Morocco Desert Tours: Complete Guide to the Sahara Experience

When you think of Morocco, the first thing that comes to mind is probably the sandy dunes of Sahara Desert. This is why a visit to Morocco just wouldn’t be complete without a Morocco desert tour.

From camel trekking across the dunes of Merzouga to sleeping under the stars in a desert camp, this guide covers everything you need to know before booking your Sahara desert experience.

This complete Morocco desert tour guide covers exactly what to expect on a Sahara desert tour, including itineraries, costs, and tips for choosing the best experience.

If you’re planning another bucket list trip, this guide on how to visit Machu Picchu breaks down routes, tickets, and exactly how to plan your visit step by step.

Morocco Desert Tour: Quick Summary

Short on time? Here’s a quick overview of what to expect:

• Duration: 3 days / 2 nights (best option)
• Start/End: Fes → Marrakech (or reverse)
• Main highlight: Camel trekking + overnight in a Sahara desert camp
• Best destination: Merzouga (Erg Chebbi dunes)
• Cost: ~$100–$400+ per person depending on comfort level
• Driving time: Long days (6–8 hours), but very scenic
• Worth it? Yes, one of the best experiences in Morocco

Tip: Choose a 3-day tour to Merzouga for the full Sahara experience, shorter tours don’t compare.

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What Is a Morocco Desert Tour?

A Morocco desert tour is a multi-day journey that takes you from cities like Marrakech or Fes into the Sahara Desert, typically ending in the famous dunes of Merzouga.

Along the way, you’ll travel through the Atlas Mountains, visit traditional Berber villages, stop at historic kasbahs, and experience some of Morocco’s most dramatic landscapes before reaching the desert.

Most tours last 2 to 4 days, with the most popular option being a 3-day Sahara desert tour from Marrakech to Merzouga.

This route offers the full experience, from winding mountain roads and cinematic landscapes like Ait Ben Haddou to the towering golden dunes of Erg Chebbi.

If your itinerary includes Fes before or after your desert tour, don’t miss my posts Complete Fes Guide & Fes Eats & Food Experiences Guide.

What to Expect from a Sahara Desert Experience

A Sahara desert tour is about much more than just seeing the desert, it’s a full experience.

Here’s what a typical tour includes:

• Scenic road trip through the Atlas Mountains with multiple viewpoints and photo stops
• Visits to iconic locations like Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO-listed kasbah
• A stop at Todra Gorge, known for its dramatic canyon walls
• Camel trekking across the dunes at sunset (one of the highlights)
• An overnight stay in a desert camp, ranging from basic to luxury
• Traditional Moroccan dinner, music, and stargazing in the middle of the Sahara

It’s a mix of adventure, culture, and unforgettable landscapes, not just a single destination.

Where Do Morocco Desert Tours Go?

Not all desert tours in Morocco are the same, and this is where many travelers get confused.

There are two main desert destinations:

Merzouga (Erg Chebbi dunes)

• Located deep in the Sahara near the Algerian border
• Known for towering golden dunes (up to 150 meters high)
• Offers the classic Sahara experience most people imagine
• Requires a longer journey (usually 3 days)

Zagora Desert

• Closer to Marrakech, often visited on 2-day tours
• Smaller dunes and less dramatic scenery
• Better if you’re short on time, but less впечатляющий overall

TIP: If you want the true Sahara experience, Merzouga is the better choice.

Why Most People Choose Merzouga (Erg Chebbi)

When you picture the Sahara, endless rolling dunes, glowing sunsets, and camel caravans, you’re thinking of Erg Chebbi near Merzouga.

This is why most tours focus on this region:

• The dunes are larger, more photogenic, and less rocky
• The experience feels more remote and immersive
• There are better camp options, including luxury stays with private tents
• It delivers that “bucket list” desert experience people travel to Morocco for

While it takes more time to reach, most travelers agree it’s 100% worth it.

How to Choose the Right Morocco Desert Tour Company

While most Morocco desert tours follow a similar route, not all tour companies are created equal and choosing the wrong one can completely change your experience.

After researching dozens of companies and reading hundreds of reviews, I found only a few companies had consistently great reviews.

If you choose a 3 day desert tour like I did, most tours offer a similar itinerary and the same hotels, yet some I emailed were trying to charge almost double what other companies had quotes me. Yes. You heard that right. DOUBLE.

I ended up choosing Morocco Culture Tours and I couldn’t be happier that I did. They quoted me the best price for a private desert tour from Fes to Marrakech and I couldn’t find one review that said anything but how amazing their tour was with Morocco Culture Tours. After weeks of researched I pulled the trigger and booked my tour with them.

If you’re planning a Morocco itinerary, I highly recommend adding Fes for its culture and incredible food, don’t miss my Fes food guide with the best places to eat and what to try.

