A Weekend in The Sahara Desert, Part 1: How to Get There via Plane
Visiting the Sahara Desert is likely a once in a lifetime opportunity that should not be missed. HOWEVER, just because you have made the trek to Africa doesn’t mean that access to the Sahara is easy or convenient. It is a 7-10 hour (or more) drive from any major city in Morocco.
I will explain how we got to the most beautiful part of Moroccan Sahara, Merzouga, in what was ultimately a pretty painless and easy weekend trip during late February 2019.
The most popular way to visit the desert is usually a 2-3 day trip from Marrakech to the dunes outside of the villages Zagora (a 7 hour drive) or Merzouga (a 9 hour drive). After some initial research I had concluded two things 1) Merzouga, in my opinion, seemed to have the more beautiful dunes, called Erg Chebbi and 2) There was NO WAY I wanted to do two long days of driving during a weekend.
We discovered that Royal Air Maroc flies to several small towns in Morocco for very reasonable prices, but the flights are not everyday and they can be at weird hours, so planning the correct itinerary is crucial.
Our plan was to fly from Casablanca (where we were living) to the town of Errachadia, which is a one hour flight. Errachadia (pronounced air-rash-ah-dee-ah) is the closest airport to Merzouga, but still a 2 hour drive away. Since our flight was arriving close to midnight, we chose to stay in a beautiful riad (traditional Moroccan house) in an oasis tucked into a canyon outside of Errachadia, in the village of Amelkis. The hotel picked us up at the airport to take us to their riad for a small fee.
We loved our hotel in Amelkis, Maison D’hotes Sahara. It’s a beautiful home tucked into the side of a canyon (literally). We arrived late at night but when we awoke in the morning, there were stunning views. The complimentary breakfast was one of the best we had in Morocco. The hotel is run by a mother and her adult son. The son speaks perfect English, so he was able to answer any and all questions we had.
We had arranged to be picked up at 9am by a driver, organized through our desert camp, Kam Kam Dunes. The plan was for us to do a tour of various villages with a local guide, as we slowly did the 100 kilometer drive to the desert.
Our driver, Yidar, arrived at 8:45am with a relatively new 4WD Jeep. He told us his family (he is one of 11 children) is from the village of Merzouga, so he knows the desert like the back of his hand. After loading up the jeep, we were off on our adventure. Our first stop was outside the town of Erfoud, where they are known for the massive amount of fossils in the area.
Because of the abundance of fossils, there are several factories in the area that produce counter tops, bowls, plates, cups, wine racks, toilets (!) really anything you can imagine. We stopped at Morabit Marbre, which didn’t seem to be as touristy or busy as some of the other factories.
To give you an idea for prices, an entire kitchen island could cost you about $4,000 USD including shipping back home. A serving tray cost about $40. It’s exciting to choose out an item because you know that you are really, truly, getting a one of a kind piece.
After finishing up at the fossil factory, we continued onward to the village of Khemliya. Located just south of Merzouga, Khemliya is a small village established around 1967, according to Yidar, home to mostly sub-Saharan Africans. Yidar stated that most of the families originally came from countries like Sudan or Kenya. Their village has become something of a tourist attraction because of their distinct style of music and dance.
We tried to chat with the men when they were done performing but none of them spoke English. Yidar stated that all of the young men were born in Morocco, so they speak the local language in the desert, Berber*. We were encouraged to purchase one of their CDs for 100 dirham ($10 USD) and we happily complied. It appeared this is the main source of income for the village and the men perform for a few hours a day. It does feel a bit uncomfortable because they are performing specifically for you, so as long as you take it for what it is – tourism – then relax, enjoy the music and help support their local economy.
*It is important to note that the indigenous people of Morocco are Berber and speak Berber, not Arabic. Most people in Morocco who live in the desert or mountainous regions are some amount of Berber. People who live in the cities are more likely to speak Arabic and/or Berber and/or French.
Leaving Khemliya, we went to Kasbah Tombouctou in Merzouga for lunch. Kasbah Tombouctou is a complex that houses a hotel, pool, and restaurants. Again, this is kind of designed for tourists, but it was very beautiful. Because it was now Friday afternoon, Yidar asked to leave us for 1-2 hours go to home for lunch and to pray. Friday afternoon prayer is the most important prayer time for Muslims, so we were happy to have time to explore the kasbah and enjoy a delicious meal. The complex was almost empty, February is still considered the “off-season,” which seems crazy to me because the weather was perfect! The highs were in the 70s each day and the lows were in the 50s at night.
After lunch, Yidar picked us up to head into the more central part of Merzouga to see some local shops.
In town we visited a Berber carpet shop. Having already visited carpet shops in Casablanca and Fes prior to coming to the desert, I knew that most shop owners say that all of the best the carpets are “made in the Sahara”. And it is true, the carpet quality and selection did seem to be the better at this shop than other places, however it was also reflected in the prices.
We ended up leaving the carpet shop empty handed, much to Garan’s pleasure and my disappointment.
Our last stop was an argan oil co-op, where the owner showed us various products he stocks for artisans from rural villages. Moroccans LOVE argan oil. They say its good for the skin, hair, nails, and they have have types of edible argan oil as well. After reviewing the aisles and aisles of products (shampoos, face creams, hair masks, chapstick…), I bought argan oil infused with rose essential oil. Rose products are also popular in this area because of a nearby valley known for their fields of roses. Although a little overpriced (195 dirham, or $20 USD), again, it felt good to know we were helping the local economy.
