Visit Sahara Morocco

visit Sahara Morocco The most impressive and largest hot desert in the world, it covers about 30% of Africa. It is an ancient, endless sea of orange sand with huge dunes and camel caravans. In the Moroccan Sahara, there are 2 important areas covered by sand dunes, the dunes are called Elge, which means the sea of sand in Arabic. Elge Chebbi is the most popular one, near Merzouga. From Ouarzazate, there is a scenic road through gorges, oases, valleys, and ancient kasbahs. Erg Chebbi is located in the region of Souss-Massa-Draa, about 100 km south of the town of Zagora. The dunes here reach a height of 60 meters, but due to the relative difficulty of access, this dune is much less visited by tourists.

The Morocco Desert Tours is a wonderful adventure by jeep or special “means of transport” in the desert, with camels – dromedaries, in the sand and dunes of the Sahara, the largest desert in the world. You can Visit Sahara Morocco from Marrakech, Ouarzazate, or Fes to one of the sand dunes – Erg Chebbi or Erg Chegaga. Sahara Desert tours from Marrakech are basically offered in the form of two-day tours and overnight stays. However, sometimes you have to be patient – after all, the journey here is impossible, as many travelers want it to be easy. It’s better to take at least 2-3 days for such an itinerary, especially if you are going to a remote and wild erg – Chegaga through the town of Zagora. But the beauty of the desert will amply reward you for all your efforts! Endless sands and hot desert, cold nights and the Milky Way above you, gentle sunrises over the dunes, and camel caravans led by the enchanting Tuareg Berber tribe with blue scarves to the delight of tourists ……

The desert lies in the southeast of the country, on the Algerian border, and is close to the sea south of Western Sahara. Temperatures in the desert are extreme, reaching up to +60 degrees Celsius during the day and below freezing at night. Between December and February, it even snows in the desert at times. From Fez or Marrakech to Erfoud, it takes at least 9 hours by car or bus, without stopping! Erfoud is at the end of an asphalt road, from where it is easily accessible. Tourists usually transfer from here to a jeep or camel to continue their journey deeper into the Sahara Desert – Merzouga, in the neighbourhood of the Chebbi dunes.

Erg Chegaga is most easily reached from Marrakech via Ouarzazate, with an overnight stop in the town of Zagora. A few hours east of here, just on the Algerian border, are the Chegaga dunes. By the way, there are several flights a week from Marrakech to Zagora, so if you can fit it into your schedule, you can get here comfortably. Zagora has a number of luxury hotels and campsites where you can relax after a day in the desert …

The best time to visit the Sahara Morocco desert tour is autumn and spring in Morocco. The temperature at night at this time is about 0 +10, and during the day – up to +35. In winter, it is not hot in the desert during the day – only up to +25 degrees, but at night there can be sub–zero temperatures. If you come to Morocco in winter and want to visit the dunes, then it is best to stay in a comfortable hotel or kasbah at the edge of the desert. Then you can spend the night in comfortable conditions, and early in the morning or at sunset make ” forays ” into the desert for several hours for camel rides or quad bike rides on the dunes. In summer, it is extremely hot in the Sahara Desert – the desert heat does not allow you to comfortably travel to these places! In any case, an experienced agent or travel concierge will help you properly organize your Morocco desert tours around the country in order to take into account all these nuances. holiday in Morocco ….

The sea of dunes in Morocco is usually called in Arabic by way of “ergs” (in Asia they are “kums”). To see the classics from the point of view of travelers of the Kingdom of Morocco’s Sahara desert with sand dunes, you can visit one of these places. Few people know, but the Sahara desert is not all pure sand – in Morocco, it is also represented by rocky desert areas, where there is almost no vegetation. There is also sand here, but it does not grow into sand dunes. It frames to a greater extent the rocks and hills, devoid of life and asceticism. The whole of southern Morocco could be called a desert in a way. The only exceptions are the rare oases of date palms, where all life has been concentrated from ancient times to the present. These are tiny fertile lands, where rocks and sand rise from all sides. Life here is based on freshwater sources from the Draa River – the main waterway of the region, which has lived for only a few months of the year.

