We highly recommend this 2 night Moroccan Sahara camel trek

⬆️ It is very unusual for our title to be a complete sentence, and what is more, an unreserved recommendation. ⬆️

Visiting the Sahara desert in Morocco was a core memory, a unique adventure, a photographer’s (and Instagrammer’s) dream, and Big S and Lil S’s most favourite part of Morocco. You can sample the Sahara straight from the hotels and luxury camps near Merzouga, the Moroccan town at the foothill of the desert (which we did, too!) The dunes are impressive from any angle, and almost all accommodations offer camel treks, 4×4 tours, ATV rides, and various other desert experiences.

It is hard to explain why the 2 night camel trek was so special. You are going further into the desert, away from the jeep tracks and camel poop and the whine of ATV engines. You are surrounded by dunes as far as the eye can see, walking on sand that has no other footprints. There is no light or sound pollution, only stars and cool desert wind. Our basic camp had no running water and no toilet – you just sort of have to go where nature calls. 😛 When the day gets hot, you have to hunker down at an oasis or risk getting fried. If you really want to get a sense of how vast the Sahara is, how remote, how unyielding, this is it. It’s a very raw experience – not always comfortable, but it was powerful.

We booked our 2 night camel trek through Sahara Camel Trips. This company came highly recommended by the travel community, and was one of the few we came across that offered multi-day treks. We spent one night in a standard “wild camp”, and our second night in a luxury camp.

Who should consider a 2 night Sahara camel tour?

Even though we are highly recommending it, this experience is not going to appeal to everyone. No bathrooms? No showers? Stuck in a grove of trees for half the day? It’s definitely not a luxury way to travel, or even an easy way to travel.

It is a great option for travellers who want a little more adventure and a more in depth exposure to the Sahara – a way to “step into the painting”, so to speak.

Physical fitness

The trek does requires a certain amount of fitness and stamina. You will be riding camels (or walking alongside them) for up to 1-2 hours at a time. This is harder on the joints than it looks, and requires a lot of balance as they navigate up and down dunes! We were definitely stiff and sore after getting off them. The basic camps are “sheltered” by dunes, and you will need to climb up and down the hills to get in and out of camp (eg. to find a place to do your business :P). It can also get uncomfortably hot during the day, which can make even doing nothing feel like a workout.

Kid-friendly?

There is no age limit for the tour, although I would say not appropriate or enjoyable with young children. Access to amenities is limited. While children are able to ride camels with adults, they would still need to sit for 1-2 hours at a time while trekking. You need to bring everything you need to stay overnight with you on camel, which would be challenging with young children who need extra gear.

However, this is a great experience for slightly older kids. In fact, our kids were more resilient than we were, sometimes! No organized entertainment? World’s biggest sandbox, right there. Peeing in the wild? So cool! No internet? Time to collect sticks or throw rocks.

2 night camel trek logistics

When to visit

Anytime outside the summer months. This tour does not run between mid-May and mid-September. (Many desert activities are closed in the summer.) It is simply too hot.

Keep in mind if visiting during the winter, nighttime will get quite cold. Be prepared to dress accordingly.

How to book

If booking with Sahara Camel Trips, it is easiest to send an inquiry through their website. They are prompt to respond and answer all questions. To confirm a booking, you will need to pay a deposit (150 Euros), which is refundable if you cancel ahead of 30 days.

Cost

The price for our 2 night trek with Sahara Camel Trips (as of 2025) was 150 Euros per person (no discount for kids). This is for 1 night in a standard tent, and 1 night in a luxury tent.

The price per person for 2 nights in a standard tent is 120 Euros.

This includes accommodation, 2 breakfasts, 1 lunch, and 2 dinners, as well as equipment for sand-boading.

The tour is paid in cash (less the deposit), so remember to bring either Euro or Moroccan dirham. Bring extra cash to tip your guides as well.

Group size

We were told the tours run in groups of 2, 4, and 6. The groups are small, though there is a possibility you will be trekking with other travellers. We were a group of 8 already, so had a “private” trek.

