAC TO MERZOUGA:
Today will be a short day so that we can spend as much time as possible in Erg Chebbi massive cathedral’ dunes.
At 09.00 a.m., we leave the bivouac and head off for Erg Chebbi, Morocco’s tallest dunes. There are over 20 cathedral dunes that are over 100 meters high, the highest of which is 205 meters above the plateau….for those of you who are up to it, we will ride them all.
The road from the bivouac to the dunes passes through an open plain with a lot of acacia trees. This landscape looks like it belongs in East Africa, without the giraffes grazing in the trees. On what is mostly a rapid couple of hours of riding, expect some sandy and rocky stretches.
We’ll have a quick coffee and check into our rooms at the hotel before heading out into the sand. Back to the hotel for lunch. After lunch, we’ll unwind by the hotel pool before heading back out into the dunes.
By 17.00, I was back in the motel. More time to unwind, with cocktails by the pool before our supper at the colorful restaurant.
DAY 5: MERZOUGA ERG CHEBBI SPECIAL EXTRA DAY :
With an extra day at Merzouga, there will be more time for a leisurely breakfast before those who want to ride the dunes can get dressed up and on their bikes.
After lunch, motorcyclists can pick between additional dune riding or a restful afternoon by the pool before tomorrow’s long day.
Dinner at the hotel/luxury camp in the evening.
DAY 6: MERZOUGA TO BOUMALNE DADES:
As we traverse the Jbel Saghro mountain range, we’ll have some rapid desert riding and some slow mountain stretches.
We leave our hotel at 09.00 a.m., as is customary. The first 50 kilometers today are identical to the last 50 kilometers after leaving the bivouac. We have some extremely varied riding from here to our lunch stop on what are completely new tracks for us. From a’messy’ 10 km across the Gheris river to long fast stretches through the various broad open plateaux found in this area, there is something for everyone. We may explore several sites where sand has been blasted up against the hills, resulting in some stunning lengthy dune climbs.
Lunch will be served at a modest local auberge in a desert settlement, where we will sample some of Morocco’s greatest beef tagine.
We refuel and take off on some of our favorite trails in the region after lunch. There are numerous hard-packed sandy paths, a remarkable 12-kilometer sandy riverbed, and the breathtaking Jbel Saghro mountain range.
This evening, we’ll be staying in a wonderful kasbah tucked in the palmeraie of Dades Gorge. There’s a pool nestled amid the trees, as well as plenty of pleasant garden spots for a drink. Overnight and dinner.
Day 7: DADES GORGES TO OUARZAZATE:
After breakfast, refuel before heading up the Dades Gorge and westward, following the Atlas Mountains’ foothills.
We came out onto a plateau after a series of undulating, fast sections interspersed with rocky paths through large washouts and gullies.
Up on the plateau, have a picnic lunch. We return to Ouarzazate and our base hotel over a sandy twisting riverbed and another 20 kilometers of fast paths across a flat plateau. Overnight and dinner at the Hotel.