A Night in the Sahara Desert: Best Marrakech Tours to Sahara Desert

Our whole trip to Morocco was astounding, but our night in the Sahara Desert was the gem on top of the whole experience. I want to share some of my favorite photos, and advice on how to get the experience affordably with the best Marrakech tours to Sahara Desert.

There are tons of companies to book a Sahara Desert excursion through. With so many options out there, it can be very overwhelming to choose the best Marrakech tours to Sahara Desert. Many companies charge exorbitant fees to book ahead of time, and in the souks… well, if you’re not good at bargaining (and translating currency in your head) then you could get ripped off.

We booked our Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech ahead of time through I Go Morocco, which is definitely the cheapest option. However, going back to Morocco I would not go with I Go Morocco again – I’ll go into why further down. Instead, I would book with Desert Tours Morocco, which also comes at a reasonable price, and is among the best Marrakech tours to Sahara Desert. It has better reviews and higher quality standards for a similar price.

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

What we did

Dan and I went on a two day Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech which included: van transport from our Riad to the desert through the Atlas mountains, a sunset camel ride through the desert to a camp, traditional tajine dinner and Berber bonfire, shared yurts, breakfast, sunrise camel ride out of the desert, and van transport back through the Atlas mountains to Marrakech. Not included was the cost of lunch both days, and a few dirhams here and there for tour guides on our stop-offs.

The journey through the mountains is a long one, with various stops along the way. I wrote a separate blog post just about this road trip through the Atlas Mountains, which you can read here.

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

Common questions about Marrakech tours to Sahara Desert:

What’s the difference between the Zagora and the Sahara deserts?

The tour is advertised as the Zagora desert excursion. Zagora and Sahara are actually the same thing, but whereas the Sahara is a vast desert, the Zagora area is considered the “gateway” into the Sahara. The last town you pass before entering the Sahara is Zagora. We drove through Zagora into the desert, and then road camels for about 45 minutes, so we were quite well and truly into the desert. We couldn’t hear any roads or see any lights and I saw the milky way for the first time in my life – if that gives you a sense of how far into the desert we were.

Is it safe to travel to the Sahara/Zagora desert?

I read this blog post full of terrifying potential animal encounters (think scorpions, snakes, lions ?!?!?!) in the desert, but we did not experience any of those things, and I wasn’t worried about that whatsoever. More importantly, though, there are travel advisories against travel to the Western Sahara. This is because this is a disputed territory, has a lack of embassy presence, poor transport/roadways, and documented high risk of terrorist activities. However, Zagora is far north of the “Western Sahara,” and many safe and popular tours frequent this part of the desert. I also think it’s important to be critical of travel warnings and do your own research before following them point-blank!

How far is the desert from Marrakech?

FAR. It took about 8-9 hours (including stop offs) to drive from Marrakech to our camels on the edge of Zagora. So I wouldn’t recommend this excursion if you hate cars, or if you’re only in the country for a couple days!

 

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

Onto the good stuff…

We booked a group excursion (you can read a bit about our motley crew here) and I have absolutely no regrets. It was so hilarious and interesting meeting these fellow travelers, and we really bonded as a group. It is also cheaper to go as a group than privately.

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

^^The squad processes into the desert via camel

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

^My camel and I brought up the rear of the procession so nobody was behind me to judge my selfies…

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

The journey to our camp site took about 45 minutes, during which we passed some friendly rogue desert goats…

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

^^pure joy.

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

^^ I fell in love with my camel. Her name was Moulay and she was the baby of the group – meaning she was the perfect size for me.

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

Sarah & Moulay forever!!

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

I can’t remember what Dan’s camel’s actual name was, but we called him Rodriguez and he was SO STINKY. Soz Dan. I think Moulay and Rodriguez were buds.

One tip I will offer that they don’t warn you about is that you need to be able to take all your luggage with you on your camel. We were fine as we both brought really small bags (we left our duffels at the Riad in Marrakech), but you’d be screwed if you brought your rolling suitcase on this trip! Pretty much all Sahara Desert tours from Marrakech are the same in this regard. We had the option to leave belongings in the van, but I 1,000% wouldn’t trust this option as the vans weren’t always locked, and when we left them in the desert they were surrounded by a dozen children. I would take all valuables with you.