How to get there

If you are not planning to hire a car/driver in Morocco, Sahara Camel Trips can arrange for someone to pick you up from Marrakesh, Fez, etc. (The company does also arrange tours across Morocco.)

If you are driving or have a private driver, you will meet someone from the tour agency at a hotel in Merzouga (who will then drive you out to the camel/guides by jeep). You can also leave your car at the hotel’s secure parking lot. This part was a little confusing. We arrived on time as recommended, and only the hotel receptionist was there. We gave him the name of our tour contact, he looked confused, and I was like, “uh oh”. Thankfully, our driver was able to exchange details, ensure we were at the right place, and tell us where to put our bags. (The tour operator arrived perhaps an hour later than specified, so don’t panic if you feel like you’re left hanging!)

We chose to stay 1 night before our camel trek in Merzouga, which we recommend. Our hotel had a pool, a fantastic view of the desert, and we really appreciated the chance to relax after a long 8 hour drive from Marrakesh.

What to wear and what to bring

As we mentioned, you cannot bring your luggage on the trek. Everything you bring has to be carried by camel to the basic camp. You need to pack what you need for at least 1 night and 1 day into a backpack. If you choose to spend your second night in a luxury camp, this is much more accessible and a jeep can bring your luggage directly to your tent.

• Backpack

• 1 extra set of clothes. (You can also bring pyjamas, but we did not – we couldn’t shower anyway, and the less clothes that got full of sand, the better. :P)

• Hat or scarf to wrap around your head

• Sunglasses

• Sunscreen

• Toothbrush and toothpaste (you can brush your teeth with bottled water), hairbrush

• Toilet paper

• Water bottle

• Cards or travel games to pass the time

• Portable charger to charge your phone

What to wear

Sahara temperatures tend to be hot during the day and cool or downright cold at night, depending on when you travel. (We went in October.)

Even in the hotter months, bring a light sweater or long-sleeve shirt for nighttime. In the winter, bring a packable puffer jacket.

During the day and while riding camels, we recommend a long sleeve UV shirt and loose-fitting/breathable pants. Light colours preferred. This is mostly to protect against the sun, which really beats down during the day. We have heard that riding camels in shorts can be scruffy, but Big S wore shorts throughout and did not feel this.

We recommend scarves to wear around your head and neck, which your guides will help wrap before you set out. This really helps protect your head, scalp, and neck from sun and sand. You can buy scarves almost anywhere in Morocco, from souks in big cities to roadside stalls. It’s fun to pick out bright colours, which look great in photos!

For footwear, a pair of lightweight walking sandals or slip-on shoes work well. In the evening/night, you can walk barefoot. You can ride barefoot on the camel as well, so footwear is not all that important. During the day, the sand gets quite hot, so if you want to run up and down the dunes like Big S and Lil S, try to wear something that keeps the sand out. Our friends’ kids wore water shoes!

Photography equipment

We used our phones most of the time.

We still brought our dslr camera for night photography, although you do have to be careful about sand getting in the crevices. Whether phone or camera, bring a small tripod for stability if you want to take photos at night.

We brought our GoPro/action camera as well, which was easier to use than phones while camel riding. (Most times, you really want to hang on to the pommel as it is a bumpy ride.)

Our 2 night desert trek experience

Day One

After a somewhat rocky start waiting uncertainly in the hotel lobby, we met our tour operator and learned we were in the right place after all. 😛

It was a short drive by jeep to where our camels and guides were waiting in a big lot at the edge of the desert. We passed a large group of over 20 camels heading out on a sunset tour, and felt lucky to have such a small, intimate group!

We had 2 native Berber guides, one who spoke a bit of English. They were fantastic with the camels and experienced with the desert, and we felt like we were in good hands.

Our first camel ride was about 1.5 hours to our camp, trekking deeper into the desert. We caught sunset as we went. On the website it does say your guides will stop for a sunset break, although we did not. (We did pause for a few photos.) It is a *feat* getting on and off your camels.

