How do I get from Marrakech to the Sahara desert?

The most popular route from Marrakech to the Sahara takes 8–9 hours by road via Ait Benhaddou, Ouarzazate, the Draa Valley and Merzouga. Our desert tours depart early morning so you arrive at Erg Chebbi in time for the sunset camel trek.

How many days do I need for a Morocco desert tour?

Minimum 2 days for Zagora, 3 days recommended for Erg Chebbi/Merzouga, 4 days to travel Marrakech to Fes via the Sahara, 5 days for the full southern circuit including gorges and kasbahs.

What is Erg Chebbi and where is it?

Erg Chebbi is Morocco's most iconic sand dune field, located near the town of Merzouga, 550km southeast of Marrakech. The dunes reach up to 150 metres high and glow orange and red at sunrise and sunset. It is Morocco's most photographed Sahara location.

Morocco Desert Tours 2025 | Sahara from Marrakech & Fes

What is Erg Chebbi?

The Destination

"Erg Chebbi is Morocco's most iconic sea of sand — 150-metre dunes glowing orange at dawn, a silence so complete you can hear your own heartbeat, and a sky at night that will permanently rewire how you think about the universe."

Located near the village of Merzouga, 550km southeast of Marrakech, Erg Chebbi is the Sahara most people dream of. The dunes are the real thing — steep, sculpted, and photographic from every angle. This is not a day trip. It deserves at least one night.

Our desert tours follow the ancient caravan routes south: through the fortress town of Ait Benhaddou, past the pink-walled kasbah city of Ouarzazate, down the Draa Valley of palm-fringed oases, and into the silence of the desert at Merzouga.

We operate both the classic Marrakech → Sahara → Marrakech round trip and the spectacular one-way Marrakech → Sahara → Fes route — one of the great road journeys of the world.

150m

Dune Height

550km

From Marrakech

0°

Light Pollution

Erg Chebbi at dawn — the silence here is complete

Choose Your Duration

Morocco Desert Tour Packages

From a quick 2-day Zagora escape to the full 5-day southern circuit — every tour departs on your dates, in your private vehicle.

The Luxury Desert Camp

We use exclusively private luxury camps at Erg Chebbi — a world away from the crowded shared bivouacs common on budget tours. Here's what that actually means.

Private camp at Erg Chebbi, Merzouga

Your private suite tent

The night sky — zero light pollution

Private Suite Tent

A fully furnished Berber-style tent with real beds, linens, rugs, and decorative lanterns. Yours alone — no shared sleeping with other guests.

En-Suite Bathroom

Hot shower, flush toilet, and running water. Yes, in the Sahara. This is the difference between a luxury camp and a bivouac.

Traditional Berber Dinner

A full multi-course meal — harira soup, tagine, couscous, mint tea and pastilla for dessert. Vegetarian options always available.

Solar Electricity

Phone charging, lighting, and fan available throughout the night. The camp runs entirely on solar power.

Live Berber Music

After dinner, local Gnawa musicians perform around the fire — drums, guembri, and rhythmic desert music. Included every evening.

This is not a shared bivouac

Many budget desert tours use basic shared tents with sleeping bags and communal facilities. Our camps are fully private — your group, your tent, your experience.

Two Great Routes

From Marrakech or Fes

Both routes lead to the same magnificent destination. Choose based on where your trip begins and ends — or combine both into one unforgettable one-way journey.

Departure City

Sahara Tour from Marrakech

⏱ 8–9 hours driving each way · Return or one-way to Fes

Marrakech

Ait Benhaddou

Draa Valley

Dades Gorge

Erg Chebbi

Cross the High Atlas via Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260m)

Ait Benhaddou — UNESCO World Heritage kasbah

Ouarzazate — Morocco's "Hollywood" film city

Draa Valley — 200km of palm groves and kasbahs

Arrive Merzouga in time for the sunset camel trek

Departure City

Sahara Tour from Fes

⏱ 7–8 hours driving · Return or one-way to Marrakech

Fes

Azrou

Erfoud

Todra Gorge

Erg Chebbi

Cedar forests of Azrou — wild Barbary macaques

Ifrane — Morocco's "Little Switzerland"

Todra Gorge — canyon walls 300 metres high

Erfoud — gateway to the fossil beds and Sahara

Slightly shorter drive — same magnificent destination

The People Who Take You There

Desert-Born Driver-Guides

Our desert drivers are not just behind the wheel — they grew up near these routes, know every kasbah keeper by name, and carry twelve years of desert knowledge in their heads. They are as much a part of the experience as the dunes themselves.

