Sahara Tour - Our fascinating desert tour in Morocco

Off to the Sahara Desert Tour! After our short stay at the Kasbah Ellouze in Tamdaght, our Morocco Tour continued. Full of anticipation, we packed our bags and set off for Merzouga. An impressive and fascinating tour through the Sahara lay ahead of us. We were finally able to fulfill a small dream. We were so excited about the tour through the Sahara Desert. But we still had several hundred kilometers to go. Let’s go.

You should also know:

You should also know:
The Todra Gorge in Tinghir
Stone deserts, lunar landscapes, and the Outback
Sahara Tour – let’s go!
Through the desert with camels
Interesting facts about the Sahara Desert:
Probably the finest sand in the world
Traditional tagine, starry sky, and the Milky Way
The next morning
Sahara Tour, Costs, and Organization

The Todra Gorge in Tinghir

With plenty of fuel in the tank, we set off. The further we moved away from the green valley behind the mountains, the drier the landscape became. The route led us via Quarzazate to El-Kelaâ M’Gouna. It wasn’t difficult to see that roses are grown in this region. You can buy creams and perfumes made with rose extract everywhere. After buying two scarves from a street vendor (essential for that real desert feeling), we moved on.

Tinghir-Todra-Schlucht-Marokko-Aussicht-Felsen-Oasen

After almost three hours (200 kilometers), we reached the date palm oasis of Tinghir and thus the region’s most famous attraction – the Todra Gorge. The journey itself is an experience in itself. The Road of the Kasbahs winds its way up a mountain before descending again in the same breath. The rock faces beside us became increasingly steeper and narrower. Finally, we reached our first destination. We parked the car and strolled through the gorge. The walls of the rocky passage, only a few meters wide, rise several hundred meters high. A truly magnificent sight!

Stone deserts, lunar landscapes, and the outback

After this short trip to Tinghir and an overnight stay in the small and cozy Kasbah Petit Nomad*, we finally wanted to enter the desert. But before we could get there, a three- to four-hour drive (225 kilometers) lay ahead of us. This drive led for hours through a vast rocky desert. This is roughly how we imagine Mars: a barren landscape as far as the eye can see.

But be careful: Suddenly, a figure appeared on the horizon! At first, we couldn’t quite place it, couldn’t really recognize it. But the closer we got, the clearer it became: two wild camels dancing around on the road. We drove slowly past them, just not wanting to attract attention.

Barely ten minutes later, we stopped right on the road to take a break. Cars rarely passed us anyway. It felt like we’d landed in the deepest outback! This is how we imagine not only Mars, but also parts of Australia. And, dear Australia connoisseurs? Does it look like this there too (see last photo)?

Sahara Tour – Let’s go!

We could slowly make out sand dunes on the horizon. Our anticipation grew immeasurably. Before heading into the desert, however, we first had to reach the Ksar Bicha base camp, a hotel complex on the edge of the desert. There we left the car, packed our things for the coming night into our backpacks, and waited patiently for the starting signal. But what did we actually know about this tour?

Well, all we knew was this: us, the Sahara, camels, sand, lots of sand, and an overnight stay in a traditional tent. So, once again, we took it all in stride. On the way to the camels, we met the other tour participants. Together with six Indonesians, we embarked on our desert adventure. It’s always great to chat with locals about different parts of their homeland. Bali, Sumatra, and Java? We can even have a say in that.

With camels through the desert

After about 20 minutes, we reached the beginning of the Sahara (Arabic: desert). Before us lay the largest dry desert on earth. A sand and gravel landscape with an area almost as large as the entire USA. The Sahara is about 5,000 kilometers wide. For comparison: New York and Los Angeles are “only” about 4,000 kilometers apart.

Sand dunes as far as the eye could see. Unimaginable and totally surreal. Our caravan continued moving towards… the next sand hill. Anyone capable of navigating here – RESPECT! Our desert camp was hidden somewhere behind one of the countless sand dunes.

Interesting facts about the Sahara Desert:

The Sahara is 26 times larger than Germany.
In fact, it consists of only 10% sand. 90% consists of gravel, rubble, and stones.
2.5–3 million people live in the desert. Many are farmers who plant wheat, dates, and barley in the oases and make a living from it. Some even practice livestock farming.
Camels’ red blood cells are oval. This allows them to absorb extremely large amounts of water in a short time (200 liters in 15 minutes) without overhydrating the body.

