5 Days Welcome to the desert
March 04 - 08
or March 27 - 31
This is a Dirt’n’Dust experienceYou want to experience the desert on an enduro bike, but you have little or no off road experience. Then this tour is built for you! Over a few days, we will take you from the first training loop around Ouarzazate all the way into the Sahara, with coaching, support, and a pace that helps you build confidence step by step. You will learn the basics that matter in real terrain: body position, braking on loose surfaces, throttle control, reading lines, riding gravel and rock, and gradually getting comfortable in sand.
And yes, we are going to the dunes. The goal is not to “survive” them. The goal is to feel what it is like to climb a dune on your own bike, with the right guidance, and with the kind of scenery you normally only see in Dakar footage. Expect long horizons, wide open flats, mountain pistes in the Anti Atlas, gorges cut into the rock, salt flats, and finally the rolling dunes of Erg Chegaga. You will ride a lot, laugh a lot, and you will be proudly tired in the evenings. This is a tour for riders who are ready to step out of their comfort zone, but want a team around them while they do it.
Space for 6 – 12 riders
€ 2'550 all-inclusive per person
Bike rental (GasGas EC 450F or KTM 450 EXC-F 2023/24) for 5 days. Fuel is covered and we run mousses, so you won’t have to deal with flats, just ride and enjoy.
Guide, organisation and exciting routes.
Accommodation for 6 nights (during the 5 days of riding plus one night before and after). Usually shared, but there is single supplement available.
Authentic Moroccan breakfast, lunch & dinner (doesn’t include alcoholic drinks)
Assistance vehicle during the 4 day expedition for luggage and mechanical support
What you get
what’s not included
Travel expenses to Ouarzazate are not covered (flight, bus etc.).
Ouarzazate has an Airport but if you have to fly to Marrakech, we can help you to organise a bus or shared Taxi (not more than 20€) to OuarzazatePersonal travel insurance
Gear is not included.
If you don’t want to bring your own gear, you can rent gear from Wilderness Wheels. They have a big variety of gear and brands in all kinds of sizes, so just get in touch with me if you need something.
These are the rental prices:
Full set of gear (helmet, boots, full body armour): 30€ a day
Only Helmet: 10€ a day
Only boots: 10€ a day
Only full body armour: 10€ a day
Riding level
We’ve designed the routes to be 70 to 90% offroad, just the way we like it. This tour is made for riders with no to little off road experience who feel confident on the road and are ready to learn step by step in real terrain. You do not need dune experience, but you should be comfortable riding a bike for several hours a day and be willing to get a bit tired, sandy, and proud of yourself.
Itinerary
Arrival Day
Transfer from Marrakech airport to our starting point in Ouarzazate. Settle in with a drink, meet your guides and the other riders, and get comfortable. In the evening we will share a traditional Moroccan dinner and go through the plan for the coming days so you know what to expect.
Day 1 – Ouarzazate to Ouarzazate (~ 100 km)
Ouarzazate is the door to the desert. We start with a training loop to get used to the bike, the gear, and the feeling of riding outside your usual comfort zone. Expect a mix of wide open desert flats and spectacular gorges carving through the landscape.
Day 2 – Ouarzazate to Foum Zguid (~ 150 km)
On day two we take flowy gravel tracks over the hills of the Anti Atlas. The landscape opens up dramatically as the pistes straighten and the pace increases. By late afternoon, the desert town of Foum Zguid appears and becomes your base right on the edge of the Sahara.
Day 3 – Foum Zguid to the dunes of Erg Chegaga (~ 100 km)
Now we head deep into the real Sahara. We ride across the salt flats of the dried Lake Iriki, then follow sandy tracks towards the spectacular dunes of Erg Chegaga. Once you see them, you will know our desert camp is close.
We arrive, grab a cold drink and Moroccan tea, then head out again to climb one of the highest dunes to watch the sun set over an endless sea of sand. It is one of those moments that makes everything quiet in your head.
Afterwards, we enjoy a well earned traditional dinner in camp. And it would not be a real desert night without a fire. When the Tuareg drums start calling, we gather around the flames and properly soak in the atmosphere.
Day 4 – Erg Chegaga back to Foum Zguid (~ 100 km)
If you are up early, catch the desert sunrise. It is worth it. After breakfast and gearing up, we can spend a bit more time in the dunes before making our way back to Foum Zguid.
Once we leave the dune field behind, the vast desert flats open up and invite you to find out how fast your bike can really go. We then follow an old Dakar track back into town, where a dinner buffet and the hotel pool are waiting. Spoiler: getting the sand out of everything is not really possible. You will definitely take some home with you.
Day 5 – Foum Zguid back to Ouarzazate (~ 150 km)
Final riding day, but we are not slowing down yet. After a short road section, we hit the Anti Atlas again, where the tracks get wild and the views even wilder. We ride into a deep gorge where Berber villagers grow dates in the shade of the cliffs. Then a smooth, sweeping gravel track takes us back to Ouarzazate with big smiles under the helmets.
Drop off the bikes, take a well earned shower, and later we meet up for a final dinner. Last team photo, last story swap, and your last chance to buy your guide a beer.
Departure Day
Say farewell to your bikes and guides. Transfer from Ouarzazate to the airport and onwards to wherever your adventure takes you next. If you are extending your trip or flying from a different city, we will help organise the best option for you.