Sahara Desert
Most Morocco desert trips end at Erg Chebbi, a sea of dunes near the town of Merzouga close to the Algerian border. We favour smaller, private camps over the big tour-bus staging areas, and build in at least one full day with no driving, so there's real time to just be there.
Planning a visit to Sahara Desert
Where the dunes are
Most trips go to Erg Chebbi, the big dunes near Merzouga in the south-east. Erg Chigaga, near M'Hamid, is wilder and further away. Zagora is the closer, easier alternative from Marrakech, and our journal compares Merzouga and Zagora if you are undecided.
What a visit looks like
The classic evening is a camel ride into the dunes at sunset, dinner and music at camp, a night under the stars, and sunrise over the sand the next morning. Camps range from simple to comfortable, and the standard we use is stated on each tour page.
When to go
Late February to May and late September to mid-November are the best windows: warm days, cool nights. Between October and May, days are usually mild and nights can feel cold. June to August is very hot at midday, and some camps close for the summer. Winter nights can be close to freezing.
How it fits with the rest of a trip
The drive is long: our itineraries allow about 7.5 hours from Fez to Merzouga, and the Marrakech route is split across the Atlas and the Dades or Todra gorges. That is why most of our desert routes include two nights in the area rather than one.
More on the Sahara
Sahara Desert in photos
Itineraries that include Sahara Desert
3-Day Private Sahara Tour from Marrakech to Merzouga
The shortest private route from Marrakech to the Erg Chebbi dunes: Ait Benhaddou and the Dades Valley on the way out, the Todra Gorge and a night in a Merzouga desert camp, and a long drive back through the Draa Valley. Two of the three days are mostly on the road, and we plan them that way.
Visits Marrakech · Ait Benhaddou · Todra and Dades Gorges · Sahara Desert
From€917(≈ $1,025 USD)€1,079 (≈ $1,205 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
4-Day Fez to Marrakech Desert Tour via the Sahara
A private 4-day Fez to Marrakech desert tour through Ifrane and Azrou, Merzouga, the Todra Gorge and Ait Ben Haddou. The shortest way from Fez to Marrakech through the Sahara: Ifrane and Azrou, a night at a desert hotel and a night in a luxury camp, Todra Gorge, Ouarzazate and Ait Ben Haddou.
Visits Fez · Sahara Desert · Todra and Dades Gorges · Ouarzazate · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · +1 more
From€917(≈ $1,025 USD)€1,079 (≈ $1,205 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
5-Day Marrakech to Sahara Desert Tour with Merzouga Camp
A 5-day Marrakech desert tour with a different bed each night: Marrakech, the Dades Valley, a luxury camp in the Erg Chebbi dunes and Ouarzazate, before returning to Marrakech on the last day. You see Ait Ben Haddou and Todra Gorge on the way out and sleep in the Sahara on day three. For travellers who want the desert on a short schedule without a full day of driving back.
Visits Marrakech · Ait Benhaddou · Todra and Dades Gorges · Sahara Desert · Ouarzazate
From€1,403(≈ $1,565 USD)€1,651 (≈ $1,845 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
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
6-Day Women's Wellness Tour from Fez
A 6-day women-only wellness tour from Fez built around the city's hammam tradition, with a Sahara stay. Fez's hammam tradition runs deep, which makes it a natural base for this women-only trip: traditional bathhouses, a female-guided medina walk, and two nights under the desert stars.
Visits Fez · Sahara Desert
From€1,409(≈ $1,575 USD)€1,658 (≈ $1,850 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
7-Day Casablanca to Marrakech Tour via Fez and the Sahara
A private 7-day Casablanca to Marrakech tour that runs through the imperial cities and out into the Sahara. You see Rabat, Volubilis and Meknes on the way to Fez, spend a night in a desert camp at Erg Chebbi, and come back over the High Atlas past Ait Benhaddou, finishing with a full guided day in Marrakech.
