Sahara Glamping
Have you dreamed of riding through the Sahara Desert on a camel? How about riding that camel to your very own Berber tent and sleeping under the stars for the night?
It takes a while to get to the edge of the Moroccan desert, but watching the sunset and sunrise over the dunes is well worth it.
You can hire a driver to take you to and from the desert in two days (driving about 8-10 hours each day), either from Fez or Marrakesh, but I don’t recommend it, especially with kids. We looked into flying, but since the Sahara butts up to the Algerian border, they no longer offer helicopters to Merzouga. The nearest place to fly is Ouarzazate, but when you figure in airport wait time, the drive is a better option for sure. Plus there’s so much to see and experience on the way.
Dades Valley 
Kasbah outside Ouarzazate
Spend four to five days taking your time to and from the desert. If hiking in the Atlas mountains is of interest, tag on another night or two and stay at one of the beautiful properties overlooking Toubkal (try Kasbah Toubkal)? Take in the Dades Valley oasis, Todra Gorge (“Grand Canyon of Morocco”), and the many villages and rock caves. Check out Ait Ben Haddou, the kasbah Americans know from Game of Thrones, or my favorite, the lesser known and visited Kasbah Telouet. If you’re lucky, you may even spy a nomad tent en route.
Stop for the night in Skoura, one of my favorite little towns. Staying on the way to or from the desert (or both because we loved it so much) is such a treat. I highly recommend L’Ma Lodge and Les Jardin de Skoura. Each kasbah-style property offers beautiful garden, local food and an in-ground pool your kids will love. Sometimes they even offer yoga and cooking classes. You’ll love the relaxing contrast to bustling Marrakesh and Fez.
Once you make it to Merzouga, you’ll mount your camels and head out for camp at twilight. Bring a headscarf and glasses to protect your eyes and face from the sand (they’ll wrap the scarf for you), and expect about half hour on the camel. You can opt to drive in if you have a 4×4 vehicle and take a shorter camel ride once you arrive at the camp. That said, it’s pretty magical arriving at the camp by camel at dusk.
Regular camp group
Luxury camp personalization
If you choose a luxury camp, (about 300-350 euro for two people in a shared tent), you’ll have a much more personal experience as well as a large comfy bed in your own tent with bathroom and shower. We loved Merzouga Luxury Desert Camps, where our site had only five tents! The economy options are more affordable but you’ll be in tents with more people and a much larger group in the dunes and at the camp. It you’re doing this once in a lifetime, the luxury camp is the way to go.
Once you’ve surfed the dunes and taken enough photos, shower up and enjoy a beautiful Moroccan meal under the stars. Everything is included, except alcohol, which is an additional price. Note that during Ramadan, when we were there, they do not serve alcohol at all, so bring your own if it’s important to you to enjoy wine with dinner. While not expected, bring some cash for tips for the handful of camp attendants.
After dinner, you’ll enjoy sitting by the fire as the Berber camp attendants perform traditional music. You can even try to play the instruments yourself (fun for kids). Settle into your tent for a great night sleep, and ask to be awakened to climb up the dunes for sunrise. Enjoy your full breakfast spread complete with fabulous fresh squeezed orange juice. Then jump back on those camels (or take a 4×4 vehicle if you prefer) and say goodbye to the desert.
It’s a bucket list experience for sure, so much so that I’ve told clients considering Morocco, if you don’t have time or it’s not the right season for the Sahara desert, put the trip on hold. Morocco is not the same without a desert overnight!