It wasn’t long before we wanted to step onto the desert sand with our own feet. We finally wanted to feel desert sand between our toes! So we dismounted the camels and were immediately fascinated by the sand! It is so incredibly fine, so light and fluffy. The child in me (Marco) was immediately unleashed, wanting to romp around in this gigantic sandbox.

Probably the finest sand in the world

And I couldn’t help myself: I took off my shoes and ran up and down one sand dune after another. I had the time of my life. Again and again, I let the sand slip through my fingers. Again and again, I dug my feet into the soft desert sand. The sand fascinated me. As did the immense size of the Sahara. This silence, far from civilization – for me, this place was magical!

After about 90 minutes, we reached the desert camp. Surrounded by sand dunes, it was sheltered from the wind in a depression. The Berber tents actually had real double beds. We hadn’t expected so much comfort in the desert. We didn’t stay in our tent for long, though; we preferred to spend the time until dinner in the sand instead!

After plenty of fun in the sand and a spontaneous photoshoot on the dunes, we sat down to watch the sunset. A feeling of contentment washed over us. We don’t know why, but we were simply happy and grateful to be able to experience this adventure. Thinking “we did everything right,” we hugged each other and bid farewell to the last rays of sunshine…what a fantastic day!

Traditional Tagine, Starry Sky & Milky Way

If we hadn’t been called to dinner, we would have probably stayed there for hours. As so often on this tour, we were served “Tagine” that evening. Tagine is the traditional clay cooking pot, although it’s more like a steamer. Moroccans use this pot to gently cook vegetables and meat over an open flame. And it tastes fantastic! This is, of course, also due to the typical spices and herbs.

Without these spices, Moroccan cuisine would probably be only half as delicious. At dinner, we met an older couple from New York who also travel a lot. So our Sahara tour ended with some great travel stories around the campfire. Oh, and did we mention the starry sky? The night was so dark, we could see the Milky Way with the naked eye. Isn’t it amazing? Like a carpet of sparkling little stones! Simply gigantic!

The next morning

After a bitterly cold night, we headed back toward civilization right after breakfast. On the way back, we didn’t miss the opportunity to walk barefoot through the cold sand. Running up and down sand dunes one last time. Letting our gaze wander over the seemingly endless landscape once more. Goodbye Sahara, it was nice to meet you! We’ll see you again. Absolutely!

At base camp, we quickly took a shower. The sand and dust were everywhere! Afterward, we set off for Agdz. What awaited us there? You can find out more in our article: The beautiful Kasbah Azul in Agdz.

Sahara Tour, Costs & Organization

Tours to the Sahara can be easily booked in advance*. There are numerous online providers offering trips to the desert (half-day, one-day, or even several days). Our tour started in Merzouga. With an overnight stay in a traditional Berber tent and meals, it costs €55. All you have to do is drive to the base camp in Merzouga, and then you’re off into the desert.

You can park your car safely at the base camp. You should bring a small backpack for the desert. Important: It gets really cold in the evenings and at night. We were really freezing. A thick jacket, thick socks, a hat, and a scarf/shawl are highly recommended (unless it’s midsummer). You should also pack a toothbrush, a bottle of water, a small lamp (headlamp), a small towel, and a few cookies.

In the tent, there’s only a small candle and a bed with several blankets. The toilet is a type of dry toilet, like you’d find at a campsite. Apart from that, the on-site sanitary facilities are complete (that’s how it’s supposed to be in the desert). In the evening, there’s freshly prepared hot food, and in the morning, a small breakfast consisting of yogurt, fruit, and bread with spread. Plus coffee or tea.

Book your Sahara tour here

From Marrakech: 3-day tour through the Sahara to Merzouga*
From Merzouga: Camel ride with overnight stay in Erg Chebbi*
2-day desert safari to Zagora from Marrakech*
Start in Fez: 3 days and 2 nights – desert tour to Marrakech*
Merzouga: Overnight stay in a Bedouin tent and camel ride*

Sahara Desert in Morocco – Impressive Tour