Discover the fascinating desert landscape south of the High Atlas, between Djebel Saghro and the Draa Valley. In six days of riding you will discover picturesque dunes, palm groves, kasbahs and desert plateaus on the edge of the Sahara. You will move around the Oasis sacrées in the Iriqui National Park, home to ostriches, oryx antelopes and other desert animals. An authentic desert adventure on great Berber stallions. The ride gives a good insight into the life in the desert. Often you will meet locals who live from their herds of goats and sheep or from the date palms. Of course, the physical well-being must not be neglected; your hosts will prepare food for you in the typical Moroccan stone pot, the tajine. You will spend the night in tents on the way. If you want to have an undisturbed view of the impressive clear sky in the desert, you will sleep directly under the stars.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Ouazazate and transfer to the hotel. Depending on the time of arrival, it is recommended to visit the picturesque castle festivals. Dinner together and overnight.

Day 2: After breakfast you will leave early for Zagora, south of Ouarzazate. On the nearly 2-hour drive through the Draa Valley you will see huge date palm forests. On the outskirts of Zagora lies the winter stables of the Berber stallions. After riding through the plamen groves and mud houses of Zagora, you will leave the village and ride west. Picnic under palm trees and continue riding over the wide sandy plain overlooking the desert plateau of Faija. Overnight stay in tent.

Day 3: You will continue riding towards the rocky plateau of Djebel Bani, which stretches for kilometers through the desert and borders the Draa valley. Beautiful view over the wide plain and on the hill Foum Laacher, surrounded by green oases. Picnic among palm trees and argan trees. Destination is the oasis of Mhasser, where you will spend the night in the tent camp.

Day 4: From Mhasser oasis you will ride through the typical desert landscape between several plateaus, often meeting nomads moving with their sheep, goats and dromedaries. After the picnic at the foot of the mountains you follow an old path over a rocky plateau. The pace is correspondingly slow here and you can enjoy the view over the plain in peace and quiet. In the evening you will finally reach the big sand dunes of Chegaga, where you will find your tents.

Day 5: Today you will ride through the picturesque dune landscape of Chegaga. You will ride through the soft sand at a leisurely pace, leaving any everyday worries far behind. Your camp is in the middle of nowhere today.

Day 6: In the morning you will reach the village of Hamada in the Draa valley. In front of you now lies a wide plain, which is wonderfully suitable for galloping. At noon you will reach some dunes again, where you will enjoy your picnic. In the afternoon you will ride through the beautiful dunes of M Hamid.

Day 7: You will leave the dunes and ride through the palm oasis of Bounou. The Kasbah is one of the most beautiful in the Draa Valley. The old mud houses surround the picturesque fortress amidst the palm trees. Destination is the village of Ouled Driss at the end of the Draa valley. Here you will say goodbye to the horses and the team and drive back to Ouarzazate, where you will spend another night in the hotel.

Day 8: Departure and individual transfer to the airport/bus station.

Subject to change without notice!

Accomodation
You will spend two nights in a middle class hotel in Ouarzazate. The remaining nights you will spend in a tent (1-3 persons).

Saddle & Tack: English trekking saddles and English bridle.

Experience: Safety in all gaits, cross-country experience as well as riding in a light seat are required. The pace is rather calm, but there are some nice gallops on the flat.

Horses: You will be riding on Berber stallions, since no mares will be taken and the stallions are well trained, this does not present any particular difficulty.