3-Day Morocco Desert Tour Itinerary (Marrakech to Merzouga

Our tour started at 8 AM and our driver arrived at the hotel at 7:40 AM and waited for us to finished our breakfast. One point for punctuality and a great first impression. Our driver was Said and he was fantastic. His English was great and he was extremely friendly and positive.

If you book your desert tour with Morocco Culture Tours, request Said if possible. I promise you will not be disappointed. He was a Berber nomad for most of his life before settling in a village by the desert.

I mean can it get much cooler and more authentic than to have a desert nomad as your driver? He took us to great places to eat, was a great photographer and he even had WiFi that he offered us to use. This man is gold.

On our last day of the tour he even bought us lunch! I’m convinced he’s the nicest Moroccan person and we met many nice ones (I even saw him pick up another person’s water bottle off the ground and put it the trash bin).

Day 1: Fes → Ifrane → Cedar Forest → Ziz Valley → Merzouga Desert Camp

Driving time: ~7–8 hours (with stops)
Highlights: Ifrane, Barbary macaques, Ziz Valley, sunset camel trek, desert camp stay

On our first day, we stopped to see Ifrane, a Swiss looking village and then stopped to see the Barbary Macaque at the Cedar Forests. I am obsessed with Monkeys so I knew seeing dozens of Monkeys up close within a couple hours of starting the tour meant this was going to be an incredible few days.

After we had lunch we stopped at the Ziz Valley to take some pictures and take in the incredible view. I was really surprised at how diverse the landscape was just a few hours into the tour.

We arrived at our hotel in the desert late in the afternoon and left our luggage for the night before taking a 2 hour sunset camel ride in the Desert of Merzouga, which has the highest sand dunes in North Africa.

They really are impressive sand dunes. If you’ve never ridden a camel before it is quite an experience. You will have to ride a camel for yourself to see what I mean.

We settled into our desert camp at around 9 PM and at around 10 PM dinner started being served. I had read so many negative reviews about the food in the desert from other companies that I wasn’t expecting much, but the food we had was some of the best we ate in all of our 10 day trip in Morocco.

The potatoes in our Tagine were incredible. I would have been more than happy to simply eat a barrel of them for dinner.

After dinner, live Berber music was played by the camel guides who brought us to the camp, as well as our driver/guide Said.

It was an amazing cultural experience and I would have been completely happy to stay in the desert for a week.

Day 2: Merzouga → Rissani Market → Todra Gorge → Dades Valley

Driving time: ~6–7 hours (with stops)
Highlights: Sunrise camel ride, Rissani market, Todra Gorge walk, Monkey Fingers, Dades Valley

On the second day, we were woken up around 6 AM and had a sunrise camel ride back to our hotel where we showered and had breakfast before continuing our drive for the day.

We stopped at Rissani where we walked through a local market and saw live goats being sold by nomads, as well as a donkey parking lot (nomads ride their donkeys into town to visit the market).

The donkey parking really amazed me and was something I could have never imagined existed being raised in a western country.

After having lunch we made another stop at the Todra Gorge where we got to walk down through the valley, next to a stream with many locals dipping their toes in to cool off.

We stopped to see the Monkey Fingers (rock formations that look like a monkey’s hand), before ending our day in Dades Valley.

That’s right another valley. Who knew Morocco had so many valleys?

This was one of the most surprising parts of the tour. At times I felt like I was at the Grand Canyon or what I imagine the Grand Canyon to look like from the pictures I’ve seen.

Day 3: Dades Valley → Ouarzazate → Ait Ben Haddou → Atlas Mountains → Marrakech

Driving time: ~7–8 hours (with stops)
Highlights: Snake road viewpoint, Valley of the Roses, Atlas Studios, Ait Ben Haddou, High Atlas Mountains, Tizi n’Tichka Pass

On our third and last day we drove up to see the snake road(winding roads that look like a snake) from above. Then we started en route to Marrakech stopping in the Valley of the Roses to take some photos. In the spring time the valley is full of roses, though we unfortunately didn’t get to see any roses since it was July.

We then visited Ouarzazate “The Hollywood of Africa” where we stopped at the Atlas Studios and got to see a variety of different movie sets. After touring around for an hour we then headed to the Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah, the largest Kasbah in Morocco. We climbed up to the top and had a great view of the Kasbah below. The view is impressive but I think I preferred the view from below which allowed us to see all the facades.

Afterwards we headed through the High Atlas Mountains, where we made a stop for lunch before traveling the Tizi nTichka pass, reaching an altitude of 2260m. We made a few stops to take in the view and take some pictures before finally reaching our hotel in Marrakech at 7:30 PM.

We had such a great time on our tour that we were sad to see it end. Of all our 10 days in Morocco my fiance and I both agreed that the Desert Tour was our favourite part. The amount of things that we were able to see and do all while having a private driver/guide to show us the way and keep us from getting lost was priceless. Even if we had rented a car and braved the streets of Morocco we would have struggled to see even half of what we did with our tour.

