Visiting the Sahara Desert is an experience that everyone should enjoy at least once in their lifetime, so we provide the best Morocco Luxury Desert Tour from Marrakech available at the most competitive prices.
With us, you will experience a unique, professionally hand-crafted and personal adventure in luxury conditions. We provide you with luxury hotel and riad accommodation on the route to the desert, on the edge of the desert and even luxurious Berber camp stays in the Sahara Desert itself.
And don’t forget that if there is anywhere or any activity that you wish to have included, then just ask, we will always do our best to ensure your wishes and desires are fulfilled whenever humanly possible.
This is the ideal and recommended Morocco luxury desert tour from Marrakech. You’ll be driven in a luxury, air-conditioned 4×4 through the mighty High Atlas Mountains, visit ancient kasbahs, explore the vast palmeries of Skoura, then cut through the chasms of the Todra and Dades Gorges before a camel trek into the sands of the Sahara Desert as the sun sets, spending the night amidst massive Erg Chebbi dunes in luxury Berber tented accommodation after a traditional local dinner.
Discover our Berber culture and share it with us as our guests. Sleep to the sweet strains of local music under the myriad stars of the Milky Way. The next day, you can visit Berber villages and we hope you will share your stories, experiences and culture with us as we break bread, dance and sing together.
After your breakfast, our experienced, knowledgeable, English-speaking chauffeur/guide will pick you up from your hotel or riad in Marrakech to begin your unforgettable luxury adventure to the desert.
You will first drive through the stunning Tizi n’Tichka Pass with an elevation of a little over 2,200 m, cutting through the western High Atlas and known as The Gateway to The Sahara. Next comes a visit to the historic Glaoui Kasbah, a walled fortress in the town of Telouet, and then on to another Kasbah, Ait Benhaddou, built on a high hill on the plains and backdrop for many Hollywood movies, such as Indiana Jones and you’ll pass through Ouarzazate where the largest film studios in Africa make such movies as well as TV shows like Game of Thrones.
Then you get a chance to wander for a while among the palm trees of the vast palm plantations of Skoura before we end the day at the panoramic Dades Gorge where you will stay the night in a luxurious hotel; the famous Xaluca, when available, something similar in peak season when it may be fully booked well in advance.
Your day begins, after a delicious breakfast, with a drive through another cutting through the mountains, the impressive, sheer-walled Todra Gorge, popular with climbers. and then, after stopping off at some quaint Berber villages, to the desert edge town of Rissani. From there, it won’t be long before the dunes loom up like mountains on the horizon and you arrive at Merzouga, where we go off-road to the imposing dunes of the Erg Chebbi.
Here, your camel awaits you, as the sun sinks in the west, you’ll ascend the dunes to watch the glorious sunset from the summit. Then it’s a special Berber dinner, hand-cooked by your guide, in our luxurious restaurant tent or nearby in the desert sands. Spend the evening watching the Berbers singing and dancing around the campfire and we very much hope you will join in and be part of our community. It’s a lot of fun; let your hair down and enjoy.
Have a barefoot walk over the shifting sands and enjoy the solitude and peace of the desert by night under the myriad of bright stars of the Milky Way. Fall asleep content in your luxury Berber tent to the sweet strains of traditional Berber music after a day that you will never forget.
The stuff that dreams are made of; a magical day in the Sahara Desert.
If there is anything equal to sunset in the Sahara it would be sunrise. Watch the shadows shifting as the sun rises over the dunes. Then a delicious traditional Berber breakfast and choose what to do for the rest of your day. Perhaps try your hand at sandboarding down from the crest of the dunes, or maybe visit Berber villages and oases, take your camel for a longer desert trek, or just chill out in the encampment and read your favourite book and learn how to wear a turban in the desert nomad style.
Be at one with nature. Watch the sun setting again and share more with your new Berber family around the blazing fire. Enjoy another wonderful dinner and a hot shower, the Berber way. Rest for the night in your massive luxurious bed in your tent decorated in a style fit for kings and queens.
Following another breakfast to tickle your tastebuds, you set off for Marrakech, following the N9 road along the fringes of the Sahara, stopping off at Agdz and Ouazarzate or wherever you choose to ask our driver to pull over for photo opportunities or just a look about. As the evening draws in, we will drop you back at your hotel or Riad in the Red City.
