From Marrakech: 3-Day Merzouga and Sahara Desert Tour

The listing names the highlights plainly: camel rides at sunset and sunrise, the Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou, the Atlas Mountains, a night in a traditional Berber desert camp and the sunrise over the Erg Chebbi dunes. On the last morning you ride your camel back to the village, have breakfast and drive back to Marrakech.

Breakfasts and dinners are included, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options; so are sandboarding, luggage service and an evening of Berber drumming and music. Lunch and drinks, tips and the optional local guide inside Ait Ben Haddou are not. Guides speak Arabic, French, English and Spanish. Change of plans? Calling it off 24 hours ahead or earlier costs nothing.

Its big dunes are star dunes, with sharp ridges running in several directions, and some of the tallest rise over 100 m. Luminescence dating found that they formed over 13,000 years ago. At sunset the ridges throw long shadows across the sand, and the colour shifts from gold to deep orange.

Merzouga is the village at the edge of the sand, where a large natural aquifer feeds palm groves and fields, and tourism adds a living for the communities next to the dunes. The tent camps stand on the east side of the dune field, out in the sand.

Guests also single out the camel ride, the sunset and the sunrise on the dunes, the stops on the way, and practical comforts such as a van with good air conditioning and Wi-Fi. Several mention a guide who went out of his way, from finding a phone lost at the camp to bringing fruit and dates to try.

The honest notes are about time. Guests who loved the trip still say there is a lot of driving, that the journey to the desert is long, and that a van can get hot in summer. Go in expecting long road days with great stops, and the reviews suggest you will not be disappointed.

From November to February, the operator puts desert nights at 0 °C to 5 °C. Standard tents then have warm blankets but no heating, while luxury tents are heated. If you travel in winter, the heated tent is worth the upgrade, and a warm jacket for the sunrise ride is a must.

The comfortable months are spring and autumn, with average highs at Errachidia of 26.1 °C in April and 26.8 °C in October. Rain is rare: the station records 133.0 mm in a normal year.

The first big stop is Ait Ben Haddou, an earthen ksar on the southern slopes of the High Atlas and a World Heritage site since 1987. UNESCO describes it as a group of earthen buildings inside high walls, once a trading post on the caravan route that linked ancient Sudan to Marrakesh.

Beyond Ouarzazate the road runs east along the valleys of the Dades and the Todra before the land flattens towards the dunes. The Dades flows 350 km through wild gorges to the Sahara, and its gorges are a popular tourist destination.

When you book, choose your camp option carefully: the night is spent at the Erg Chebbi desert camp you select, depending on the option booked. The main difference in winter is heat, as luxury tents are heated and standard tents are not; at any time of year, look at what the option says about the bathroom.

The evening before you leave, the exact pickup time and place arrive by WhatsApp and GetYourGuide chat between 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM, so keep a working WhatsApp number on your booking. Check your messages before contacting support, as the operator asks.

Shoot with the sun to your side for texture, and against the light for silhouettes of the camels on a crest. In the middle of the day the dunes go flat and pale, so save your energy for the edges of the day. A person in the frame is the only way to show how tall the dunes really are.

Sand gets everywhere. Keep your phone or camera zipped away when you are not using it, never change lenses in the wind, and carry a soft cloth. After dark, walk a little away from the camp lanterns: on a clear night the sky over Erg Chebbi is full of stars.

The listing's own bring list is short and sensible: comfortable and closed-toe shoes, sunglasses, a hat, a camera, sunscreen, a jacket, breathable clothing, cash, and a passport or ID card, with a copy accepted. Long trousers make the camel ride more comfortable.

Bring cash in euro or dirham for lunches, drinks and tips, because there are no ATMs in the desert. Our full packing guide covers each season, from winter nights near freezing to summer afternoons in the high thirties.

The reviews bear that out: the guide is rated 4.9 across 22,054 reviews, and the written reviews keep naming the drivers and guides who made their days. Ask questions along the way, about the villages, the kasbahs, the mountains and the desert; the road is long, and a good conversation shortens it.

Travelling as a family, or with a few friends? The listing offers a private group as an option. Ask what the private option changes before you book it; the dunes, the camp night and the camel rides are the heart of the trip either way.

The heart of the medina is Jemaa el-Fna, a busy square that UNESCO has also inscribed on its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Nearby, the minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque rises 77 m over the old city.

On the evening you return, keep things simple: the last day is a long drive, and drop-off is at your hotel or riad. Book a light dinner close to where you are staying and leave the souks for the next morning.

Know the trade-offs. Most of the time is spent on the road, and the desert itself is one evening and one sunrise. Lunch, drinks and tips are extra, and the guide inside Ait Ben Haddou is optional and paid locally. In winter the nights are cold, and in summer the days are hot.

If two days is all you have, a shorter trip to Zagora is an option; if Fes is your next stop, a one-way tour ends there instead of in Marrakech. Our guides compare both, so you can pick the version that fits your time.