Morocco Desert Travel Guide: Sahara, Agafay, Dakhla, and Coastal Dunes
View from Erg Chigaga, Morocco’s Sahara desert
(Article updated 26 January 2026)
How to Experience the Desert in Morocco
If you’ve chosen this blog, perhaps you’re feeling the call to visit Morocco’s desert wilderness. Maybe you're keen to experience vast empty spaces, a sea of dunes, unpolluted night skies, desert camping, camels, a simpler life alongside nomads, a sense of solitude, digital disconnection, and a way of life in a different survival mode.
Having lived and travelled extensively across Morocco and the rest of Africa, I have always found the desert a place to reconnect with myself and the natural world. At first, the solitude and space can be quite overwhelming, but I always leave clearer-headed for the ‘desert therapy’.
Various desert experiences are available across Morocco, depending on your time frame, budget, and personal interests.
(Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you.)
Is the Sahara Desert Worth Visiting?
The Sahara is the most well-known desert in Morocco, but it is only one of a few ways to experience the country’s desert culture and environment.
There are several domestic flights to cities within easy (relatively easy) reach of the Sahara, so it’s more accessible to travellers with time-sensitive itineraries. Although I would also consider that the journey to the Sahara is a large part of the experience, some people fly in and drive out, or vice versa.
The beauty of visiting the Moroccan Sahara comes from dropping down a gear and embracing slower travel. Disconnecting digitally and allowing the journey along former caravan trading routes to be part of the experience, fully immersing yourself in a sense of place, solitude, and connection to your surroundings.
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of ATV/quad biking tours; I love exploring wilderness areas on foot or on horseback or camelback. For adventure and a sense of freedom, e-bikes and sandboarding are a more environmentally sensitive way to experience the desert.
This article will cover a few ways to experience the Sahara and other deserts in Morocco.
Where to stay to experience the Sahara Desert in Morocco
The Sahara is the third-largest desert in the world, behind the Antarctic and the Arctic. It extends from southern Morocco into Algeria and is home to nomadic people, sand seas and desert wildlife, including the desert fox and a sand cat whose light coat reflects the sun.
There are two main access points to the Sahara in Morocco;
Merzouga, the entrance point for Erg Chebbi—' erg' meaning sand sea—is an 8 or 9-hour drive from Marrakech. There are many camps in this region. Pick a camp that respects the sensitive environment, offers tranquility and remoteness, and provides the level of comfort you prefer. I am yet to stay, but trusted industry friends have and loved The White Camel Acacia, it’s high on my travel bucket list! With just five luxury tented lodges, it offers personalised service, a range of guided activities, and authentic desert hospitality. Say I sent you!
Access: The closest airport to Merzouga is Errachidia. Royal Air Maroc has flights, almost daily, from Casablanca. Air Arabia has a flight from Fez to Errachidia. Ryanair has flights from Marrakech to Errachidia on Monday and Friday, with a flight time of 60 minutes. From Errachidia to Merzouga is 130km (approx. 2 hours' drive), and then it’s an additional drive through the desert to your camp.
M'hamid, a 55km 4WD drive from Erg Chigaga, is the largest sand sea in Morocco. Two desert camp options are recommended here: Camp al Koutban, with its 12 comfortable tents and excellent team, is a 90-minute hike from Erg Chigaga. Or, for those looking for more ‘luxury’ - in the form of privacy and little style touches - check out Nick and Bobo's Luxury Desert camps with en-suite bucket showers, comfy king-size beds and quality bed linen. Say I sent you!
Access: The closest airport to M’hamid is Zagora. Royal Air Maroc has flights from Casablanca to Zagora early Friday morning, with a flight time of 2 hours. From Zagora to M’hamid is 100km (approx. 90 minutes’ drive). There are more frequent flights from Casablanca to Ouarzazate, most days, from here it is 250km (approx. 4 hour’s drive) to M’hamid. If coming this way, it’s worth spending a day or two in the Ouarzazate / Skoura region.
Camel trekking in the Sahara. If you want to disconnect and immerse yourself fully in the desert way of life, Wild Morocco offers four-day camel treks and camp-out hiking trips in the Sahara. What a stunning, transformative experience!
Which Desert Is Closest to Marrakech? Agafay Desert
If your itinerary, budget, and/ or group are not up for the lengthy journey from Marrakech to Merzouga or M'hamid, it is worth bearing in mind that the Agafay desert, 30 km (60 min drive) south west of Marrakech, is a barren landscape that offers an accessible glimpse into Morocco’s desert culture. Ideal for a one-night desert experience.
