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Hello there, It’s me, Omar!
Did you know that Marrakech desert tours are available since the early times of tourism in Morocco?
The sense of liberty of experiencing the mighty Sahara Desert attracts travelers from all over the world.
Although Morocco is well-known for its 3416 km of Mediterranean and Atlantic coastline, one important geographical detail is that the desert covers a large part of the country.
Sahara Desert tours from Marrakech are available in different packages taking into account the duration and location.
Moroccan most famous dunes
Please note that Erg is the Arabic name for a set of sand dunes. There are several of these Ergs in Morocco but here we are going to mention the most famous ones.
Morocco desert tours are usually available in three destinations:
- Zagora desert;
- Mhamid desert (Erg Chigaga dunes);
- and Merzouga desert (Erg Chebbi dunes).
Let’s learn a little bit more about them.
Erg Chebbi dunes
Erg Chebbi is characterized by the extraordinary dimensions of its dunes, the highest in Morocco. It has an extension of about 30 km long by 10 km wide. At some points, these dunes rise up to 250 meters above the ground.
These dunes were the first to be developed in receiving tourist in Morocco. This way, you will find dozes of hotels, camps and restaurants in the near by villages of Merzouga, Hassilabied, Takoujt and Tanamoust.
Although local people are very used to tourist, this region still has a deep desert feeling and you will have the best time of your life.
Erg Chigaga dunes
Erg Chebbi is characterized by the extraordinary dimensions of its dunes, the highest in Morocco. It has an extension of about 30 km long by 10 km wide. At some points, these dunes rise up to 250 meters above the ground.
Far and mostly inaccessible for most of the tourists, Chigaga dunes are wild and far from any urban area. Some desert camps are set in the dunes in order to provide travelers, with the best experience possible.
Erg Tinfou dunes
Tinfou is a small desert area with approximately a dozen dunes. The highest dune in Tinfou goes up to 30 meters and the surrounding Draa Valley landscapes are stunning.
Tinfou dunes are the perfect place to visit if you don’t have much time to explore the desert, but of course, you will not fully experience the “real Morocco desert”. I mean, don’t take me the wrong way, it is the real desert, just not the “Big” desert.
A good Marrakech desert tour is the alternative to any of the Imperial Cities tours, which focus more on the cities, rather than in the desert areas. I also have tours that mix both the desert and cities. You can see below the available desert options in Morocco.
3 destinations of Marrakech desert tours
If you’re searching for the best desert trip from Marrakech, you came to the right place. I will try to explain to you what options are available in the market and what type of places you will visit on the way. Many of the best places to visit in Morocco are included on my following Marrakech desert tours:
- 2-day Zagora desert tour;
- 3-day Merzouga desert tour;
- 4-day Merzouga desert tour;
- 5-day Merzouga desert tour;
- 8-day Merzouga desert tour;
- 8-day New Year desert tour.
But first check out the places you will visit during your trip to the desert in Morocco.
Marrakech desert tours photo gallery
Photo gallery » Click to open a bigger photo.
A trip to the desert will certainly involve a camel ride.
Also, you will have the chance to spend the night in one of the authentic Morocco desert camps, under the mythical stars of the Sahara, around the campfire, with local food and music.
During the day you can experience the silence of the desert, explore the dunes, feel its immensity, and if you want, sand-boarding. Don’t miss the sunrise and sunset in the desert!
Desert trip from Marrakech
The options
Image gallery » Click to open a bigger image.
Can I visit the Moroccan desert in one day?
No, due to the far distance, you can’t do Sahara Desert tours on regular day trips from Marrakech. You need a minimum of one night / two days to arrive in the Sahara. We have a 2-day Zagora desert tour available for those who don’t have much time during their holidays in Morocco.
Distances:
Marrakech – Zagora desert = 381 km one way
Please be advised that the Agafay desert near Marrakech is not the Sahara Desert, and it does not have sand dunes. It is only a vast empty rocky desert.
Can I visit the desert with big dunes on a two-day desert trip?
No, please remember that the 2-day Marrakech Sahara tour takes you to “the small Sahara Desert,” being the only option if you only have two days available. Although beautiful, Tinfou dunes are just one miniature dune with smaller others surrounding it.
How many days do I need to visit the big dunes?
If you want to see “the big Sahara Desert,” you can choose our 3-day Merzouga desert tour, 4-day Merzouga desert tour, or the 5-day Merzouga desert tour. Erg Chebbi dunes spread over 50km and go up to 250 meters high.
Distances of the most famous Marrakech desert tours:
Marrakech – Mhamid desert = 451 km one way
Marrakech – Merzouga desert = 560 km one way
Can I go to the desert from Marrakech to Fes?
Yes, Marrakech to Fes or Fes to Marrakech, it’s perfectly doable, and we have a few options available for the Marrakech to Fes desert tour and the Fes to Marrakech desert tour. Check out the 3-day Marrakech to Fes desert tour, and the 4-day Marrakech to Fes desert tour. We also have excursions in the opposite direction on a 3-day Fes to Marrakech desert tour and a 4-day Fes to Marrakech desert tour.
Trip Highlights
- During all my Marrakech desert tours you will pass through the Atlas Mountains up to the Tizi n’Tichka mountain pass at 2,260m.
