Of all the questions people send me before a Morocco trip, the desert ones come first: how far is it, how many nights, which dunes, what is the camp really like, and is it worth the drive? Morocco desert tours are among the most rewarding things you can do in the country, but they are also the easiest to get wrong. Too little time, too much driving and the wrong camp can turn the Sahara into a long day in a car followed by a crowded evening.
I have been planning private desert journeys from Marrakech since 2017, and our own camp sits in the dunes of Merzouga. This guide explains how a Morocco desert tour actually works, from the first morning on the road to the last sunrise on the sand, and how to choose the route, length and style that suit you. For the geography, history and wildlife of the dunes themselves, read our companion guide to the Sahara Desert in Morocco.
How a Morocco desert tour works
Morocco's great sand seas lie on the far side of the Atlas Mountains, a long day's drive from the cities where most travellers arrive. That single fact shapes everything. A desert tour is really three things joined together:
- The road south. Mountain passes, kasbahs, gorges and palm oases. Done well, this is half the pleasure of the trip, not an obstacle to it.
- The desert itself. Arriving in late afternoon, a camel ride or 4x4 transfer to camp, sunset from a dune, dinner, stars, and sunrise the next morning.
- The road out. Ideally a different route from the one you came in on, so no kilometre is wasted, and ending either back in Marrakech or onward in Fes.
On a private tour you travel with your own English-speaking driver in a comfortable 4x4 or minivan for the whole route. You choose how early to leave, where to stop for photographs or tea, and how long to linger. Your nights are booked in advance in riads, kasbah hotels and a desert camp at the standard you choose.
Erg Chebbi or Erg Chigaga: which dunes?
This is the first decision, and it shapes the whole tour.
Erg Chebbi, near Merzouga
The tall, golden dunes of the classic Sahara photograph, rising to around 150 metres beside the village of Merzouga. Tarmac reaches the edge of the sand, so camps are a short camel ride or 4x4 transfer away. Erg Chebbi suits travellers with limited time, families, older guests, and anyone travelling between Fes and Marrakech. It is also where our own camp, Arabian Nights Desert Camp, is based.
Erg Chigaga, beyond M'Hamid
Larger, lower and much wilder. The road ends at M'Hamid in the Draa Valley, and the last stretch is around two hours of off-road driving across stony plain and dry lake. There is no village at the dunes and the night sky is outstanding. Erg Chigaga suits travellers with at least four or five days, starting and ending in Marrakech, who want remoteness more than convenience.
And Zagora?
Zagora has small dunes and is often sold as a two-day "Sahara" trip from Marrakech. It is a lovely oasis town, but if your dream is the big sand sea, choose Erg Chebbi or Erg Chigaga and give the trip the days it needs.
Desert tours from Marrakech
Marrakech is where most desert tours begin, and it is where we are based. The road climbs over the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass, drops to Aït Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate, and then continues either east towards the gorges and Merzouga, or south down the Draa Valley towards M'Hamid and Erg Chigaga.
- To Erg Chebbi: roughly nine to ten hours of driving each way with stops, always split with a night in the Dades or Todra gorges. Three days is the minimum; four or more is far kinder.
- To Erg Chigaga: roughly eight to nine hours to M'Hamid plus the off-road crossing. Usually four to five days, ideally with two nights in the dunes.
- Returning or continuing: you can loop back to Marrakech by a different valley, or finish in Fes across the Middle Atlas.
Our seven-day desert tour from Marrakech spends two full nights at Erg Chebbi and returns by the Draa Valley. The five-day Erg Chigaga tour goes the wilder way, and the four-day Marrakech to Fes desert tour turns the journey between the two great medinas into a crossing of the Sahara.
Desert tours from Fes
Fes is the closer starting point for Erg Chebbi. The route crosses the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas, passes Ifrane and Midelt, and follows the Ziz Valley's palm groves south to Merzouga in around seven to eight hours with stops. It is long, but it can be done comfortably in a day.
The most efficient way to see both Fes and the desert is to travel one way: our four-day Fes to Marrakech desert tour reaches the dunes on the first evening and continues through the Todra and Dades gorges, the Valley of Roses and Aït Ben Haddou on the way to Marrakech.
One night, two nights or more?
This is where I am most direct with guests: if you can, spend two nights in the desert.
One night
You arrive in the late afternoon after a long drive, ride or drive to camp, watch sunset, eat dinner, sleep and watch sunrise before breakfast and the road again. It is magical, and plenty of travellers are delighted with it. But it is short, and it always follows a full day on the road.
