Erg Chigaga in a Day: 4×4 Run from Foum Zguid
One long day on the track, from the Iriki plain to the big Chigaga dunes, with a village lunch on the way out and the dry lake bed on the way home.
- 1 day
- Departure : Foum Zguid
- from €100
- Price
- From €100
- Duration
- 1 day
- Departure
- Foum Zguid
- Stops
- 5 stops
Day by day
Programme
- 1
Morning — the Paris-Dakar piste
Your 4×4 leaves Foum Zguid on the old Paris-Dakar piste and runs across Iriki National Park. At Zaouait Sidi Abdenabi you stop for lunch in a traditional mud-brick house.
- 2
Afternoon — Chigaga’s dunes
Past the tamarisks, the sand begins. Welcome tea is waiting at the camp, and then there is time to walk up a dune. If you fancy it, an hour on a camel can be added on request.
- 3
Homeward — Lake Iriki
You head back over the huge dried-out bed of Lake Iriki. The driver pulls over wherever the light is good, then the road carries you on to Foum Zguid.
The route
Highlights
- The old Paris-Dakar piste through Iriki park
- Lunch in a mud-brick house at Zaouait Sidi Abdenabi
- Tea at the camp and a climb up a Chigaga dune
- Home across the dry bed of Lake Iriki
Included
- Return 4×4 from Foum Zguid
- Local guide with you throughout
- Traditional lunch
To agree
- Travel insurance
- Personal spending
- Camel ride (optional extra)
Advice
- From €100 per person, for two or more travellers.
- It is a track journey: take water, sun cream and closed shoes.
- Your return time is agreed with you when you book.
Images
They travelled with Abdul
“The guide, Abdoul, bilingual and very professional, took care of everything. […] Beautiful sunsets and sunrises, beautiful dunes. I will come back.”
Your questions about this journey
Is it realistic to see Erg Chigaga in a single day?
Yes, that is exactly what this trip is built for. From Foum Zguid allow roughly 2.5 to 3 hours of track each way, depending on the ground and your stops. You will not sleep out there, so if you want the night sky, pick the version with a camp.
What happens at lunchtime?
Lunch is served at Zaouait Sidi Abdenabi, in a traditional mud-brick house, before the sandier stretch of the drive. It is covered by the price, as is the tea poured when you reach the camp.
Is the camel ride part of the €100?
No. The hour-long ride is an add-on you ask for when booking. The base price covers the 4×4, the guide and lunch.
Does the price change with group size?
The published rate is €100 per person for two or more people. Availability and track conditions are confirmed for your dates before you commit.
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