- Visit the ancient kasbah Telouet, a magnificent mud palace in the middle of the remote mountain area.
- Visit Ksar Ait Benhaddou, a fortified mud-brick village listed as a UNESCO Morocco site.
- Visit the famous Atlas Studios and the 17th-century Kasbah Taourirt in Ouarzazate.
- Go up the incredible Tissadrine road that’s on the list of most beautiful drivable roads in the world.
- Walk inside the breathtaking Todra Gorge canyon.
- Visit Rissani’s eclectic market, the mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif, and the historical fortified village of Ksar Oulad Abdelhalim.
- Experience a camel ride in Erg Chebbi Dunes.
- Overnight in a Merzouga desert camp with a tent, shower, dinner, and listening to some local traditional music.
Available tours
Click on your favorite best Marrakech desert tours to open with detailed information.
Morocco is a vast country, and distances are quite big if you want to travel from the most famous cities to the Sahara Desert. You have to take this into account, and enjoy one of my Marrakech desert tours.
Morocco is mostly made of mountains with vast forests, but part of these mountains are also desertic. Landscapes are impressive and a road trip from Marrakech, Casablanca, or Fes into the Moroccan outback will give you the chance of adventure yourself into the unknown.
During many years I got to design the perfect desert trips, where I pick you up at the airport, book your hotels and take you around with a 4WD or van, around the country. My staff and I will make sure you will have the best time of your life.
Many tours online try to sell you desert escapes but take into consideration that a desert is all that is deserted, but a proper and authentic Sahara Desert tour is not the same.
I personally only engage in selling desert tours that take you to the real desert, not just an empty area like in Agafay desert north of Marrakech. Where are the dunes? Where is the unique desert culture?
Tell me something: What are you looking for when searching for Marrakech desert tours?
- Affordable prices;
- Trustworthy team;
- Comfortable accommodation;
- Clean transportation;
- New vehicles;
- No hidden costs;
- No forced shopping;
- Language expertise;
- Knowledge about the Moroccan culture and its most important features;
- Punctuality;
- Friendly staff;
- Women-friendly;
- Family-friendly;
- Elderly-friendly;
- Helping with your bags. YES, we do it!
How is to go on a tour with Holiday Morocco Tours?
I put together an easy going team of people that will insure you have a great time and hassle free holidays in Morocco.
Taking as an example my 4-day Merzouga desert tour I will show you the first day of my desert trip. You can notice that the first night is in the Dades Valley.
In the morning of all my Marrakech desert tours, my staff will pick you from your hotel in Marrakech to start the journey to a bunch of beautiful destinations and visit Morocco.
Day 1 » Marrakech – Ait Benhaddou – Dades valley
Firstly you will pass through the Atlas Mountains up to the Tizi n’Tichka mountain pass at 2,260m.
Down the mountains, you go towards Ksar Ait Benhaddou. This UNESCO Morocco site is a fortified mud-brick village full of the best examples of kasbahs in Morocco.
In the movies, Ait Benhaddou is the village with an adobe fighting arena in Gladiator, and also the Yunkai city in Game of Thrones.
After lunch and continuing your journey to Dades Valley that due its red colors looks like you’re entering another planet.
After a short photo stop at the Monkey Finger’s viewpoint, you now go up the incredible Tissadrine road that’s on the list of most beautiful drivable roads in the world.
You arrive at your hotel inside the incredible Dades Gorge canyon. You can now go to your room and have a shower and get ready for dinner. The day was long, and you need to prepare for tomorrow’s drive to the desert.
Taking another example of my 8-day New Year desert tour in Morocco I will show you the time you will spend exploring the desert. This is one of the most famous journeys, among all my Marrakech desert tours.
30th of December » Day 4 » Dades valley – Todra Gorges canyon – Erg Chebbi dunes
Early departure after breakfast at your Dades hotel. Driving towards another spectacular site, we cross the Tinghir area with some photo stops.
Deep inside the valley, we finally go out for a walk inside the breathtaking Todra Gorge canyon. You now travel to the desert, as you start to notice the landscape changing and the mountains to disappear.
The fourth day of your New Year in Morocco desert trip ends when you finally arrive in the lovely Merzouga desert camp.
After a camel ride in Erg Chebbi Dunes, you’re ready to go inside your tent, shower, have dinner, and listen to some local traditional music.
31st of December » Day 5 » Around Erg Chebbi dunes – Khamlia – Merzouga
Today is the day you have to wake up very early to enjoy a magnificent sunrise in the Sahara Desert. It is hard to wake up but totally worth the effort. Go up one of the big dunes and enjoy this amazing show given by nature itself!
After breakfast in the camp, you will be taken around the Erg Chebbi dunes, to visit several interesting villages, oasis, and if you’re lucky, to meet some nomad families.
The trip around the dunes includes Hassilabied oasis, Merzouga lake, Khamlia village, Taouz petroglyphs, and Mfis abandoned mines.
You’ll be taken to a desert hotel where you will have your own room, have a shower and wait for dinner and party!
Join my Marrakech desert tours and pack your bags. I’ll be waiting for you at the airport!