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Nomade SoulAdventure

Leaving from

Tours from Marrakech

20 private routes, from a half day to nine days, leaving whenever you do, with pickup at your hotel or riad.

Marrakech is the busiest gateway to the Sahara and the one with the most choice: twenty routes leave from here, from a half-day camel ride in the Agafay stone desert to a nine-day loop through the imperial cities. Every departure is private, with pickup at your riad or hotel.

The desert is a full day away over the Tizi n’Tichka pass. Zagora’s dunes are reached on the first evening, which makes the two-day tour the shortest real Sahara night. Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi dunes take the whole of the second day, so give them three days, or four if you want to end in Fes instead of driving back. Erg Chegaga, wilder and further, is a 4×4 route of three or four days.

If you have one day, the choice is between the mountains (Ourika, Imlil and the three valleys), the coast (Essaouira) or the film-set kasbah of Aït Ben Haddou. Two Toubkal treks of two and three days leave from here as well.

Edited in the M6 checkpoint walk.

12 routes

Sahara and multi-day tours from Marrakech

Choosing well

Merzouga or Zagora — which desert?

Both are real Sahara nights under canvas. The difference is how far you drive and how big the dunes are.

Merzouga or Zagora — which desert?Merzouga (Erg Chebbi)Zagora
From MarrakechTwo days of driving each way, via the Dades and Todra gorgesOne day each way, via Aït Ben Haddou and the Draa valley
DunesUp to 150 m, a sand sea about 28 km longSmaller dune fields beside the Draa valley
Shortest tour3 days · 2 nights2 days · 1 night
Best ifYou want the big dunes and can spare three or more daysYou have a weekend and want a desert night without two long driving days
Our routesThe 3-, 4- and 5-day Merzouga tours, or 3 days ending in FesThe 2-day Zagora tour

Month by month

Best time of year to leave Marrakech

Daytime highs in the city; the desert runs a few degrees warmer by day and much colder at night.

MonthDaytime highCrowdsOur take
January18 °CQuietClear and quiet; cold desert nights, pack layers.
February20 °CQuietAlmond blossom in the valleys; still cold at the camp.
MarchBest23 °CBusyThe start of the best window; book early.
AprilBest26 °CBusyWarm days, cool nights: the sweet spot.
May29 °CModerateWarm and long days; good for the mountains too.
June34 °CModerateHot by midday; desert stops kept short.
July38 °CQuietVery hot; we drive early and late.
August38 °CQuietVery hot; the coast and the Atlas are the better day trips.
September33 °CModerateHeat easing; a good month for treks.
OctoberBest28 °CBusyOur favourite month: soft light and mild nights.
November23 °CModerateCool, calm, fewer people.
December19 °CBusyHoliday season; clear skies and cold nights.

Good to know

Questions about leaving from Marrakech

Are the tours private or shared?

Every tour is private with a two-person minimum: your own 4×4 or minivan and driver-guide, nobody added along the way. A few routes also offer a shared option, shown on the tour page.

Which desert should we choose with only two days?

Zagora. Its dunes are reached on the first evening via Aït Ben Haddou and the Draa valley. Merzouga needs three days because the Erg Chebbi dunes are a full second day away.

Can we end in Fes instead of coming back?

Yes. The 3-day and 4-day Merzouga tours have a version that continues north through the Ziz gorges and the cedar forest to Fes, so you do not repeat the road.

What is included in the price?

The vehicle with driver-guide and fuel, hotel pickup and drop-off, the desert camp with dinner and breakfast, and the camel ride at sunset and sunrise. Lunches, drinks, tips and monument entrance fees are not included; each tour page lists exactly what is in and out.

How cold is the desert at night?

From November to March it can approach freezing after dark. The camp has blankets and a fire; bring a warm jacket and a hat.

How do we confirm a tour?

Tell us your dates and group size, we confirm we can run it and quote the price, then you hold the dates with a 15% deposit through PayPal. The balance is paid on arrival in Morocco.

What if we have to cancel?

Cancellation is free up to 7 days before departure and the deposit is refunded in full. Inside 7 days, write to us and we will do what we can with the hotels and the camp.

Is there phone signal in the dunes?

Patchy at the camp, none on the dunes themselves. Download your maps before.

8 day trips

Also from Marrakech

Day trips to the mountains and the coast, and two Toubkal treks, for the days around your desert tour.

Not sure which one?

Tell us your dates. We pick the route.

Say when you land and how many you are. We reply within 1 hour with the tour that fits, and nothing is paid until we confirm.

See every tourWrite to us