Sahara Desert Morocco: Ultimate Travel Guide 2025
Visiting the Sahara Desert in Morocco will forever be one of my favourite travel memories. The most insane sunrises, watching shooting stars whilst sleeping under the Milky Way, running down the sand dunes… It made me feel like a little kid again, in the best possible way.
A trip to the Moroccan Sahara Desert is something everyone should do at least once in their life. However, going about planning it can be a little tricky.
In this guide, we’ll share with you exactly how to book your Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech or Fes, all the stops you’ll need to see, and everything else there is to know about visiting the Sahara Desert in Morocco.
How to Visit The Sahara Desert On A Tour
Undoubtedly the easiest way to visit the Sahara Desert is on an organised tour. There are many tour agents that offer trips from Marrakech and Fes to the Sahara Desert, but the one you choose really depends on what you’re after.
A great place to book a tour is via Get Your Guide. There are plenty of options to choose from so you’re guaranteed to get something that suits your preferences. Plus, you can check out what other travellers thought of the tour before booking!
If you’re already in Morocco, there are many tour guides throughout Fes and Marrakech that offer good deals on Sahara Desert Tours. However, the drawback is you cannot guarantee the quality of the tour or hear from other travellers what the tour was actually like.
We’d always recommend booking in advance through Get Your Guide.
Best Tours From Fes
✅Best Private Tour: 4-Day Desert Tour
This is the BEST tour you can take from Fes to the Sahara Desert. With your own private, air-conditioned vehicle, you’ll visit all the must-see sights along the way. You’ll also spend 2 nights in the Sahara Desert which we would recommend to everyone!
✅Best Group Tour: 3-Day Sahara Discovery Tour
This tour will take you to all the must-see destinations in the Sahara Desert, with a friendly English-speaking guide. You’ll travel with a small group so you can get to know everyone and make new friends. Breakfasts and dinners are included, as well as sandboarding and a night in a desert camp.
Best Tours From Marrakech
✅Best Private Tour: 4-Day Marrakech Return Trip To Sahara Desert
If you’re looking at booking a private tour from Marrakech to the Sahara Desert, we would highly recommend this one. It’s great if you’re flying into and out of Marrakech airport as it will take you back to your starting point. Not only that, but you get two nights in the magical Sahara Desert, which we would recommend to everyone.
✅Best Group Tour: 3-Day Merzouga & Sahara Desert Tour
This tour from Marrakech to the Sahara Desert includes all your breakfasts and dinners, transport, and accommodation, including a night in a tented desert camp. It’s a small-group tour which makes it so much more personal and enjoyable. It also includes various activities including camel rides and sandboarding.
How To Visit The Sahara Desert In Morocco Without A Tour
If you’re travelling on a budget, or simply want a more adventurous journey, it is absolutely possible to visit the Sahara Desert WITHOUT a tour (despite many people likely telling you not to).
Sahara Desert By Car
We know many people who have hired a car and driven themselves to the town of Merzouga, in the heart of the Erg Chebbi dunes, as well as the Erg Chigaga dunes further south.
This can be a great way to explore more of Morocco, stopping at the small towns and attractions along the way.
I would recommend allowing at least 2 days to make the journey from Marrakech or Fes to Merzouga, however. It will take between 8-10 hours of constant driving each way. Whilst it is doable in a day, it’s not enjoyable. Take an extra day and stop along the way to get a more authentic Moroccan experience.
Sahara Desert By Public Transport
We visited the Sahara Desert by public transport and I would highly recommend doing this if you have a little more time. It is more of a lengthy process, but you can really get into the heart of Morocco and get to know its people and culture far more.
There is an extensive coach network in Morocco and the journeys are comfortable and air conditioned. 99% of the coaches run on time too, so it’s a great way to travel.
Drivers will always stop at least once during your journey which can be nice to break up the time.
Sahara Desert Public Transport Itinerary
Here is our recommended itinerary if you’re planning on travelling to the Sahara desert by public transport. Feel free to reverse the order if you’re starting in Fes!
