Morocco Desert Tours – Everything You Need to Know

Any visit to Morocco should include a day or two in the Sahara Desert.  Spending a night under canvas was certainly a highlight of our Intrepid tour around Morocco.  In this article, I will explain all about Morocco desert tours – where they start from, how to book them, and much more.  I will also describe our experience.

Starting Points for Morocco Desert Tours

Zagora

Zagora is the original desert outpost.  In 1591, the Saadians set off on their expedition to conquer Timbuktu from here.  In the centuries that followed, desert caravans made this isolated spot a trading post and meeting place on the route between Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa, giving it a cosmopolitan character that persists today.

It is the site of the iconic ‘Tombouctou, 52 jours’ sign featuring a nomad with a smirking camel.  The original sign was destroyed in a town council clean up, but convincing copies can be seen all over town.

Almost every tourist in Zagora is heading for the Sahara.  Although M’Hamid (see below)  is closer to the bigger dunes of Erg Chigaga, many desert tour operators are based here.

Desert Tour Companies in Zagora

Wild Morocco

This joint Berber-British enterprise offers three to six-day desert treks which follow traditional migration routes used by nomads.  The couple who run Wild Morocco, with its motto ‘Where the sun meets a sea of sand’, are professional and passionate.  Check out their website here.

Caravane Desert et Montagne

This company partners with local Berber nomads to offer off-the-beaten-track adventures for individuals and small groups.  This is their website.

M’Hamid

90 kilometres south of Zagora is the small town of M’Hamid.  It lies right on the edge of the Sahara.  There are some dunes very close to the town, almost in the back yards of local guesthouses.  For a real sense of the desert, though, you have to take a camel or 4WD off-road for about 50 kilometres on a hard-packed rocky surface until you reach the burnt-orange sand sea which is Erg Chigaga.  It’s the largest sand sea in Morocco stretching for over 40 kilometres and bordered to the north and south by mountains.

Getting to the dunes and back by camel takes around a week and costs about 600 dirham per day.  To get there by 4WD only takes a few hours and costs around 1300 dirham a day for the vehicle.  Camping costs an extra 400 – 500 dirham per night.

The dunes reach heights of up to 350 metres.  In the folds, semipermanent camps have been set up where visitors can enjoy a stay under a spectacular night sky lit up by the enormous arc of the Milky Way.

Desert Tour Companies in M’Hamid

Sahara Services

Sahara Services is the most professional tour operator in M’Hamid.  They offer desert tours, including overnight stays in the open or under canvas.

Bivouac Sous Les Étoiles

This local company runs several desert camps and organises trips to them both by 4WD and by camel.  Click here to go to their website.

Our Morocco Desert Tour

Overnight in Zagora

Our stay in Zagora was literally an overnight stop en route to the Sahara.  We arrived at our hotel, Chez Ali, in the late afternoon.  It was our first accommodation with a bar in several days, so that is where our group congregated for a pre-dinner drink.  The hotel also had a pool which was very welcome after a long, dusty driving day.

Tamegroute

After breakfast, we left Zagora heading for M’Hamid.  We stopped on the way for a guided tour around Tamegroute, home to the 17th century learned Nassiri brotherhood.  The town is famous for its library of 4000 books and ancient illuminated texts, including 13th-century editions of the Koran written on gazelle hide.  Unfortunately, we visited on a Saturday when it was closed.  We did get to visit a lively local market.  Our guide also led us through the very interesting underground kasbah, emerging into the sunshine just next to the Cooperative des Potiers.

At the pottery, we learned about the distinctive ‘Tamegroute green’ glaze created using oxidised copper.

Camel Ride in M’Hamid

Our journey into the desert was by 4WD from M’Hamid.  So that we wouldn’t miss out, our Intrepid guide organised for us to have a camel ride when we arrived in the town.

