7 Days 6 Nights Camel Trek: Zmila, Erg Zahar & Berthoum

Day-by-Day Itinerary

1. Day 1 — Sidi Naji

   We head toward the Sidi Naji region, passing old pottery sites and the ruined houses of Oulad Zbiir, traces of earlier desert civilisations. After a three-hour hike we stop for a long lunch under a tamarisk tree, then walk another hour and a half to camp between golden dunes with panoramic views.

2. Day 2 — Zmila

   We head to Zmila, on the western edge of the Draa Valley desert near the Algerian mountains, where the scenery mixes mountains on one side with dunes on the other. We thread through small dunes before the bigger ones deeper in, camping there for the night.

3. Day 3 — Erg Zahar

   Once the camels are loaded, we cross long, flat, empty stretches of desert toward the spectacular orange dunes of Zahar. Along the way we pass the "Eye of the Chased Gazelle" and the ruined ksar of a Draa Valley tribe, with traces of their old irrigation channels. We camp among the dunes of Erg Zahar.

4. Day 4 — Lahdibat

   We head to Lahdibat, crossing back toward the Draa Valley where dunes of different colours meet from the valley and from Erg Zahar. We hike to a rocky hill on the far bank of the valley, camping there with panoramic views.

5. Day 5 — Berthoum Dunes

   We reach the white Berthoum dunes, in the shade of the Bani mountains and surrounded by a valley of tall tamarisk trees — an especially beautiful stretch.

6. Day 6 — Return via Lbour

   We walk back toward camp through the Lbour region, stopping at a well in the Oued Azoum valley to refresh and water the camels, before continuing back through a rocky hill and sandy valley.

Read before you go

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