Where To Stay In Merzouga
Despite being literally in the middle of the Sahara Desert, Merzouga is home to some stunning hotels, riads, and guesthouses. They offer guests a tranquil oasis where you can relax, during the day, and explore the desert in the early mornings and evenings when the temperatures are a little cooler.
Here’s our recommendations of where to stay in Merzouga:
✅Best Budget Option – Kasbah Mohayut
This is the exact place we stayed for 3 nights in Merzouga and we cannot recommend it highly enough. The rooms were huge, very comfortable, and air-conditioned. The staff were kind and attentive. The breakfast was varied and super delicious. The pool and outdoor areas make for a relaxing stay. AND it backs right onto the Erg Chebbi dunes.
✅Best Mid-Range Option – Kanz Erremal
Kanz Erremal boasts large traditional rooms with air-conditioning. The staff are very kind and make you feel welcome, and the food is delicious. What really sets this hotel apart, however, is the beautiful swimming pool looking out over the Erg Chebbi dunes. It’s this alone that makes Kanz Erremal one of the best hotels in Merzouga.
✅Best Luxury Option – Sunrise Palace Merzouga
If you’re looking for the best of the best, look no further. Sunrise Palace Merzouga is on another level compared to most places to stay in the Sahara Desert. The rooms are very spacious and comfortable, whilst the views from the hotel balcony are spectacular. The pool is a slice of Heaven to cool off from the hot desert temperatures.
Sahara Desert Camps
The other option when visiting the Sahara Desert is to stay in a desert camp. We would recommend everyone stays one night in a desert camp as this is truly the best way to experience the desert.
Desert camps are made up of several private tents, a communal tent where your meals and evening entertainment will be, and a wash tent with flushing toilets and running water.
You will be served a delicious local meal (often tagine) with fruits and salad, followed by traditional music and dancing.
Staff will often ask if you would like them to pull your bed outside of your tent to sleep under the stars and we highly recommend this! We woke up in the middle of the night to see the Milky Way with hundreds of shooting stars flying overhead. It was pure magic.
You’ll likely have an early alarm to watch the sunrise over the dunes, before making your way back to your hotel or tour bus.
This is one of our all-time favourite travel memories and we would highly recommend it to everyone!
Best Sahara Desert Camps
If you’re staying in a hotel, it will likely be easiest to book through them and stay at their desert camp. This is what we did and it was completely hassle-free. However, here’s our recommendations if you want to book separately:
Places To Visit In And Around The Sahara Desert
The Sahara Desert stretches 443km across Morocco, encompassing many different settlements and attractions worth visiting. We’ve listed our favourites below.
Erg Chebbi Dunes and Merzouga
The Erg Chebbi dunes are located around the village of Merzouga, and is one of the most accessible places to see the Sahara Desert in Morocco.
These towering dunes reach heights of up to 150 meters, creating a breathtaking landscape that feels both vast and intimate. The soft, shifting sands create an ever-changing landscape of ripples and curves, inviting you to explore.
The dunes are best explored at sunset and sunrise, when the sun casts orange and pink hues across the sky and into the desert. The long shadows create spectacular photographs, plus the sand is much cooler so it won’t burn your feet.
Running down the dunes is also so much fun and allows you to access your inner child for a while.
Erg Chigaga Dunes
If you’re after an even greater sense of solitude and tranquility, Erg Chigaga offers just that. Less visited than the popular Erg Chebbi dunes, the Erg Chigaga dunes rise to heights of around 60 metres and stretch over 40 kilometers.
The sunset here is particularly magical, as the dunes take on vibrant hues of orange and red.
Camping beneath the expansive desert sky allows for the most breathtaking stargazing experience, where constellations shine brightly in the clear air.
Erg Chigaga is a hidden gem that captures the essence of the Sahara, offering an intimate connection with nature and a sense of adventure that lingers long after your visit.
Ouarzazate and Aït Benhaddou
Whether you decide to visit Erg Chebbi or Erg Chigaga, you have to make sure you stop in Ouarzazate. With many accommodation options to suit every budget, we’d recommend spending at least one night here if you have the time!