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

We arrived to our campsite just as the sun was slipping behind the dunes. The blue sky grew pink, starting from the horizon and fading upwards.

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

After dumping our bags in our shared yurt, our whole group pulled off our shoes and ran to the sand.

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

^The magical moment obviously called for some yoga.

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

^It felt so incredibly free, standing on my head, feet in the sky, feeling the Sahara desert sand all around me.

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

^Dan got his photo op as well.

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

The lighting was unstoppable.

We couldn’t help but play around a bit. Even rolled down the dunes a few times.

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

The yurts themselves were nicer than I’d expected. Staying in a yurt wasn’t luxury, but it was all part of the authentic experience. I grew up camping, and compared to sleeping on the ground in the woods, this was heaven!

The yurts fit 8 people each, and we shared with the members of our tour group, who we had gotten to know so it didn’t feel like being shoved in with random strangers. There are thick mattresses for each person, with pillows and warm, thick blankets.

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

There were two outhouse style toilets a ways off from the yurts. To be completely honest, though, they were pretty gross, and basically impossible to find in the darkness, so we ended up just using the “toilet” behind far off dunes. Once you embrace your inner out-doorsy person, it’s really not so bad!

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

^view from our yurt out into the opening.

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

^^The camels slept in a line a few yards away from the yurts.

Our group met up with about 4 or 5 other groups who’d traveled separately to the desert. For dinner, we all gathered for tajine in a large tent. I was able to grab some first before it was contaminated with bread, as I’m gluten free. If you’re also celiac or gluten intolerant, you can read my whole guide to gluten free travel in Morocco.

After dinner, we all gathered around a huge bonfire outside, where the Berber guides played drums and sang folk songs…and the occasional Shakira hit. I let out my YOLO side (or…You’re Only in Africa Once??) and had a good, barefoot, wild dance around the fire with a bunch of strangers I can guarantee I’ll never meet again. They passed around the drums and we did our best.

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

Eventually the fire died down and I found myself lying in the sand, staring up at the starriest sky I’ve ever experienced. It still doesn’t seem quite real. It’s one of those memories you don’t trust – it’s too perfect to be real.

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

The morning saw us up at sunrise, after I slept deeply through strong, sandy winds. We rubbed our sleepy eyes and were fed coffee, Moroccan mint tea, bread, and fruit. Everything was sand and silhouettes and a whir.

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

I found trusty lil’ Moulay sleepy-eyed as well, comfortable in the sand behind the yurts. She begrudgingly stood up, took her position in line, let me climb atop, and we set off through the desert.

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

^In the distance, we could see other tour groups setting off in their own processions, led by their own Berber guides.When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

^My favorite was this small group, slowly marching through the rising sun.When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

The 45 minute journey went a lot faster in our sleep deprived state, but I still managed to get a (very disheveled…someone forgot a hairbrush…) selfie en route back to civilization.

What company should you book your Marrakech tours to Sahara Desert with?

Like I mentioned, I would not go with IGoMorocco again. You’re probably wondering why, as I describe it as such an amazing experience, and it is certainly the cheapest! Here’s why:

  • Although we booked ahead of time, IGoMorocco and many similar companies that offer Marrakech tours to Sahara Desert outsource their tours. The company acts more like a “broker” – you pay them, but then you’re actually taken on the tour by a separate group of guides. This means there is less safe guarding and lower quality standards to the actual guides who take you on the trip.
  • Because of this outsourcing, you don’t have any guarantee who your guides will be. Our guides were fine, but there are some pretty scary reviews of IGoMorocco online and experiences of terrible guides. I am also worried about the treatment of the camels as a result of this.
  • I don’t trust IGoMorocco as a company. They plagiarized my original blog post through different outlets, and as someone who makes their living through writing, blogging, and freelancing, this is not something I take lightly.