N.B. – We do offer a Three Day Luxury Desert Tour from Marrakech, which misses out day three of the four-day tour, so you have limited time in the desert, or we provide a Five Day Luxury Desert Tour from Marrakech, which includes an extra day in the desert to explore more and have the time to try more of the activities on offer. Please ask us for further information.
Most of the time, when travellers visit the Sahara, they end up at the Erg Chebbi, near Merzouga, which is hardly surprising as these are the most famous dunes in Morocco because they are huge and easily accessible. However, we can offer you an equally authentic and luxurious experience with a visit to the lesser-known, off-the-beaten-track dunes of Erg Chigaga, which are slightly taller at over 50m at the highest points. The area is more remote and thus less frequented and spoiled than Erg Chebbi.
You still get to see the High Atlas Mountains, Berber villages and experience a camel trek and night in a luxury desert nomad tent, share in Berber culture and enjoy a delicious dinner in the dunes. You still get to experience sunset and sunrise over the dunes, just different dunes, and you will be making a positive contribution to local communities in a different area that is more in need of tourist revenue.
Our friendly, multilingual driver will pick you up after breakfast at your hotel or riad and off we go on your Luxury Desert Tour in Morocco!
We cut through “The Gateway to the Sahara”, the fabulous Tizi n’Tichka Pass, including a stop for a refreshing glass of mint tea as you admire the view. Then we take a slight detour to admire the fortress of the Glaoui Kasbah at Telouet before finishing the day’s journey at another kasbah, the impressive Ait Benhaddou, built on a steep hill from wattle and daub. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site and has been used as the backdrop for many Hollywood films, such as Indiana Jones. You will spend the night in one of the top luxury hotels in the region.
The second day begins after a yummy breakfast at your luxury hotel with a drive through the fertile, verdant Draa Valley and multiple beautiful little Berber villages. We will stop quite often and feel free to ask us to pull over if there’s anything you want a closer look at or you spot a good photo opportunity. You pass through Ouarzazate, home to the famous film studios, the “Hollywood of Africa” where films such as Gladiator and TV shows such as “Game of Thrones” were filmed. Then to quaint Berber Agdz town and Zagora, a town on the ancient trade route to Timbuktu in Mali.
You will then stop off in another Berber town, M’hamid where you can replenish your supplies before we go off-road into the wilds of the real Sahara, the route to Erg Chigaga and the region our ancestors come from. Our Berber friends and relatives will welcome you like long-lost brothers and sisters as we share nomad tea and then your camel awaits for a trip through the dunes at dusk to be able to watch the stunning sunset from the crest of the dunes.
Freshen up with a hot shower back at base and enjoy your specially prepared Berber dinner at candlelit dunetop tables under the myriad of gleaming stars. Listen to the stories of our ancestors and share your family history in an exchange of tales, music and dance in our luxury desert encampment. Lots of tea is drunk, but wine is also available! Feel the sand between your toes if you choose to walk barefoot through the dunes at night, a dreamy experience
Fall peacefully into sweet dreams to the strains of traditional Berber music, under the bright moon and glistening band of the Milky Way in our amazing luxury tented camp in the middle of the Sahara Desert. En suite toilet and shower, large comfortable beds and all mod cons provide a five-star hotel experience in a tent!
Just as special as watching the sunset from the dune tops is watching the sunrise from the same spot. You will love the way the shadows shift and move and the colours of the sands changing in the dawn light. This unspoiled location offers a serenity and tranquillity that is unmatched. On your return to the encampment, you’ll find a splendid breakfast awaiting you consisting of bread made in the desert nomad tradition, locally produced virgin olive oil and fresh eggs from the Berbers’ own chickens.
All of the produce on your breakfast table is organically produced locally by individual households and small, family farms, so by being with us you are supporting the local economy, which is much needed and greatly appreciated.
Then you can choose how to spend your Day in the Desert. You may just wish to relax and enjoy the tranquillity and views whilst having a quiet read, or be more adventurous and so some sandboarding from the dune tops might be more to your liking. Others prefer a longer camel trek going deeper into the desert, whilst speed lovers may want to go quad biking. We Berbers are soccer lovers, so if you can get a little family team together, we’ll give you a game!
