Sahara Desert

Sunrise or sunset, the amount of desert activities is endless. Come join the High Atlas mountains terrain.

TRAVEL TIPS

Restaurants

To Do

Hotels

Itinerary

PURCHASE DOWNLOAD

The Golden Sands

Get ready for some serious road time! Starting from Marrakech, you're looking at a solid 11-hour drive in a single day (trust me, not the most fun option) navigating those winding roads. Alternatively, you can split the drive into two days, clocking in at around 6 hours each. My family and I opted for the latter, hiring a driver who doubled as our local guide. Along the way, we made pit stops at some charming towns, soaking in the culture and stories of our newfound friend behind the wheel.

Before spending the night at a halfway point called Skoura, we made a must-see detour to explore Ksar Ait Benhaddou, the oldest Kasbah in the area. It's mind-blowing to witness people living in such remote places, trading goods sans electricity. Fun fact: in Morocco, locals navigate using the Atlas Mountains as their compass, and the Higher Atlas, home to the Kasbah, is chock-full of history and resources. Pro tip: summertime is the peak season for tours, and a guide is a must to navigate the terrain.

The Perfect Boutique...

After our tour, we rolled into the coziest boutique hotel a few hours away. Picture this: only 15 rooms scattered across a sprawling property, complete with teepees, rooftop hangouts, and even farm animals! The hospitality? Top-notch. It was the perfect recharge before tackling another 6-hour drive the next day.

Now, when you finally reach the desert, forget about hotels—it's all about luxury camping, baby! With so many options to choose from, you're in for a treat with meals, teatime, and even traditional Moroccan campfire performances. Oh, and a heads up: Morocco is known to be a dry country, so pack your own alcohol if that's your vibe. And don't forget to scope out how deep into the Sahara you'll be, 'cause that'll determine your weather forecast.

No worries about bears here! It's all safe for glamping under the stars. Each campsite offers a slew of activities, but you can also rely on outside companies for more thrills. For the activities, I would highly recommend renting ATVs through the desert. Nothing compares even if you have rented ATVs somewhere else, this was the best experience. If you haven’t been on a camel, this would be the most picture-perfect place to do it and they are everywhere. Lastly, I would also recommend sandboarding for the less adventurous because it’s not dangerous and similar to sledding. A lot of these tours are booked around sunrise or sunset with a guide but let me know if you have any questions!