Morocco: Horses, Dunes, Nomadic Guesthouses
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 local guesthouses and desert inns.
• Visiting Merzouga, orange dunes of Remlia, the reg (stony desert), Zagora.
• Visiting the highest sand dunes of the desert.
• 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
Traverse the legendary landscapes of Morocco on horseback, from the dramatic mountain passes of the Draa Valley to the sweeping, golden dunes of Erg Chebbi. This eight-day expedition blends thrilling open-country gallops with authentic desert culture, offering an intimate way to experience the vast Saharan wilderness.
Ride along ancient nomadic trails, cross dry lake beds framed by striking desert cliffs, and navigate towering sand crests alongside an expert local team. Each day brings a new horizon—from fossil-rich mountain ranges and remote oasis villages to serene evenings spent in charming desert riads and guesthouses. Designed for adventurous riders, this journey offers the perfect balance of exhilarating trail riding, warm Moroccan hospitality, and the unforgettable magic of nights spent beneath the desert stars.
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.
It is possible to arrange arrival from another city in Morocco and then transfers to Ouarzazate (supplement).
Meals included: dinner
Day 2: First Gallops
Meet at your hotel reception at 7:00 AM. We’ll then travel towards Zagora through the Draa Valley. After following the Draa Valley to Tansikht, the vehicles will skirt the Jebel Sagho mountain range to the north, passing through Nkob and Tazzarine before leaving the paved road towards Mcissi (approximately 6 hours, 420 km of road and 60 km of dirt track). Enjoy a picnic lunch en route, followed by a meeting with the team and the horses for your first ride. You’ll then venture into a true Saharan landscape of sandy wadis and dune fields. Your first night will be spent in a comfortable guesthouse.
Horse riding time: 2.5 hours.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Day 3: Discovering the Sahara
A horseback ride through the village of Tafraout leads to the Ahbouche Ntkouyte plateau (Lake Tafraout). The terrain is ideal for a good gallop. The route passes at the foot of Tattihate, between Jebel Mohre on the right and Jebel Zireg on the left. The splendor of the Saharan landscape unfolds before you: endless dunes alternate with cliffs in the background. You then arrive at your overnight stop, a charming desert inn in the Mharech Valley.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Accommodation: Riad.
Horseback riding time: 6 hours.
Day 4: Dunes & Nomads
Departing on horseback between Tamaris and the sand dunes, heading due south. The ride is punctuated by encounters with nomads. Today you’ll traverse the Chouiref plateau, crossing the Tizi N’Guidou pass towards the abandoned village of N’Oubahllou and then the orange dunes of Remlia. After the Remlia dunes, the horse winds its way between mountains, dunes, and small palm groves. You’ll head towards the “Tagine” mountain, a place famous for its Cretaceous fossils. Overnight stay in a comfortable guesthouse, with moments of relaxation and sunset atop the region’s high dunes.
Riding time: 5.5 hours.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Day 5: Ouzina
The trek begins on horseback along the magnificent dunes of Ouzina. The route alternates between dunes and the reg (stony desert), a landscape of sand and mountains. This Saharan day continues until you reach your guesthouse and the village of Taghaoucht-n-Jdaid, a water refill point.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Horse riding time: 5 hours
Day 6: Erg à Cheval
A morning of horseback riding in the Erg Chebbi dunes before traversing a landscape dotted with tamarisk trees to reach the highest dunes in Morocco, those of Erg Chebbi. Enjoy these magnificent landscapes as the horses attempt to make their way through this vast expanse of sand. Overnight stay at the foot of the dunes.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Riding time: 4.5 hours.
Day 7: Merzouga
Enjoy a few more moments of pleasure on your mounts around the dunes before finally dismounting. Lunch and then the transfer back to Ouarzazate begins (5-hour drive). Upon arrival in Ouarzazate, check into your hotel and have dinner at a restaurant.
Meals included: breakfast.
Accommodation: Riad Marrakech
Day 8: Final moments
After breakfast, and depending on your flight schedule, the program will be finalized. You may enjoy a stroll through the medina or free time to relax at your hotel. Transfer to the airport and return flight.
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.
- 10 January 2027 – 17 January 2027: 15 saddles available
- 31 January 2027 – 07 February 2027: 15 saddles available
- 07 February 2027 – 14 February 2027: 15 saddles available
- 17 October 2027 – 24 October 2027: 15 saddles available
- 24 October 2027 – 31 October 2027: 15 saddles available
- 07 November 2027 – 14 November 2027: 15 saddles available
- 14 November 2027 – 21 November 2027: 15 saddles available
- 21 November 2027 – 28 November 2027: 15 saddles available
- 28 November 2027 – 05 December 2027: 15 saddles available
- 05 December 2027 – 12 December 2027: 15 saddles available
- 12 December 2027 – 19 December 2027: 15 saddles available
- 19 December 2027 – 26 December 2027: 15 saddles available
French and Moroccan team fluent in English, French and Arabic.
Morocco, from Ouarzazate to Merzouga.
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.