Desert Tour in Morocco: Merzouga vs Zagora
You might have seen these incredible Moroccan sand dunes full of camels and luxury tents on Instagram. They can look dreamy. But don’t be fooled – not every desert tour company will take you there, as each desert camp looks different.
Wherever you go in Marrakech or search online, you’ll find hundreds of tour operators offering desert tours ranging from 1 to 3 nights and the abundance of options can be a little overwhelming.
Desert Tour in Morocco: Merzouga vs Zagora
One thing to understand about desert tours in Morocco is that there are two desert spots, quite far from each other: Merzouga and Zagora.
Since most trips start in Marrakesh, you need to keep in mind that getting to any desert spot in Morocco will take a long time. And I mean a VERY long time.
Different Types of Desert Tours
1 Day Tour
The one day tour is for people who have a limited amount of time to see the desert and want to see some sand dunes. Don’t expect to see any incredible and tall dunes. You’ll be taken to a desert region around the city and might get a camel ride. I’d generally advise against taking this tour, but it’s your choice!
Alternatively, if you just want to ride some camels and see Atlas Mountains from above, consider a sunrise hot-air balloon tour. This s a fantastic opportunity that’s much better than a one-day desert tour.
2 Days 1 Night Tour
The 1 night/2 days tour will take you to Zagora desert, as it’s 6.5 hours away. On the way, you’ll stop in Ouarzazate and see the village ofït Benhaddou and on the way back at Atlas Film Studios. While you’ll sleep in the desert and complete a camel trek, you won’t see any golden sand dunes.
3 Days 2 Nights Tour
Usually, a 3 day / 2 nights tour will put you in a hotel for the first night to split a 10-hour drive, before moving further to Erg Chebbi dunes (Merzouga). You’ll see the same spots as on a shorter trip, but you’ll have more time at each place of interest. Merzouga has many camps for different standards, but unlike in Zagora you’ll be able to find glamping tents with private working shower and toilet.
How to Book a Desert Trip in Morocco
If you want things booked in advance: You can simply book a tour on Viator. This way, you can have a guarantee that you’ll be able to do it on certain dates.
If you want to save money: Book something at your riad upon arrival. You can save up to $50 if you book and pay things upon arrival.
Alternative option: If you’d rather not take a group tour and private tours are too expensive, you can surely follow my example and do the whole thing on your own.
My husband and I rented a car and drove to Ouarzazate on my own, seeing all the spots by ourselves.
After a night spent in a local riad in Ouarzazate, we drove further to Merzouga and got picked by a camp manager.
We booked my car on Discover Cars and stayed at this desert camp.