Two nights
The second night changes the experience. You wake with a free day: a guided walk across the dunes, a visit to a nomad family, tea in Khamlia with its Gnawa musicians, sandboarding, or simply reading in the shade. The second evening is calmer, the stars feel closer, and you leave rested rather than rushed.
Three days or more
For photographers, walkers and anyone who wants real silence, a longer stay or a camel trek between camps is possible. Our Atlas trekking and Erg Chigaga tour combines walking in the High Atlas with two nights in the remote dunes.
A desert tour, day by day
Every route is different, but here is how a typical four-day private desert tour from Marrakech flows, to give you a feel for the rhythm.
Day 1: Over the Atlas to the gorges
Leave Marrakech in the morning and climb the Tizi n'Tichka pass. Stop at Aït Ben Haddou, the fortified village, for a walk and lunch, then continue past Ouarzazate and through the palm groves of Skoura to the Dades Valley for the night in a kasbah hotel.
Day 2: Todra Gorge and the dunes
Walk the narrow floor of the Todra Gorge in the morning, then drive east through the oases of Tinghir and Erfoud. You reach Merzouga in the late afternoon, ride a camel or take a 4x4 to camp and climb a dune for sunset.
Day 3: A full day in the desert
With a second night, sunrise is unhurried. Spend the day walking, visiting Khamlia or a nomad family, or resting at camp, then enjoy a second sunset and a quieter dinner under the stars.
Day 4: Back across the south
Leave after breakfast and return towards Marrakech by a different road, or turn north for Fes across the Middle Atlas. On longer tours, this is where the Draa Valley, Zagora and its oases come in.
A three-day version drops the free desert day; a seven-day version adds the Draa Valley, Skoura and more time in each place.
What the desert camp is really like
"Desert camp" can mean anything from a mattress in a woollen tent to a suite with a proper bathroom, so it pays to ask exactly what is included.
- Standard camps: simple tents and shared washing facilities. Sociable and authentic, but basic.
- Comfort and luxury camps: private tents with a real bed, linen, rugs and an en-suite bathroom with a hot shower and flushing toilet. This is the level most of our guests choose.
- Private camps: for families or friends who want the camp, and the silence, to themselves.
At Arabian Nights Desert Camp in Merzouga, part of our own operation, guests have a private tent with its own bathroom and hot shower, dinner and breakfast, and the activities listed in their proposal. Evenings follow the desert's rhythm: mint tea after sunset, a tagine or couscous cooked on site, drums by the fire, then a sky with almost no light pollution.
Nights can be cold from November to February, even after a warm day. Good camps provide thick blankets, but bring a warm layer.
The desert inside a longer Morocco journey
Many of our guests do not book a desert tour at all. They book a longer journey, and the desert becomes its centrepiece. With ten to fourteen days, the Sahara fits naturally between the imperial cities, the Atlas and the coast:
- Our ten-day Morocco tour from Casablanca takes in Rabat, Chefchaouen and Fes, then crosses the Middle Atlas to the dunes before Marrakech.
- The Grand Morocco Tour spends fourteen days on the full circuit, with time in the Sahara, the gorges and the kasbah valleys.
- The imperial cities and desert tour balances Fes and Marrakech with the dunes.
- The ten-day Sahara desert tour focuses on the south: Erg Chigaga, Draa oases, Anti-Atlas roads and Atlantic cliffs.
- Shorter on time? The seven-day Morocco tour from Marrakech includes the desert in a single week.
If you are wondering how many days to plan in total, our Morocco itinerary guide compares routes from seven to fourteen days.
Which of our desert tours suits you?
| If you… | Consider | Dunes |
|---|---|---|
| are starting in Fes and finishing in Marrakech | 4-day Fes to Marrakech desert tour | Erg Chebbi |
| are starting in Marrakech and continuing to Fes | 4-day Marrakech to Fes via Erg Chebbi | Erg Chebbi |
| want wilder, more remote dunes from Marrakech | 5-day Erg Chigaga tour | Erg Chigaga |
| want two full desert nights and a Marrakech loop | 7-day desert tour from Marrakech | Erg Chebbi |
| love walking as much as dunes | 7-day Atlas trekking and Erg Chigaga | Erg Chigaga |
| want the deep south and the Atlantic | 10-day Sahara desert tour | Erg Chigaga |
Every tour is private and can be adjusted: an extra desert night, a different camp, a slower pace or a different finishing city. You can see all of them together on our Morocco desert tours page.