In the evening, we’ll all huddle together around the campfire and share more stories, dance and sing, just like before. A unique glamping experience that you will never forget.
Following another first-class breakfast, it’s a fun off-road drive back through the dunes and across the desert to the dried-out Iriqui Lake bed for some amazing topography.
Heading north, you’ll be able to stop off at the desert edge town of Foum Zguid to replenish your supplies again and then you’ll stop off again on the route back to Marrakech at an American desert-style gas station. No, your eyes are not deceiving you, this was constructed by the movie makers from nearby Ouarzazate for the 2006 remake of the horror movie, “The Hills Have Eyes.” You can’t go inside but can peek through the windows at all the props that are still there collecting dust. Kind of creepy.
Don’t forget to ask if there is anywhere you want to stop en route. We are more than happy to oblige.
You’ll arrive back in Marrakech in the early evening where we’ll say our tearful goodbyes as we drop you off at your hotel or riad.
N.B. We also provide a Three Day Luxury Desert Tour From Marrakech to Erg Chigaga, which omits Day Three, so you only have one night in the desert, we also offer a Five Day Luxury Desert Tour From Marrakech to Erg Chigaga which includes a full extra day in the Sahara so that you can take advantage of more of the activities available.
Rather than having the same starting and ending city for your luxury desert tour in Morrocco, it’s good for those who wish to see more of the country to have a different ending city.
For this reason, we offer such tours as this luxury four-day trip from Marrakech and ending in the ancient Imperial capital city of Fes.
This takes in the spectacular panoramas of the Tizi n’Tichka Pass, the best kasbahs in Morocco, the palm groves of Skoura, stunning deep gorges and, of course, a luxury camping experience in the Sahara at the Erg Chebbi dunes where you will enjoy camel trekking, breathtaking sunsets and sunrises and interact with the Berber desert nomads. Then to Fes via the Ziz Valley and through the mountains and cedar forests where you can see the famous Barbary Macaques. A luxury trip of a lifetime.
Our friendly, experienced driver and guide will pick you up from your hotel and riad after breakfast and head off from Marrakech across the plains and then up and through the spectacular Tizi n’Tichka Pass, the Gateway to the Sahara.
With visits to the awesome fortress of the Glaoui Kasbah in Telouet and the even more amazing Ait Benhaddou Kasbah built on a steep hill, you move on via Ouarzazate, home to the film studios that are the Hollywood of Africa and on to Skoura, where the immense date palm groves and serenity are the star attractions. You’ll spend the night in a luxury hotel in the Dades Gorge, a steep-walled rip through the Atlas Mountains with the most awesome panoramic views.
After a delicious breakfast, you exit the Dades Gorge and travel to the Todra Gorges, with red walls which are very popular with experienced climbers. Passing by many pretty Berber villages and through the desert-edge town of Rissani, on the horizon you’ll see the dunes suddenly looming up in front of you like mountains. Then it’s off-road in your 4×4 to Merzouga, the little town at the edge of the amazing 50-metre-high Erg Chebbi dunes and your camel awaits you for a trek up the dunes to watch an incredible sunset from their crests.
Have a refreshing desert nomad tea when you return to the luxury encampment and join your new Berber family around the campfire to share stories and traditions, eat a specially prepared traditional meal in our restaurant tent or on the dune tops nearby. Dance sing, relax, walk with the sand between your toes, and be amazed by the seeming nearness of the moon and the myriad of stars. Shower and sleep in a huge comfortable bed to the sweet strains of traditional Berber music. This is the stuff dreams are made of.
An early start as you and your camel ascend the dunes once more, this time to watch the only event that can match a desert sunset – a sunrise over the dunes. Watch the shadows dance and the sands change colour. Then return to the luxury camp and enjoy a delicious breakfast entirely sourced from local small farmers. Then it’s your choice how to spend the rest of your day in the Sahara Desert.
