Trek the Sahara Desert

4
Morocco
7 Days
5B 5L 5D
From£625 GBP

Venture to the world's largest desert, as you trek and drive over sand dunes, and sleep under the stars.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Marrakech

You'll meet your guide at Marrakech airport, and be transferred to your hotel in the old medina. After a short briefing, you'll head out for some dinner and a chance to explore this bustling city.

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Today you'll leave Marrakech and head over to Ouarzazate - the gateway to the Sahara Desert. Stopping off at local villages for mint tea along the way, you'll arrive in the evening at your first camp on the outskirts of the Sahara Desert. Your guides will set up camp, and you'll enjoy dinner and some local Moroccan music around the fire.

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Today is your first trekking day in the desert. After breakfast, you'll begin your desert trek towards the region of Sidi Naji - said to be the place of the holy man. You'll make your way over some of the Sahara's largest dunes, and across large sand plateaus, before reaching camp for dinner. In the evening you can enjoy an incredible sunset and a fire party from the locals.

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You'll start the day with a trek up the highest sand dunes of Erg Zaher - often used by Berber tribes in the region. In the afternoon, you'll set up camp and head out for a sunset hike. Meanwhile, the local guides will prepare a traditional Moroccan dinner for you.

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After a night of sleeping under the stars, you'll begin your final day of trekking in the desert. After lunch at Erg Samer, you'll jump into your 4x4's and cross the rest of the dunes to your camp in Ouled Driss.

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After breakfast, and a cup of Mint tea, you'll be transferred back to Marrakech. Along the way, you'll take a visit to the Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou - a UNESCO world heritage site. It's also famous for being the place of many Blockbuster movies. Upon arrival in Marrakech, you'll have a farewell dinner with the team. The guide can take you back to the airport by 7 pm today, if you would prefer.

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Today, your guide will drop you back at the airport by 10 am.

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Have a question?

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Team Images
Team Images
Team Images

Rated 5.0

4 verified reviews

Cathy
Cathy

(May 2024)

Without doubt the best value for money trip for I have ever taken, outstanding. Having never booked an organised tour - always preferring to travel independently, I had zero expectations. The differing accommodation in various locations was next level, from riads in Marrakech to a house crafted out of local earth in Ouled Driss, & an incredible earth built tent out in the Sahara. All meals were included & it was such delicious, freshly prepared authentic food, along with airport transfers, travel to & from the desert & all topped off with my very own camel & local Berber guide with as much mint tea & spiced Moroccan coffee as I could drink. There was no-one else travelling in this particular group which was cool as I’m happy to fly solo & the trip still ran regardless, total Queen of the Desert vibes. Marrakech was suitably crazy & chaotic, the drive out to the desert was breathtaking. The desert was everything I expected & more, endless dunes & mind blowing sunsets, sunrises & night skies. The desert accommodation was far better than I was expecting, yes aside from more than adequate accommodation, there’s a dining / chill out space, toilets & much needed showers…a proper bona fide oasis away from the heat of the midday sun. It was unseasonably hot in May so we cut the desert trip short and the alternative provided was incredible, an absolutely stunning hotel with a pool & private terrace with views of the mountains in Nkob. We then moved on to another hotel & I was offered an afternoon of quad biking but I was happy chilling by the pool. The unesco site Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou we visited on our return journey was like stepping back in time but a mecca for tourists! I was so well looked after throughout the entire trip, I felt super safe & so could just kick back, relax and soak up the experience & most importantly I feel that I left having a real sense of what the real Morocco has to offer. Thank you Jawad & Lahouceine ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Leena
Leena

(Jan 2023)

What an adventure! Camping under the starry sky in the middle of the beautiful dunes was such amazing and adventurous experience. Mohamed was preparing tasty local meals (and mint tea!) and together with his nice team taking really good care of me in the desert.

Stephanie
Stephanie

(Mar 2022)

All round an amazing trip and experience! The drive from Marrakesh to the Sahara was unbelievable. The guides were brilliant, so welcoming and knowledgeable, felt very safe the whole time. Food was great. The trek itself was unreal and a once in a lifetime experience

Maria Denise
Maria Denise

(Nov 2021)

Simply amazing and breathtaking

FAQs

Before you go
On your trip

Yes, your luggage is transported between camps by camels. Please pack your belongings into a soft duffel bag / rucksack which can be loaded onto the camels.

Other FAQs

Included

  • Guides
  • Luggage transfer
  • Airport transfers
  • Food
  • Cooks
  • Accommodation
  • Purified water
  • Camping equipment

Excluded

  • Flights
  • Travel insurance
  • Visa (if applicable)
  • Tips for guides

This trip is aimed at beginners, with a moderate to a good level of fitness. Expect to be hiking in the desert for up to 6 hours with rests. 

You'll stay in hotels with twin sharing, or triple sharing rooms in Marrakech. If attending the trip between May - September, then you can expect a hotel with a swimming pool in Marrakech.

Whilst in the desert, you stay in camps. 1 or 2 person tents are available.

