A Sahara Desert Tour in Morocco: What to Expect, What to Pack and Is It Worth It

Where the tour actually goes

Two places are sold as "the Sahara" from Marrakech. Merzouga, on the edge of the Erg Chebbi dunes near the Algerian border, is where our desert tours, apart from the two-day Zagora trip, spend the night; its dunes rise to about 150 m. Zagora, closer to Marrakech, has smaller dune fields and fits a two-day trip. The difference is set out in Merzouga or Zagora, and the village, the dunes and the weather are covered in our Merzouga and Erg Chebbi guide. From Fes the desert road leads to Merzouga.

Getting there is most of the trip

From Marrakech it is 535 to 555 km and nine to ten hours of driving to Merzouga, so our tours split the outbound drive over two days with a night in the Dades Gorges, and the shortest loop drives back in one long day. From Fes it is about 460 km and seven to eight hours, which is why an overnight in the dunes with a return the next day is realistic from there. Expect to spend the morning of the desert day in the car: the camel ride comes in the late afternoon.

Arrival: tea and the camel ride at sunset

The itineraries agree on the shape of the evening. You reach Merzouga in the afternoon and, on several itineraries such as the two-day trip from Fes, you are met with mint tea before the ride. A camel for each traveller is listed among the inclusions of our desert itineraries, and the ride into the dunes is timed for the sunset: the two-day Fes page has the camel guide take you to a viewpoint about 40 minutes before sundown, and the five-day Fes to Marrakech page describes the guide stopping where the light is best for photos. Where the pages give a length for the ride it is about an hour and a half; that figure comes from the itineraries that state a duration (the eight-day Marrakech to Fes, the nine-day Casablanca and the five-day Fes to Marrakech pages), and the others do not give one. If you want more than the ride to the camp, the camel trekking programmes add walking days in the dunes.

The camp and the night

The camp is a Berber tent camp among the dunes. Dinner is listed as included on 38 of our 40 tour pages (the two fossil tours say "meals as per the plan"), and most itineraries describe the evening the same way: a traditional Moroccan dinner, then drums and Berber music around a fire, and the stars. The three-day Marrakech page puts it plainly: the camp crew build a fire and play drums beneath the stars.

What the pages do not describe is the tent itself. They say nothing about bathrooms, hot water, electricity, Wi-Fi or bedding. If any of those matter to you, ask when you book rather than assume. The night is colder than the day suggests: at Merzouga the modelled January average low is about 6 °C, and the Errachidia station 120 km north averages 2.0 °C, so from November to March you sleep in your layers.

Sunrise and the next morning

Many itineraries mention the sunrise over the dunes; the two-day Fes page says the camp staff wake you for the dawn. Breakfast follows, listed as included on the same 38 pages as dinner. Then you either ride the camels back to Merzouga and drive on, or, on tours with a full desert day, stay around the dunes: the six-day Fes to Marrakech page describes a 4×4 day that includes Khamlia's Gnawa musicians, and the five-day Marrakech loop's desert day visits the nomad families and Khamlia. Sandboarding appears on eleven of the forty itineraries, so treat it as a possibility rather than a fixture.

Is it worth it?

Yes, if the dunes are the point. Nothing else on a Morocco trip looks like Erg Chebbi at sunset, and the night, with the drums, the cold and the stars, is what people remember. It is the sequence, not any single part, that justifies the driving.

Think twice if you have two days and would rather see a city, because the desert takes the whole of both days; if you find nine hours in a car over two days a poor trade for one night; or if the heat of June to September or the cold of December and January would spoil it for you. In that case Zagora, closer and with a smaller desert, is the honest alternative, and the comparison linked above explains it.

What to pack and what to wear

Pack for two climates in one day. Merzouga's modelled averages give afternoon highs of about 30 °C in April and October and 37 to 43 °C from June to September, but nights of 6 to 8 °C from December to February and 11 to 17 °C in the shoulder months. So: a warm layer for every desert night from October to April, including something you can sleep in; sun protection and a scarf for the ride; closed shoes for the sand; and a small bag with what you need for one night, since you reach the camp by camel. Month-by-month figures for the desert and the cities are in Morocco weather by month.

What our current itineraries say is included

Shared by the English-language itineraries (35 pages carry the same list): pick-up and drop-off, an English- or Spanish-speaking driver, accommodation, a 4WD vehicle with fuel, breakfast and dinner; 34 of them add a camel for each traveller in the desert (the two-day Tangier to Chefchaouen trip has no desert). The two fossil tours phrase theirs differently ("comfortable transportation", "stay in good hotels and a desert camp", "camel rides in the Sahara", "meals as per the plan").

Stated only by some itineraries: mint tea on arrival (four pages); the camel ride length of about an hour and a half (the pages named above); a 4×4 excursion around Erg Chebbi (the tours with a full desert day); sandboarding (eleven pages); a shower at the camp the next morning (five pages); a choice of standard or luxury camp (the eight-day Marrakech to Fes page only).

Not stated anywhere on the site: toilets or bathrooms in the camp, hot water, electricity, Wi-Fi, air conditioning, private tents, bedding or sleeping bags, special diets, facilities for children, accessibility. Ask before you book if any of these decide it for you.

Not included, on every tour page that publishes an exclusion list (37 of the 40): lunches, monument fees, travel insurance and drinks; tips are listed as excluded on 35 of those 37.

Choosing a tour

The shortest round trip from Marrakech is the three-day Marrakech to Merzouga tour: a night in the gorges, a night in the dunes, back on day three. From Fes, the desert departures from Fes start with a two-day version. The desert itineraries on this site all list a camel for each traveller; they differ in how many days they spend getting there and whether they add a full day in the desert.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to ride a camel?

A camel for each traveller is part of the desert itineraries and the ride is how you reach the camp. If riding is a problem for you, tell us when booking so the arrangement can be discussed.

How long is the camel ride?

About an hour and a half on the itineraries that state a duration (the eight-day Marrakech to Fes, nine-day Casablanca and five-day Fes to Marrakech pages). The other pages do not give a length.

How cold is the desert at night?

Merzouga's modelled average lows are about 6 °C in January, 7 °C in December and 8 °C in February, rising to 16 to 17 °C in April and October; the Errachidia station averages 2.0 °C on January nights. Summer nights stay at 24 to 29 °C.

Are there showers at the camp?

The site does not establish showers as standard. Five itineraries mention a shower at the camp the next morning; the other pages do not say, and none describes hot water, toilets or electricity. Ask when booking.

Can children do a desert tour?

Our camel page says families visiting Morocco who wish to ride camels or camp in the Merzouga desert are welcome to get in touch. The site states no age limits and no child facilities, so ask about your children's ages before booking.

Is one night in the desert enough?

For the sunset, the camp and the sunrise, yes; that is what the two- and three-day itineraries give. A second night, or a full desert day, is what the longer loops add for the 4×4 excursion, Khamlia and the nomad visits.