After a lunch of delicious lamb tagine, Berber eggs and refreshing mint tea in a local family home, we went to meet our camels!  We were shown how to wrap scarves around our heads to protect us from the sun and sand.  We then mounted up and set off for a two-hour round trip through the nearby desert.  It wasn’t the first time Mark and I had ridden camels.  There was a memorable occasion in Tunisia many years ago when Mark upset his camel driver by refusing to buy a scarf so said driver game the animal a prod with a sharp stick which sent it careering off across the desert with Mark clinging on for dear life!  We weren’t enamoured of the experience then, and neither were we on this occasion!  This time there were no mishaps – the ride went according to plan – but it was none too comfortable and at the end, we questioned why we had done it!

A Truly Memorable Night in the Sahara!

The route in

Following our camel ride, we climbed into 4WDs for our two-hour drive to our camp.  The way was bumpy and extremely dusty, but an experience we wouldn’t have wanted to miss.  The desert scenery was ever-changing.  It was fascinating to catch glimpses of nomadic herdsmen with their camel trains.  We stopped halfway to top up our water bottles at a well which was full of cool, clear water after recent rains.  Hamid, our guide, said he’d never seen it so full.

Our camp

Arriving at our camp, most of our group were pleasantly surprised at the level of comfort on offer, though some were dismayed at learning there was no running water for showers.  Travel tip number one – always carry wet wipes!!

Our tents were large and had proper beds, electricity (albeit to power just one small light bulb) and beautiful rugs on the floor.  

Sunset

Most members of our group had brought some kind of alcohol on the trip with them, so we drank while watching the glorious sunset from the top of the nearest dune.  It was so beautiful, the peace only broken by the appearance of a couple of donkeys and a camel!

Once the sun had gone down, we had dinner in the communal dining tent.  The cooks surpassed themselves and we were treated to one of the best tagines we ate on the entire trip!  Later, we lit a fire and were royally entertained by Hamid and the drivers who played drums and sang Berber songs.  Away from the fire, the sky was a spectacular show of millions of twinkling stars.  It was truly mesmerising.  Several of our group chose to pull their beds outside and sleep under the stars.  We stayed up for a while taking it all in before opting to sleep inside our tent.

Sunrise

We set our alarm the next morning hoping to see the sunrise over the dune.  Unfortunately, it was too cloudy and the sun rose unseen.  We did see it a little later, though, when the cloud lifted.

After breakfast, we set off before 8am.  We had intended to drive on across the desert but we were told the route was impassable due to heavy rain further along.  Instead, we had to retrace our steps all the way back to Zagora, a three and a half hour trip.

The memories we made in the desert will stay with us for a very long time, I’m sure.

READ MY COMPLETE MOROCCO TRAVEL GUIDE

Further Reading About Morocco

Check out my Morocco colouring books!

Unlike most colouring books on the market, mine, suitable for both adults and older children, are full of line images created from photos I have taken on my travels.  This means that they are highly detailed.  They are not line drawings where you can colour between every line.  The pictures invite you to be creative.  Apply a colour wash with watercolour.  Use coloured pencils to create texture.  Blend colours together.  Add detail with a fine ink pen.  The choice is yours!  Create your own work of art!  When you’re happy, remove it from the book.  Stick it on the fridge as a reminder of a place you’ve already been to or somewhere that’s on your bucket list.  You could even get it framed.  Display it on the wall for people to admire. 

Here is a selection:

If you like what you’ve read, PIN IT!!

If you’re travelling soon, please use these links!

Are you travelling soon?  Use these links when making your bookings.  These are the companies we use.  It won’t cost you any extra, but we will earn a few pennies to help keep Happy Days Travel Blog going.  Thank you!!

• Book your travel insurance with World Nomads (Never leave home without protecting yourself, your trip and your belongings!)
• Book your flight with Skyscanner
• Book your accommodation with Booking.com
• Book a tour with Tour Radar or Intrepid Travel
• Book city tours and activities with Get Your Guide

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.  If you click through for more information, or to make a purchase, it may result in a small commission coming my way.  Please note that there is no extra cost to you associated with this.  Thank you so much for supporting my site.

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