Sahara Desert in Morocco: Tour of Ouarzazate and Erg Chebbi

Ben Westwood takes One Planet Journey readers on an immersive tour through the captivating Sahara Desert in Morocco, focusing on the journey to the cinematic city of Ouarzazate and the magnificent dunes of Erg Chebbi. Join Ben as he explores historic kasbahs, famous film studios, and the vibrant local life of Ouarzazate, showcasing the diverse experiences and unique cultures awaiting in southern Morocco.

The Sahara Desert, Morocco

It’s the silence that stays with me. As I stood on Erg Chebbi gazing east, the sun inched over the plateau across the Algerian border, illuminating countless dunes of orange and gold. I’d awoken an hour before dawn to ride a camel up these spellbinding hills of sand. They are the highest in Morocco, towering 150 metres above the Sahara Desert. A mesmerising experience, and even more so because I could savour the view in solitude, the quietness of the desert broken only by the chirping of a bird behind me. 

I wondered how anything could live in such a hauntingly desolate place, but one of the most astonishing aspects of the Sahara is how teeming with life it is – hardy acacia trees, poisonous milkweed, elusive desert foxes and iconic dromedaries. The desert is certainly alive with weather too; over the past 24 hours, I’d sheltered from a sandstorm, followed by a far more surprising rainstorm. Now, I couldn’t spot a cloud in the azure skies, the sun reflecting off seemingly endless dunes.

This, my third visit to Morocco, followed the same path as before. Each time I’ve headed for the south of the country, far from the busy tourist resorts. While Morocco welcomes around 17 million tourists per year, a tiny fraction of these venture beyond the Imperial cities and beaches. As a professional travel writer, in this age of overtourism, the last thing I want is pushing my way through a jam-packed souk. I crave more immersive, authentic experiences in lesser-visited quarters. The Moroccan Sahara is the very definition of deep travel, and among the most stunning natural sights I’ve seen.

A changing environment 

We arrived in the south-eastern city of Errachidia and headed further south via Erfoud; the driver taking the 4×4 off-road. We drove through a landscape dotted with acacia trees and milkweed (calotropis), and across dried riverbeds. Our guide Brahim told us how the rains had become scarcer and less predictable in the past 20 years. It seemed amazing that people could live in such harsh, remote conditions, but we passed sparse nomadic settlements where they keep goats and camels, moving to wherever they find water. 

The Sahara, once an ocean, became a desert, littered with ammonite fossils dating from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods around 100 million years ago. These are now a key source of income for nomads, many of whom have become experts in excavation, selling them in markets in exchange for food. We stopped to see how they continue to live in mud huts and tents. The old motorbike beside the tent looked oddly out of place, but the modern world mixes with the ancient here.

Sand and Rainstorm 

People are increasingly migrating to towns, but the government is offering subsidies for them to stay and set up businesses in agriculture or tourism. We passed a caravan of camels (or dromedaries as they are officially called), trekking across the desert accompanied by their owner riding an old push-bike.

Between 30 and 40% of Moroccans are of Berber descent. This proud culture, also known as Amazigh, numbers over 36 million people throughout North Africa, mainly in Morocco and neighbouring Algeria.

After a welcome lunch in the shade of an oasis lined with palm trees, we visited Lake Dayet Srij. This seasonal lake had previously disappeared but after the Sahara experienced a flood last September – yes, you read it correctly, – it is now thriving again.

We then headed further south into the Merzouga Desert, stopping to see pre-historic ammonites embedded in the rocks. The wind grew in intensity and the clouds descended. We had to stop as a full-blown sandstorm hid the desert from view. Then came a sudden rainstorm, highly unusual at this time of year, according to Brahim.

Erg Chebbi Glamping

As the wind died down, the high dunes of Erg Chebbi emerged from the desert. Over 22 km long and 5 km wide, these golden dunes rise above 150 metres. There are many glamping sites, but with accommodation spaced out, it still feels off the beaten track, despite Erg Chebbi’s increasing popularity.

We enjoyed a dinner of Moroccan specialities including delicious meat tagine with couscous and dates, the region’s key export. After we enjoyed traditional drumming by the campfire, we had time for some incredible stargazing by the dunes before bedding down in our comfortable bivouacs.

After our unforgettable camel ride up the dunes for sunrise, Brahim took us on a fun drive, climbing and descending the sand in our 4×4. Once done, we drove back north, stopping at Khamlia. The villagers here are descendants of sub-Saharan African slaves, brought from Sudan, Niger and Mali centuries ago.

