As I planned our family trip, I knew that doing a Morocco desert tour was a must-have experience to cross off our bucket list. Our daughter cried the first time she rode on a pony, so I was a bit worried that she would do the same on the camel. But she ended up absolutely loving it! And she still talks about it months after the trip. So if you’re on the fence about bringing your kids on a Sahara Desert camel tour, I hope this inspires you! They’ll love riding on the camel and dancing in the dunes at sunset.
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How to Book a Morocco Desert Tour
I booked the trip as part of our Morocco family adventure. We used Marrakech Camel Trips company and it was a wonderful experience. The 3 day tour was a means to get from Fes to Marrakech, which worked out perfectly for our Morocco 10 day itinerary. It also allowed us to see unique parts of the landscape and small villages throughout the country. I chose the luxury option and our package included an overnight stay at a luxury camp and the Dades Valley with breakfast and dinner included. We also had a private driver in a comfortable SUV for all 3 days. Total cost was around $900 for all of us.
Marrakech to Merzouga 3-Day Tour: A group tour including accommodations, bus transport, and all meals except lunch. A great value option!
3-Day Tour from Fes to Marrakech: A 3-day tour perfect for travel between Fes and Marrakech. Pretty similar to the tour we did, with private driver, accommodations, and all meals except lunch included. Beautiful way to see a lot of landscapes and scenic sites!
Marrakech 3-Day Tour: Another option from Marrakech and perfect for families! Includes a private driver, accommodation for two nights, and all meals except lunch. Pickup and dropoff in Marrakech.
Arriving at the dunes
Arrival at Merzouga
The drive leaves from Fes around 8am, and heads to Erg Chebbi on the first day. On the way you’ll drive through the Middle Atlas mountains and watch the landscape gradually change to desert. Upon arrival in Merzouga, you’ll take a slight break and then head to the dunes around 5pm. As we arrived there was a slight sandstorm, so be prepared for unpredictable weather. The camel guide will help wrap your turban and get you situated on the camel. Our guide Said was very enthusiastic and stopped to take several photos of us. Along the way he also talked about local life in his village nearby, which was very insightful.
Sahara desert caravan along the way
Camel Trek
It takes about an hour by camel to get to the camp. Between us we rode two camels and Terra sat with one of us. We covered her face with a turban during the worst parts of the sandstorm. It was quite an adventure having sand whipped at your face and eerie sounds of wind echoing through the desert. Our daughter handled it quite well and enjoyed being on the camel. She was amazed by the colors of the sand, however not too fond of the carob beetles crawling in the sand.
Shortly after we arrived, checked out our tent and got settled the sun was setting over the dunes. We climbed up the largest dune and sat there amazed, it was just absolutely dreamy. There’s nothing like watching a Sahara sunset, and I’m thankful to have witnessed it.
View of Sahara camp from above
Beautiful surreal sunset landscape in the dunes
The Luxury Camp
The tents are situated between the largest dunes and are nicely equipped. They come with a very comfortable bed and private bathroom attached. Along the tents were cozy poufs and pillows to relax in. At night the Moroccan lanterns were all lit up and you can see every star in the sky. It was quite a magical experience!
The sleeping area of the tent
Dinner
All of the camel guides will cook a traditional Berber meal, which consisted of a beef and chicken tagine, some roasted peppers filled with grains, soup and fruit salad for dessert. The food was very different from what we had eaten so far, more simple in taste and very hearty. Everything was so fresh and delicious!
Music
After dinner everyone gathered around for some tribal music. The sounds of the drums echoed amongst the quiet dunes. Terra danced to the music and even got to play the drums at the end! Your kids will love the energy and excitement of this experience. Afterwards we ran and danced barefoot around the sand on top of one of the dunes. The moon was so big and bright, I’ll never forget it.
Leisure Time
There’s a table situated on one of the dunes a bit isolated from the camp. Our guide, Said, made some mint tea and we all sat together and just watched the stars. He also played with Terra, it was amazing to see her interact with someone from across the world. He told us a bit about his family and life living in a small village in the Sahara. It was one of those moments that makes travel the most rich experience you can ever have.
Sunrise over the camp
Sunrise at the Camp
If you want to see the sunrise over the dunes you’ll have to wake up early the next day. Breakfast is served in the main tent, and then it’ll be time to pack and take the camel trip back to meet your driver. Since we had a long drive ahead, we had to leave the camp around 8:30am.
Family photo on the camels
If you have more time in Morocco, we highly recommend extending this tour for another night to spend more time in the dunes. There’s also an option to stay in a nomad camp as well, where you’ll see more into the local culture of the Sahara. Spending time on a Morocco desert tour away from civilization and unplugged is a cleansing experience. You’ll open your eyes to a completely different way of life. Small villages working together and thriving with just the basic necessities of life in a harsh environment. In these moments, nothing else really matters except staring out into the beauty of the vast desert landscape.
Group photo before saying farewell
Have you ever gone on a Morocco desert tour? We’d love to hear about it!
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