Ouarzazate is known as “the Hollywood of Morocco” and is famous for it’s film locations. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Aït Ben Haddou being used in productions such as Gladiator and Game of Thrones.
Still home to a few families today, a tour of Aït Benhaddou is like walking through history. With spectacular views over the desert, it’s fascinating to see the traditional way of life in this ancient town.
Just outside of Ouarzazate itself is the Atlas Film Studios where it’s possible to take a tour of various sets. This is super fun and only costs 80 dirhams.
It is possible to do a day trip from Marrakech to Ouarzazate, so even if you’re short on time you can still visit this incredible place.
Todra Gorge and the Tinghir Oasis
Todra Gorge and the Tinghir Oasis are some of the most beautiful places in Morcco in our opinion. With towering orange walls measuring up to 300m either side, these are the perfect places to both hike and relax in the cool waters of the river.
Todra Gorge is often lined with people selling souvenirs, food, and drinks, with families setting up picnics by the waters edge. The water is only shallow here, so many people will set up camping chairs in the water to relax.
Alternatively, there are several hikes you can take in the area, and it’s also an excellent place for climbing.
To visit Todra Gorge, we’d recommend staying in the small town of Tinghir. The Tinghir oasis is absolutely beautiful, with tall palm trees and small streams offering some respite from the hot Moroccan sunshine.
Things To Do In The Sahara Desert
If you’ve got a few days in either Erg Chebbi or Erg Chigaga, there is so much you can do, we guarantee you won’t get bored. They’re the perfect places to disconnect, read a good book, and relax in peaceful surroundings.
We’ve rounded up a few of the best things to do in the Sahara Desert.
Camel Trekking
Camel trekking is possibly one of the most popular things you can do in the Sahara Desert and it can be a lot of fun! Riding over the sand dunes at sunset really is something special (even if you could probably walk faster).
Camels in Morocco are very expensive to purchase (more than £2000 each) so are generally very well looked after. However, please do your research into tour companies before booking to ensure high animal welfare standards.
Sandboarding
Another activity you can do whilst in the Moroccan Sahara Desert is sandboarding. Many hotels and desert camps will offer this at a small additional charge.
Sandboarding is essentially like snowboarding, but in the desert (I know, shock). It’s not as easy as it looks however! If you can make it to the bottom whilst still on your feet and the board, you’re clearly an expert.
Stargazing & Night in the Desert
We’ve said it before but we’ll say it again, if you’re visiting the Sahara Desert you HAVE to spend a night in a desert camp. You’ll usually have the option to sleep under the stars which is a bucket list experience.
The stars in the Sahara Desert were like nothing we’ve ever seen before. With minimal light pollution, the sky is lit up with thousands of stars, and if you’re lucky you may even see the Milky Way and shooting stars.
Nights in the desert can get cold and windy, so make sure to pack something warm and don’t be surprised if you wake up covered in sand!
ATV & 4×4 Tours
4×4 and ATV tours of the Sahara Desert can be so much fun! With small groups, you can fly over the sand dunes, getting an adrenaline rush while you’re at it.
4×4 tours often include stops at key sights, such as local oases and traditional Berber villages, providing insight into the rich culture of the region. ATV tours allow you to head deeper into the desert and explore hidden dunes you otherwise would never see.
Both offer incredible photo opportunities and are absolutely worth doing.
Essential Things to Know Before Visiting the Sahara Desert
Visiting the Sahara Desert is a bucket list experience, however it is always good to be prepared. I mean, you are visiting the largest desert in the world!
Best Time to Visit the Sahara Desert
The Sahara Desert is beautiful all year round, though of course it gets extremely hot in the summer months.
The best time to visit the Sahara Desert is during the cooler months, from late autumn to early spring (October to April). Temperatures are more comfortable, typically ranging from 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F) during the day, though the nights can be quite chilly, dropping to around 0°C (32°F).
This weather makes exploring the vast landscapes, hiking the dunes, and enjoying activities such as sandboarding far more pleasant.
