Morocco is a diverse country with so much to offer. From coastal beach resorts to the hustle and bustle of its biggest cities, to the stunning views of the Atlas Mountains. But the highlight of my 9‑day trip was visiting the Sahara Desert!

In this post, I’ll tell you all about this unforgettable experience so make sure you read until the end. I booked on this tour, but there are other variants on GetYourGuide and Viator. Your hotel or riad in Marrakesh also might be able to find something for you. Just read through the itinerary to make sure it aligns with what you want to get out of the tour.

Day 1

My pickup time was just before 8 am outside one of the entries to the medina. Seemed like a popular meeting point, with many other tourists awaiting their transport, ready to go on respective adventures.

The bus was almost full, but I spotted an empty seat at the back. Couldn’t believe my luck and snatched it quickly! At the next pickup point, though, I did a favour to a couple and swapped my seat (very reluctantly…) so that they can be together. Little did I know then that it was going to be the best spot!

Our group was made up of about 15 people; a mix of friends, couples, siblings and solo travellers.

The first stop was at a café outside Marrakesh to get snacks and something to eat. We then drove on through the stunning Atlas Mountains (which I’ll write more about in day 3 when we did it in reverse).

Aït Benhaddou

After three hours, we reached Aït Benhaddou (Aït-Ben-Haddou), a famous fortified village (ksar), holding the UNESCO World Heritage Site status. It’s made almost entirely out of rammed earth (pisé), clay bricks and wood, and is a great example of Moroccan earthen architecture.

A local guide took us, and several other groups, on a tour of the structure. As an aspiring polyglot, I admired his effortless switching between at least four languages!

We stopped at various interest points, each time learning something about the history of the place. The most memorable for me was a shop of an artist making fire paintings, a technique invented by Berbers, also called pyro aquarelle. A picture is painted using natural ingredients, such as green tea or saffron, and comes to life when held over a flame.

It was the hottest time of the day, but we slowly reached the top of the structure. The view was breathtaking, but I felt like we didn’t have enough time to take it in and appreciate fully.

The tour moved on to a fabric shop with all kinds of the traditional Berber scarf, known as litham, tagelmust or chèche. The seller gave us a demo of how to tie it around your head – not as easy as you’d think! I got myself the most common deep blue one. It would be essential, if not life-saving, in the scorching sun of the following day.

Morocco’s Film Capital

Aït Benhaddou appeared in many high-profile films, such as Lawrence of Arabia, The Mummy and Gladiator, and in recent years, the series Games of Thrones. According to our guide, film industry and tourism make up 90% of the local economy, with agriculture constituting the rest.

The nearby city of Ouarzazate is known as the “Hollywood of Morocco”. The programme didn’t include a stop at the famous Atlas Studios, but our driver Rarhib pointed at it as we drove past. Neither did we stop to explore Ouarzazate itself, but I’d been there just before this tour so it didn’t bother me.

The city is also called the “Gateway to the Sahara”. But we still had a looong way to go!

Monkey Fingers

After sunset, we stopped by Monkey Fingers (Pattes des Singes), a strange rock formation resembling fingers of… yes, you guessed it – a monkey. There’s a scenic walking trail of about 8 kilometres (5 miles), but we only had time for a quick visit. So, after clicking a few photos in a dedicated spot, we were back inside the car, heading to our accommodation.

We were staying at L’Habitant Amazigh in Boumalne Dadès, a big 3‑star hotel, which we shared with a few other groups. After tea and snacks, we had time to unwind in our rooms before coming back for dinner. It was a buffet, and once again I applauded Morocco for being so veggie-friendly! Our hosts were playing live Berber music, and there finally was opportunity to have a proper chat with the tour companions.

I was surprised to get a room that normally hosts 3 people, all to myself. It was too dark to appreciate the view, but when I strained my senses, I was pleased to make out a lot of greenery and hear water trickling in a stream nearby.

Day 2

It was an early wake-up call and some of us barely made the quick breakfast before we headed out around 8 am. Not your ideal holiday morning routine, but we had a tight schedule to follow.

After over an hour’s drive, we stopped at a panoramic lookout point in Tinghir, with a sweeping view of the city. I liked the contrast between the green palm groves below and the mudbrick buildings above, blending into the dry mountains.

Todgha Gorge

Our next stop was the Todgha Gorge, also spelled Todra and known in French as Gorges du Toudra (those spelling variants in Morocco can be confusing). It’s a narrow, but truly spectacular canyon, carved by the local Todgha and Dadès Rivers. The cliffs on both sides can reach up to 300 metres in height, and the place is a magnet for the enthusiasts of rock climbing.

I liked how the temperature dropped once we went in the shaded canyon. Such a relief from the blazing late-morning sun.

Carpet shop

The local guide took us down the valley for a short walk along the river, followed by a visit to a carpet shop. Hopping between English and French, the charismatic owner told us all about making and dyeing the thread. Rolling out some of the nicest pieces in the middle of the room, he was obviously fishing for customers.

I don’t think we were quite his target, though. As much as I wouldn’t mind a carpet like that in my future home, it’s not something you can just squeeze in your hand luggage, is it? But I did enjoy his informative spiel, appreciating that it wasn’t pushy at all. And I didn’t say no to a complimentary round of delicious mint tea!

Lunch in Ksar Lbour

The tour came with breakfast and dinner, but for lunch we were dropped off at recommended places. Restaurant Belle Vue in Ksar Lbour did have the promised “beautiful view”, but one look at the menu and you knew it’s a tourist trap.

