Two Nights in the Sahara

Getting around

• Day 1: Casablanca airport to Marrakech by road, about 3 hours, plus about 1 hour 30 minutes with a stop at the Hassan II Mosque.
• Day 2: A walking day in the Marrakech medina, with your private driver on hand.
• Day 3: Marrakech to Imlil, about 1 hour 30 minutes each way, or about 45 minutes each way to the Agafay.
• Day 4: Marrakech to Skoura by the Tizi n’Tichka pass and Aït Benhaddou, about 5 hours plus stops.
• Day 5: Skoura to Erg Chebbi by the Dades Valley and the Todra Gorge, about 5 hours 30 minutes plus stops. This is the longest drive of the journey.
• Day 6: Short 4×4 outings around Erg Chebbi.
• Day 7: Erg Chebbi to Errachidia airport, about 2 hours, then Royal Air Maroc to Casablanca, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
• In Morocco, a licensed guide leads the visits and a private driver handles every road.

Is 7 days enough for Morocco and the Sahara?

Seven days are enough for Marrakech and two full nights in the Sahara when the return runs by air. The dunes of Erg Chebbi sit about 9 hours by road from Marrakech, so most 7-day tours give the desert a single night between two long drives. This route crosses the High Atlas by road, with Aït Benhaddou and the Todra Gorge on the way, then flies from Errachidia to Casablanca on the last morning. The saved day becomes a full day in the desert.

This 7-day Sahara route or a longer Morocco journey?

Choose this route if you have a week and the Sahara comes first. Travelers who also want Fez choose the 10-day Morocco journey through Fez, the Sahara and Marrakech, and families choose the 10-day private family tour of Morocco. Travelers who want the deep south as well choose the 12-day southern Morocco journey.

Travelers with a week who prefer short drives choose the 7-day Marrakech, High Atlas and Essaouira journey, with a night in the Agafay desert near Marrakech, or the 7-day northern Morocco journey through Tangier, Chefchaouen and Fez. Every route starts from our Morocco destination page, and our team adjusts any of them to your dates.

Who this journey suits

First-time visitors with a week who want Marrakech and the Sahara, and travelers who prefer a short flight to a full day on the road. Couples who want a night in the dunes to themselves. Families with children from about eight, who handle the road days with stops and remember the camel ride and the night sky. Your guide is glad to advise on suitability before booking.

The people behind the route

Licensed guides we work with on this route include Amine and Yassine, who guide travelers across Morocco. Each is a highly educated local expert who cares about the people in their group. We request your guides by name, and your planner confirms who leads each day once your dates are set.

What the 7-day journey costs

This 7-day route starts from $6,846 per person, double occupancy, including the flight from Errachidia to Casablanca. Four things move the price: the season, the hotel and camp category, the size of your private party, and the experiences you add, such as a night reserved in a camp for your party alone.

What is included

• Six nights in a choice from our vetted luxury five-star or deluxe four-star boutique hotels and camps, with daily breakfast, accommodation taxes and service charges
• Custom itinerary design and planning, with quality control and vetting of every provider
• Private sightseeing with licensed, English-speaking local guides, and admission fees during private guided touring
• A private driver and vehicle for every road day, and private airport, train station and port transfers as specified
• VIP assistance on arrival at the airport
• 24/7 support before and during your trip, including your private WhatsApp group with Rachel, Inés, Sofia or Dan
• Pre-trip travel documents
• Dinners at the desert camp, the private dinner in the dunes, the sunset camel ride and the 4×4 desert day
• The Errachidia to Casablanca flight

International flights, travel insurance, gratuities and meals not listed in the itinerary are not included. Our booking terms set out the full details.

To shape this week around your dates and your party, speak with our team about your 7 days in Morocco.

Frequently asked questions about the 7-day Morocco Sahara tour

How much does a private 7-day Morocco Sahara tour cost?

This 7-day route starts from $6,846 per person, based on two people sharing a room, including the flight from Errachidia to Casablanca on the last day. The season matters most, since hotel rates rise and fall through the year. Five-star hotels and a camp reserved for your party alone raise it, and larger private parties pay less per person because the driver and guide serve the whole party. Our team sends a written quote for your dates and party before you commit.

Why does the route fly home from Errachidia?

The dunes of Erg Chebbi sit about 9 hours by road from Marrakech and further still from Casablanca. Royal Air Maroc flies from Errachidia, about 2 hours from the camps, to Casablanca in about 1 hour 15 minutes on most mornings. The flight replaces a full day of driving with a sunrise drive and a short hop, so the week holds two full nights in the dunes. Your planner confirms the flight for your date before you book.

What is the desert camp like?

You sleep in a tent with real beds, linens and a private bathroom, among the dunes of Erg Chebbi. Dinner is served under canvas or by the fire, and on the second night it is set for your party alone among the dunes. Camps can be reserved for your party alone or shared with a few other guests. Desert nights turn cool, so pack warm layers.

How long are the drives?

Day four runs about 5 hours from Marrakech to Skoura, with Aït Benhaddou and the Tizi n’Tichka pass on the way, and day five runs about 5 hours 30 minutes to the dunes, with the Todra Gorge between. Your private driver breaks each road day with real stops. The flight from Errachidia replaces the longest drive of all, the return across the Atlas.

Can we add Fez to this week?

Fez stays out of this route to protect two full nights in the desert. Travelers who want Fez in the same week follow a road version, with two nights in Fez, two in the desert, one in Skoura and one in Marrakech, and longer road days. Travelers with ten days choose the 10-day Morocco journey through Fez, the Sahara and Marrakech.

When is the best time for a Sahara trip?

March to May and late September to early December suit this route best, with warm days in Marrakech and cool, clear nights in the dunes. Winter brings crisp desert evenings by the fire and, some days, snow on the Tizi n’Tichka. In July and August the desert runs very hot, so your planner points summer travelers toward the coast, the High Atlas and the north. Hotels, like airlines, price by demand, so peak weeks cost more.

Are the driver and the guide the same person?

In Morocco they are two different people. A private driver handles the vehicle and the road, and a licensed guide leads the visits. This split lets your driver focus on the road and your guide focus on the place, its history and its people. Both work for your own party only, and they set the pace around you.

Do non-Muslim visitors enter the Hassan II Mosque?

Yes. The Hassan II Mosque ranks among the few mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslim visitors, on guided visits only, at set times outside prayer, with fewer visits on Fridays and during Ramadan. Your guide times the stop around your arrival flight and advises on what to wear. The mosque opened in 1993 on a platform partly over the ocean, and its minaret rises 210 meters.

Who do we contact if something goes wrong or we want a change?

Your planner designs your journey with you and stays in touch after you land. For the fastest response at any hour, message your private WhatsApp group, where our 24/7 support team works alongside Rachel, Inés, Sofia or Dan. Because we begin no more than five journeys per country each week, peak spring and fall dates fill early, and that limit is what lets us stay this close to every trip.