What is the Sahara desert like in March?

March is the month the desert wakes up, and it is one of the two windows I steer people towards if they have any flexibility. The brutal winter nights are behind us, and the daytime warmth arrives in full — afternoons at Erg Chebbi now sit around 22–26°C, which is precisely the temperature you want for climbing dunes, riding camels and lingering outside without either shivering or wilting. It feels like the desert exhaling.

The nights soften beautifully too. Instead of the near-freezing lows of midwinter, March camps settle at roughly 7–11°C — still cool enough that you want a jacket and a blanket, but a world away from January. You can actually sit out by the fire long after dinner in comfort, watching the stars without your teeth chattering, which is when the desert really gets under your skin.

The one honest caveat for March is wind. Spring is the windier season in the Sahara, and every so often you get a gusty, hazy day when fine sand hangs in the air and the horizon goes soft. It is rarely a full sandstorm, but it can dull the light and make the camel ride a squinty affair. A scarf or chèche for your face handles it, and these days pass — the very next morning is usually flawless again.

For most travellers, March is close to perfect: warm enough to enjoy everything, cool enough to sleep well, and far less crowded than the April peak that follows. I love guiding here in March because people get the full sensory hit — warm sand underfoot, big skies, comfortable nights — without the heat or the high-season bustle. Pack lighter daytime clothes plus one warm layer for the evening and you are set.