In autumn and winter, when Morocco receives rainfall, the river fills up and transports it to the oases in the south of the country. the Sahara desert of Merzouga is the sand dunes of Erg Chebbi, while the Sahara desert in the south, near the cities of Zagora and Mhamid, is the sand of Erg Chegaga

Erg Chebbi Dunes

The most popular dune among tourists is located in the east of the country near the town of Merzouga. Almost all tourist buses from Agadir, Marrakech, and Fes offer a trip to the Sahara desert just to this Erg. Therefore, you should be prepared to encounter strings of camel caravans and tourists on quad bikes dissecting the sand. The height of the dunes here reaches 80-150 meters. They are not as majestic as Erg Chigaga, but in any case, you have the luxury of the starry sky and the Milky Way overhead !

Erg Chigaga Dune.

This remote and inaccessible dune is located in the southeast of the country, near the towns of Zagora and Mhamid. Here the dunes are more majestic and reach a height of 120-300 metres (according to various sources). Because it is more difficult to get here, there are very few tourists. If you feel that the desert offers privacy, authenticity and complete unity with nature, head to this place! By the way, the chances of meeting real Tuaregs here are much higher than on the road to Shebesti. If you’re not willing to drive that far, a little closer to Mhamid is the less majestic but equally remote Lihoudi sand dune.

Morocco Visit Sahara, Luxury camping in budget tent camps, and luxury hotel camps – accommodation in the desert can be found for any traveler, depending on his income and preferences! Morocco and the Sahara desert are inseparable and become a single image, sophisticated and seductive! In the most popular dunes Chebbi, you can find accommodation for every taste and budget. For example, the most economical option is to stay in a modest camp, where the tents are temporary rooms without walls. They are served by dense camel blankets. There are warm carpets on the floor, and in the – simple, stuffed with straw, high mattresses. Usually, in each such compartment, there are 2-3 mattresses. There is nothing from the furniture. In a separate tent on the street (bio-toilet) facilities, a washbasin is also improvised, and there is a cooler with cold water, where you can rinse your face in the morning. The cost of living in such a camp, along with the camel ride to it, is not high about 25-45 euros per place of a tent. The price includes a modest breakfast and a small evening show. Group excursions to Merzouga take place, as a rule, in this type of accommodation.

There are 4-5 * tented camps, where the price tag reaches 200-350 euros for two separate tents. In such hotels in the desert, there are separate facilities, right in your ” room ” – it is a bio-toilet and the same improvised shower (in the form of a bucket of hot water). Here the atmosphere in the tent is more attractive, the food is more varied, and the evening program is more intense.

Luxury camps in the desert have a special atmosphere – visitors are waiting for exquisite interiors, leather furniture, expensive textiles, elegant interior items, and “rooms” with their own unique decor. Each room is a separate private tent – a tent that is at a decent distance to ensure greater privacy for guests. The price of such camping hotels usually includes gourmet dinners and breakfasts, Tuareg-style evening shows, and top-notch service. In such campsites, you can pre-select the mode of transportation you want to come here, by buggy or by camel. In the latter, you can take a walk before dinner. The price tag in such a place reaches 1000 euros for two per night. Morocco desert tours

All tented camps and hotels in Morocco have recently taken the wrong that they stand on the edge of the desert. Such measures were taken by the government of the country to protect the ecosystem of the desert. However, this does not prevent you from enjoying its views and stunning aesthetics!

If you want to be comfortable and not prepared for a long journey, then the rocky desert of Agafi in Morocco, a 35 – minute drive from Marrakech, is a good option to explore the Moroccan desert. Here you can spend an unforgettable romantic holiday, taste Moroccan cuisine, ride camels and stay in a luxury tent under the stars. Tell us your plans and Visit Sahara Morocco will organize some special activities for you! By Morocco desert tour

Morocco desert tours can be organized from all the main cities of Morocco, Fes, Meknes, Agadir, Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech and Ouarzazate. Here, a properly organized itinerary is a guarantee of quality rest and properly organized tour logistics. Here are some options for routes to one of the dunes of the Sahara desert in Morocco.

Morocco Desert tours

Welcome to our Morocco Desert Tours, check out some of the suggested itineraries or customize your own itinerary by getting in touch with our Sahara Morocco Travel team.

Desert Tours from Marrakech:

5 Days desert tour from Marrakech
10 Days Desert tour from Marrakech
6 days desert tour from Marrakech

Visit Desert Morocco