We caught a performance of the Gnaoua music, for which the village is famous. This highly percussive genre uses handheld castanet-like krakebs with call-and-response chanting, dancing and jumping, performed as a celebration of freedom from slavery. Khamlia hosts a three-day Gnaoua festival in July, while the much larger Gnaoua and World Music Festival takes place in Essaouira in June. It attracts hundreds of musicians from across Africa and the Middle East.

Arriving in Ouarzazate, Morocco – A Sahara Desert Jewel 

Continuing north, we passed Merzouga, Erfoud, going west to the edge of the High Atlas Mountains. Next came a stop at the spectacular Todgha Gorges, whose sheer walls rise 300 metres above the river of the same name. After passing through the verdant palms of the Dadès Valley, we reached Ouarzazate. This southern city, pronounced Wahzazat, means ‘without noise’ in the Amazigh language. It’s certainly far quieter than other Moroccan cities, but still quite a contrast to the desert with a population of over 70,000. 

In the city, a highlight was Taourirt Kasbah, dating from the 18th century. Positioned at the confluence of the Dadès and Draa valleys, they built the huge adobe fort from mud and reinforced it with oleander, cedar, and palm wood. The 2023 earthquake unfortunately damaged the kasbah, but restoration is ongoing and we could still visit large parts of it and climb to the roof for sweeping views. A far more modern marvel visible just outside the city is the gleaming tower of the Ouarzazate Solar Power Plant. It’s the largest of its kind in the world, although visiting is rarely possible.

Hollywood in the Moroccan Sahara Desert 

Ouarzazate is famous for its film studios, nicknamed ‘Ouarzawood’. The location’s year-round sunshine and clear blue skies have captivated film-makers for generations. The city and its surroundings have featured in hundreds of movies and TV series. These range from Ben Hur to the Last Emperor, Gladiator I and II, and Game of Thrones. Some 8,000 of the city residents work as extras and it’s the largest film studio in the world by land area. A perfect place for set-jetting. 

A tour of Atlas Studios is a must from any movie fan. To be sure, this part of the trip took place on a well-trodden tourist path, but the preserved movie sets and anecdotes from our guide made it all worth it.

We combined the film studios with the terracotta towers of Aït Benhaddou, 20 miles north of Ouarzazate. This fortified village (ksar) of earth and straw has stood for over a thousand years, with terracotta towers rising from rocks beside the Ounila River. It used to be a key stop on the ancient salt route from Marrakesh to Timbuktu. It too has a proud heritage as a movie location, the setting for films including Lawrence of Arabia, the Mummy and, most recently, The Odyssey. 

Remote and Relaxed Morocco 

Local families still live and maintain their traditions in the UNESCO-listed ksar. We crossed the bridge over the river and climbed past adobe houses, turrets and ramparts. At an artist’s workshop, I caught a demonstration of a unique technique of ‘burning’ paintings using caramelised tea. At the top, our guide pointed out filming locations below, with wonderful views over the valley.

During my previous visit to Ouarzazate, I had travelled south through the wondrous Draa Valley, filled with some three million palm trees, then across the Anti-Atlas mountains to the dunes of Chegaga. Although not as high as Erg Chebbi, Erg Chegaga is actually a larger sea of dunes, stretching twice as far, over 40km. They are as impressive and even more isolated. Kind of a more remote, adventurous alternative to Chebbi. When I visited Chegaga, we didn’t see another soul the entire day.

On my last evening in southern Morocco, I walked into the centre of Ouarzazate. Locals filled the city square, watching an impromptu drumming performance amid a vibrant atmosphere of singing and celebration. None of the locals paid me much attention other than the occasional smile – no hassle and no hawking of wares. A far cry from the hectic cities; a slice of the real Morocco.

Southern Morocco essentials

There are international flights from European cities to Ouarzazate, and domestic ones from Casablanca to Errachidia. Erg Chebbi is two hours’ drive south of Errachidia and five hours’ drive east of Ouarzazate.

Travelling independently does not come recommended in the Sahara, and it’s strongly advised to utilise a local guide and driver. Off-roading would be bewildering for the inexperienced.

The best times to visit the Moroccan Sahara desert are February to April and September to November. During spring and autumn temperatures are most comfortable. They can dip to below freezing on winter nights, and climb above an unbearable 50 degrees in summer.

Find out more about Merzouga and Ouarzazate at VisitMorocco.com

Have you been to the Saharan desert in Morocco? What parts did you go to? Let us know in the comments. Subscribe to our newsletter and benefit from travel guides, sustainable tourism and luxury travel tips, insightful interviews, and inspirational places to visit. One Planet Journey – The World’s First Deep Travel Magazine.