Visiting the Sahara Desert through Morocco

Morocco AT A GLANCE

Recommended Duration: Went for 6D5N, but would recommend another 2-3 more nights to visit places like Fes and Casablanca.

Getting There: There are cheap Budget flights from many Spanish destinations like Madrid and Barcelona, which is where we flew in from. The price of the tickets fluctuates widely, so book it when you see good deals! We actually paid a fortune to get a flight out to Barcelona because it was one of the few flights available out of there.

Cost (Out of/$$$$$): Morocco was surprisingly expensive, but I think is expected for a popular destination for European tourists. It has become very touristy which has led to an overcharge in terms of food and touristy things like the camel rides in the Sahara desert. ($$$)

Currency used: Moroccan Dirhams and Euros (Lousy rates though)

Weather: Went in October, still extremely hot in the day, around 30 to 38 degrees, but temperature drops drastically to 8 to 15 degrees at night, especially in the desert!

Accommodation: We had to find our own accommodation in Marrakesh for first and last night, and although it was a big place, it was a bit creepy and located in a local area. For our other nights, the stays were arranged by our tour and surprisingly very nice and comfortable!

Places to visit: Marrakesh: Medina, Ait Ben Haddou, Merzouga dunes (Sahara Desert)

Recommended Restaurants: To be honest, because we followed a tour, the guide initially brought us to the more touristy restaurants which charge high prices for below average food. However, we after befriending him, we convinced him to bring us to the local food joints which actually sell much cheaper but Super local and nice quality food! Their local food includes Tagine, which consists of a meat of your choice cooked in a local ‘steamer-like’ pot, with potato and vegetables. We actually ate so much of this we got really sick of it at the end LOL. It’s quite nice though, something unique you would never eat elsewhere for sure.

Getting Around: From the recommendation of our seniors and people who went earlier, we booked the tour of Morocco (Other than Marrakesh) from the tour group ‘Sahara 4×4’ for the 4 day tour (PS: Our itinerary was slightly different). We had a private driver driving us from our Airbnb in Marrakesh around and back to the same Airbnb on the last night. Be careful though, we got scammed on the taxi ride from the Airport to our accommodation, so it will be best if you can organise a private hire ride before heading to Morocco. We managed to get our driver to pick us up and send us to the Airport on the last day as well!

Recommend or Not: Definitely a good experience, especially being in the Sahara Desert given its beauty and uniqueness cannot be found anywhere in Europe itself! However, if you are sick of getting scammed and safety is your main priority, I would recommend you not to head there. However, I do have had a few friends (all girls) who made it there and enjoyed the experience, so just make sure the people that you go with know how to react in dangerous situations and always be on your high alert!

One of the most popular gateway to Africa from Europe, Morocco is a country many Europeans go to see the Sahara desert. Wanting to see the Sahara desert was definitely one of the bucket list things to do, and the guys decided to visit the country and mark that off our bucket list. We integrated this trip in between our Spain trip, flying in from Madrid on Ryanair and back to Barcelona after.

Day 1: Madrid to Marrakesh

Taking the early afternoon Ryanair flight from Madrid, we reached the Marrakesh Menara International Airport at around 445pm, and as it was not very crowded, was able to clear customs quickly. Singaporeans do not need a visa to enter Morocco, but for some reason they had to check with the border office which delayed it slightly. Do not be alarmed!

The Airport in Morocco

After clearing the customs, while waiting for our luggages, there are a few booths for one to purchase a local SIM card from different telco providers. I cannot remember which I ended up applying for, but they should be quite similar in offerings. I would definitely recommend you to get a SIM Card as you will be spending a lot of time in the ride to and from the Sahara desert, and also having a peace of mind knowing you are contactable in the random areas of Marrakesh (the desert has surprisingly good data connection). Also, we changed our money in one of the money changers there because we did not want to get scammed changing in the medina. Bring Euros for the best rates (We withdrew cash from Madrid airport). We paid for the tour in Euros as well so make sure you have ample cash with you, and split them among yourselves so you can diversify the risk of getting robbed!