Visits Rabat · Fez · Sahara Desert · Todra and Dades Gorges · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · +5 more
From€1,741(≈ $1,945 USD)€2,048 (≈ $2,290 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
7-Day Family Morocco Tour from Casablanca to Marrakech
A private 7-day family tour of Morocco from Casablanca to Marrakech, built around things children actually remember: a giant mosque over the sea, the blue streets of Chefchaouen, Roman mosaics, wild monkeys in the cedar forest and a night under the stars in a Sahara camp. The pace is gentle at the start and gets wilder as the trip goes on.
Visits Chefchaouen · Fez · Sahara Desert · Todra and Dades Gorges · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · +5 more
From€1,741(≈ $1,945 USD)€2,048 (≈ $2,290 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
8-Day Marrakech Loop Tour via the Sahara, Fez and Chefchaouen
A private 8-day loop from Marrakech that goes straight into the Atlas and the Sahara, swings north through Fez and Chefchaouen, and returns down the Atlantic coast through Rabat and Casablanca. It spends two nights at Erg Chebbi and a full day in Fez, and the last day brings you back to Marrakech for your flight or onward trip.
Visits Marrakech · Ait Benhaddou · Todra and Dades Gorges · Sahara Desert · Fez · Chefchaouen · +5 more
From€2,205(≈ $2,465 USD)€2,594 (≈ $2,900 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
8-Day Casablanca Loop Tour via Marrakech, the Sahara and Chefchaouen
A private 8-day loop from Casablanca that runs south to Marrakech, across the Atlas to the Sahara, up to Fez and the Rif, and back to Casablanca. It includes two nights in the Erg Chebbi dunes, a full guided day in Fez and a night in Chefchaouen, and you fly out from the same airport you arrived at.
Visits Marrakech · Ait Benhaddou · Todra and Dades Gorges · Sahara Desert · Fez · Chefchaouen · +5 more
From€2,017(≈ $2,255 USD)€2,373 (≈ $2,650 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
9-Day Morocco Tour from Marrakech to Casablanca via the Sahara and Chefchaouen
A private one-way 9-day Morocco tour from Marrakech to Casablanca. It starts with a guided day in the Marrakech medina, crosses the Atlas to the Sahara for two nights in the dunes, goes north through Fez to a night in Chefchaouen, and finishes down the coast through Rabat to your flight from Casablanca.
Visits Marrakech · Ait Benhaddou · Todra and Dades Gorges · Sahara Desert · Fez · Chefchaouen · +6 more
From€2,575(≈ $2,875 USD)€3,029 (≈ $3,385 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
9-Day Tangier to Marrakech Desert Tour via Fez
A private 9-day Tangier to Marrakech desert tour covering Tangier, Chefchaouen, Fez, Sahara and 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.
Visits Tangier · Chefchaouen · Fez · Sahara Desert · Marrakech
From€2,293(≈ $2,560 USD)€2,698 (≈ $3,015 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
10-Day Morocco Tour from Marrakech
A private 10-day Morocco tour from Marrakech that loops the whole country: the Atlas and Ait Benhaddou, the Dades and Todra gorges, a night in the Sahara, Fez, Volubilis, Chefchaouen, Rabat, Casablanca and the Atlantic coast, ending with two relaxed days in Essaouira before returning to Marrakech.
Visits Marrakech · Ait Benhaddou · Sahara Desert · Fez · Chefchaouen · Essaouira · +5 more
From€3,012(≈ $3,365 USD)€3,543 (≈ $3,960 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
10-Day Morocco Tour from Fez to Marrakech via the Sahara and Essaouira
A private 10-day Morocco tour that starts in Fez and ends in Marrakech, with three nights in the Fez medina, a night in Chefchaouen and two nights in the Sahara. It finishes with a day trip to Essaouira and a guided morning in Marrakech.
