A 28 day epic overland adventure between Dakar, Senegal and Marrakech, Morocco. Join us on one of the great overland journeys in the world as we travel through the Sahara desert from West to North Africa! Download The Trip Itinerary. The time this trip spends in Mauritania will be limited due to current travel advisories. Once in Mauritania and into Western Sahara there will inevitably be some long drive days as we are covering a large distance!
Please note we will be bush camping for a number of nights with no facilities! The last week of the trip in the far south of Morocco will be pretty easy going, with reasonable drive days on decent roads, and a chance to unwind and relax amongst some of the most fascinating sites Morocco has to offer. Be prepared for a true overland adventure along a route dominated by stunning landscapes and scenery! The first week of the trip is spent in the sahel region of northern Senegal and southern Mauritania, a transitional area stretching from the savanna to the dunes of the Sahara.
A short drive north brings us into the beautiful old colonial city of St Louis , the former capital of Senegal. Originally founded as a trading post, St Louis is located at the mouth of the River Senegal and spread out along a narrow island, reached from the mainland by an impressive cast iron bridge. The old quarter is full of colourful architecture from the French colonial period, with most buildings now home to a number of great restaurants, bars, art galleries, and boutique clothing shops behind the wooden shutters.
Walking around the narrow streets is, at times, reminiscent of being in New Orleans or Havana! Here you can see the colourful fishing boats launching into the river as they head off to cast their nets, and the frenetic activity as they return with their catch and the bartering for the fish begins!
From St Louis a long day awaits us as we head north with our packed lunches for the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott. Depending on the weather and road conditions we will cross the border into Mauritania at either Diama or Rosso, and say goodbye to the River Senegal for the last time. Though we would love to head east and explore the Mauritanian Sahara, current travel advisories dictate where we can and cannot go. Depending upon travel advice at the time, there might be the chance to spend some time in Nouakchott to visit sites of interest.
