Things to do in Sahara
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Sahara
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
The best all round window: warm days around 25 to 30 C, cool nights, and the first chance of water in Dayet Srij after autumn rain.
Mild sunny days but nights in the dunes close to freezing. Prime bird season at the lake after winter rain, and the season heating earns its money.
Warming fast, with the chergui wind raising sandstorms that can cancel a sunset. Build in a spare day if you can.
The hot shoulders, mid to high 30s C. Workable only on the desert clock: dunes at dawn and dusk, shade at midday.
Extreme heat, routinely over 40 C and up to about 48 C. Air conditioning, aggressive hydration and no midday dune activity.
What's on
- Sadaka Festival Three days, usually July or August
Khamlia's Gnawa families host near continuous music, communal couscous and healing ceremonies. Dates are set locally each year, so confirm before travelling.
Best things to do in Sahara
Erg Chebbi
A dune sea about 150 m high where sunset, a night of stars and sunrise from a high crest are the whole reason to come.
Mouhou Tours
A long established operator for the standard overnight camel trek, with a private tent, dinner, breakfast and sandboarding.
Dar Gnaoua Bambara Khamlia
Khamlia's Gnawa music house, where guembri, qraqeb and chanting carry a spiritual tradition in a cushion lined room.
Lac Dayet Srij
A seasonal lake at the foot of the dunes that draws ducks, storks and, in good wet years, migrating flamingos.
Hassi Labied
A working palm oasis of irrigated gardens behind the dune line hotels, and the best free morning walk in the area.
Where to stay in Sahara
Erg Chebbi dunes (the camps)
the one or two nights you came for
Sleeping in the dunes gives you sunset, the night sky and sunrise without a transfer, at every tier from standard bivouac to luxury tent.
Hassi Labied and the Merzouga dune line
hotel comfort with the dunes at the back door
Pools, real showers and half board on the dune edge, and the practical base either side of a camp night.
Merzouga village
budget and independent travellers
Family auberges and a small riad near the bus stop, with hosts who organise camp nights and 4x4 days.
Think twice about
- The Algeria border strip east of the dunes
The border has been closed since 1994, it is patrolled and crossing it is illegal. Stay on established tracks with a guide and never head off alone into the hamada.
- Unnamed camps sold by touts at Merzouga bus station
The failure mode is a cold, crowded camp with shared bathrooms further into the dunes than promised. Book a named camp or hotel instead.
Best restaurants in Sahara
Cafe Restaurant Merzouga
The strongest standalone kitchen in the village for tagines, grills and salads on the Hassi Labied road.
Restaurant Nora
Khamlia's lunch stop for medfouna, the stuffed Berber pizza, at village prices beside the Gnawa music house.
Cafe Restaurant SaharaTime
A small family run cafe near Hassi Labied serving couscous, tagines and harira at the edge of the dunes.
Restaurant Cafe Fatima
A village cafe restaurant in Hassi Labied serving the everyday Moroccan menu at everyday prices, all day.
Outdoor things to do in Sahara
Mifis Mines
Open cast lead and kohl mines on a black desert plateau, the heart of the 4x4 circuit around the whole dune field.
Rissani Market
The Tafilalet's real working souk on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, with livestock, date halls and medfouna for lunch.
Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif
The tiled courtyard and gardens of the Alaouite dynasty founder's mausoleum, the historical weight behind small Rissani.
Merzouga ATV Tours & Desert Quad trips
Guided quad biking in the guide's line across the open dune faces, the adrenaline version of the camel ride.
Safsaf Oasis
A palm filled gorge with a seasonal stream reached by a full day 4x4 run across hamada, for desert that is not dunes.
Best hotels in Sahara
Desert Luxury Camp
The long established luxury camp in the Znigui dunes, with big ensuite tents, hot showers and night running air conditioning.
DWO Golden Camp Merzouga
A larger resort style luxury camp near Dayet Srij with ensuite tents, a restaurant and a rare camp swimming pool.
Kasbah Hotel Tombouctou
The Xaluca group's big kasbah hotel at the foot of the dunes, with a pool, hammam and a panoramic terrace.
Auberge du Sud
A family run auberge of over 25 years on a quiet stretch of dune edge, with a pool looking straight at the sand.
Kanz Erremal
A classic dune line hotel with a large pool and its own excursion programme, including the Mifis mines trip.
Riad Nezha
A small, calm riad style hotel in Merzouga village with a garden, home cooking and hosts who arrange camp nights.
Auberge Le Petit Prince
A family run budget auberge in the village with a shaded courtyard, rooftop terrace and camel safaris from the house.
Auberge Kasbah Merzouga
A big budget complex with a pool, camping and its own bivouacs in three grades, so mixed budgets sleep under one roof.
Is Sahara expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | MAD 450 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | MAD 1,100 a person |
| Splurge | MAD 2,800 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Mouhou Tours: a few days ahead
- Mifis Mines: a few days ahead
- Merzouga ATV Tours & Desert Quad trips: a few days ahead
- Safsaf Oasis: a few days ahead
- Desert Luxury Camp: weeks ahead
- DWO Golden Camp Merzouga: weeks ahead
- Kasbah Hotel Tombouctou: a few days ahead
- Auberge du Sud: a few days ahead
- Book luxury camps weeks ahead for October to April weekends and holidays, and confirm ensuite bathrooms and heating or air conditioning in writing.
- Confirm how you return from camp, by camel or 4x4, and how many tents share your camp on your night.
- Agree the 4x4 day's stops, lunch arrangement and total price before you get in.
Is Sahara safe?
- The Algeria border is closed, patrolled and illegal to cross. Stay well away from the border strip and never wander off track in the far east of the dunes.
- Heat is the day to day risk: carry water even on a one hour camel ride and treat midday summer sun as a hard stop. Winter nights in the dunes fall close to freezing.
- Medical care in Merzouga is basic and the nearest real hospital is in Errachidia, about 2 hours away, so carry insurance with evacuation cover.
Sahara travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Identical words, desert camp, cover shared bathrooms and freezing tents at one end and ensuite luxury at the other. Book a named camp, not a category.
- Ignore medina and bus station pitches that bundle a desert night below the cost of a standard camp alone. The difference is recovered later.
- At Khamlia a CD purchase or tip of around 10 euros per group is the expected price of the music. Treat it as a ticket.
- Spice prices quoted to visitors in Rissani souk can be inflated. Buy small, buy dates instead, or skip the spices.
- Check the quad damage excess before you ride, and ride only in the guide's line.
Getting around Sahara: public transport and more
- From Fes it is about 470 km, 7 to 8 hours by private car or about 10 hours on the overnight Supratours bus.
- From Marrakech it is about 560 km and 9 to 10 hours of driving, so break it in the Dades or Todra area and arrive on day two.
- The nearest airport is Errachidia, roughly 2 hours away by road, with limited domestic flights.
- In Merzouga and Hassi Labied everything is on foot, by hotel transfer or by 4x4, so agree transfers with your hotel.
Who Sahara suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Sahara your trip
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