THE START OF OUR SAHARA DESERT 3 DAY TOUR:
How to get to the Sahara Desert was one of the reasons why planning our trip to Morocco was so difficult. It is possible to fly, but you'll be stuck going in and out of Casablanca. It is also possible to rent a car but that requires a lot of research and hours driving. In the end, we found that taking a Sahara Desert 3 day Tour was almost the same price as doing it ourselves! After much research we booked with Moroccan Desert Tour and our guide Ali. The three day tour cost $640 ($320 per person) and included 2 nights of hotels and each days dinner and breakfast. If you go with a group, you can get this for even less but that also mean you'll be on other people's schedule - to us the $100 extra for a private tour seemed worth it.
DAY 1 OF YOUR SAHARA DESERT 3 DAY TOUR:
We were picked up directly from our accommodations in Fes to start our Sahara Desert 3 day tour. We made a quick stop in Ifran for a coffee and a bathroom break but the swiss inspired village didn't seem to have much else to see. Two hours away from Fes, we stopped again near Azrou to see the mountain monkeys. They were everywhere along the road and desperate for the peanuts we offered them. I was almost depantsed at one point!
We wound through the mountains making stops at whatever scenic look outs seemed interesting and eventually stopped for lunch. Six hours later, now closely acquainted with our guide, we arrive in Merzouga. Our tour company had partnered with a hotel here which arranged to take us out to the desert.
We packed an overnight bag and left everything else with our guide. When we went in March it was FREEZING at night so be sure to bring some warm clothes. There are bathroom you will also have access to with running water but no showers. Before we knew it we were on a camel and headed out on the massive dunes.
We joined a group of tourists from Spain for the slow crawl out to our camp. You can elect to upgrade to a luxury camp (and they do look quite nice) but for a quick night, the basic camp was more than fine. Our Berber guide led our camels on foot and the ride out took approximately 45 minutes.
At the camp, we got settled in and sandboarded while they prepared dinner. Our very smart Spanish companions had brought beer and a bottle of tequila with them - which only added to the fun. A bonfire followed dinner and our guides sang traditional Berber songs and quizzed us with riddles - a fun part of their cultures stemming from their nomadic life.
DAY 2 OF YOUR SAHARA DESERT 3 DAY TOUR:
We woke up early to catch the sunrise before getting on our camels again for the walk back. At the hotel, we were given breakfast and allowed to check into a room for quick shower. After that, our Sahara Desert 3 day tour was back on the road!
Shortly after we stopped at one of the fossil museums along the road. A worker explained about mining in the region, showed us their hand held machinery and the fossils they preserve in souvenirs and furniture before taking us to a shop at the end.
Continuing on we made stops in Tinghir to check out the oasis in the palm trees...
...admired the cliffs in Todgha Gorge...
and finally shopped for a rug in the heart of Berber culture. The majority of rugs sold in Morocco are actually made in this region which we were told means the best prices.
We ended our long day with a drive down one of the craziest roads in the world in the heart of the Dades Gorges.
Our hotel for the night was Hotel Babylon. As I said it was picked by our tour company but a great choice, with good food and walls literally the side of the mountain.
DAY 3 OF YOUR SAHARA DESERT 3 DAY TOUR:
The following day, we stopped and enjoyed the ancient city of Ouarzazate...
...and paused for look outs as we climbed through the Atlas Mountains. The temperature drops as you get higher and you might even see snow the top!
We bid our guide farewell (be sure to tip!) as he dropped us off at our Marrakech accommodations for the last stop of this trip.
We overall had a great experience with this tour. It's definitely jammed packed but you're able to see SO much of the country at such a great price that I would definitely recommend. The hours in the car were long but our guide was so friendly to answer any questions we had about his country/culture and we had many interesting discussions about the differences in our countries. Consider this Sahara Desert 3 Day tour for your trip to Morocco and read on to learn more about where else we stopped:
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