After settling all these admin issues, we headed out to the arrival hall and into the roads, where we were met with many ‘taxi drivers’ (read: scammers) asking you if you need a ride. Our seniors told us it was better to walk all the way out to the main road where you can get a taxi at a better price, but for some reason we walked quite far and still could not find any alternatives. We ended up having to negotiate with the drivers there for a still exorbitant price. I think we ended up paying S$50 for a 30 minute ride… If your airbnb host can pick you up, that is the best option for sure. At least we were on our way! Another reason for having a SIM card is so you can track where your driver is going, and if he is going in the right direction. I had my Google Maps on the whole time to make sure he did not go rogue!

The Airbnb we booked was beside a hotel called Imperial Plaza, located in a residential area. The lift felt like it was going to spoil anytime soon and despite being on the 4th or 5th floor, we actually used the stairs most of the time. However, the place itself is super pretty and big, with 3 bedrooms and an extremely large living room with the longest sofa i’ve seen in my life!

Our accommodation, and catching the sunset from our balcony

After lounging awhile, we decided to head out for a good local meal at a local joint we found on Google Maps. It was called Plats Haj Boujemaa and was walking distance from our place. They probably have not seen much Asians because we attracted a lot of attention for having a meal there. Since it was a local joint, the food prices were super reasonable and we actually over-ordered, getting their local soup, salad, tagine and meat skewers!

The local tagine, us, and some meat skewers!!

After a fulfilling meal, we headed back to rest and prepare for our true Morocco experience the next day!

Day 2: Marrakesh –> High Atlas –> Tizi N’Tichka –> Col Du Tichka –> Ait Ben Haddou –> Ouarzazate

Our driver, Hamid picked us up very early in the morning. A friendly chap, we had a lot of good conversations and laughs with him throughout the trip. He was very knowledgable in the history and information about the places we visited, and also very street smart. He also ended up bringing us to food places which were more local-catered.

(Ps: If you suffer from car-sickness, I would recommend you bring some motion-sickness pills as the ride could get bumpy and the roads very windy. You will definitely appreciate having these pills with you)

Our first few hours brought us out from the urban areas of Marrakesh into the High Atlas, a mountainous region well known for their amazing views and having the highest point in Morocco. Here are some of the photos we took throughout the journey towards the highest point in High Atlas.

Photos throughout the first part of the road journey on the first day

One of the famous places is the highest point at the High Atlas called Col Du Tichka, at an altitude of 2260m! There was even a place where we can take photos.

Us at the Col Du Tichka

Given the uniqueness of the landscape and the colours, every part of the ride was Instagrammable and really beautiful! We drove past several ancient towns where their houses were built with the materials they could find there. I’ll leave some photos here for your enjoyment! 🙂

Some of the abandoned ancient towns

As with all tours, our guide brought us to a tourist trap for lunch, which costed us almost S$25 per person per meal. It was not even any better than the meals we had the day before. As such, we told our guide to bring us to an alternative local restaurants in the future.

The next place we headed to was a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987. Called Aït Benhaddou, its location along the southern slopes of the High Atlas in the province of Ouarzazate allowed for it to be a good location for filming as well as a place well preserved to appreciate Moroccan earthen clay architecture.

The beautiful Ait Benhaddou

Surprisingly not as crowded as expected, we had to walk through a mini village (market place) where they sold many local items like scarfs and souvenirs at touristy prices (of course). We did not purchase anything, but it was a great place to take some nice photos.

Some pictures of the mini market at Ait Benhaddou

Climbing to the top of the site, we were able to have a bird’s eye view of the Moroccan landscape, and the blue skies over the horizon. The walls and views made for great photo points, which was definitely one for the eyes! If you love taking unique photos, you will absolutely love the place as every area had something unique about it.

The views from the top of the UNESCO World Heritage Site

Our next location was a famous filming Oscar studio in the town of Ouarzazate. Called the Atlas Studios, it was the place where famous movies like The Mummy were made, but after seeing online reviews saying the 50 Dirhams cost was not worth the experience, we only did a quick photo shot at the entrance before heading to the city of Ouarzazate.

