From Ouarzazate, most travellers think they must choose between five hours of road to Merzouga or four to M'hamid. There is a shorter way: two and a half hours of tarmac to Foum Zguid, then two and a half hours of track across Lake Iriqui. Leave Ouarzazate in the morning, sleep in the high dunes the same evening — as far as we know, the most efficient round trip to a great erg anywhere in Morocco.
The format suits travellers flying into Ouarzazate, finishing a kasbah circuit, or staying in the region and wanting the real desert without giving it three days. Hotel pick-up, private 4x4 throughout, back the next day by late afternoon.
Highlights
- The fastest access from Ouarzazate to the high dunes
- Lake Iriqui and Moroccan Colorado crossing
- Camp night at the foot of the Chigaga dunes
- Stop in Taznakht, capital of the Ouaouzguite carpet
- Private 4x4, hotel to hotel
Itinerary
- Day 1 · 8:30 am
Ouarzazate → Taznakht → Foum Zguid
Pick-up at your accommodation, N10 to Taznakht across the Anti-Atlas plateaus, a carpet or coffee stop, then due south. Lunch in Foum Zguid.
- Day 1 · 2:00 pm
The track: Lake Iriqui, Colorado, dunes
Crossing of the dry lake, stops at the Moroccan Colorado and the fossil plateau, arrival at the dunes for sunset. Camels, Berber dinner, fire, camp night.
- Day 2 · 7:00 am
Sunrise and return
Ridge walk at first light, breakfast, then home by a different track. Lunch in Foum Zguid, drop-off in Ouarzazate around 5 pm.
What's included
✓ Included
- Private 4x4 from/to your Ouarzazate accommodation
- Equipped camp night
- Berber dinner and breakfast
- Camel ride
- Tea and mineral water
✕ Not included
- Lunches
- Other drinks
- Tips
Why this is the format for well-informed travellers in a hurry
Count the hours: Ouarzazate to Merzouga is about ten hours of tarmac round trip to touch Erg Chebbi. Ouarzazate to Chigaga via Foum Zguid is five hours of tarmac and five of track — and the track IS the journey: a Saharan lake, a red canyon, fossils, then the dunes. For the same total time, half your travelling happens inside the desert instead of on a highway.
Season and climate
September to early June. In summer the format switches to a Lake Iriqui day trip from Ouarzazate, without the dune night.
Frequently asked questions
Can you collect us at Ouarzazate airport?
Yes, straight off your flight. If you land before 11 am the tour works the same day; otherwise we add a night in Ouarzazate or Foum Zguid and leave the next morning.
Can the tour end in Marrakech instead?
Yes, with a road supplement: the Marrakech drop-off adds about 4 hours over the Tizi n'Tichka. Convenient if you fly out of Marrakech the day after.
How does this differ from the 3-day Marrakech trip?
Only the starting point, and therefore the road hours: from Ouarzazate you skip the High Atlas crossing and save half a day. The desert itself — lake, track, camp — is identical.
More questions? See our full FAQ and our traveller reviews.
