Sahara tours · 2027
Sahara Desert Tours 2027 from Marrakech and Fes
الصحراءThe Sahara · Erg Chebbi
The year at a glance
The Sahara in 2027, month by month
Highlighted months have warm days and cold, clear nights in the dunes. February falls in Ramadan in 2027; May is warm and fine until midday; June to August is for early starts only. Tap any month and we start your quote from it.
- Best for this trip
- Excellent
- Good
- Mixed (very hot inland)
- Ramadan, about 8 Feb to 8 Mar
- Festival, usually that month
- Public holiday
- Eid (about)
Choose your dunes
Erg Chebbi or Erg Chigaga in 2027
A lantern-lit dinner setting in the dunes at night Erg Chebbi: the tall dunes, easy to reach
The high orange dunes beside Merzouga, reached by tarmac from Marrakech or Fes. Two days from Marrakech via the Tizi n’Tichka pass and the Dades, or one long day from Fes. Most camps and the widest choice.
Read moreErg Chigaga: further and quieter
A remote dune field beyond M’Hamid, which we reach from the Marrakech side. The last stretch is about 55 km of track by 4x4, so camps are few and nights are very dark. Three days fast, four days gentler.
Read moreAgafay is not the Sahara
Agafay, an hour from Marrakech, is a rocky desert of stone hills, not sand dunes. It is a lovely evening out with Atlas views, but if you want dunes, you need Erg Chebbi or Erg Chigaga.
Read more
A camel caravan on a dune ridge at sunset The festive fortnight books out first
Christmas and New Year’s Eve 2027 are the busiest nights of the year in the desert camps. If you want the dunes for New Year, ask in the spring.
Read more
Routes for 2027
Sahara routes for 2027
Private 4x4 or minivan, your own driver from door to dune, a camel ride at sunset and a night in the camp you choose. We fit the route to your 2027 dates and the moon.
3days
Marrakech to the Erg Chebbi dunes
Marrakech, Tizi n’Tichka, Ait Benhaddou, Dades, Merzouga
About 560 km each way, so the drive is split with a night in the Dades or Todra gorges. The classic first Sahara trip, and it can end in Fes instead of Marrakech.
Best: October to April
3–4days
Erg Chigaga, the remote dunes
Marrakech, Ait Benhaddou, Draa valley, Zagora, M’Hamid, Erg Chigaga
For travellers who want silence and space: the 4x4 crossing from M’Hamid, a camel trek and a camp far from any road.
Best: October to April
Illustrative2–3days
Fes to Merzouga
Fes, Ifrane, Middle Atlas, Ziz valley, Erfoud, Merzouga
The shortest way into the big dunes from the north, through cedar forest and the Ziz palm valley. In October it passes Erfoud, where the date festival usually falls.
Best: October to April
7days
Marrakech to Fes across the Sahara
Marrakech, Ait Benhaddou, Dades, Todra, Merzouga, Fes
The desert as part of a full week: two nights on the road south, a night in the dunes and the Fes medina at the end, without doubling back.
Best: Mid-March to May, October and November
In pictures
Sahara desert tours 2027, in pictures
Photographs from our own trips, with any illustration clearly marked. Every caption says where it was taken.
Camel riders and a guide crossing dunes in a sandy haze 
Camel riders and a guide on a dune ridge in a sandy haze 
A riad courtyard with a tiled fountain and orange trees 
Towers of the Ait Benhaddou ksar in warm light 
IllustrativeDades-style canyon valley and earthen villages 
IllustrativeFes medina alley lined with brass lanterns and craft stalls
Dates to know in 2027
The 2027 dates that shape this trip
“About” means the date depends on the moon; “usually” means the 2027 dates are not announced yet. We confirm both in your proposal.
Amazigh New Year (Yennayer)
14 JanuaryNationwide
Public holiday marking the Amazigh new year, celebrated with family meals in the mountains and the south.
Ramadan
about 8 February to 8 MarchNationwide
The month of fasting: daytime is calmer, evenings are lively after iftar.
Eid al-Fitr
about 9 MarchNationwide
The end of Ramadan: family celebrations, with shops and workshops closed for about two days.
Marathon des Sables
usually AprilSahara, south-east Morocco
The multi-stage desert ultramarathon. Worth knowing if you are heading to the south-east that month.
