HOW-TO VISIT THE SAHARA DESERT FROM MARRAKECH

If you find yourself in Morocco, and in Marrakech specifically, we HIGHLY recommend you take a side trip in to the Sahara Desert. I honestly could not even imagine visiting the country and NOT riding on a camel in the middle of the Erg Chebbi dunes.

How do you do it you may ask? Well we have a real bitchin' guide for you of course! This is the tour we did that started and ended in the Marrakech Medina, went through the Atlas Mountains, had a stop at Aït Benhaddou kashbah, Skoura, Merzouga, the Todra Gorge, Rissani, and ended with a camel trek into the desert and spending the night in the wild.

This was seriously a once in a lifetime adventure and I would do it all over again if I could. Here's a breakdown of all we got the chance to do and see!

DAY 1

• We were picked up along with others in your group at your hotel accommodation. We were staying in the Medina, so we got picked up right in the middle of the square. Our group included about 15-20 people total and we all rode together in an air-conditioned charter bus/van.

• Our first stop was a drive through the High Atlas Mountains where we went along the Tizi-n-Tichka pass.

• We stopped at a lot of cool shops and villages along the way so you can use the restroom, buy snacks, etc.

• We made a quick pit stop to get some awesome photos at Cinema Studio Atlas, make sure to have fun with it!

Next, we made a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Aït Benhaddou kasbah which was so cool to see and is actuallly used in scenes of Games of Thrones. A lot of the locals in this area (including our tour guide) were extras in the show! We recommend you climbing to the top!

• At about midday, we had lunch (not included in price of tour) at a cafe in Ouarzazate before heading to the oasis of Skoura where we got to admire all the greenery

• We then finally made it to our hotel in Boumalne du Dadès where they had dinner ready for us (included in price of tour). While the hotel was nice, it was very basic with no hot water, but it wasn't that big of a deal to us as we were used to it by then.

DAY 2

• The next morning we woke up early for breakfast (included in the price of the tour) at the hotel before heading down the famous "Road of 1000 Kasbahs" to Tinghir

• Once we made it to Tinghir, we were able to explore the oasis to the Todra Gorge before eating lunch at a local cage (not included in price of tour)

• After lunch, we visited the holy town of Rissani where we saw the locals making rugs and we had the chance to purchase them

• Last stop of the day was when we finally made it to Merzouga where we got to meet our adorable camels!!

• After everyone was ready, we headed out in to the Sahara Desert to Erg Chebbi. The camel trek took about 45 minutes to one hour. While it does get a bit uncomfortable after awhile, it's so worth it. The amazing views and experiencing the camel ride was such a fun adventure

• Once we made it to the campsite, you'll be able to have fun with your tour group by sand surfing and taking photos of each other before the sun sets

• After dark, local nomads came out to make us a delicious dinner (included in price of the tour). Once everyone was done eating, we had a bonfire ready for us where we all gathered around, sang songs together, played the nomad's instruments, and gazed at the clear, starry night before heading off to bed

• Our accommodations were hut/tent type with fabric walls and cots to sleep in. Blankets and other bedding were provided. It was interesting, but a fun experience since it was just for one night.

DAY 3

• The next morning we woke up early so we could take in the Sahara Desert one last time and watch the beautiful sun rise in the distance

• Once everyone was up and about, we rode our camels back in to Merzouga where we ate breakfast (included in price of tour) before starting the return journey to Marrakech

• We stopped for one last meal for lunch in Ouarzazate (not included in tour price) and took in some scenery in the Atlas Mountains (it was snowing so much!) before finally making it back to Marrakech

XOXO, Cam