Visits Fez · Chefchaouen · Sahara Desert · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · Essaouira · +4 more
From€2,625(≈ $2,935 USD)€3,088 (≈ $3,450 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
10-Day Imperial Cities and Sahara Tour from Casablanca to Marrakech
A private 10-day Morocco tour from Casablanca to Marrakech that links the Atlantic coast, the blue Rif, the imperial cities and the Sahara. You get two nights at Erg Chebbi, a full day in Fez, a night in Ouarzazate and a morning in Marrakech before you leave, with no day rushed.
Visits Chefchaouen · Fez · Sahara Desert · Todra and Dades Gorges · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · +6 more
From€2,625(≈ $2,935 USD)€3,088 (≈ $3,450 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
10-Day Morocco Tour from Tangier via the Imperial Cities, Sahara and Essaouira
A private 10-day Morocco tour that runs south from Tangier through Tetouan and Chefchaouen to Fez, the Sahara, the Atlas kasbahs and Marrakech, finishing on the Atlantic coast at Essaouira. The route has a full guided day in each of Fez and Marrakech and a night in the Sahara, without doubling back.
Visits Chefchaouen · Fez · Sahara Desert · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · Essaouira · +5 more
From€2,625(≈ $2,935 USD)€3,088 (≈ $3,450 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
12-Day Grand Morocco Tour from Casablanca via Tangier, the Sahara and Essaouira
A private 12-day Morocco tour that starts at Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque and works clockwise round the country: the Atlantic coast to Tangier, the blue Rif, Fez, two nights in the Sahara, the Atlas kasbahs, Marrakech and finally Essaouira. It is the full country in one trip, with a guided day in each of the two great medinas.
Visits Chefchaouen · Fez · Sahara Desert · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · Essaouira · +7 more
From€3,591(≈ $4,010 USD)€4,225 (≈ $4,720 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
13-Day Grand Morocco Circuit from Casablanca
A private 13-day circuit that leaves Casablanca and returns to it, so you fly in and out of the same airport. It takes in two nights in Chefchaouen, a guided day in Fez, a night in the Sahara, two nights in Marrakech with a free day, and the Atlantic coast through Essaouira and El Jadida on the way back.
Visits Chefchaouen · Fez · Sahara Desert · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · Essaouira · +7 more
From€4,752(≈ $5,310 USD)€5,590 (≈ $6,245 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
14-Day Grand Morocco Tour from Marrakech
A private 14-day Morocco tour from Marrakech that circles the whole country in one trip: the Red City, the Atlas and the Sahara, Fez and the Roman and imperial north, the blue streets of Chefchaouen, Tangier and the Atlantic coast, finishing in Essaouira before a last night in Marrakech. It is the slowest way to see Morocco, with long stays in the places that deserve them.
Visits Marrakech · Ait Benhaddou · Sahara Desert · Fez · Chefchaouen · Essaouira · +7 more
From€4,006(≈ $4,475 USD)€4,713 (≈ $5,265 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
15-Day Morocco Circuit from Casablanca with Akchour Hike and Essaouira
A private 15-day circuit that leaves from and returns to Casablanca, built for travellers who want time as well as sights. It includes a guided hike to the Akchour waterfalls, two nights in the Sahara, a full guided day in both Fez and Marrakech, and a free day in Essaouira before the Atlantic coast road back to Casablanca.
Visits Chefchaouen · Fez · Sahara Desert · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · Essaouira · +7 more
From€7,459(≈ $8,335 USD)€8,775 (≈ $9,805 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room
15-Day Morocco Tour from Casablanca via Rabat, Asilah and Ait Benhaddou
A private 15-day Morocco tour from Casablanca that gives each region its own night: Rabat, Chefchaouen with an Akchour hike, Fez, two nights in the Sahara, a night in Ouarzazate, Marrakech and Essaouira. The coast road through Asilah and El Jadida bookends the trip, so you finish in Casablanca where you began.
Visits Chefchaouen · Fez · Sahara Desert · Ait Benhaddou · Marrakech · Essaouira · +8 more
From€7,625(≈ $8,520 USD)€8,970 (≈ $10,020 USD)15% off, reserve by 17 Feb 2027per person, double or twin room