Planning a trip to North Africa can be quite a daunting task, so here is my ultimate guide to visiting the Sahara Desert. For the longest time, I dreamed of visiting the Sahara. Just the thought of being able to ride a camel out into the desert, and camp under a blanket of stars in the middle of nowhere seemed very romantic to me. And while the experience didn’t exactly live up to those romantic expectations (no one really tells you how physically fit you need to be to climb up sand dunes…or how it takes months to empty your shoes of sand), it was still one of the coolest things I’ve ever done! Spanning almost a third of the African continent, and touching 11 different countries, the Sahara Desert is one of the largest deserts in the world.

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Should you do a guided tour when visiting the Sahara Desert?

We normally prefer to travel on our own, but given the limited period of time we had available (~3 days dedicated to the Sahara Desert leg of our Marrakesh trip) and our hesitation in hiring/driving a car in Morocco, it was a question we debated for months.

In the end, we felt more comfortable hiring a guided tour. Let me tell you…it was worth it for the convenience, the ease-of-comfort, and value for money. Our guide managed everything for us – I mean EVERYTHING!

The tour company picked us up from our riad in Marrakech, handled full transportation and gas, managed our itinerary, and made plenty of stops for photos and bathroom breaks. They were even thoughtful enough to plan for Western-style toilet stops, which are not easily found in the desert (something that hadn’t even crossed my mind until AFTER we arrived)). They handled accommodation every night, managed entry tickets to all of the sites, organized camel-riding, and took care of meals. The only major downside was that the provided meals and accommodation themselves were ‘mediocre’, so if these are a really big deal to you, then self-drive might be a better option.

If you are a bit nervous to travel to Morocco and your main purpose is to go and see the Sahara Desert, then I would definitely hire a guide. I can personally vouch for this tour (Sahara Tours 4×4), in case you want to save yourself a few hours of research. 🙂 Not sponsored, this was really the guide we used.

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How much does visiting the Sahara Desert cost?

We opted for a private tour for the convenience. Our 3-day private tour cost the two of us 750 euros roundtrip. This included: (1) accommodation (including 1 night in a nomad tent), (2) transport/petrol with air-conditioned car and English speaking guide, (3) all meals, (4) camel-riding activity, and (5) entry into sites. Tip was not included  (the recommendation is to tip around 15%-20% of the total trip cost). You could probably get away with something much cheaper by planning a trip yourselves, but the convenience alone was worth the cost.

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Is 3 days long enough to visit the Sahara Desert?

Yes and no. It was long enough to enjoy the experience we REALLY went for…which was riding camels out into the desert and enjoying a night camping among sand dunes. However, there was a LOT of driving (5-6 hours/day) involved, and it made for some pretty long and exhausting days. If you have the luxury of time, I’d recommend extending your trip to 5 days so that you are able have more downtime between stops.

TIP: If you don’t have 3 days to spare and still want to see sand dunes, there are also tour options that take you to Zagora, but the dunes won’t be as large or impressive as the larger dunes of Erg Chebbi in Merzouga.

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Our 3-day Sahara Desert tour experience

Day 1: Ait Ben Haddou Kasbah + Dades Valley

We were picked up from our riad in Marrakesh at 8am sharp. The guide was fluent in English, on-time, and very polite – he helped with our suitcases and made sure to find parking close to the riad. The first stop on our journey was a photo spot in the High Atlas Mountain, where we were able to admire the panoramic views for 10-15 minutes.  

From there, we hit up a local trading post where we were able to observe women from a local village produce Argan Oil. This was a nice bathroom stop, and even though we were not pressured to purchase anything, we ended up buying a small bottle of Argan Oil as a nice souvenir.

The second main stop was the krsa (fortified village) of Ait Ben Haddou to visit the famous Kasbah. This UNESCO World Heritage site is a must-visit, and is included as a stop in most Sahara Desert tours from Marrakech. Several famous movies like The Mummy and the Gladiator were filmed here.

From there, we continued onto Ouarzazate (also known as the ‘gate of the desert’), the Rose Valley and it’s large palm tree groves, ending at the Dades Valley which was our destination for the night. The Dades Valley is another ‘must-stop’ destination for any trip to the Sahara Desert. We stayed in the Hotel Babylon in the Dades Valley (included dinner and breakfast) and although it wasn’t a 5-star hotel, it was lovely and clean. We were given some mint tea and biscuits during check-in. During dinner (which was a 3-course feast), the owners even put on a little music show!

Day 2: Todra Gorges + Merzouga Dunes

Day 2 was the highlight of our 3-day road trip visiting the Sahara Desert. We kicked off our morning by passing through the Todra Gorges, which is a series of limestone river canyons on the Eastern side of the Atlas Mountains. There are several hiking and rock climbing routes in the area, for those who are interested in making the Todra Gorges a full stop. It was here where stopped for a few minutes to stretch our legs, and explore the canyons a bit. We also ended up buying a small Moroccan rug from a street vendor, and successfully haggled the price down from $100 to $50 (‘successful’ being a loose term, our driver laughed at us and explained that he would’ve only payed $40…still.)