Erfoud Date Festival
usually OctoberErfoud, on the road to Merzouga
The date harvest celebrated with markets, music and folklore in the Tafilalet oasis.
Christmas and New Year’s Eve
25 and 31 DecemberMarrakech, the Sahara and the coast
Not Moroccan holidays, but the busiest fortnight for visitors: desert camps and riads book out early.
Desert notes for 2027
Ramadan, heat and cold nights
Ramadan in the desert
Ramadan is expected from about 8 February to 8 March 2027. Hotels and camps stay open and serve guests as usual; on the road, some cafés close until sunset, so we carry water and snacks for the drive.
Read moreSummer heat
From June to August the dunes are very hot by day. If summer is your only window, we start at dawn, rest through the afternoon and ride out again at sunset; the Atlas and the coast are better for the rest of the trip.
Winter nights are cold
December to February brings clear, mild days and nights near freezing in the dunes. Camps provide heavy blankets; bring a warm layer and a hat for the sunrise walk.
After you ask for a quote
What you get within 24 hours
Your proposal contains
- A day-by-day route, with the driving time between stops
- Stays matched to your style (riads, kasbahs, desert camps or hotels), named so you can look them up
- Which moments are private to you, and which are shared, such as a camp’s dining tent
- An itemised quote: what is included and what is not
- Who is planning your trip, and how to reach them on WhatsApp
- Free, with no obligation to book
Before you pay a deposit, we confirm
- Opening days for the places on your route, including Friday and holiday closures
- Meal stops along the way, and any dietary needs
- Prayer or Shabbat timing, if it matters to you
- Step-free access, wherever you need it
- The vehicle class for your group and your luggage
Every trip is private and priced to your dates, so there is no fixed price list. Ask, and the proposal shows the full cost before anything is booked.
Sahara desert tours 2027: your questions
When is the best time for a Sahara desert tour in 2027?
October to April. Days are warm and nights cold and clear. June to August is very hot by day. February 2027 falls in Ramadan (about 8 February to 8 March), which is quiet and still fine for the desert.
Erg Chebbi or Erg Chigaga: which is better?
Erg Chebbi, near Merzouga, has the tallest dunes and is reached by tarmac from Marrakech or Fes. Erg Chigaga, beyond M’Hamid, is quieter and more remote, with about 55 km of 4x4 track. Choose Chebbi for ease, Chigaga for solitude.
How many days do I need for the Sahara from Marrakech?
Three days for Erg Chebbi, because Merzouga is about 560 km away, or three to four days for Erg Chigaga. A one-day trip from Marrakech only reaches Agafay, which is rocky desert, not dunes.
How long is the drive from Fes to the Sahara?
Fes to Merzouga is about 470 km, around 7–8 hours with stops, through the Middle Atlas and the Ziz valley. Two days with one night in the dunes is the minimum; three is more relaxed.
Can I do a Sahara tour during Ramadan 2027?
Yes. Ramadan is expected from about 8 February to 8 March 2027. Camps and hotels stay open and serve guests; some roadside cafés close until sunset, so we plan stops around it.
Is Agafay part of the Sahara?
No. Agafay, about an hour from Marrakech, is a stony desert of rocky hills, not sand dunes. For real Sahara dunes you need Erg Chebbi or Erg Chigaga.
How much does a Sahara desert tour cost in 2027?
It depends on the number of days, the camp you choose, the season and your group size. The festive fortnight books up first. Send your dates for a free, itemised quote within 24 hours.
The 2027 collection
More ways to spend 2027 in Morocco
- Morocco tours 2027Private routes for every length of trip, fitted to your 2027 dates.
- Morocco honeymoon 2027Riads, desert nights and the coast, paced for two.
- Family holidays 2027School-holiday routes with short drives and room to play.
- Ramadan 2027 in MoroccoWhat changes, what stays open and how lovely the evenings are.
- Eid al-Adha 2027Travelling around the biggest family holiday, without the closures catching you out.
- Easter 2027 in MoroccoSpring break routes for the Easter holidays.
- New Year's Eve 2027See the new year in under Sahara stars, in a Marrakech riad or on the coast.
- Amazigh New Year 2027Yennayer, 14 January: the Amazigh new year in the mountains and the south.
Your night in the dunes, in 2027
المغربⵜⴰⴳⵍⴷⵉⵜ ⵏ ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱThe Kingdom of Morocco