Hike the Sahara

Sahara Desert Hiking – defining slow travel

Our indicative hiking programs run from 3 days and upwards, with remote routes and wilderness camping in the unspoilt ‘Iriqui National Park‘. You are unlikely to encounter many other people, except perhaps nomadic families or the occasional shepherd.

Sleeping under the stars and being entertained with music at the campfire is a luxury of desert life. You will see the staple of every meal, bread, baked fresh in the hot sand beneath the coals of the campfire and indulge in many glasses of strong Moroccan tea. Nothing is rushed in the desert.

Erg Chigaga great dunes sit alongside the course of the Draa River valley, at this point underground, and which we follow at stages. The dunes, or dune sea (“erg”), reach 300ft in height and span approx. 40km. There are other expanses of dunes on our trekking routes (such as Erg Zahar dunes and Erg Sedrar dunes) which offer equally unique Sahara Desert landscapes.

The terrain of the Sahara Desert is shaped by wind, sometimes rain, and includes not only sand dunes, but also hamada, dry valleys & lakes and salt flats. You may also be surprised at seeing so much vegetation in the desert, including Tamarisk and Acacia trees and palms. Winter is a green time of year here after seasonal rains, and January/February see the arrival of newborn camels – their mothers out to pasture.

Some facts

• Trekking time each day is approx. 5-6 hours with plenty of rest stops and a long lunch break in shade
• All tours are full board basis with overnight in 2-person bivouac tents
• Please specify at time of booking if you prefer to ride by camel for the duration of the tour, as opposed to walking (*extra cost)
• Please allow one day for travel to reach the desert frontier from the start point, and one day to return

• Hiking tours in the Sahara desert run from October through April

We will likely stop to meet nomadic families that still live in the region and come across other evidence of human existence here; including the abandoned settlement and agricultural land of Erg Smar close to the Draa River bed (where once approx. 35 families lived), a nomads’ cemetery, nomads’ former souk, a marabout (shrine of a holy man), deep wells, and grazing land for animals still used today.