From there, we made our way to the Merzouga Dunes. Merzouga is a small village, and is known as the gateway to the Sahara. Our driver dropped us off at a home in Merzouga, where we were told to leave most of our belongings.  We were only permitted to bring a small duffle bag or backpack with us, since our journey into the sand dunes was via camel. It was also here where we met up with a few other travelers, and were told we’d be traveling as a larger group into the desert camp. After re-organizing our belongings, enjoying a short coffee and snack break, and learning how to wrap our head and necks properly with scarves (to protect our face from blowing sand)…we were off!

Each person in the group was assigned a camel, and our tour guide (who was from a local Berber tribe) was super helpful in getting us situated on top of the camels, and tying up our luggage. I was lucky enough to have a friendly female camel as my travel companion (I daresay she was also the PRETTIEST camel I’ve seen….Kevin and I decided her name was Jasmine).

The journey to the nomad camp was quite the adventure. I had imagined camel riding to be a romantic endeavor…but it was super awkward and bumpy. Don’t get me wrong…I still had a BLAST, and was giggling like a maniac through most of the journey….but I wish someone would’ve told me just how uncomfortable I would be!

TIP: Even if it’s really hot, I would recommend wearing long and loose pants for camel riding, with long socks underneath. It’ll prevent your legs and ankles from rubbing against the sides of the camel, and make for a more comfortable experience!

After we arrived at the nomad camp, we were given some free time to run up and down the nearby sand dunes, and enjoy the sunset. This was, by far, the best part of our trip. It’s EXHAUSTING climbing up the dunes because you’re ankle-deep in sand, and your thighs are burning from the steep incline…but the views from the top are worth the effort.

There are really no words to describe how extraordinary of an experience it was to witness sunset in the middle of the Sahara Desert. We sat with our fingers buried in the sand, feeling tired and content, and our eyes mesmerized by the sun melting into the dunes in front of us. The sky was painted in shades of pink, orange, and red, and I remember feeling like my heart would burst from magic of it all.

After sunset, we made our way back to the camp, where we we feasted on chicken tagine – a hearty pot of slow-cooked chicken, vegetables, and rice. The meal was fabulous…especially considering that we were in the middle of the desert, and the service was top-notch. Afterwards, we sat around a campfire with the rest of our travel group, drinking mint tea and listening to the slow and steady beating of Berber drums, and exchanging stories under the stars.

The sleeping arrangements in the camp exceeded my expectations. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised to find that we were able to sleep on actual beds in a small but sturdy private tent. There was even a working toilet and running water to wash our hands and brush our teeth. RUNNING WATER! I couldn’t believe it.

Day 3: Merzouga Dunes + Draa Valley + Ouarzazate

We had an early morning wake-up call (5:00AM) the next morning, and made one last climb up sand dunes in the darkness so that we could be at the top in time for sunrise. After sunrise, we returned to the home in Merzouga, where our belongings were being stored, and were treated to a fantastic full breakfast spread and hot shower.

Our drive back took us through the Draa Valley, where we stopped for lunch and were treated to sweeping views of palm trees lining the Draa River (the longest river in Morocco). We continued through Ouarzazate (a modern town famous for providing the exotic backdrops for many Hollywood blockbusters), with a few bathroom breaks along the way. The drive back was pretty uneventful (save for a flat tire…which our driver had fixed and replaced in a jiffy), and involved multiple ‘mini-naps’ in the back seat. After a long day of driving (6-7 hours), we were finally dropped off at our riad in Marrakech, concluding our side trip into the Sahara Desert.

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What to pack when visiting the Sahara Desert

The best packing advice I can give you for visiting the Sahara Desert is this: Pack light, pack layers, and pack things that you aren’t afraid to get dirty! My tennis shoes were permanently ruined from running along sand dunes. Other things to consider include:

Essentials:

• A change of clothes
• Tennis shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty
• Portable charger (for your phone, and your camera…as you WILL be taking a million photos)
• Face wipes
• Windbreaker (it gets cold at night)
• Hat
• Light scarf (for protecting your face from the sand and wind)
• Sunglasses
• Imodium
• Sunscreen
• Hand sanitizer
• Camera
• An extra pair of socks
• Basic toiletries in a small bag

Recommended:

• A light blanket. Some sheets and a pillow will be provided at the camp, but it does get cold at night, so consider bringing a blanket for extra warmth!
• Small flashlight
• Travel first aid kit
• Waterproof or ziplock bag for protecting your camera equipment when the weather gets rough
• Battery-powered fan
• Flip flops (for getting around the camp)

Need help planning a trip to the Sahara Desert, or have questions? Leave me a comment below!

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