Oscar Studios at Ouarzazate

There, we stopped by this place called Taourirt Kasbah, apparently a historical location. Nothing special though it was another nice piece of architecture.

Taourirt Kasbah

Our pre-arranged accommodation, Hotel Riad Amlal was also in the city itself to rest for the night. The place had a common pool and looked amazing, but we decided against dipping ourselves inside because it looked slightly dirty. Dinner was prepared in house and in the tour package, so it was really fuss free and no stress. The service was great and we had a good night rest after a long day. Morocco, you have been amazing so far for sure 🙂

The common pool at our Hotel, and us along the roads on our way

Day 3: Ouarzazate –> Merzouga –> Sahara Desert

Day 3 started with a long road trip towards the Sahara desert. We stopped by a pretty viewpoint. which oversees the beautiful Tinghir Gorge as seen in the instagram story below. It looks like an Oasis, with scores of trees lined up in the middle of the desert.

We then moved towards Merzouga, the small town was well known for the gateway into the famous Sahara desert. We had a great lunch inside one of the local markets found in the city, and also did a short tour in one of these markets. It was really very interesting to see the way the locals go about their usual marketing business, and the Tajine we had there was one of the best I’ve eaten!

Us at the entrance of Merzouga, the tagine, and some photos of the market

Before heading to the desert, we stopped by the main office for the tour to pay for the entire trip in cash, so make sure you are able to keep the money safe with you! Also, as the winds in the Sahara are very strong, I would highly recommend you get a scarf, and my driver drove us to one of the stores to get one (don’t forget to bargain!).

Finally, the moment we were all waiting for, the Sahara desert! Seeing the wide expanse of orange sand dunes as we approached the edge of the desert was something I probably would keep in my mind for a long time to come. Coming closer to the camels, we realised that they were connected to one another so as to make sure they do not go rouge and run away with you into the vast desert. However, they were treated pretty well. Also, you will be surprised how high up you actually are on the camels, and it is definitely not the most comfortable ride, especially for guys, if you know what I mean ;).

Many beautiful photos of the Sahara desert

We had so much fun as the camel ride brought us through the seemingly endless Sahara desert. I constantly patted my camel, appreciating their hard work in trudging through the sand without complaint. Given it was almost sunset, we stopped at the bottom of one hill, and we had to run up to the top to get a good view of the sunset coming down on the horizon beyond us. A beautiful sight for sure!!! 🙂

Some sunset photos across the Sahara Desert

As we saw the sunset go down, we finished our journey for the day in the dusk light as we headed to our accommodation in the middle of the desert. A beautiful desert camp, the Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp really surprised us as the place was so well designed, with hot water, extremely comfortable beds, and a large dining area and fireplace for us to chill for the night.

Our accommodation in the middle of the desert

After another Tagine meal, we gathered around the fireplace with the locals and other tourists staying with us at the desert camp, and we sang songs and chilled into the night. It was fun as the locals were very enthusiastic and made many jokes. Before we slept, our guide told us that we could see the stars clearly because the sky was clear, and boy, was it a wonderful sight! He also said that we needed to catch the sunrise early the next morning, as it will peek out slowly from the horizon. We decided to do just that, and slept not too late so as to catch the sunrise the next morning!

The fireplace and the stars in the skies that were not polluted by light

Day 4: Sahara Desert –> Tinghir Gorge

Unfortunately, the temperature outside dropped to almost 2 degrees in the morning and coupled with the cloudy skies, we decided against doing so. We decided to keep warm under our warm blankets until it was time to pack up and have breakfast. However, we were still able to squeeze in some time to do some sandboarding at the slopes around our camp! Definitely some fun times there for sure!!

Early morning sand-boarding

We were then given an option to either take the camels back to the city, or to take a 4×4 Jeep back. Although it was slightly uncomfortable, where else would you get a chance to sit a camel again? Therefore, we decided to camel back and again, take in the scenery while on the bumpy ride of a camel.