Born on These Routes

Our drivers grew up in southern Morocco — in the Draa Valley, near Merzouga, in the Dadès Gorge. These are their home roads. They know every shortcut, every viewpoint, every family-run argan cooperative that doesn't appear on any map.

Expert Desert Driving

Mountain passes at altitude, piste roads through the pre-Sahara, sandy tracks approaching the dunes — our drivers have 12+ years of experience on every surface these routes demand. The vehicle is always the right one for the road ahead.

Your Cultural Companion

There's no separation between driving and guiding on a desert tour — the best commentary happens spontaneously as you pass a crumbling ksar, a roadside argan press, or a Berber nomad's tent. Our drivers talk, translate, and introduce.

Vetted & Trusted

Every driver is personally known to us, background-checked, and has worked with Best of Morocco for a minimum of three seasons. We only send people we'd trust with our own families into the desert.

"I was born 30 kilometres from these dunes. Every time I watch a traveller see Erg Chebbi for the first time, I remember why I love this work."

— Brahim M., Desert Driver · 14 years

Plan Around the Weather

Best Time for a Morocco Desert Tour

The Sahara is a year-round destination — but the experience changes dramatically by season. Here's an honest guide to each.

22°

March · April · May

Spring

Excellent

Warm days (22–30°C), mild nights, wildflowers on the desert fringe, and clear skies. Ideal for photography. Crowds are low before the Easter rush.

42°

June · July · August

Summer

Challenging

Extreme heat — 40–45°C in the shade at Merzouga. Very few tourists. We recommend early morning and evening activities only. Not ideal for families.

28°

Sep · October · Nov

Autumn

Best Season

Golden light, perfect temperatures (25–32°C days, 12–18°C nights). The best stargazing conditions of the year. Our most popular season by far.

8°

Dec · January · Feb

Winter

Good with prep

Cold nights (3–8°C) — bring a warm jacket. Days are clear and mild (18–22°C). Very few tourists, exceptional stargazing, occasional snow on the dunes (magical).

Desert Reviews

What Our Guests Say

4.9

★★★★★

428 verified reviews
Google · TripAdvisor · Trustpilot

★★★★★

"Standing on top of an Erg Chebbi dune at sunrise, I genuinely wept. Our driver Brahim had been telling us stories about the desert the entire way down — history, Berber traditions, the lives of nomads. The luxury camp was a total surprise. We expected a tent. We got a hotel room in the sand."

🇦🇺

Claire & Tom R.3-Day Desert Tour · Sydney, Australia

TripAdvisor

★★★★★

"We did the Marrakech to Fes route over 4 days. The Sahara was the obvious highlight but the road itself was extraordinary — Ait Benhaddou, the gorges, the palm valleys. Our driver knew the name of every village. We never stopped being amazed."

🇺🇸

Marcus & Jenny L.4-Day Marrakech–Fes · New York, USA

Google

★★★★★

"I've done desert tours in Jordan and Egypt. Morocco's Erg Chebbi is in another class. The camp was genuinely luxurious, the camel trek was magical, and the stargazing was the best I've ever seen anywhere on earth. The Berber music around the fire was the perfect ending."

🇸🇪

Erik S.3-Day Desert Tour · Stockholm, Sweden

Trustpilot

The most scenic route from Marrakech to the Sahara takes 8–9 hours by private vehicle, heading south over the High Atlas via Tizi n'Tichka, through Ait Benhaddou, Ouarzazate, and the Draa Valley to Merzouga. Our desert tours depart early morning (around 7am) so you arrive at Erg Chebbi in time for the sunset camel trek. There is no direct flight — the road is the journey.

