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The Sahara Desert in Morocco: the complete practical guide
Everything worth knowing before a desert trip, gathered in one place rather than five.
Written by Mustapha, Desert & Berber Culture Expert (15+ years, Zagora, Draa Valley).
Most Morocco itineraries that mention "the Sahara" mean the dunes at Erg Chebbi, near Merzouga, on the desert's northern edge. It's roughly 9–10 hours' drive from Marrakech and somewhat less from Fez, which is why almost every desert route is built as a multi-day crossing rather than a round trip: the drive itself, through the High Atlas and the gorges, is part of the trip, not just transit to get through.
What you sleep in matters more than most people expect going in. A desert camp today usually means proper beds and at least a basic en-suite setup, not a mat on the ground, though it's still simpler than a hotel: limited electricity, no wifi, and a rhythm built around a sunset arrival, a communal dinner, and a genuinely dark sky once the fire dies down.
Pack for two climates, not one. Daytime heat is real for most of the year, but desert nights, especially outside summer, regularly drop close to freezing, and a camel trek at sunrise happens in a jacket that comes off within the hour. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable months to be out there; summer is genuinely harsh.
The one thing worth deciding early is how you get there: the classic route via the Tizi n'Tichka pass and Ait Benhaddou to Erg Chebbi, or the shorter, quieter road via Zagora to the smaller dunes at Erg Chigaga. Both work; which one fits depends on how much time you have and whether the drive itself or the dune field matters more 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
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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
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.
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.
6-Day Sahara Desert Tour: Fez to Marrakech
The reverse of our classic Marrakech-to-Fez route, for travellers whose flights land or leave from Fez. Two nights in the dunes, the Todra and Dades gorges, and a finish in Marrakech rather than a backtrack.
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.
7-Day Sahara Desert Tour: Casablanca to Fez
A one-way crossing for travellers landing in Casablanca and departing from Fez (or vice versa): Marrakech, the Atlas passes, two nights in the dunes, and the gorges, finishing in Fez rather than doubling back.
9-Day Sahara Desert Tour: Tangier to Marrakech
The full north-to-south crossing: Tangier is the furthest of our departure cities from the Sahara, so this route takes longer than the others, with real stops rather than a rushed dash south.