Is the Sahara desert good to visit in winter?

I run desert trips through every season, and winter is quietly my favourite. The brutal heat that defines Erg Chebbi from June to September is simply gone — by December you get daytime highs of 18 to 22°C, which is the difference between trudging through the dunes and actually enjoying them. I take guests up Erg Chebbi at 3pm in January without a drop of sweat, something that is unthinkable in July.

The catch, and I am always honest about this, is the nights. Once the sun drops the temperature falls fast, and in deep winter I have seen camp thermometers touch freezing before dawn. This is exactly why the camp you choose matters more in winter than any other season. A flimsy bivouac with a thin blanket will make you miserable; a proper luxury camp with thick duvets, hot water bottles, and a central fire turns the cold into the best part — you wrap up, sit by the flames, and the staff bring mint tea while a Gnawa drummer plays.

Winter also gives you the clearest skies of the year. With low humidity and no summer haze, the Milky Way over Merzouga in January is genuinely the best night sky most of my guests have ever seen. I keep a small telescope at the camp and we pick out Orion and the Pleiades while the dunes glow under starlight. Photographers love the long, soft golden hours too — the low winter sun rakes across the dunes for hours rather than minutes.

My honest advice: come in winter, but pack properly — a warm layer, a hat, and closed shoes for the evening — and do not skimp on the camp. A 3-day route via Merzouga lets you absorb the season without rushing, and you will have the dunes far less crowded than the spring and autumn peaks.