There are no sand dunes, but at the right spot, it is possible to tune into the undulating desert vistas, rocky hills, and open skies. Seemingly barren, there are dry riverbeds that flow after rain. Some of the same desert wildlife as found in the Sahara: desert hares, desert foxes, and birdlife.
Many desert camps offer the experience of sleeping under canvas, dining under the night sky, and learning about desert habitats and traditions. Choose your camp based on your desired experiences: perhaps the romance of camping, a connection to nature, a sense of solitude, or a family desert adventure.
One of the original Agafay camps is La Pause, which has been open for around 20 years. The camp has retained its core values of simplicity and relaxation. Accommodation is offered in lodge rooms heated by wood stoves and bivouac tents for a glamping experience, with the added charm of being candlelit; there is no air-con, electricity, or WIFI. There is a swimming pool, and Full Board rates are offered so you can fully relax and enjoy your desert stay. And White Camel Acacia, which also operates in the Sahara, offers lodges for various budgets, starting with their Oasis Lodge, where Bedouin tents have private decks and canyon views. If it's appreciating the desert’s peace you're after, check that camps don’t have weddings or large groups booked in for your dates.
Hiking, camel riding, horse riding, and electric bikes are wonderful ways to explore the region. However, be sensitive to the desert’s fragile environment, and consider if the animals seem cared for by their owners.
Desert Experiences in Southern Morocco: Dakhla & the Deep South
In Morocco's deep south, Dakhla, also known as the Rio de Oro peninsula, is best known for its wind sports; kitesurfing, windsurfing, and wingfoiling are popular activities here. Dakhla is where the desert meets the ocean; it is raw, remote, and wild. For a dose of wilderness, check out MIA Hotel, stay in comfortably furnished en-suite bungalows, and immerse yourself in an unusual sense of remoteness and space. Similarly, although in a different part of the Dakhla region, La Tour d’Eole offers a remote desert lodge experience with direct lagoon access. It’s popular with active travellers, especially kitesurfers, who are well catered for at the hotel’s Ocean Academy. Eco-luxe accommodation is offered in sensitively designed wooden bungalows with private terraces and lagoon views, and in 3- and 4-bedroomed villas with private pools, perfect for families and groups. There are also rooms and suites, elevated on a plateau, that offer panoramic views of Dakhla lagoon. On the northern tip of the lagoon, Lagon Energy has a similar eco-lodge vibe, with wooden bungalows, a Duotone Pro watersports centre, and a healthy menu (stocked by on-site organic gardens) to fuel its mainly wind- and water-enthusiast clientele.
Check out Dakhla Rovers for their environmentally driven tours that introduce you to the desert's raw beauty, sensitive ecosystem, and unique wildlife.
Sand Dunes by the Sea: Morocco’s Atlantic Coast
If you prefer to centre your holiday around Morocco's epic Atlantic coast, there are ways to experience the dunes without travelling too far from Agadir. One of the closest places to let off steam in steep dunes and sandboard back down is Timalin, close to Tamri. This ‘mini-desert’ offers a taste of Morocco’s desert, with the unique addition of ocean views and a cooling Atlantic breeze. Time it right and enjoy a moment of play in the dunes or a moment of tranquility, marvelling at the shifting sand dunes as they roll into the vast ocean. Time it wrong and you’ll be among hordes of quad bikes and surf schools, an early start will help.
Close to Mirleft, south of Agadir, I once stumbled across small dunes whilst on an early walk near Ocean Dunes House. I’ve not visited the hotel, but I did enjoy the early morning beach and dune walk in case you find yourself in that area.
Responsible Ways to Experience the Desert in Morocco
Bearing in mind the sensitive desert ecosystems, when booking ATV/quad biking tours, consider whether motorised exploration aligns with the landscape's fragility. Exploring on foot or on a camel is a more authentic and tranquil way that leaves a smaller environmental footprint.
Morocco Desert Travel FAQs
Is Agafay a real desert?
Yes, while it doesn’t have sand dunes, Agafay is a true arid desert landscape, and at the right camp, you can experience tranquility and learn about the culture of desert nomads.
Thank you for reading and sharing this article with anyone planning a trip to Morocco!
If you do end up booking one of the above camps, I would love it if you could mention my name. This helps to build on relationships with preferred camps. I have also included Booking.com affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you book through them at no extra cost to you.
Have a wonderful time in the desert!
Sunset from Erg Chigaga, Morocco’s Sahara desert