Agadir to the Sahara: the route via Taroudant
The five-day route we actually drive from Agadir: Taroudant, Ait Ben Haddou, the Roses Valley, Tinghir and the Draa valley, day by day.
The Saharastern journal
Notes from the route.
Practical field notes written by the guides who drive these roads every week, routes, seasons, camps and the small details that make a desert trip go well.
Latest articles
Practical field notes written by the guides who drive these roads every week, routes, seasons, camps and the small details that make a desert trip go well.
Zagora travel guide: the gateway to the Sahara
What Zagora is really like — the Draa palm grove, the 52-days-to-Timbuktu sign, Tamegroute's green pottery and how our Sahara routes start here.
Winter vs. summer Sahara tours
Winter and summer are two different Sahara trips: mild days and cold nights, or extreme heat and empty dunes. How we plan each one.
Desert safety and health: the practical basics
Heat, water, cold nights and the small risks in a desert camp: how we keep Sahara trips safe, and what you should know before you travel.
Photographing the Sahara: a practical checklist
Golden hour, camel silhouettes and Ait Benhaddou: a working checklist for photographing the Moroccan Sahara without a truckload of gear.
Sandboarding and dune activities in the Sahara
Sandboarding, dune walks and camel rides on the ergs near Zagora and Merzouga: how the slopes work, when the sand is right and what to pack.
How much does a Sahara tour cost?
A real answer on Sahara tour prices: trips from €100 for one night to €1150 for ten days, valid from 4 persons, and what changes the number.
Nomadic guides and the deep desert
What sustainable travel means on a real Sahara trip: local Nouaji guides, the pastoral tradition behind the routes, and where your money goes.
Stargazing in the Sahara: the desert sky after dark
What you can actually see in the Sahara after dark, from the Milky Way and zodiacal light to why Erg Chegaga's sky is worth the drive.
Berber tea and hospitality around the fire
Why a glass of Berber tea is never just a drink: gunpowder green tea, spearmint, three glasses and the hospitality of the southern oases.
Casablanca to the Sahara: the longer route
How the drive from Casablanca to the Sahara really works: the A3 motorway to Marrakesh, the Tizi n'Tichka pass, and on to Zagora.
The Sahara desert with kids: bring, skip, enjoy
Practical advice for families: heat, short camel rides, sand safety, food and which short Zagora trips suit a family rhythm without sugar-coating it.
Driving the Tizi n'Tichka pass into the desert
North Africa's highest road pass (2,260 m) between Marrakech and Ouarzazate: switchbacks, fog, snow, Telouet detour and altitude tips.
Aït Benhaddou and Ouarzazate: two desert stops
UNESCO-listed Aït Benhaddou ksar and Ouarzazate (Taourirt kasbah, Atlas Studios) on the Marrakech-desert route: light, time to spend and tour links.
The Draa Valley road to M'Hamid
The drive from Agdz to Zagora to M'Hamid along Morocco's longest palm oasis: ksour, kasbahs, the '52 days to Timbuktu' sign and the gate to the Sahara.
Erg Chegaga vs. Merzouga: which dunes are yours?
Erg Chegaga (remote, wild) vs Merzouga (erg Chebbi): decide by solitude, convenience, time, budget and riding vs driving for a Zagora-side tour.
Marrakech to Zagora: how to get there
Three ways from Marrakech to Zagora: private 4×4, bus or your own car, the route over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, the times and the trade-offs.
What actually happens in a Sahara desert camp
An evening and a morning in a Sahara desert camp, step by step: sunset on the dunes, dinner by the fire, the night sky and the sunrise.
What to pack for a night in a Sahara desert camp
A practical packing list for a night in a Sahara desert camp: day layers for the heat, night layers for the cold, and the small things people forget.
Camel trekking in the Draa Valley, hour by hour
What a camel trek through the Draa Valley really involves: mounting, the pace of a camel, and how a three-hour ride across the hamada feels.
Zagora to Erg Chegaga by 4×4: the desert drive
How the drive from Zagora to Erg Chegaga really works: the road to M'Hamid, the last stretch of piste, the timings, and why a local driver matters.
When to visit the Moroccan Sahara, month by month
What the Moroccan Sahara is really like through the year: temperatures in Zagora, the Draa Valley and the dunes of Erg Chegaga, month by month.
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