Practical guides from our team in Marrakech: how many days you need, when to go, how the Sahara tours really work, and news from the cities we travel through.
Featured · Sahara & desert
The camel ride at sunset, the Berber camp, dinner and drums, the cold night and the sunrise, described from what our itineraries actually state, plus what to pack and what's included.
Sahara & desert
Desert
Zagora is about 350 km away and fits two days with modest dunes; Merzouga is about 535 km away, needs three days and has Erg Chebbi's 150 m dunes.
Desert
How big Erg Chebbi really is, how to get there from Marrakech, Fes or Agadir, the flamingo lake, Khamlia's Gnawa music and the Rissani market.
Desert · Route
About 535–555 km and nine to ten hours over the High Atlas: the pass, Ait Benhaddou, the Dades and Todgha gorges, and why the drive is split.
Planning your trip
Weather
Monthly averages for Marrakech, Fes, the Atlantic coast and the Sahara road, from 1991–2020 climate normals.
Itinerary
Three days for the Sahara, a week for a city plus the desert, ten days for the classic circuit, two weeks for north, desert and coast.
Weather · Seasons
When to go, season by season and region by region, and how the climate changes the desert, the mountains and the coast.
Tours
How to pick between a Sahara trip, the imperial cities and the Atlas Mountains, depending on your time and interests.
Marrakech news
News · 13 September 2023
After the 6.8-magnitude earthquake of 8 September 2023: how Marrakech recovered and what it means for travellers.
Private desert, city and birding tours from Marrakech, Fes, Casablanca, Tangier and Agadir.