Additionally, visiting during these months allows you to experience the stunning beauty of the desert under clear skies, especially during sunrise and sunset when the colors of the dunes come alive.
Avoiding the scorching summer months, when temperatures can rise to 50°C (122°F), ensures a more enjoyable and safer trip.
However, if you are only in Morocco in the summer, as long as you’re sensible, you can still enjoy the Sahara Desert. We visited in July and whilst it was incredibly hot, we booked a hotel with a pool. We spent early mornings and evenings on the dunes, and relaxed in the shade by the pool in the day, cooling off in the water when it got too hot.
What to Pack for The Sahara Desert
What you pack for the Sahara Desert will be quite similar to the rest of Morocco, though I would definitely make sure you have these items with you. Here’s our packing list:
- Loose-fitting, lightweight, breathable clothing – long trousers and long sleeves are ideal to protect you from the sun. Opt for a natural fabric such as cotton or linen for breathability.
- Scarf to protect your hair and face from sand – these can be purchased in any city in Morocco and are best purchased before reaching the desert.
- Warmer top for chilly evenings
- Swimming costume if you’re staying at a hotel with a pool
- Widebrimmed sunhat
- Sunglasses with high UV protection
- SPF 50 sunscreen
- Filter water bottle – tap water is not drinkable without filtration and it’s far better for the environment than countless bottles of water
- Sturdy sandals or shoes
- Electrolyte tablets for maximum hydration –
- Camera or smartphone with lots of storage for all the photos you’ll want to take!
Sahara Desert Morocco FAQs
Still have a few questions about visiting the Sahara Desert in Morocco? We’ve answered the most common questions below.
Is the Sahara Desert in Morocco Safe?
Yes! The Moroccan Sahara Desert is very safe for tourists. The biggest dangers are the sun and heat, so be prepared with high SPF sunscreen, sunhats, and stay out of the sun during the hottest parts of the day. Make sure to drink lots of water and always stay hydrated.
Of course, don’t go wandering off by yourself too far into the desert and make sure you know where your guesthouse or desert camp is before you go exploring. Stay close so you don’t get lost, and let someone know your going out beforehand.
What Cities Are Close to the Sahara Desert?
The closest towns and cities to the Sahara Desert are Merzouga, for direct access to the Erg Chebbi dunes, and M’Hamid for direct access to the Erg Chigaga dunes.
Other towns nearby include Ouarzazate, often referred to as the gateway to the Sahara, Zagora, and Tazarine.
Multi-day tours to the Sahara Desert are also possible from Marrakech and Fes.
What to Wear in the Sahara Desert?
Prioritise loose-fitting, natural materials such as cotton or linen in order to keep cool. Long trousers and long sleeve tops can give you a little extra protection from the sun, and are best for camel rides. Make sure to bring a warm top as evenings can be cool.
Can You Visit The Sahara Desert From Marrakech?
Yes absolutely! The Sahara Desert can be visited from Marrakech, though it takes a full 10 hours of driving to get there.
There are several multi-day tours to visit the Sahara Desert from Marrakech, or alternatively it’s possible via public transport if you have more time.
How Long Should I Spend In The Sahara Desert?
Most tours will only allow you around 12-15 hours in the Sahara Desert, from sunset one day to sunrise the next. Honestly, this is not really enough.
I would highly recommend booking a hotel for at least two nights so you can have a full day in the desert. It’s absolutely worth it.
We spent 3 nights in the Sahara Desert (two in a hotel and one in a desert camp) and we wished we booked longer. There is just something so magical and captivating about the desert that will mean you’ll never want to leave.
Wrap Up
The Sahara Desert in Morocco is a must-visit destination. From camel treks to stargazing, there’s so much to experience in this unique landscape. You’ll meet friendly locals, explore nearby towns, and enjoy delicious food along the way.
Visiting the desert offers a break from the hustle and bustle of Morocco’s cities, allowing you to connect with nature and create lasting memories. If you’ve been thinking about going, now’s the perfect time to take the leap. The Sahara Desert is waiting to share its wonders with you!
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