Although local companies running Morocco desert trips will happily take you on a two-day tour of the Sahara if that’s what you ask for, the realities of getting from Marrakesh or Fez and crossing the High Atlas mountains both there and back mean it will be difficult to experience all the Saharan sands have to offer on a tour of less than three days. With this amount of time dedicated to the desert you’ll find the opportunity to relax in a tented camp among the Berber people, journey over the dunes on a camel, and begin to get a sense of what the region is all about.

Booking your Sahara tour in advance

Both Marrakesh and Fez are ideal gateways to the Sahara’s warm sands and even warmer traditions of hospitality. Spend just a short time in these southern cities and you’re sure to come across companies offering tours. Many undoubtedly offer perfectly adequate trips, but by walking in off the street it’s difficult to know the quality of exactly what you’ll be getting.

Best time to visit

Renowned for its fierce summer heat even by the tribes you have lived here for centuries, the Sahara’s summer months, when temperatures can reach beyond 40°C in the shade, are best avoided entirely. By contrast, Moroccan winters can be disappointingly wet, and the high passes over the Atlas mountains blocked by snow. You’ll, therefore, find that most companies offer Morocco desert tours between March and May, and then again from late September and October when there are clear skies, bearable temperatures, and the best road conditions.

Geography of the Moroccan Sahara

The Sahara spans an area of 9.2 million square kilometres (approximately the size of the United States), making it the largest non-polar desert in the world. In Morocco, it stretches south from the High Atlas mountains, around half a day’s drive from Marrakesh and Fez.

How to get to the Moroccan desert

By far the easiest way of getting into the Moroccan desert is on a tour, which will take you along the well-maintained roads by minibus. Should you prefer, its also possible to hire a car in Marrakesh or Fez, or hop on one of the country’s frequent bus services.

Dunes to visit in Morocco

The slowly shifting dunes of the photography books are to be found at Erg Chebbi, near the village of Mergouza in the southeast of the country, and Erg Chigaga in the far south, near the Draa Valley and border with Algeria.

What to pack for the desert

Needless to say, the desert is hot, but what is sometimes understated is the change in temperature that comes with nightfall, where temperatures can drop twenty degrees in half an hour. So while the thermometer will still read a pleasant 20 degrees, after the heat of the day it will feel cold and you will be wanting warm clothing.

What to do in the Moroccan desert

The desert is such that you can do as much or as little as you like. The landscapes of drifting dunes, contrasting sharply against the blue sky by day and stars by night are endlessly fascinating, while riding a camel is perhaps the easiest way of getting even closer to the dunes and that true desert experience. Sunrise and sunset treks provide the most astounding colour palette (and more suitable temperatures), while the cuisine, music and hospitality of the Berber help unwrap some of the secrets of the desert.

http://sahara-holidaytours.com

If you're traveling in Spain and have never been to Morocco, don't let the opportunity pass you by! From Tarifa, there's a link by fast ferries every hour and it takes only 35 mn to arrive to Tangier(the perle of Morocco); the ideal is to arrive in the morning and return back at the afternoon.

A guided walking tour visit inside the old city called Medina with its 5 old famous squares, and medieval fortifications, to take pictures with the locals and to visit the Souks (markets) of gold, handi-crafts, food and spices and medicinal plants. Finally stop by a typical restaurant to taste the famous, delicious Moroccan food if you have time for that.

Our day trips are best for your short stay in Marrakech; you can choose to go to Essaouira, Ouzoud Waterfalls, Ourika Valley, or Ait ben Haddou Kasbah or any other specific spots that you wish to visit . These attractions are nearby the imperial city of Marrakech and just one day excursion will take you to visit one of these marvelous locations. Note that these tours can be customized according to your requirement. 

1. Day Tour from Marrakech via Atlas Mountains and Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou:

We are a tour company based in Morocco. We offer private tours that can be customized to your taste, budget, and time frame to engage in a variety of activities such as archaeological and historical exploration, camel trekking, hiking, swimming, sand boarding, windsurfing, star watching , bird watching, visiting local Berber families.
We offer Morocco private tours tailored to your desire to take you around exploring morocco cities tours, morocco Imperial cities tours, and Sahara Desert tours to see the real Morocco. Our tour experts are native Moroccans with a rich cultural heritage who are very proud of their history and country. Our company has been working in tourism field for many years, and has professional guides speak fluent English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Berber.

Let us show you Morocco as we know it and love it— the places, people, the food, the history and the culture— we are anxious to share it all with you! We know Morocco as back of our hands. 

Marrakech Desert Journeys is a small local tour company based in marrakech. ,we are available to organize your marrakech tour according to your plans and your budget ,we can arrange the perfect Moroccan excursion and expeditions with 4x4. We can arrange all sorts of tours such as - Tours from Marrakech - Tours from Casablanca - Tours from Fez & Tours from Merzouga and all of these can take you to see and exploring the real magic Morocco ,you are welcome .

Born in 1304 in the old town of Tangier called Medina,Ibn Batouta was a contemporary of Marco-Polo; He left his hometown at the age of 21 in order to return in his fifties.When he came back, he didn’t bring gold or precious stones, but the precise memories of his trips of 3 decades around the world.  In his book called “Rihla” in Arabic, “Travels,” Ibn Batouta tells us about the religions, customs and mysteries of the territories he visited, which in our present day correspond to 44 countries and a route of 120 000 km. He did most of his trip on foot, from Tangier to China and from the Black Sea to Eastern Oriental Africa, then back to Tangier.Ibn Batouta took another trip, visiting the different towns in the north and south of Morocco, and then he crossed the Strait of Gibraltar to visit the Kingdom of Granada in Spain.
In his memory the international airport of Tangier and a boat that links Spain to Tangier took his name. A dome was erected in the same quarter where he was born in the old Medina of Tangier.