Although the day hadn’t been as culturally enriching as we had hoped (and our wallets were a bit lighter, it) was a fun way to slowly make our way to the desert. Now, it was finally time to start our 30 minute off-road drive to our camping site, Kam Kam Dunes! Please click here for A Weekend in the Sahara Desert, Part 2: Camel Rides and Glamping!
Any questions or comments? Please let me know in the section below! Feedback is always appreciated!
This trek was very interesting and I loved the last picture on your post!!!!
Thank you! I also loved that last picture- save the best for last!
I love the area, the weather and the fact that there weren’t very many people there. It’s like a different world. Look forward to reading and seeing the pictures of part 2.
John
Yes, we were really fortunate it was so empty! I have NO clue why they consider February to be an “off season” it was perfect weather!
WOW! That must have been an amazing experience . Looking forward to part 3
Hi Brittany, thanks for this amazing blog! We are headed to Morocco in Late Jan/Early Feb but I only have a week there. Thinking we might make the trek to Erg Chebbi and definitely want to go to Marrakesh. I am flying into Casablanca. Would you recommend going straight to the Desert from Casablanca and then making our way to Marrakesh? Would we still have time to see the Atlas Mountains and is it worth it? How would you spend 1 week? Any advice you can give would be great!
Hey Christy! So our friends from Chicago that went with us to the desert were only in Morocco for one week and managed to see all of the things you mentioned. How we chose to arrange our trip was by checking the flight schedules for Royal Air Maroc because flights only go to certain cities on certain days. (You should really fly from Casablanca to the desert (Zamora or Errachadia, otherwise it will be a REALLY long drive).
I would maybe do 1 night Casablanca, fly to Errachadia/1 night Errachadia, drive to desert/1-2 nights in the desert, then either fly from Zagora to Marrakech, or if you choose to drive, then stay the night in Ait Benhaddou, then onward to a few nights in Marrakech. Then train back to Casablanca! I thought Ait Benhaddou was really beautiful, but the drive from the desert to there was not my favorite (I don’t really like long drives). I personally recommend the cheap Royal Air Maroc flights — similar price to driving, much shorter, and probably safer
You can also do this itinerary backwards, if the flights make more sense, but then you may have your souvenirs from Marrakech to lug around. Let me know if that helps/if you have other questions!
Hi! Which option did you book with Kam Kam Dunes? They have many options. Did you do the private driver? It also seems like theres a 3 day vs 4 day tour so I’m wondering which one you did. Thanks!
Hi! We booked the private driver! It ended up being just two days for us, and was a bit of a tour that we customized with the driver. It was really nice to feel like we could say no to things that didn’t interest us. We still had moments that felt touristy or like we were pressured to buy stuff, but overall it was very pleasant and we got to ask all the questions we wanted!
Where did you book the private driver?
https://www.kamkamdunes.com/custom-journey/
I believe if you can book through this link and customize your journey
Hi! What a great trip! Thanks for all the info. We’re flying into Errachidia via Royal Air Maroc and were considering staying at Maison D’hotes Sahara but weren’t sure about the transportation to the hotel considering the flight gets in around midnight. Great to know that the hotel can arrange pickup for a cost. Did they reach out to you? I haven’t had much luck getting in touch with them.
Hi! I would reach out via the contact info on their website https://maisondhotessahara.com/
(+212) 53 557 4124 or (+212) 666 185 639 (8 am – 10 pm Moroccan time), you could call or even try WhatsApp to message. Looks like they have a contact form on their website too at the bottom of the homepage.
Looks like they have an instagram page too if none of those first options work!
Good luck! Its definitely an extremely beautiful place to wake up in the morning 🙂
Glad you have enjoyed your time here in Morocco.
Just one comment: Erg Chebi and Merzouga are not technically part of the Sahara desert. You will need to drive for further 7 hours down south to cross the gates of the Sahara.
MM
Thanks, Meryem! Hadn’t thought of it that way but I see Wikipedia lists it as the “semi-arid Pre-Saharan Steppes”, sort of contiguous part of the Sahara!
Our trip to Morocco could not have been better. My wife and I, as well as our three teenage children (15, 15, 18) had an excellent time thanks to our guide, Idir. He expertly helped us plan the entire trip – from picking us up at the airport to arranging meals, hotels and excursions. We were there for 10 days and can say that we really got to know Morocco and its people. I would recommend https://www.saharadesertkingdom.com and Idir to any family looking to spend a great time together!!
Our trip to Morocco could not have been better. My wife and I, as well as our three teenage children (15, 15, 18) had an excellent time thanks to our guide, Idir. He expertly helped us plan the entire trip – from picking us up at the airport to arranging meals, hotels and excursions. We were there for 10 days and can say that we really got to know Morocco and its people. I would recommend https://www.saharadesertkingdom.com and Idir to any family looking to spend a great time together!!
HI Brittany! Thank you so much for this informative and beautiful blog! My family and I are planning a trip for May and really want to take that flight from Casablanca to Errachidia but I’ve seem that some people say it’s unreliable. What is your experience? Many thanks, Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth! Thank you!!!
We only took the flight once but it all went off exactly as planned. We also took Royal Air Marco several other times and never had any issues so I would encourage you to book. I hope you have a wonderful trip! Please don’t hesitate to reach out w other questions