Sahara Desert Tour from Marrakech — Your Questions Answered

The Riad Vendôme organise 5 circuits in the desert of the Sahara Moroccan from Marrakech: the circuit Zagora 2 days/1 night (from €280), the circuit Merzouga 3 days/2 nights (from €380), l'excursion Merzouga 4 days/3 nights (from €250), the Grand Tour Merzouga + Zagora 4 days/3 nights (from €560) and the circuit 4×4 Grand Sud (from €490 for 2 guests).

The packages all included (accommodation at the riad + circuit) start to €280 per person for the circuit Zagora 2 days/1 night and go up to €560 for the Grand Tour Merzouga + Zagora 4 days/3 nights. These rates include accommodation at Riad Vendôme, the transport, the catering complete, the nights in a bivouac and the camel rides.

The best period is from October to April. The full days are pleasant (20-30°C) and nights cool but bearable. Spring (March-April) offers the most beautiful lights. Avoid June to September where the temperatures exceed 45°C in the desert.

Merzouga has the dunes of the Erg Chebbi, the highest in Morocco (up to 150 m), with an orange sand golden and a infrastructure well-developed tourist. Zagora and M'hamid offer the dunes of Chigaga, more isolated and wild, with paler sand and very few tourists. Merzouga is to 560 km of Marrakech (3 days minimum), Zagora to 360 km (2 days minimum).

Take some of the warm clothing for the night (even in winter, 5-10°C), a head torch, high-protection sunscreen, a hat, a scarf against the sand, sunglasses and a power bank for the phone. The desert camp provides mattresses, blankets, pillows and full meals.

Yes, the circuits are suitable for families. The camel ride and the night in a desert camp are unforgettable experiences for children. For families with young children (less than 6 ans), we recommend the circuit Zagora 2 days/1 night, the shortest. Transport is by air-conditioned vehicle.

Yes, transport is in air-conditioned vehicles on paved roads. The camel ride (45 min) can be replaced by a 4×4 journey to the bivouac. The pace is adapted: no long walks, frequent breaks. Bivouacs are equipped with comfortable mattresses.

Yes, the Riad Vendôme organise regularly of the circuits for groups of 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 20 guests. The riad can be exclusively hired for your group (up to 45 guests). The circuit is organised by minibus air-conditioned or en several 4×4. Rates sliding-scale from 6 guests.

No, most of the routes towards Merzouga and Zagora are paved and accessible by air-conditioned minibus. A 4×4 is recommended only for the crossing of the Djebel Saghro between Merzouga and Zagora and for access the dunes the most remote. Il offerslso more than comfort and de flexibility for the stops photos.

Absolutely. Eric adapts each circuit to your wishes: adding quad in the dunes, sandboarding, visit of the fossils of Erfoud, night additional in a bivouac luxury, session photo, etc. Contact us via WhatsApp at +212 600 608 608 with your wishes.

The journey done approximately 560 km. We do it in 2 stages (with a night in Tinghir) to enjoy stops: col of the Tichka, gorges of the Todra, oasis of the Tafilalet. It is a journey, not a simple transfer — every kilometre offers a different landscape.

Zagora is to approximately 360 km of Marrakech, i.e. approximately 6-7 hours of route via the col of the Tichka and Ouarzazate. It's the destination desert the nearest of Marrakech, this that allows a circuit en 2 days only.

A Toyota Land Cruiser comfortably seats 4 passengers. For 5-6 guests, we use a larger vehicle or two 4×4s. Beyond 6 guests, a minibus 4×4 is more adapted and more economical.

The desert camps are nomadic Berber tents set up at the foot of the dunes. Each tent has mattresses, warm blankets and pillows. The camps have sanitary facilities (toilets and basic showers). The dinner is prepared on site: tagine, couscous, mint tea, pain cuit in the sand. It is rustic but comfortable.

The nights in the desert are fresh, same in the hot season. En winter (December-February), temperatures can drop to 5°C. In autumn/spring, between 10-18°C. En summer, the nights remain around 25-30°C. The desert camps provide thick blankets, but bring a warm jumper.

Yes, it is same recommended when the weather allows! Many travellers choose to put their mattresses outside the tent to sleep under the stars. The Sahara sky is one of the purest in the world — the Milky Way is visible to the naked eye. The moonless nights are the most spectacular.

The Erg Chebbi is the largest sand sea in Morocco, located near Merzouga. It stretches 22 km long and 5 km wide, with dunes reaching 150 metres high. The sand is an extraordinary golden-orange that changes colour throughout the day — from pink at dawn to copper at sunset.

The dunes of Chigaga are located south of M'hamid, in the province of Zagora. Less well known than the Erg Chebbi, they are more vast and wilder, accessible only by 4×4 or by camel. It's raw desert, without visible tourist infrastructure — the most authentic Sahara experience in Morocco.

The Djebel Saghro is a volcanic mountain range between the Dades and Draa valleys, located between the Dades and the Draa, between Merzouga and Zagora. Its lunar landscapes, dark gorges and your Berber villages isolated en font one of the most stunning routes in Morocco — accessible mainement by 4×4.

Yes, tous our circuits desert include a stop at the Kasbah of Aït Benhaddou on the way back. This rammed-earth fortress, UNESCO-listed, served as a backdrop for Gladiator, Game of Thrones and Lawrence of Arabia. The visit lasts approximately 1 hour.

Contact Eric, the French owner of the Riad Vendôme, directly by WhatsApp at +212 600 608 608 or by e-mail. Send your dates, the number of participants and your preferences. You will receive a personalised programme and a detailed quote within 3 hours. Pas deposit required.

It is highly recommended! After 2 to 4 days of driving in the desert, a oriental hammam and a argan oil massage at Riad Vendôme are the supplement parfait. Our packages all included include the stay at the riad with access to the spa (hammam from €25/person., massage from €38).

Yes, January is an excellent period. The full days are mild (18-22°C), the winter sky is exceptionally clear for stargazing. The nights are cold (5-10°C) but the desert camps provide thick blankets. Spending the Nouvel An in the desert is an experience unforgettable.

Yes, the sud Moroccan is a region safe and welcominge. Our circuits are organised with drivers-guides professionnels that connaissent the routes since of the years. We fournissons a phone satellite for the journeys the most isolated. Morocco is one of the destinations the most safe of Africa.

It is possible but not recommended for babies de less than 2 ans, because of the length of the journeys (6-8:00 of driving per day) and of the conditions at the bivouac. For families with very young children, we instead recommend the desert Agafay to 45 min of Marrakech, with a bivouac luxury.