27 Oct Exotic Adventures on a Moroccan Sahara Desert Tour
Bucket List: Camel Rides in the Desert
If you’re like me, you might have a section of your bucket list dedicated to exotic experiences. Going on an African safari, visiting pristine nature in a world famous National Reserve Park, experiencing a renowned wine region, boating to an uninhabited tropical island for the day and likely, riding a camel in the desert while the sun sets on the sand dunes. A lot of the time, we just daydream about these things.
This time was different. I knew I was as close in proximity as I’d get to a major desert for some time. I also had a travel-loving buddy, Kristina nearby in Europe that wanted to plan a trip together. We became very hyper over the idea of visiting the Moroccan Sahara Desert and began researching the possibilities. We were very pleased to find a lot of small group and private tour options to visit the desert from Marrakech and Fez. And with plenty of budget flights to and from Europe to Morocco, our trip was becoming a reality. Last hurdle: getting our husbands on board. With a few marketing tricks up our sleeves, we hard-sold the men.
We settled on traveling in and out of Marrakech and booked a very reasonably priced 3-day private tour (for our group of four) that had us spending one night in the Dadès Valley and another night camping in Berber tents in the Erg Chebbi sand dunes in the Moroccan Sahara Desert. Camels included. 😃 We went through the Atlas and Anti-Atlas mountains with many exciting stops along the way at an oasis, Berber villages, a historic ksar, a fossil museum, the Gorges (canyons) and more. It was really nice to have our own SUV with a driver and go at our own pace.
Daniel, Lauren, Kristina, Ted and our fabulous tour guide, Hassan
Moroccan Sahara Desert Tour Photo Essay
The route to Merzouga. We returned to Marrakech, passing through the Anti-Atlas mountains. Trip length was three days and involved a lot of driving. If you have more time, we would recommend spreading it out across more days.
Day 1: Marrakech > Tizi -n-Tichka > Aït Ben Haddou > Ouarzazate > Dadès Valley
Departing Marrakech, we began our drive through the Atlas mountains. If you look in between the trees, you’ll see a Berber on a donkey.
Traveling across the Tizi-n-Tichka Atlas mountain pass.
Looking out on the High Atlas Mountains.
The traditional Berber village of Telouet in the High Atlas Mountains.
Enjoying a Moroccan Coca-Cola.
Eating lunch at a restaurant in the town of Aït Benhaddou.
A delicious salad of lettuce, apple, and fresh goat cheese.
Walking towards the Ksar of Aït-Ben-Haddou, a UNESCO world heritage site. It is a group of mud and straw made buildings surrounded by high defensive walls. This ksar is one of the most famous and serves as a great example of southern Moroccan architecture dating back to the 17th century.
The high walls and corner tower to the entrance of the Ksar of Aït-Ben-Haddou.
Looking down upon the Ksar of Aït-Ben-Haddou and the Dra Valley.
A Moroccan Berber playing traditional music in the Ksar of Aït-Ben-Haddou.
A quick pitstop near Ouarzazate to see the exterior of the Atlas Corporation Studios. Many popular films and TV series such as The Gladiator, Game of Thrones, The Mummy, Babel, and the Kingdom of Heaven have been filmed here. They offer tours of movie sets – check out their website.
Day 2: Dadès Gorges > Tinghir > Todra Gorges > Erfoud > Merzouga > Camel Trekking to Erg Chebbi sand dunes in the Sahara desert (overnight at a Berber camp)
A lookout point in Tisdrine of Route 704 cutting through the Dadès Gorges.
The Moroccans called these rocks in the Dadès Valley, “Monkey Fingers.”
Looking out on the oasis of lush palm trees in Tinghir, Morocco.
Mud-thatched houses in the Tinghir oasis.
We hopped out of the vehicle to walk through the stunning Todra Gorges. Exercise polite caution here, as young men follow you, trying to hand (or throw) folded palm frond art and other items for sale at you.
Locals washing clothing and rugs in the river outside of Erfoud.
We stopped at a roadside shop to get some head scarves in prep for our desert trek. The shop ladies had a little too much fun dressing Daniel up as a Berber.
Enjoying the view outside as we approach Merzouga.
We made it to Merzouga where we begin our sunset camel trek to the Berber camp in the desert.
At the desert camp, our guide surprised us with some Moroccan wine, which was delicious!
