How much is a camel trek or desert tour in Morocco?

The Sahara is the centrepiece of most Morocco trips, and prices stretch enormously depending on how you do it. The simplest option — a sunset camel ride into the Erg Chebbi dunes near Merzouga, one night in a standard Berber camp with dinner, music, and breakfast — typically runs 600–1,200 MAD ($60–120) per person. That’s the classic image: the camel silhouette, the dunes turning copper, the silence, and the stars.

Most visitors reach the desert on a multi-day road tour from Marrakech or Fes, because Merzouga is a long drive (8–10 hours). A 3-day, 2-night shared group tour — minibus over the High Atlas, Aït Benhaddou, the Dades or Todra gorges, and one desert night — costs 1,200–2,500 MAD ($120–250) per person including transport, camp, and breakfasts. It’s the backbone of budget desert travel and genuinely good value, though you’ll share the vehicle with strangers.

Go private and the experience transforms. A private 3-day desert tour with your own driver, vehicle, and chosen riads runs roughly 3,000–6,000 MAD ($300–600) per person depending on group size — the larger your party, the lower the per-head cost. Add a luxury desert camp with en-suite tents, proper beds, rugs, and a private dinner under the stars, and the figure rises to 5,000–8,000+ MAD ($500–800+) per person. This is the band we design most of our Sahara journeys in.

Honest guidance: be wary of the cheapest tours, where savings usually come from cramped vehicles, rushed driving, and basic camps with shared bathrooms. Confirm exactly what’s included — dinners, the camel trek itself, the camp standard, and whether lunches are extra (they usually are). And don’t do the desert as a one-day dash; the magic is in the overnight, so give it at least one night, ideally two.