Ultimate Morocco Desert Tours

MOROCCO DESERT TOURS: how, where & when

One of the Best Desert Trips 

The Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert in the world and third-largest desert overall after Antarctica and the Arctic! Most famous for its towering sand dunes, the Sahara desert does also harbor a variety of different land features which are also well worth visiting. When traveling on a schedule, the most comfortable and secure way to get a comprehensive glimpse of the desert is by going through one of the many organized Morocco desert tours. Let me preface the rest of this section by an honest confession: I dislike organized tours, or so I thought before this experience. 

So before diving into my morocco desert tours research, I did look into organizing my own itinerary through public transportation or via a rental car, but after much research, I came to my own conclusions, saving a couple of dollars was going to come at the cost of my comfort and quality time spent in the dunes. I, therefore, decided to find the ideal desert tour! After a dozen e-mail exchanges with different companies, my heart was set on Humanity Sahara Desert Tours. Our guide, who also happens to be the owner, Aboubakr, is someone I cannot recommend enough! He is professional, reliable, friendly, and very knowledgeable! You can reach out directly to him via Instagram to arrange your personalized itinerary. Trust me when I say I never thought I would ever write that about an organized tour, but this experience was by far the highlight of our 10 Days Morocco Itinerary. 

WHAT TO PACK — the Green Packing list

No matter the season during which you are traveling to the Sahara desert, it’s important to remember that the desert always gets chilly at night! You will be sleeping in glammed-up tents during the night and, in my experience, they are warm and cozy, but you want to make sure you bring warm layers to enjoy the starry night. If photography is something you enjoy, I would also advise you to take either white or bright-colored clothing to stand out against the dunes. If you’re interested in traveling greener, check out my green packing guide to reduce your carbon footprint, anytime and anywhere you go.

WHEN TO GO — The best time to visit Morocco

Opinions are bound to differ on this topic! Jake and I traveled there in December and we were very happy with that decision. Being the low season for tourism in Morocco, we had most of the places we visited to ourselves and although the weather was not warm, the sun was shining, and being outside during the day was pleasant. Summer months in Morocco get crowded with europeans and hot, so I would avoid June, July, or August if you can. However, if I were to travel to Morocco again, I would most likely choose to go during the spring, from mid-March to May, when the weather is warmer and the tourists haven’t yet quite invaded the landscape. If you are curious about what travel photography gear I’ve used in this guide, check out my gear kit.

Day 1 — Fès to Erg Chebbi 

The day started early with a seven am pick-up from our riad in Fès. The mist had settled on the sleepy Medina and only a few hooded figures had ventured out onto the streets. Aboubakr, our driver, guide, and friend in the making, was waiting by the blue gate, hair flowing in a  chilly morning breeze. The car was comfortable and warm as we first climbed in and started our journey towards our first stop: the cedar forests of the Middle Atlas. Famous for its majestic conifers, this forest is home to a population of Barbary macaques which provides for a very nice wildlife photography pit-stop on the way to Midelt, where we stopped for lunch. However cute and insistent they are, be sure not to feed them! Feeding wildlife creates patterns of dependency that can be detrimental to both the animals and their environment. After a nice lunch and photoshoot with the Atlas backdrop, we drove until late afternoon to reach the desert dunes by sunset. We rode camels in the setting light and reached our desert camp at dusk. The dinner served at the camp was delicious, and we ended our day stargazing by the warmth of a campfire, chatting with Aboubakr until late into the night.  

Morocco Desert Tours: arrival in the dunes

Morocco Desert Tours: dancing with an Atlas Mountain backdrop

Morocco Desert Tours: the monkeys of the cedar forest

Day 2 —Merzouga to the Dades Gorges 

We woke up before sunrise and ran across the dunes to catch the rising light. After a long photoshoot, we returned to camp and had a traditional Moroccan breakfast in our tent, facing the unforgettable view of the Sahara desert dunes. This was by far one of the most magical moments in our entire 10 Days Morocco Itinerary, so I would recommend you wake up early and make sure you make the most out of the landscape. The desert camp workers seemed keen on visitors watching the sunrise from behind the tents—opposite the dunes, but Jake and I decided otherwise and I’m happy we did. Early in the morning, the dunes are entirely deserted and we had a lot more fun running across them than we would have watching the literal sunrise.

Morocco Desert Tours: sunrise over the Sahara

Morocco Desert Tours: Jake in the desert

After breakfast, we set off and drove through some idyllic oasis, Savanah-like deserts, and stopped for lunch before heading to the impressive Dades Gorges. This particular day, although interspersed with beautiful viewpoints, felt driving-heavy and I would recommend you bring podcasts or road-trip games to keep yourselves busy while on the roads. We felt very lucky to be with Aboubakr, who not only has great conversation but also enjoyed being our model and shooting with us! We had dinner and stayed overnight in a friendly hotel by the gorges.

Morocco Desert Tours: make sure you stop to snap a few pictures of the oasis

Morocco Desert Tours: Aboubakr modeling for me in these ancient earth villages

Morocco Desert Tours: Aboubakr in the dades gorges

Day 3 —Dades Gorges to Marrakech 

After an early breakfast, we continued on our adventure and drove through the valley of roses before reaching our lunch spot: the iconic Ait Benhaddou village. Ait Benhaddou, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage since 1987, is a fortified village built in accordance with the traditional Moroccan earthen clay architecture and which since then, has appeared in many Hollywood productions such as Babel, Gladiator, The Last Temptation of Christ and the more recent Game of Thrones. After a sunny walk through the village, we stopped for lunch in the nearby village and drove towards the Tichka pass, leading to Marrakech. For the adventure anecdote, we got caught in a furious snowstorm while reaching the pass and had to wait over three hours in the car for the storm to pass and the traffic to clear, but fortunately, we were in good company and our spirits remained high as Aboubakr and Jake dared each other to brave the storm. We reached Marrakech a few hours behind schedule, happy and exhausted. 

Morocco Desert Tours: In front of Ait Benhaddou

Morocco Desert Tours: Stuck in the snowstorm, being creative

The next day we rose before sunrise and jumped in a car that took us to the site of my first ever hot air balloon ride over the Moroccan countryside. Another highly recommended experience! Check out my guide to the best Marrakech activities below.