If travelling between Nov – Feb, then the weather can be colder. Ensure you bring warmer clothes if travelling then. Temperatures can vary in different regions. Documents • Passport • Visa if applicable • Travel insurance details • Boarding passes for flights • Wallet • Pen for filling in arrivals form Conservative Dress • Long pants  • Long skirts • Shirts that cover the shoulders • Scarf or Shawl for mosque or temple visits Other Dress • Underwear & socks • Sweater or fleece • Long trousers/Jeans • Shirts/T-Shirts • Sleepwear • Windproof rain jacket • Shorts • Swimwear • Sun hut Footwear • Flip flops/sandals • Relevant footwear (Optional for short hikes) Bags • Day bag – For carrying things during the day • Larger rucksack – For carry all other luggage (this needs to be a flexible bag as it is loaded onto camels). Other • Cash (Moroccan Dirhams) • Credit/Debit card • Sleeping bag (Optional but recommended for the winter months) • Camera (Battery packs and storage) • Ear plugs • First aid kit (Optional for personal medication) • Sunscreen and lip balm • Headtorch or flashlight • Padlock/lock for bags • Money belt • Plugs and chargers • Reusable water bottle • Book/MP3 • Travel towel • Watch with alarm (You can use the alarm on your phone) • Sunglasses • Toiletries

Day 1: Not included

Day 2: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Day 4: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Day 5: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Day 6: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Day 7: Not included

While visiting mosques and other religious areas of interest, you should ensure that you cover up your shoulders and dress modestly. Avoid wearing short shorts and skirts. Men and women are recommended to wear loose-fitting clothing with your shoulders covered.

A luggage transfer will be provided whilst you are in the desert. 

Start: Your guide will collect you from Marrakech Menara airport at any time on day 1 of your itinerary. You can also meet your guide at 8 pm at Hotel Ali in the Old Medina of Marrakech. 

End: You'll be dropped back at Marrakech Menara airport by 10 am on day 7 of the itinerary. If you prefer, the guide can drop you off at 7 pm on day 6 of the itinerary. 

Maximum group sizes are 12.

The guide will provide you with purified water from natural springs. You are welcome to bring your own filter or purification tablets if you prefer. 

Between May - September, you can expect temperatures of around +30 to +35 degrees Celsius during the day. At night, the temperatures can drop as cold as +8 degrees Celsius. 

Between October - April, the temperatures during the day can be around +20 to +25 degrees Celsius. At night, the temperatures can drop to +5 degrees Celsius.  

The minimum age for this trip is 12.

Morocco has a strong tipping culture – It is customary and even expected to tip in places such as bars and restaurants. At the end of your trip, if you feel that your guides did an outstanding job, then tipping is also expected and appreciated. A good rule of thumb is around 30-50 Euros in total (per customer rather than per guide).

If you are travelling by yourself and still would like a single room, you can pay £50 (in total) to have a single room for the nights in Marrakech and a tent to yourself in the desert. If you would like this you just need to specify it on your trip form (you'll be sent this to fill in before the trip), and then you can pay on arrival.

Basic accommodation includes: Hotel Ali, Riad Omar, Hotel Imilchil 

Luxury accommodation includes: Riad Africa, Riad Anya  

Absolutely! We get lots of solo travellers on the trips. Once you sign up you'll also be added to a private Facebook group, where you can meet all the other people before you go. 

We recommend bringing some spending money for souvenirs and any tips for the guides. Most people bring around €30-50 EUR for tips, and €50-150 EUR of spending money, giving a total of €80 - €200 EUR (800-2000 Dirham). You can take money out using the ATMs in the airport.

Yes, here is a list of what is available:

Sleeping bag: 3EUR per night

Walking poles: 2.50EUR per day

Rain jacket: 1.50EUR per day

Rain trousers: 1.50EUR per day

All countries require a valid passport, with a minimum of 6 months validity.

To date, UK and USA nationals do not require a visa to enter Morocco for the purpose of tourism, up to a 3-month period.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/morocco/entry-requirements

Please contact your local embassy to check the visa requirements for your nationality, as the above information could have changed from the time of writing this. 

If there is anything that you do not need whilst on your trip, you can leave it at the luggage storage on day 2 of your itinerary. 

The currency used in Morocco is Moroccan Dirham (MAD).

You can take out cash at ATMs in the airport, as well as various locations on the trip. Please check with your bank that your card is accepted in Morocco before travel, and we highly recommend bringing two cards in case you have any issues. 

Please note: your bank may charge transaction fees when you use your card in Morocco.

Arabic is the official language of Morocco. Just under half of the population speak Berber (mainly in the rural areas), but there are several dialects. The second most spoken language in Morocco is French, as they are taught this language in school and university. English is also widely spoken in Morocco.

Islam is the official religion with much of the population being Muslim. 

Your head guide is Lahouceine

All trips on Skyhook are run by small, hand-picked local guiding companies. For this trip your guides run Atlas Vertical, based in Asni.

By booking through Skyhook you'll be joining a small-group trip. This can make it nice and sociable (you'll be added to a group chat after booking), and guarantees great value for money!

Lahouceine