When to go on a Morocco desert tour
- October and November: warm days, cool nights, clear light. My favourite season, and a popular one, so plan early.
- March and April: comfortable temperatures and green oases, with occasional spring winds that lift sand into the air.
- December to February: bright, calm days and cold nights, sometimes close to freezing. Christmas and New Year are busy; our New Year's Eve in Morocco guide covers celebrating in the desert.
- May to September: very hot in the middle of the day. Still possible, with early starts, a shaded rest at midday and time on the dunes in the evening.
For the whole country, season by season, see our best time to visit Morocco guide.
What to pack for the desert
- A warm layer and a hat for the evening, even in spring and autumn.
- Sunglasses, sunscreen and lip balm.
- A light scarf for sun and wind; you can also buy one along the way and learn to tie it as a turban.
- Comfortable closed shoes, plus sandals for the sand.
- A small overnight bag for camp, so your main luggage can stay in the vehicle.
- A head torch, a power bank and a bag to protect your camera from sand.
Private or shared desert tour?
Shared tours from Marrakech are cheaper because the vehicle and guide are split between strangers. They follow a fixed timetable, usually stop at the same places as every other group and use large camps. A private tour costs more, but the day is yours: leave early for the light, stop for a walk in a palm grove, skip a shop you do not want to visit, and choose a camp where you can actually hear the silence.
We only run private journeys, for one party at a time. If you would like to understand how a private quotation is built, our guide to Morocco trip costs explains starting prices and what they include.
Common desert tour mistakes
- Too few days. Two days from Marrakech to the big dunes is not realistic.
- Backtracking. Leaving and returning by the same road when a loop or a one-way route to Fes would show you more.
- Not asking about the camp. Check bathrooms, heating or blankets, and how many tents there are.
- Forgetting the cold. Desert nights in winter surprise almost everyone.
- Filling every hour. Leave time to sit on a dune and do nothing. It is usually the moment guests remember most.
Morocco desert tour FAQs
How many days do you need for a Morocco desert tour?
From Marrakech, three days is the honest minimum for the tall Erg Chebbi dunes and four days is far more comfortable. From Fes, three or four days works well, especially if you finish in Marrakech. For the remote Erg Chigaga, plan at least four or five days.
Is one night in the Sahara enough?
One night gives you sunset, dinner under the stars and sunrise, and many travellers are happy with that. Two nights is what we recommend whenever the route allows: the second evening is calmer, you have a full day to walk, visit nomad families or simply rest, and the long drive is not followed immediately by another.
Which is better, Erg Chebbi or Erg Chigaga?
Erg Chebbi near Merzouga has the highest dunes and easy access by tarmac, so it suits shorter trips, families and travellers arriving from Fes. Erg Chigaga beyond M'Hamid is wilder and more remote, reached by roughly two hours of off-road driving, and suits travellers with more time who value isolation.
Can you do a desert tour from Marrakech in two days?
Only to the low dunes near Zagora, and it means around twelve hours of driving for one short evening. It is possible, but we would rather design three or four days so the desert is a pleasure rather than an endurance test.
Is a private desert tour different from a group tour?
Yes. On a private tour the vehicle, driver and timings are yours alone. You stop where you want, leave when you are ready and choose your camp standard. Shared tours follow a fixed schedule with other travellers and usually use simpler camps.
What kind of camp will we stay in?
Our guests usually stay in comfort camps with private tents, a proper bed and an en-suite bathroom with a hot shower. In Merzouga we often use Arabian Nights Desert Camp, which is part of our own operation. More basic or fully private camps can be arranged on request.
When is the best time for a Sahara tour in Morocco?
October to November and March to April are the most comfortable. Winter brings bright days and cold nights, and summer is very hot in the middle of the day, so summer trips are planned around early mornings and evenings.
Do we have to ride a camel?
No. A camel ride of around an hour at sunset is the classic way to reach or leave camp, but a 4x4 transfer is always possible, and many guests ride one way and drive the other.
Can a desert tour be part of a longer Morocco trip?
Yes, and that is how most of our guests experience it. Ten- to fourteen-day journeys usually fold one or two desert nights between Marrakech, the Atlas, the kasbah valleys and Fes.
Plan your private desert tour
Tell me where you are starting, how many days you have and what kind of desert night you imagine. I will suggest a realistic route, the right dunes and a camp to match. You can also browse all our private Morocco desert tours or plan your journey directly.
