3 min read
The best time of day (and year) to see the Sahara dunes
Sunrise and sunset do most of the work: the calendar matters more for comfort than looks.
By time of day, sunrise and sunset are both genuinely better than midday for seeing the dunes at Erg Chebbi: the low-angle light brings out the ripple patterns in the sand and turns the dunes shades of orange and pink that flatten out completely under the midday sun.
Sunset is the more commonly chosen option, since it coincides naturally with arrival at camp; sunrise requires an early, cold start but rewards it with quieter dunes and a different colour palette as the light comes up.
By season, spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) offer the most comfortable temperatures for both timing: warm days without the extreme summer heat, and cold-but-manageable nights rather than the near-freezing lows of deep winter.
Full moon nights are worth asking about specifically if your dates are flexible: the dunes lit by moonlight, with minimal artificial light for miles, is a genuinely different experience from either sunrise or sunset, and one we can time a desert night around if it matters to you.
Planning around Sahara Desert? Read the Sahara Desert destination guide or see 6-Day Sahara Desert Tour: Marrakech to Fez, a sample itinerary that includes it.
A few common questions
Ready to see this in person?
6-Day Sahara Desert Tour: Marrakech to Fez
A private route over the Atlas passes and down into the Sahara, with two nights to actually sit still in the dunes instead of rushing through them. We end in Fez instead of backtracking to Marrakech, so every day moves forward.
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Read articleTours that include this
4-Day Sahara Desert Tour from Marrakech
For travellers with four days, not eight. The same dunes as our longer routes, reached and left by the most direct road, with one full day to actually be there.
4-Day Sahara Desert Tour from Fez
The most direct route to Erg Chebbi and back, for travellers based in Fez with four days rather than a week. The Middle Atlas cedar forests and Ziz Valley palmeries do a lot of the scenic work on the way down.
5-Day Sahara Desert Tour from Casablanca
For travellers flying into Casablanca with five days and the Sahara as the priority: a fast transit to Marrakech, then straight over the Atlas to the dunes and back.