Morocco: Desert Cavalcade Camping Ride
Styles
• Trail Riding
• Point to Point Trails
• Guided tour
• Package program
• Expedition
• Solo-riders, familiers, couples and teens
Key information
• 8 days / 7 nights, 6 days riding, English tack, Arabian horses
• Approximate daily riding time: 2.5-6 hours
• English-speaking guide and local guide assistance (1 for the group)
• Luggage transport and airport transfer service
• You are supposed to brush and tack up your horse
• Perfect mastery of all three gaits outdoors required
• Rider Weight Limit: 90 kg/ 176 pounds, age limit 12+ years old
Highlights
• A true Saharan landscapes of sandy wadis and dune fields.
• Authentic desert bivouacs.
• Visiting Merzouga, Feija plateau, Draa Valley, Bounou palm grove and ksar of Ouled Driss village (fortified village) is one of the most beautiful in the valley, the village of Tinfou where impressive dunes threaten to bury the houses and crops and dune stabilization measures have been implemented.
• Visiting the highest sand dunes of the desert, riding in the nature reserve.
• Galloping in the desert long and fast.
CHECK AVAILABILITY AND PLAN YOUR DREAM TRIP!
- The ride will depart if minimum 2 riders book
- You will be requested to confirm your riding skills
- Maximum group size is 15 riders
- The price of the ride depends on the number of riders
- Riders 12+ years old up to 90 kg. Overlimit please request options
- Perfect control of the horse is required. Fast pace ride.
- Solo traveler are welcome with the same price
- Language of instruction: English, French, Arabic
After Ouarzazate, the Draa Valley winds its way towards the desert through a magnificent string of oases stretching for nearly 200km. In each bend, a ksar (mud-brick village) nestles amidst lush greenery. The men’s complexions deepen, water becomes scarce, the heat intensifies, the nights grow colder, the sky clearer, the moon (“ayeur” in Berber) shines with a whiter, more dazzling light… The desert is on the horizon, eyes and hearts are intoxicated by space and light, and the Barb and Arab-Barb horses, steeds of the desert, exhilarate with gallops: this is the beginning of the Adventure.
This horseback trek traverses a string of oases, palm groves, mud-brick kasbahs and ksour, dunes and tamarisk trees that conceal a vibrant life sheltered from the sun. Women and men work in the fields, children lead donkeys to the well while others go to school… In the villages, life flows peacefully.
Program is based on sharing accomodation in guesthouses and riads. One night in the tent is possible. Tents are either single ones which is on request included in the single supplement. Or we have bigger tents which can be shared up to 3 people almost standing. We supply the mattresses, thick and comfy. Blow up pillow not included.
Day 1: Meeting in Ouarzazate
Airport pick-up and transfer to your hotel.
Dinner at your leisure.
It is possible to arrange arrival from another city in Morocco followed by transfers to Ouarzazate (supplement).
Meals included: dinner
Meet at your hotel reception at 7:00 AM. Drive to Zagora through the Draa Valley (170 km, 3.5 hours). Meet the team and be assigned your horses. Saddle up for the first time and set off on your horseback trek southwest. Cross the vast reg of Feija, already giving you a sense of the immense expanse of the Moroccan desert. You slowly approach the last mountain range separating you from the Sahara: the Jebel Bani. You will cross it via a narrow, winding path, at the summit of which you will discover a magnificent panorama of the Feija plateau and beyond, all the way to the Jebel Saghro. The descent leads the riders into a narrow defile, at the bottom of which you will enter on horseback a small oasis frequented by nomads.
Riding time: 6 hours.
Accommodation: Desert bivouac.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Set off on horseback towards a new desert plateau where only a few umbrella acacias seem to resist the drought. You approach the first dunes of the Moroccan Sahara, which grow larger as you progress south. Soon, the horizon stretches endlessly. This area (a nature reserve) is currently being repopulated with gazelles and ostriches.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Accommodation: Desert bivouac.
Riding time: 5 hours.
Horseback riding through dune fields dotted with tamarisk trees. It’s common to encounter nomadic encampments. These encampments consist of khaïma (low tents made of camel and goat wool, typical of southern Morocco). You head towards the end of the Draa Valley. A few dwellings appear amidst the Bounou palm grove. This ksar (fortified village) is one of the most beautiful in the valley. Arrival on horseback at the village of Ouled Driss.
Riding time: 5 hours
Accommodation: Desert bivouac
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 5: Nesrate Palm Grove
A horseback ride up the Draa Valley, crossing dunes and then a plateau (reg) at a brisk pace. Another pass over the Djebel Selmane. Another dune crossing where you’ll stop for a break. Arrival at the Tagounit palm grove and a ride through fields and small villages (ksours) with decorated walls. The route then leads to an old, sandy palm grove near the village of Nesrate. Camp in the middle of the dunes.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Desert Bivouac
Horse riding time: 5 hours
Day 6: Isolated Villages
You’ll find yourself immersed in the lively atmosphere of the valley villages: a succession of ksours (fortified villages) and gardens nestled in the heart of the palm grove, offering refreshing shade. The palm grove ends where the Draa River flows between Jebel Bani and Jebel Tadrart. A stop is made in this wide gorge, which you then follow on horseback to reach the palm grove. Overnight camp in an oasis.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Riding time: 4.5 hours.
