A Sahara trip is the highlight of most Morocco holidays. From Marrakech, the road crosses the High Atlas, passes the kasbah of Aït Benhaddou and follows the Dades and Todra gorges before reaching the dunes of Erg Chebbi near Merzouga.
Every tour below is private: your own vehicle and driver-guide, departure on the date you choose, and a night in a desert camp with a camel trek at sunset. The table compares duration, route and starting price so you can pick the right length for your trip.
Prices from €135
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2 Days
3 Days
3 Days
3 Days
4 Days
4 Days
Merzouga sits about 560 km from Marrakech, on the edge of the Erg Chebbi dunes close to the Algerian border. The drive takes roughly nine to ten hours of road time, which is why it is always split over at least two days with a night in the Dades Valley or around Ouarzazate on the way.
The road climbs over the Tizi n Tichka pass at 2,260 m, drops to the kasbah of Ait Benhaddou and Ouarzazate, then follows the Valley of Roses, the Dades Gorge and the Todra Gorge before the landscape flattens into the pre-Sahara. Zagora is closer, around 350 km and seven hours from Marrakech, which makes it the only desert option that fits into two days.
Day one crosses the High Atlas, with time at Ait Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and an overnight stop in the Dades Valley. Day two continues through the Todra Gorge and the palm groves of the Ziz Valley to Merzouga, where you ride a camel into the dunes for sunset and sleep in a desert camp. Day three starts with sunrise over Erg Chebbi, then the road leads back to Marrakech or north to Fes through the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas.
Because the tours are private, the stops are flexible. You can spend longer at a kasbah, pause for photos in the gorges, or ask the driver to skip a stop if the group is tired.
From Fes the dunes are around 470 km away, a drive of seven to eight hours through Ifrane, the cedar forest near Azrou, Midelt and the Ziz Valley. Many travellers use the desert as the link between the two cities: start in Marrakech and finish in Fes, or the other way round, so that no day is spent driving back along the same road.
October to April brings mild days and cold nights in the Sahara, and it is the most comfortable period for camel trekking. In December and January the temperature in the dunes can fall close to freezing after dark, so pack warm layers. From June to August afternoons regularly pass 40 °C, and the camel ride is moved to early morning or late evening.
Bring a scarf or cheche for the sand and sun, sunglasses, sunscreen, closed shoes, a warm jacket for the night and a small overnight bag for the camp so the main luggage can stay in the vehicle.
Merzouga has the high Erg Chebbi dunes and is worth the extra driving day; Zagora is the option when you only have two days.
Yes. You travel only with your own group, in a private vehicle with your driver-guide.
October to April is the most comfortable. In summer the days are very hot, so tours start early and rest at midday.
Yes. Several routes end in Fes, and any tour can be adapted on request.
