A THREE DAY TOUR OF THE SAHARA DESERT
The Sahara Desert is spectacular. It’s a bucketlist item to sleep under the stars in the middle of nowhere with traditional Berber people cooking you dinner, singing and dancing all night long. Make sure you buy yourself a good turban to wear for a majority of your trip to protect your face and hair from the sand. Trust me, you will need it!
My friends and I opted for one of the most popular tours offered in Morocco – a 3D/2N private tour from Marrakech to Fes with an overnight stay in the Sahara. We used the company Morocco Excursions and would highly recommend to anyone.
DAY 1
Your day will start out fairly early in Marrakech with your private tour guides picking you up from your accommodation. You will make your way to the Dades Gorge, passing through the Atlas Mountains. We stopped for many breaks, seeing traditional Berber villages along the way. You will even get to travel Tizi n’Tichka, the highest road pass of the High Atlas Mountains.
The most popular attraction on the first day is visiting the Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that dates back 12,000 years. This village is made of earthen clay and used to lie along one of the main tran-Saharan trade routes. It is now used as a site for Hollywood blockbusters such as Indiana Jones and Game of Thrones. This place is incredible, especially as you make your way up the top of the ancient kasbah, revealing insane panoramic views. It can be very windy up the top though so make sure you’re wearing your turban and glasses!
Fun fact: Ait Ben Haddou translates to “this belongs to Haddou”.
In the afternoon you willl arrive in Ourzazate, the gate of the desert. This place is most famous for their film studios which have produced films such as Gladiator and The Mummy! We didn’t go inside, but you can explore the studios if you want. Afterwards, you will continue through Skoura, Mgnoua Valley (Roses Valley) and end in the Dades Valley.
You will finish your day at one of the hotels of your choice. We chose the Hotel Babylon, which was comfortable and pleasant. Have some dinner then relax and prepare for the next big day.
Day 2
After having breakfast in the hotel, you will jump back into your car and continue on your journey. You will start with a quick stop at Boumalne du Dades for some panoramic views of the Dades Valley.
Around midday you will find yourself in the Todra Gorge where you can get out and walk the length by foot, dipping your toes into the refreshing water. You will stop for some lunch along the way and you can also visit a traditional material factory to buy yourself a gorgeous turban.
Finally, you will arrive at Erg Chebbi, also known as the Merzouga Dunes. You will drop your luggage off at a closeby hotel and then get ready for your camel ride into the desert. You will only be able to take a backpack with you, so get all your valuables and essentials ready. Once you arrive at the outskirts of the desert, you will take a fun dune buggy ride to where you will meet your camel buddy. It will take an hour and a half to get to the Berber campground, but you will experience an incredible sunset whilst riding the camel.
We weren’t prepared for how sore our legs and bums would be from the camel ride. Be more prepared than we were!
Tonight you will be staying in a traditional nomad tent, with a bed provided. Spend some time going some sandboarding and taking photos of the glorious landscape. You will be given a delicious Moroccan dinner and then sit around the fire and enjoy the Berber people singing and dancing.
Day 3
I promise you, you will not be disappointed by waking up to watch the sunrise over the Sahara Desert whilst you sit on top of one of the sand dunes. This was an incredible moment that I will never forget. You will be able to see all the way to Algeria from the sand dunes!
Jump aboard your camel again to make the journey back to your hotel where you left your luggage and have a quick shower. You will then depart and make your way towards the final destination, Fes. You will make your way past Errachidia, the biggest administrative city in the desert, followed by a stop in the Ziz Valley.
Our favourite part of this whole trip may was a sto pat the Cedar forest of Azrou, where we fed wild monkeys. These were the most gorgeous little creatures and not at all aggressive! We never wanted to leave. Afterwards, we stopped at Ifrane, also known as the Moroccon Switzerland, for an afternoon snack and walkabouts, followed by our final destination at about 6pm – Fes.