The Berbers led a drum ceremony at the desert camp. The sound has a trance-inducing beat that carries you out of the modern world and into the past. Afterward, they invited us to partake and we played American pop songs – how’s that for a cultural exchange? haha
Day 3: Erg Chebbi sand dunes > Merzouga > Anti-Atlas Mountains > Marrakech
This is the Berber desert camp tent the four of us slept in for the night. Quite comfy! Although, you need a flashlight to navigate your way to the bathroom in the dark. We had headlamps to make it hands-free.
We were up early and back on the camels for the sunrise over the Moroccan Sahara Desert.
Group photo of myself, Kristina, Daniel, Ted and our goofy, chill, and lovable camels, one of which was named Bob Marley.
The first light is always optimal for picture taking. Love this picture of our caravan’s shadows on the Erg Chebbi dunes.
I cannot fully express the excitement of our overnight stay in the Moroccan Sahara Desert, the hospitality, being far from light pollution and getting to see the Milky Way, the adventure of riding camels through the dunes and watching the sunrise. This picture is just another example of how magnificent the experience was!
A large caravan of campers trekked on camel back to Merzouga. No one warned us that camels enjoy farting and pooping more than horses. It was a smelly ride back.
Sunrise over the vast Erg Chebbi dunes in the Moroccan Sahara Desert.
We passed a Berber nomad herding his flock of goats.
You can’t really tell from this picture, but as we drove through the Anti-Atlas mountains, I couldn’t help but think that it looked like a giant dug up land and just tossed it in huge piles.
Canyons cutting through the Anti-Atlas mountains.
Observations and Perceptions of Berber Country
You feel like you’re a world away when visiting this culturally rich country. And yet, if you’re coming from Europe, you don’t have to travel far to reach this exotic environment. Morocco has been influenced by indigenous Berber, Arab, and French cultures so you’ll hear a mix of languages.
We were so impressed by the resilience and resourcefulness of the Berbers in the countryside making a living in the toughest of conditions. As we were asking our guide about his upbringing in the countryside, he shared that they played a game called “Bones.” They would take a goat bone and hide it. Then the kids would be split into two groups and would have to find it. Once they did, it would be like rugby until they made it with the bone to a specified destination. I guess it’s akin to “Capture the Flag.”
While the main roads through the mountains from Marrakech to Merzouga and back are in fairly good condition, they are never more than two lanes each way and there are a lot of hairpin turns. At one point we saw a large MAC truck flipped over a guardrail on a curve at the lower part of the mountain.
Travel Tips for Your Trip
It’s extraordinary to see the full moon rise over the dunes if you can plan to go when it’s full!
The lack of the humidity in the air will be felt in full force. We brought nasal saline spray and eye drops with us that we used frequently in addition to guzzling water.
Interact as much as possible – we had some really excellent conversations that gave us a new perspective and made some friends on this trip!
You will spend a lot of money tipping…everyone expects it.
Driving through mountains for hours can make you nauseous and car sick. Highly recommend taking some Bonine or Dramamine motion sickness medicine.
Highly recommend wearing pants or cropped pants. You don’t see many people if at all in shorts, so it’s respectful to dress similarly to the locals. Try to wear lightweight, breathable fabrics. Layer as it can get cold when the sun sets.
LADIES – wear some full butt underwear when riding the camel. Maybe even double up on bottom layers (workout leggings and joggers or such). Your goal is to minimize chaffing.
We covered our faces and hair in the desert to protect from the sun and the wind and stay warm once the sun set and the temperature dropped.
Morocco offers delicious dates and olives, oranges, apples, and apricots. Try some!
In Summary
The Moroccan Sahara Desert was an incredible trip and that was partly because of the wonderful hospitality we received. This excursion also blended adventure with cultural exchange and natural beauty. While riding a camel is a unique experience, it is not a comfortable one! You are lurching back and forth, chaffing your bottom for a slow, long stretch of time. The sand dunes are beautiful and seeing the Milky Way galaxy in the sky before the full moon rise was unforgettable. That was only rivaled by the magical sunrise over the sand dunes and warm lighting that made our surroundings rich with color.
This is a trip I would recommend to people of all ages, as well as singles, couples, and families. The uniqueness of every environment, activity, and interaction will excite everyone.
If you’re interested in this activity, we would like to recommend Morroco Tour Travel as a vendor. Our guide, Hassan has opened this company along with other Berber nomads from the south-east of Morocco. Judging from our experience, they are very knowledgeable, trustworthy and take great care of you. We are not affiliates of, nor are profiting from anyone’s use of this tour company. This is merely our suggestion based on the hospitality we received and the desire to support hard working locals that are providing great tourism services.
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Would you like to take a trip through the Moroccan countryside and desert? Or have you already and if so, what was your experience?
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