Exact 3-Day Morocco Desert Tour Itinerary (Morocco Culture Tours)

If you’re planning to book a Morocco desert tour, here’s the exact itinerary provided by the company I used. Most 3-day tours follow a very similar route, so this gives you a realistic idea of what to expect.

Tour of 3 days / 2 nights from Fes to Marrakech through the Desert of Merzouga “Erg Chebbi”

Day 1: Fes → Ifrane → Azrou →Midelt → Ziz Valley → Merzouga Desert Camp

• Pickup from your riad/hotel in Fes (8:00 AM)
• Drive south through the Middle Atlas Mountains
• Stop in Ifrane (known as the “Switzerland of Morocco”)
• Continue to Azrou and the cedar forests to see Barbary macaques
• Travel through the Tizi Ntalghamt pass toward Midelt
• Scenic drive along the Ziz Gorges, carved through volcanic rock
• Pass through the city of Errachidia, where the landscape begins to shift toward desert
• Lunch stop (location not specified by tour)
• Continue through the Ziz Valley to Erfoud and Rissani
• Arrive in Merzouga and enjoy a glass of mint tea
• Leave luggage in a secure room before heading into the desert
• Camel trek to desert camp (~1.5 hours) across the Erg Chebbi dunes
• Arrive at a traditional Berber desert camp (fully equipped tents)
• Dinner followed by Berber music around the fire under the stars

Day 2: Merzouga → Rissani → Erfoud → Tinghir → Todra Gorges → Dades Valley

• Wake up early to watch the sunrise over the Sahara dunes
• Breakfast at the desert camp
• Camel ride back to the hotel
• Shower and get ready for the day
• Depart from Merzouga toward Tinghir
• Pass through Erfoud, and Tinejdad
• Lunch break (location not specified by tour)
• Continue toward Tinghir
• Drive to the Todra Gorges with stops for photos
• Hike through the canyon and take in the views
• Continue to the Dades Valley
• Dinner and overnight stay in Dades

Day 3: Dades Valley → Skoura → Ouarzazate → Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah → High Atlas Mountains → Marrakech

• Breakfast in the Dades Valley
• Drive through the Dades Valley (Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs) with scenic photo stops
• Continue toward Kalaat M’Gouna (Roses Valley) and Skoura village
• Arrive in Ouarzazate (“Hollywood of Africa”)
• Lunch at Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah, the largest kasbah in Morocco
• Explore the UNESCO World Heritage site
• Continue through the High Atlas Mountains
• Drive through the Tizi n’Tichka Pass (altitude 2260m)
• Stop for panoramic views and photos
• Visit an argan oil cooperative
• Arrive in Marrakech in the late afternoon
• Drop-off at your riad/hotel (~17:30–18:00)

What’s Included & Not Included

Included

• Private tour and transportation in a 4WD vehicle with A/C and seat belts
• Pickup from your accommodation in Fes and drop-off in Marrakech
• Experienced, English-speaking driver
• Fuel
• Overnight stay in a Berber desert camp (tents equipped with blankets — no sleeping bag needed)
• Dinners and breakfasts (vegetarian options available)
• Room to store your luggage during the camel trek
• Option to bring a small backpack on the camel
• Camel ride (~1 hour 20 minutes)
  • Option to shorten the camel ride and take a 4×4 to camp instead
• Camel guide (warden)
• Sandboarding (available at camp, free of charge)

Not Included

• Lunches (restaurants or picnic options available)
• Drinks at meals
• Entrance fees
• Tips and personal expenses

Overall, we found the tour to be excellent value considering everything that was included — especially the private driver, accommodations, and unique desert experience.

FAQ: Morocco Desert Tours

Final Thoughts: Is a Morocco Desert Tour Worth It?

If you’re visiting Morocco, a desert tour to the Sahara is something I truly believe you shouldn’t skip. It ended up being the highlight of our entire trip and honestly, one of the most unique travel experiences we’ve ever had.

From watching the landscape completely transform as you drive through the Atlas Mountains, to riding camels across the dunes at sunset, to sitting under the stars listening to Berber music in the middle of the desert, it’s the kind of experience that’s hard to put into words until you actually do it.

What surprised me most was just how much we were able to see and do in a short amount of time. With a driver guiding the way, everything felt easy and stress-free, and we never had to worry about navigating unfamiliar roads or missing key stops along the route.

Of course, the long driving days aren’t for everyone, but if you go in knowing what to expect, the journey itself becomes part of the experience. And in my opinion, it’s 100% worth it to reach the Sahara and see those incredible dunes in person.

If you’re deciding between doing this tour or skipping it, I would absolutely recommend going for it. It’s one of those bucket list experiences that lives up to the hype and one you’ll be talking about long after your trip is over.