Minimum 2 days for Zagora (5 hours from Marrakech). 3 days recommended for Erg Chebbi/Merzouga — you get one full night in the desert camp. 4 days allows the spectacular Marrakech-to-Fes one-way journey. 5 days gives time to include Todra Gorge, Dades Gorge, and the Rose Valley without rushing. The right duration depends entirely on your schedule — we advise based on your flights and priorities.

Erg Chebbi is Morocco's most iconic dune field, located near the village of Merzouga in the Draa-Tafilalet region, approximately 550km southeast of Marrakech and 40km from the Algerian border. The dunes reach up to 150 metres high and span roughly 22km in length. They glow orange, red, and gold at sunrise and sunset — a photographer's dream. Erg Chebbi is considered one of the most photogenic Sahara locations in all of North Africa.

Yes — significantly. The temperature difference between day and night in the Sahara can be 30–40°C. In October to March, nights at Erg Chebbi drop to 5–10°C and can feel very cold, especially in January and February when it occasionally drops below freezing. In spring and autumn nights are cool and pleasant (12–18°C). In summer nights remain warm (20–25°C). Our camps provide warm blankets, and we always advise guests on what to bring seasonally.

Every Best of Morocco desert tour includes: private air-conditioned vehicle and experienced driver-guide, all road transport from your departure city, sunset camel trek into Erg Chebbi, one or two nights in a private luxury desert camp (private furnished tent, en-suite bathroom), traditional Berber dinner and breakfast at camp, live Gnawa music around the evening fire, and stargazing in the dunes. Riad accommodation en route is available as an addition. Lunches, entry fees, and personal items are not included.

Erg Chebbi (near Merzouga) is Morocco's most famous dune field — highly photogenic, accessible by paved road, stunning orange dunes up to 150m. Most Morocco desert tours go here. Erg Chigaga (near M'Hamid, 100km further south) is more remote, accessible only by 4×4 piste, completely off-grid, and almost completely tourist-free. Erg Chigaga is more authentic but requires more time and a specialist operator. For most travellers, Erg Chebbi is the right choice. For those seeking total solitude, we offer Erg Chigaga expeditions on request.

Without question — and our 428 five-star reviews reflect it. The Morocco desert tour is the experience that most of our guests say was the highlight of their entire trip, and often the highlight of their travel life. The specific moments that guests consistently describe: the silence when the camel trek reaches the crest of the first dune; the Milky Way appearing overhead at camp; the complete absence of any other sound at 5am. The desert changes you, in the best possible way.

For daytime: light, breathable layers, sun hat, sunscreen, good sunglasses, comfortable shoes for dune walking (avoid flip-flops — sand is deep). For nights (Oct–Mar especially): warm jacket, fleece or jumper, warm socks. Always: camera or charged phone for the sunrise, a small backpack for the camel trek, and a sense of wonder. The camp provides blankets, towels, and toiletries. We send every guest a detailed packing list with their booking confirmation.

Morocco Desert Tours The Sahara Awaits.

Morocco Desert Tour Packages

Six Moments That Will Stay With You

The Sunset Camel Trek

A Night in the Luxury Camp

3,000 Stars Overhead

Sahara Sunrise

A Berber Evening

The Road There

The Luxury Desert Camp

Private Suite Tent

En-Suite Bathroom

Traditional Berber Dinner

Solar Electricity

Live Berber Music

This is not a shared bivouac

From Marrakech or Fes

Sahara Tour from Marrakech

Sahara Tour from Fes

Desert-Born Driver-Guides

Born on These Routes

Expert Desert Driving

Your Cultural Companion

Vetted & Trusted

Best Time for a Morocco Desert Tour

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

Stops Along Your Desert Route

Aït Ben Haddou

Ouarzazate

Skoura Oasis

Dadès Valley

Todra Gorges

Erg Chebbi Dunes

Draa Valley

Erg Chigaga

Zagora

What Our Guests Say

Desert Tour Questions

Ask us anything

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