Once we arrived at camp, our guides prepared dinner for us (with supplies they had brought along on camel). The kids had an absolute blast running up and down every dune they could reach. It was a surreal experience, admiring dusk and nightfall over the Sahara.

Day one basic camp

Seeing our basic “wild camp” was another surreal moment. 4 tents tucked at the base of a dune – it felt so remote we might as well have been on the moon. We had 1 sleeping tent per pair, furnished with a rug, a mattress on the ground, and blankets for everyone.

Dinner was one of the tastiest meals we had our entire time in Morocco! Breads, salad, and traditional chicken tagine, Moroccan tea and dessert – we were so impressed with how elaborate the experience was in such simple surroundings. Over our meal, we saw a desert shrew and a large desert beetle.

After dinner we got ready for bed, brushing our teeth with bottled water, and, in one of the most memorable moments of the trek, all raced up the dune by the light of the moon to find a spot to use the bathroom. (Now, I would not have been as comfortable doing this if our group included people we did not know. :P)

The kids had no problems sleeping on the floor. Once they were out, we enjoyed the stars and took some night photos.

Day two

Mornings in the desert are something special. The temperature is perfect, the silence is absolute, the desert is alive with animals doing their thing (Big S even saw a desert fox!) – it almost makes you want to hold your breath. We saw the sun come up, yet another incredible moment.

When we made it back into camp, we were treated to yet another elaborate meal. Breakfast included eggs, yogurts, breads, msemen, jams and butter, juice and coffee – better than most of our hotel breakfasts!

We had our second camel trek, which was upward of 2 hours and felt a little long, especially with the sun high in the sky. Seeing the oasis appear between the dunes really was a moment of awe and relief. 😛 It felt like we were in a movie.

Oasis

The kids somehow had enough energy to climb a massive dune, before a group of ATVs showed up, and someone dropped off a sand board for us. We tried our hand at sand boarding, which was fun but not as exciting as I thought it would be. (Perhaps because living in Canada we get to toboggan, ski, and snowboard every long winter. :P)

It was getting crazy hot by this time, so we all retreated to the shade of the oasis. Our guides produced yet another fantastic meal – a tuna and vegetable salad. We spent the next several hours just lounging in the shade. It might sound a little boring, but we get so little time in our day-to-day where we are forced to just do nothing together. The kids played some cards and read. We made up games with sticks and stones. We napped. We didn’t head out again for our last camel trek until around 4pm.

The dunes in this area were huge and so impressive, but it was still so hot, even at 4pm. Big S opted to walk for a bit as he was getting bored. We began to see tons of vehicle tracks, camel droppings, and lots of footprints, so figured we were heading back to civilization!

Day two luxury camp

We reached our luxury camp after a 1.5 hour trek. Our camp was one of a row of camps at the edge of the desert, backing on to a road. We had a 4 bed private tent with an attached bathroom. Our 2 guides dropped us off, and left with the camels. The hotel staff welcomed us with tea and snacks.

In all honesty, we didn’t “need” to stay in a luxury camp. The camp felt a bit gimmicky – not as authentic as our basic camp, and not as comfortable as our Merzouga hotel (with the added inconvenience of sand and water everywhere, as the showers are not watertight.) But still interesting to be able to compare our experience across the 3 accommodations. I think if our luxury camp was a little deeper in the desert, it may have felt like a more immersive experience. However, after 2 days without showering, hot and full of sand, we were all happy and relieved to shower and reunite with our luggage. It still felt like a win at the end-of-journey, “we did it!” adventure.

The staff prepared a traditional tagine dinner, and were wonderful at entertaining the kids with jokes and riddles. At night, they put on a Berber music show by the fire, which we enjoyed (but we could hear the same happening in camps all around us).

The staff were able to message our driver, who picked us up directly from the luxury camp after breakfast the next morning to continue our Morocco adventure.

What to know more about traveling through Morocco with kids? Be sure to check out the rest of our series.