Instead…. I would recommend booking your Sahara Desert tours from Marrakech with Desert Trips Morocco. You can see the exact equivalent of the tour we went on here.

  • The cost is higher, but it is still cheaper than most other companies you’ll find. This higher (but reasonable) price guarantees better and safer service.
  • Desert Trips Morocco do NOT outsource their tours. The same people you book through are the ones who take you on the trip.
  • They have outstanding reviews. Of 267 reviews on TripAdvisor, they’ve maintained a 5 star review (compared to IGoMorocco’s 3 star review)
  • It is run by Moroccan people, providing you an authentic experience of their own country and culture.
  • Also, you get free lunch 🙂

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

Final tips for Marrakech tours to Sahara Desert

  • Take a very small bag you can keep on your lap whilst riding a camel. If possible leave your larger luggage at your Riad in Marrakech.
  • Pack a toothbrush, toothpaste, and face wipes (there’s no running water to wash your face), a water bottle, and some warm clothes.
  • PACK TOILET PAPER. You won’t regret this.
  • Book your trip with a company that does not outsource their tours, such as Desert Trips Morocco.

Happy journeying, friends!

Sarah xx

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When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

When in Morocco, go on a life changing Sahara Desert tour from Marrakech. We loved our tour and 45 minute camel ride. In this post I discuss common questions, and compare the best Marrakech tours to the Sahara Desert, including why I would NOT go with the company we went with again.

** This post is sponsored by Desert Trips Morocco. As I discussed in this post, we did not do our tour with this company, but we also would not book with the company we went with again. After doing lots of research into the best Marrakech tours to Sahara Desert, I believe Desert Trips Morocco is one of the best options around and a great alternative that we would book with next time. All opinions within this post are my own. It is my goal to remain 100% honest with my readers.

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26 Comments

  1. It looks amazing! What a cool experience! Also, I had no idea about how to get tours to the sahara or anything so will definetely be coming back to this when I eventually make it to morocco! The sunset light looks incredible and it must have been fun to ride a camel!

    1. I know it took us forever to figure it out – there’s a lot of companies out there that do completely private tours for exorbitant prices but that wasn’t what we were after! It was more fun to actually go in a group and meet people 🙂 And it was super fun to ride the camel but more difficult than anyone had warned me – I was really sore!

  2. I did such a similar trip, it’s actually crazy. Your pictures look almost exactly like some of my own! Haha .. the only difference is I did a 4 night, 5-day trip, so we made a few more stops along the way. I agree though that the driving was A LOT. All worth it in the end though. We hiked up some dunes for the sunrise (which was surprisingly difficult) and an experience I’ll remember for the rest of my life! Such great info for anyone looking to recreate your amazing experience 😀

  3. What an amazing experience. I was so close to Morocco earlier this year – it would have been so easy just to pop over from Spain, I regret not doing it now – but I am sure there will be other opportunities. You are right – the light was amazing!

    1. That’s what I did – I took a short flight over from Madrid. It’s funny how when you go further south in Spain it gets very very similar to Morocco! When I was in Spain, my airbnb ended up being with a Moroccan family! I hope you have a chance to pop over next time 🙂

  4. This is so awesome! I will like to do something like this. I rode a camel once in Egypt. I felt more secure than in a horse. I will need to check the company you are recommending. Have to agree their price was really good. #wanderfulwednesday

    1. It was definitely a bumpy ride but I felt like the camels were a lot more even tempered than horses haha. Definitely recommend their company – it’s a no frills experience but the best deal you’ll find, and we got so much for it!

  5. How cool is this! And I love the camel selfie. This looks like a totally unique experience, and good to know you can do it on a budget as well (but you need to bring your own tp!). Your photos are brilliant!

    1. Ahhh yay!! I was gonna send this to you but happy you saw it 🙂 I’m glad it answered your questions, and I tried to include lots of links to our specific excursion! Let me know if you have any other q’s about your trip – we stayed in an amazing riad which I can recommend (also a crappy hostel which I can NOT recommend) but if you want any details just let me know! Can’t wait to see your posts on it. And yeah….I’ll just say sometimes filters are a blessing lol 😉

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