Some will try their hand at sandboarding or driving quad bikes over the dunes. Others would prefer a longer camel trek deeper into the desert or a visit to local oases and Berber settlements. Maybe you just want to relax and enjoy the stillness and tranquillity while reading a good book and sipping on iced drinks. It’s up to you.
At the end of the day, you have the chance to experience another sunset, have a delicious dinner and share more experiences with your new Berber family.
It can be very hard to combine luxury with a genuine experience, but with our desert encampment, we think you’ll agree that we’ve nailed it.
It’s another early start so you’ll be served an extra-special breakfast before you set off to Fes with several stops on the way. Firstly, through the verdant Ziz Valley to Errachidia, then to Midelt for lunch and to stock up on supplies before heading into the Middle Atlas mountains across the high plains to the vast cedar forest around Azrou where you will encounter the famous ‘Barbary Apes’, actually a type of macaque monkey.
Then on to Ifrane, a quaint Swiss-chalet-styled town that seems more Alpine than Moroccan, as does the nearby ski resort village of Michliffen. Look out for the Lion of Ifrane, a statue said to have been built by Italian prisoners of war during WWII.
Finally, it’s down to the foot of the mountains to the ancient imperial city of Fes, where you will be dropped- off at your luxury hotel or riad.
N.B. Please note that we provide a three-day version of this tour which just cuts out day three, so you only have limited time in the desert. We also offer a five-day adventure with a whole extra day in the Sahara so that you can enjoy more of the activities on offer.
There is also a reverse alternative where you start in Fes and finish in Marrakech. Please don’t hesitate to ask if you require more information on any of these.
For those who only have time for a two-day trip that includes a luxury desert tour, we recommend this trip from Marrakech to the lesser-known, but nearer and still very beautiful dunes of Erg Lihoudi. You still get to camel trek and watch a desert sunset and sunrise as well as visit mountain passes, kasbahs, palmeries and Berber towns and dine and sleep in luxury.
After your early breakfast, our multilingual, knowledgeable guide/chauffeur will pick you up from your hotel or riad for the start of your luxury desert tour in Morocco. First, you will cut across the stunning Tizi n’Tichka Pass, “The Gateway to the Sahara” before heading for the old Berber settlement of Agdz, situated on the old caravan trade route to Timbuktu in Mali.
Through the Anti-Atlas mountains along the verdant Draa Valley to Ouarzazate, “The Hollywood of Morocco”, you drive with detours to visit palmeries and see Berber villages built from wattle and daub in the traditional manner. The next stop is at Zagora, which is still partly frequented by the famous “Blue Men” desert nomads, and then into the desert where you will watch the sunset from the Erg Lahoudi dunes next to the village of M’hamid, try some sandboarding and spend the night in luxurious desert bivouacs.
Watch the sunrise from the dune tops and have a delicious breakfast, all the ingredients being locally sourced from small farms. Then it’s a camel trek back to your fully air-conditioned 4×4 waiting at M’hamid and you’ll drive to nearby Tamegroute, another Berber desert village, renowned for its Islamic library. Your next stop is at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ait Benhaddou, a wonderful kasbah with twisting streets built on the sides of a steep hill used as a backdrop for many Hollywood movies such as “Lawrence of Arabia” and “Jesus of Nazareth”.
You go onwards through the fertile Draa Valley and back to Marrakech where you’ll be dropped off at your hotel or kasbah in the early evening.
For something really special and luxurious, why not try our Luxury Helicopter Tour?
It takes only ninety minutes to fly from Marrakech straight into the heart of the Sahara, where you can choose to spend the night in our main luxury Berber desert encampment or upgrade to the private luxury desert camp a little journey away, while your helicopter awaits to fly you back to Marrakech the next day. You can pay for the helicopter to wait for more days, but this is pricey and we recommend arranging two separate transfers if you want to stay more than one night in the Sahara, We can arrange this for you on request.
You still get the opportunity to partake in some of the many activities available; camel trekking, quad-biking, sandboarding, hiking with the sand between your toes, watching the sunset and sunrise over the dunes and enjoying a meal in our luxury restaurant tent or on top of the dunes. And then sitting around the campfire exchanging traditions and culture with the Berber people, dancing and singing under the stars and moon.
Really great experience, great places, great activities and suggestions