More photos of us at the Sahara Desert

The time actually passed very quickly and we found ourselves returning to the familiar sight of our guide and his car. He greeted us and told us today was going to be spent mostly in the car. The journey back towards the city was long and we had to break up the journey in the middle. Along the ride, we drove past several abandoned cities which looked like they have gone through tough times, seemingly like war-torn areas.

After around 3-4 hours, we stopped by the beautiful Tinghir Gorge, a series of limestone river canyons, in the eastern part of the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco. The mountains that flanked us were super high and definitely made for a great photo!

Us at the Tinghir Gorge

After finishing the tour, we ended up at our final accommodation on this tour, which was located in the middle of nowhere. It was located in a local area, through narrow alleyways and one way wide roads meant for two way traffic. The Riad however (Riad Tazawa), was an amazing accommodation, with a huge common area and a large garden where we could chill and rest. We had a lot of time there and we played card games while eating local nuts and chips the hosts brought us. Really one of the nicest accommodation I’ve stayed in my life 🙂

The wonderful Riad Tazawa

Day 5: Back to Marrakesh

The second half of our long ride back to Marrakech started off at the Kashbar Amridil, one of Morocco’s living museums, beautifully and accurately restored to its former glory. We were able to, for 20 or 50 Dirhams, see how the Moroccans in the past lived, which to be honest, was actually surprisingly interesting and informative. Our host was also super funny and we laughed at every point! Definitely another highlight of Morocco for sure!

Our funny hosts, and us at the Kashbar Amirdil

Finally, we returned to Marrakesh at around 415pm, and our driver got us all settled at our accommodation. We were able to get him to drive us to the airport early the next morning. However, he had to send the car in for servicing, so we had to find our own transport in Marrakesh for the remainder of the day. Luckily for us, we were located near an embassy, and there were taxis waiting there. A kind foreigner was able to help us to negotiate and push for a reasonable price to bring us to the famous Medina in the central of Marrakesh. He also recommended us to download this app, Robi Taxi, which is something like their local Uber app. We used the app to negotiate for a fair deal to the Medina itself!

However, the driver brought us to the edge of the medina, and stopped us at a local tea shop which he probably have some commission from. It was interesting though, as we got to try teas that was so minty it cleared up my blocked nose immediately. I also found a cheap place for good souvenirs given it was outside the main area.

The outskirts of the Medina

Finally, we entered the famous Medina, which is the main attraction of Marrakesh, as it was home to their biggest local market. To be honest, given we were not planning to buy anything, we decided to just walk and get ‘lost’ in the market. However, we were very cautious and wary of our surroundings, as we heard that there were many instances of pickpockets and robbers in the crowded and narrow alleyways of the Medina itself.

Some photos of the Medina

To be honest, it was pretty average and I think because of our lack of desire of purchasing anything and the high stress of being on our guard, we decided to seek refuge in a rooftop dinner restaurant in the middle of the Medina. We were able to get a nice view of the Medina from the safety of the rooftop and had our last dinner there (Yes, it was Tagine again).

With the night befalling us, we decided to call it a day and headed back to our accommodation as our flight the next morning was at 8am. Our driver promptly picked us up the next morning and we were able to safely get to the airport without much hitch and made it to Barcelona on time.

Due to a lack of time, we missed out a trip to Fes and Chefchaouen, the famous Blue-coloured medina. However, our guide mentioned that those cities had a much higher crime rate, which would have further heightened our alert. However, if you have time, you can choose their longer itineraries to visit these places as well!

Would I recommend going to Morocco? Definitely! Where else would you be able to see the Sahara Desert in all of its beauty? My photos really just don’t do it justice. However, you really have to be on your guard at all times, especially in touristy areas like the Medina. We were only safe because we were endlessly taking care of one another, making sure we don’t let our guard down. If you are more careless and absent-minded, I really hope you travel with a group of friends that you trust and can take care of you throughout the trip. My travel buddies were really amazing and the trip was made even better because of them. Hope this helped you decide if you want to make a trip to Morocco!