Please note the tour price reflected on the brochure is subject to change. Due to seasonality, and taxes prices of the tour are subject to change without due notice. Please consult with the operator directly for the recent price.
Erg Chebbi desert circuit
Preferred
Overview
Short Description
The maze-like souqs of Fez, the vast orange dunes of the Erg Chebbi, Berber nomads in the Sahara… On a tailor-made holiday to Morocco with Audley, you’ll see the highlights — and much more — your way. We’ll design your ideal trip with you, paying close attention to your interests, your travel style and your budget. Our Morocco specialists know the country inside out and can lead you to experiences you won’t find in a guidebook.
Taste Morocco’s spice-scented cuisine at a private cooking lesson in Marrakesh. Bargain for a hand-knotted wool rug while sipping sweet mint tea in a noisy medina. Hike among the ancient villages and winding tracks of the High Atlas Mountains. Unwind in the windy-swept port town of Essaouira. Watch the stars from a tented camp in the deep, echoing silence of the dessert.
The fortified kasbah of Ait Benhaddou. Roman ruins at Volubilis. The blue-washed village of Chefchaouen. What excites you? Travel at your own pace, in your own style, with the confidence that we’ll show you the best options, wherever you go.
Itinerary
Day 1 : Marrakesh
Today you begin your journey by boarding your international outbound flight to Marrakesh. Upon arrival into Marrakesh Airport you'll be met by a private car and driven to your hotel. Spend the rest of the day relaxing at your accommodation, or head out to begin exploring the city, perhaps visiting the souqs or trying a mint tea in one of the many cafes.
Day 2 : Marrakesh
Today you have a full day tour of Marrakesh with your private guide. Visit historic sites such as the intricately decorated Saadien Tombs (where past sultans and their families were buried), the Bahia Palace and the Koutoubia Mosque, which dominates the skyline. Your guide will also lead you to the 15th-century Mellah (Jewish Quarter), so you can compare and contrast the city's many different cultures. The afternoon is spent in the souqs, where you can see people working on their craft, from dyers to coppersmiths. The day will end with a visit to Djemaa El Fna, the city's bustling main square where street performers entertain the crowds and all manner of food can be sampled.
Day 3 : Skoura
Today you have an early start for your private 4WD transfer to Skoura. The drive takes you through the Atlas Mountains before ascending to the Tizi-n-Tichka mountain pass (the highest in Morocco). You will be able to stop at various points of interest in order to take photos, including visits to the impressive Ait Benhaddou kasbah and the crumbling kasbah of Telouet.
Day 4 : Erg Chebbi
On the drive down to Erfoud you have the chance to stop at one of the gorges and there are plenty of scenic spots to enjoy as you make your way along the Dades Valley with its stark mountains and fertile green valley floor. On arrival in Erfoud, swap to a 4WD vehicle for the hour long drive into the desert. You may wish to enjoy a camel ride through the dunes as the sun sets, arriving into your desert camp in time for dinner.
Day 5 : Zagora
You may wish to make an early start to watch the sun rise over the dunes before breakfast. Afterwards, begin the journey to Zagora with your private driver. Pass through arid gravel plains interspersed with remote villages, before descending into the fertile Draa Valley with its green palm plantations. Once in Zagora you can explore the town or relax in your riad.
Day 6 : Skoura
The day starts at a slightly more leisurely pace, as you travel with your driver along the Draa Valley back to Skoura - a journey of around three and a half hours (not including any stops). En route, you'll pass through the town of Ouarzazate (a popular filming location for a number of movies), before admiring the valley's scenery, including strange rock formations and distant mountains. Arriving into Skoura, you can spend the rest of the day relaxing at your accommodation or exploring some of the nearby kasbahs.
Day 7 : Skoura
A full day to relax and enjoy the surrounding palmeraies, whose greenery contrasts with the orange rock of the crumbling kasbahs. You can head out with a guide to visit some of the kasbahs and learn about their history, the most impressive of which is the 17th-century Kasbah Amridil, which even appears on the 50-dirham note.
Day 8 : International return flight
You will be met at your hotel and transferred to Ouarzazate Airport, to board a domestic flight to Casablanca, where you can connect to your onward flight. Your return flight will arrive the same day.
Availability
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3,322 Audley Travel Travel Reviews & Ratings
Erg Chebbi desert circuit
Company Reviews
I’ll use Audley for all my travel moving forward
The locations were perfect and the activities made the experience extra special.
I would definitely recommend Audley and especially Ewan to anyone looking for a more bespoke experience.
Unresponsive
I contacted Audley as they came recommended by Wilderness Travel, the company we traveled with previously.
I left multiple messages for their regional specialist Adam -- voice messages through his co-workers (Alec and Jacky), email, website inquiry -- he didn't reply. I finally spoke to another specialist at the office (Lydia) and pressed her to not take yet another message for Adam, but tell me honestly if they are interested in working on our itinerary or we should move on. She then told me that they are busy. Well, wish they had some integrity to tell me on the first call, so I didn't have to loose time on trying to contact their "specialist".
p.s. They sent their automated marketing message with ALL their trips listed in response to my website inquiry. In this message they included: "When you are ready...". I replied that, indeed, we are ready, as I explained in my inquiry -- ready, know where and when we want to travel and are inquiring if you are interested in creating a private journey for us. No reply! Instead, they sent another marketing message the next day (and after Lydia already told us that they are very busy and won't be able to make reservations.) The second marketing message had no option to "unsubscribe". Again, I replied to that message and asked them to stop spamming me with marketing materials.
UPDATE: Audley's Client Experience Executive reached out to me in response to this review. She apologized profusely and wanted me to know that my "feedback is being heard". She said that she spoke with the employees' manager to "ensure mistakes like this don’t happen again and provide additional training to support their growth." She also promised to ask the marketing to delete my name from their marketing list. I took her at her word.
I don't know if this interaction with the client experience executive convinced me to seek Audley's services in the future, but I promised her to include in my review this "status update".
There are much better travel companies than Audley
I’m booking for South Africa and they simply can’t accept that another company can provide a better itinerary at a lower price - even to the point of asking for the other quote and saying this is usual practice in the industry!! ( rubbish) . Totally unprofessional behaviour. Furthermore , sending me emails knocking my choice of hotel and safari park while at the same time promoting hotels that clearly have issues as evidenced by poor ratings on the major sites
I use another well known travel provider that actually provide high quality at a decent price
Audley are simply interested in selling the highest price hotels etc that give them the maximum profit rather than what is right for you
They love themselves and keep on saying nonsense such as “ I’m really pleased with what I’ve come up with and hope you are too “
They need to get real
I won’t reveal the name of the agent dealing with me as that’s probably unfair
Amazing Trip of a life time
Christmas in Thailand
Mark Hotham at Audley Travel helped us to put together the holiday of a lifetime. He helped us through the complexity of different start dates, advised on a suitable hotel and arranged a terrific trip to the Elephant Hills camp in the jungle.
The arrangements worked splendidly, the hotel in Khao Lak was first class and the Elephant Hills trip was magical.
Nothing was ever too much trouble for Mark and every effort was made to deliver the holiday we were looking for.
We have already recommended Audley travel to our friends and they will be our first choice of travel agency from now on.
Our California Trip
Details
Flight & Transport Inclusions
All internal ground transport
Group Size
Intimate Group - 12 max
Trip ID#:
audley-travel-39900
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