So, some of us headed to another restaurant we found online, Gîte Restaurant Youftne, hidden from view in one of the side streets. And what a find it was! The owner couldn’t have been more welcoming and the food more authentic. In any case, much superior to whatever overpriced junk the other place had to offer…

With the owner of Gîte Restaurant Youftne

While walking back to the car, some friendly local kids chased us down the street and asked to have a photo taken. They were really sweet, and even showed us the way earlier when we were looking for the restaurant.

Camel ride

The landscape around us was becoming more and more flat and arid. After 4 pm we arrived in Merzouga, a village located by Erg Chebbi – some of the tallest dunes in the Sahara.

After a short reception with the ubiquitous mint tea, it was time to mount the camels and head out into the desert. As they rise with their back legs first, be prepared for your body to suddenly tip forwards. Just hold the handlebar tightly and lean slightly to the back first thing.

You might hear how “uncomfortable” riding a camel apparently is. In my experience, it was anything but! They’re rather sluggish animals and the 30-minute ride was pure pleasure. I was excited like a child and couldn’t stop smiling! Having said that, they’re far from cuddly! My attempt to stroke it later was met with a sharp head shake and a low grunt that I’m sure meant NO.

Perhaps you’re wondering how ethical riding a camel is. And yes, it’s something I was debating in my head throughout this part of the tour. I’m not indifferent to animal welfare and would hate to have contributed to their exploitation. I can only hope that those camels are treated with due dignity, but suppose I should have done my research about that beforehand…

Fun on the dunes

This is what we came here for! Finally let loose, we were free to roam around the Saharan sand and join in the activities. After two days largely spent in the confinement of the car, we were more than ready.

We took turns at sandboarding which most of us were terrible at, including myself! I thought my sense of balance is quite good, and yet I fell spectacularly each time. BUT I was getting better with each slide! And anyway, hitting the sand headlong was still fun!

Some of us went for a quad drive instead (which had to be pre-booked for an extra fee). Others chose to wander around, snap photos of the unreal views or… roll down the dunes. Because why not?

As fun as it was, two hours of playing in the sand was just about enough. After watching the sunset, the camel train carried us on for a few minutes to our tents.

Desert camp

It was already dusk when we got checked in to our tents, which were furnished as minimally as possible. Just a huge bed in the middle, covered with heavy, rug-like blankets. That’s it, and I expected nothing more to be honest.

What I didn’t expect, though, was the lack of showers in the camp. Yes, I know this was the standard option, not the “luxury” one where you get it en suite. But the promised “shared bathroom access” turned out just a row of toilet stalls…

After dinner, we spent the rest of the evening by the fire, listening to Berber music by local nomads. It was very rhythmic, played with tam-tams and qraqebs – small iron instruments resembling castanets, which I got to play myself. But I didn’t join in jumping rope, Double Dutch-style, and now I wish I had.

Day 3

Despite the spartan conditions, I slept tight! To make the sunrise around 6:45 am, we had to get up very early, but it was all worth it. My first sunrise ever couldn’t have been in a more scenic place.

Our caravan promptly made the way through the dunes back to Merzouga. One of the animals managed to loosen the knot and wandered off! Luckily, our guides quickly led it back in line.

Back at the hotel we departed from yesterday, we sat down to a buffet breakfast. But first, I hopped in the shower, desperate to freshen up!

The long drive back

The plan for the rest of the day was a 10-hour drive back to Marrakesh. Sounds like a drag? Maybe, but for me it was nothing but the opposite! The stunning views made it an attraction in itself, especially in the Atlas Mountains. It was my third time in a week doing this route and I still wasn’t any less excited.

Once again, I thanked myself for taking that seat nearer the front, with a much better, unobstructed view – and more leg room. The journey was also an opportunity to sort through the million photos, catch up on sleep and just recharge after two intense days.

Ourika Valley

Driving through the Rose Valley, we stopped for lunch somewhere around Kalaat M’Gouna. Yes, another tourist trap. At that point, some of us knew better, and we had our own snacks while the rest were stuffing themselves with terrible, overpriced food.

Later, there was a quick break at Café Resto Targa.

Driving through Kalaat M’Gouna

In the Atlas Mountains

The best views were hands down in Tizi n’Tichka – one of the four mountain passes in the Atlas. Just what you’d expect at the altitude of about 2206 metres: captivating mountainous landscapes, with the snow-capped peaks in the distance.

Being the most touristy pass, the viewpoints along the way are likely to be busy. But there will also be stalls with souvenirs and something to drink.

The roads are winding like serpents, with one dramatic U‑turn after another. Adventurous travellers will get a kick out of this thrilling drive, but it will be a nightmare for those with motion sickness. Faint-hearted tourists might feel too literally “on the edge” as the car is meandering the steep slopes. Although recently upgraded with numerous mountaincuts, the road is still a tricky one and it takes a cautious driver to navigate it.

Pay attention and you’ll see where the old parts of the road used to run around the shortcuts. Now disused, crumbling and overgrown, it’s hard to imagine that any vehicle would drive there not long ago. Imagine how adrenaline-inducing it would have been!

Back in the city

And so, we reached Marrakesh in the evening, and I got off in the same spot where I hopped on some 60 hours earlier. Still buzzing with excitement, I was in need to unwind and process the adventure that this tour has been.

Writing about my trip so many months later was like re-living it again! If you’re reading this, you must be thinking of going to the Sahara yourself – and I hope you will!

This post is now quite lengthy (might be my longest yet!), so I wrote a separate one all about tips and advice. Head there next!