Accommodation: Desert Bivouac
Day 7: Return to Ouarzazate
A horseback trek northwards along trails that wind between the ksours (fortified villages) and the cultivated fields of the palm grove. You reach the village of Tinfou where impressive dunes threaten to bury the houses and crops. Dune stabilization measures have been implemented, but their effectiveness appears limited. Say goodbye to your horse and the team, and transfer to Ouarzazate in the early afternoon (200km – 4-hour drive). Check into your hotel opposite the medina. Dinner in town with your guide.
Meals included: Breakfast.
Accommodation: 3-star hotel.
Day 8: Final moments
Transfer to Ouarzazate airport.
Travel time: 20 minutes (5 km)
Meals included: breakfast
EQUESTRIAN SKILLS AND PHYSICAL FITNESS
Minimum technical requirements:
Perfect mastery of all three gaits outdoors and in open terrain: posting trot, cantering in balance and in a group, maintaining control of the horse (distance, direction) at faster gaits with a light hand. Minimum academic equivalent of Galop 4.
Riders over 90kg and over 1.95m must contact us before registering.
Gaits
The basic pace of this horseback riding trip is the walk. There are good, steady trots and numerous canters each half-day: from a collected canter to free-flowing, but always controlled, gallops when the terrain allows. The endless stretches of hard-packed sand are ideal for good canters. There are some rocky and steep sections (along the wadis) where a walk and good balance are essential.
Please note that all canters are always done in a straight line due to the temperament of the stallions.
Self-reliance and participation are required.
Everyone’s participation is required to groom, saddle, bridle, and unsaddle their horse. Participation is also expected for camp tasks, including setting up and taking down tents. You can also participate in horse care (feeding and watering) if you wish.
Required skill level and experience.
A good level of fitness is required for this horseback riding tour, which presents no particular difficulties. The temperate climate is especially pleasant from June to October. The region is enjoyable year-round, tempered by cold sea currents. Short periods of inclement weather (thunderstorms) may occur.
Experience with multi-day horseback riding is a plus, but not required. Riders who do not ride regularly should definitely get back in the saddle before the ride.
Going out to meet different cultures and mentalities implies an acceptance of these differences… and respect for them.
The best season for this trip?
October to May is the ideal time.
- 17 January 2027 – 24 January 2027: 15 saddles available
- 14 February 2027 – 21 February 2027: 15 saddles available
- 28 February 2027 – 07 March 2027: 15 saddles available
- 21 March 2027 – 28 March 2027: 15 saddles available
- 28 March 2027 – 04 April 2027: 15 saddles available
- 11 April 2027 – 18 April 2027: 15 saddles available
- 12 December 2027 – 19 December 2027: 15 saddles available
- 26 December 2027 – 02 January 2028: 15 saddles available
French and Moroccan team fluent in English, French and Arabic.
Morocco, from Ouarzazate to Tinfou.
Local home-made food and soft drinks. We can not accept vegans, vegetarians are accepted within a certain limit. As our chef will prepare traditional meals which can include, chicken, beef, goat or for those who are curious camel meat. A delicacy in parts of Sahara. Lunch is usually served cold, salad served with rice or pasta with a traditional Moroccan sauce. Breakfast, is served with bread, cereal, coffee, cheese, jam and depending on the villages nearby pancakes.
Accomodation, guided riding program, food, trail equipment and horse rental, safety car on the rout included.
Airport transfer, travelling and cancelation insurance, airflight, visa, tips, drinks and mineral water, personal expenses, museum entrance fees not included.
For your arrival, please book a flight that arrives at Ouarzazate Airport (OZZ) before 3:00 PM on the first day. Transfers from Ouarzazate Airport are included in the price. If you prefer to land at Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK), transfers are available. This option incurs an additional fee of €150, which will be shared among all riders using this transfer. However, please note that the transfer from Marrakech takes about 10 hours, so you should plan to arrive in Marrakech early in the morning to meet this schedule.
For your departure, flights on the last day should depart from Agadir Al-Massira Airport (AGA), ideally after breakfast. Alternatively, we can organize a return transfer to Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK) for your departure. This option incurs an additional fee of €150, shared among all riders benefiting from this transfer. Please allow 3 to 4 hours for the transfer to Marrakech Airport.
For the riders responsibility: 30% deposit to secure your saddle, balance payment not later than 30 days before departure. Cancelation earlier than 45 days 100€ administration charge, cancelation in between 45 and 30 days 30%, between 29 to 15 days 80%, after 14 days and later 100% due.
For our side: the ride will depart if 2 riders book. If group does not collect cancelation from our side will announced not later than 45 days before departure without any compenasation from our side.
If the rider resigns from the trip once the trip has started there is no refund and evacuation costs and further expenses accomodation, transfers, food) should be covered by the rider.