4 min read
What a night in a Sahara desert camp is actually like
More comfortable than 'camping' suggests, less rustic than the photos might make you expect.
Written by Morocco Tailored Tours.
Desert camps near Erg Chebbi range widely, from large shared operations with dozens of tents to small private camps with four or five. Ours are the latter, private to your group, with proper beds rather than mats on the ground, though still simpler than a hotel: shared or basic en-suite bathrooms, limited electricity, and no wifi.
The evening usually follows a rhythm: arrival in time for sunset over the dunes, a communal dinner (often with live Gnawa or Berber music around the fire), and then a genuinely dark sky. With minimal light pollution, the stars are one of the most consistently mentioned highlights from travellers who've done this.
Mornings are cold before the sun is fully up, particularly outside summer, so the sunrise camel trek or walk usually happens in a jacket that comes off within the hour as the temperature climbs. Breakfast follows back at camp.
What surprises most first-timers: how quiet it is. No traffic, no construction, none of the ambient noise of a city: just wind, and occasionally a distant camel bell. It's a different kind of tired than a day of sightseeing, and most people sleep better than expected.
Want to see how this works on a real route? Our 6-Day Marrakech to Fez Desert Tour via the Sahara and 6-Day Fez to Marrakech Desert Tour via the Sahara are private itineraries we can adjust to fit.
Planning around Sahara Desert? Read the Sahara Desert destination guide, or see 6-Day Marrakech to Fez Desert Tour via the Sahara, a sample itinerary that includes it.
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6-Day Marrakech to Fez Desert Tour via the Sahara
A private 6-day Marrakech to Fez desert tour via Ait Ben Haddou, the Dades and Todra gorges and two nights in the Erg Chebbi dunes. A private route over the Atlas passes and down into the Sahara, with a full day to 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 for this trip
6-Day Marrakech to Fez Desert Tour via the Sahara
A private 6-day Marrakech to Fez desert tour via Ait Ben Haddou, the Dades and Todra gorges and two nights in the Erg Chebbi dunes. A private route over the Atlas passes and down into the Sahara, with a full day to sit still in the dunes instead of rushing through them. We end in Fez instead of backtracking to Marrakech, so every day moves forward.
Visits Marrakech · Ait Benhaddou · Todra and Dades Gorges · Sahara Desert · Fez
From€1,652(≈ $1,845 USD)€1,944 (≈ $2,170 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
6-Day Fez to Marrakech Desert Tour via the Sahara
A private 6-day Fez to Marrakech desert tour via the Middle Atlas, two nights in the Erg Chebbi dunes, the Todra and Dades gorges, Ouarzazate and Ait Benhaddou. The reverse of our classic Marrakech-to-Fez route, for travellers whose flights land or leave from Fez. A full day to sit still in the dunes, a night in each of the gorges and Ouarzazate, and a finish in Marrakech rather than a backtrack.
Visits Fez · Sahara Desert · Todra and Dades Gorges · Ouarzazate · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech
From€1,713(≈ $1,915 USD)€2,015 (≈ $2,250 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
8-Day Fez to Marrakech Tour via the Sahara and the Rose Valley
A private 8-day Fez to Marrakech tour that heads straight for the Sahara and then takes the long way over the Atlas. You get an afternoon in the Fez medina, a night in a desert camp, two nights in the Todra and Dades valleys, a night in Ouarzazate and a full day in Marrakech.
Visits Fez · Sahara Desert · Todra and Dades Gorges · Ouarzazate · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · +1 more
From€2,017(≈ $2,255 USD)€2,373 (≈ $2,650 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room