Camping in Morocco: What to Expect at a Sahara Desert Luxury Camp

Updated: September 23, 2026

Camping in Morocco’s Sahara Desert was one of the most memorable experiences of our travels. It was unique; it was crazy; it’s something we’ll never, ever forget. We spent two nights at a luxury desert camp near Merzouga. We stayed in a luxe tent surrounded by dunes, and had dinner under the stars. Here’s what the experience was truly like, and what I think you should know before booking.

Camping in Morocco – Merzouga

After tons of research, we chose a private tour/stay at a Sahara Desert luxury camp with Kam Kam Dunes. We loved our experience with them and can wholeheartedly recommend them.

I will share why we loved Kam Kam, but also more about our planning process and why we chose to book ahead and go private. I know a trip to the Sahara Desert in Morocco is on many people’s lists, and I also know the planning can be daunting. So, I hope this helps with the questions that pop up when trying to make camping in Morocco happen.

Morocco Desert Camp – Plan Ahead 

I’ve read many posts and was even told by the hotel (riad) host in Fes that I could’ve saved a lot of money by booking my desert tour when I arrived in Morocco. This is not the type of traveler I am. I don’t plan every last minute, but I like doing my research, checking reviews, and knowing where I’m spending my money.

I’m not going to trust some guy on the street selling me a desert tour. If I’m going to be taken to the middle of boofoo Africa, I need to trust the company.

Though I know many have done this safely, I’m just not comfortable with that approach. I’ve also read some pretty ugly stories of booking without research, and again, I’m so glad I didn’t go that route.

There are two sides to this, and as I mentioned, many do safely book that way and save lots of money, but the experience is definitely not Kam Kam level.

How to Get to the Sahara Desert

One thing I learned while researching my desert trip is that the Sahara is farrrr from the main cities (8-10 hours). You can either hire a private driver, take a bus, or drive yourself. All three options drop you off in Merzouga, the town closest to the desert. You can also fly, but I didn’t research it much because it’s really pricey.

Kam Kam Dunes is about 1.3 miles into the desert from Merzouga. If you book only the camp, contact Kam Kam to arrange the transfer from Merzouga.

I’m also seeing Sahara Desert tours pop up on Viator. You can compare recent reviews and see which tours leave from Marrakech or Fes. Check the itinerary carefully before booking, especially how many nights you’ll actually spend at the camp, what meals are included, and where the tour drops you off.

We booked our private trip directly with Kam Kam Dunes, so the Viator tours are alternatives to the one we took.

From Merzouga, depending on where you’re staying, you can either take a camel ride to your camp or pay extra for a 4×4 vehicle to drive you there. If you choose the camel ride (usually included in the price), you can’t bring your luggage.

The camel cannot carry your luggage. From what I read, you’ll need to bag your stuff up and leave your luggage in the car. For this reason, I went with a 4×4.

The usual tour routes start in Marrakech, and the drive is about 8.5 hours without stops (9.5-10 hours if it’s raining). Tours will also pick you up and drop you off in Fes. Most tours offer several (pretty cool) stops along the way from Marrakech or Fes, like visiting the wild monkeys. 

Some tours also offer an overnight stay at a halfway point from Marrakech to the desert. With that option, you’d get only 1 night in the desert instead of 2. Given how many hours you’d be driving, I highly recommend 2 nights.

Our desert camp route went like this:

• Private driver picked us up from Fes (at our riad doorstep)
• 7-hour drive to the Sahara Desert; we stopped to see a town built by the Swiss, wild monkeys in the forest, and then to have lunch
• 2 magical nights at Kam Kam Dunes
• 9.5-hour drive with no stops to Marrakech (we chose no stops due to reasons I’ll explain later)
• Driver leaves you at your riad door in Marrakech

Book the Camp or Book the Whole Trip?

You can check Kam Kam Dunes availability if you’re arranging your own transportation to Merzouga and just need to book the camp. But if you’d like private transport with all the stops, you’ll need to book directly through their website. Before booking either option, check exactly what’s included, especially transportation to the camp, meals, and activities, so you know what you’ll need to arrange yourself.

What Our Morocco Desert Trip Cost

When we went, we paid around $1,000 USD total for two people. That covered our private driver from Fes to the desert and onward to Marrakech, two nights at Kam Kam Dunes, meals, and the activities included in our trip. As of this update, the same tour is listed at €920—surprisingly close to what we paid! Check the current price and inclusions for your dates before booking. Although our stay was several years ago, Kam Kam continues to receive great reviews, and I’d still choose them today.

What to Expect at a Luxury Desert Camp in Morocco

As mentioned, I chose Kam Kam Dunes because of its fantastic reviews. They offered everything I wanted from this experience, along with a user-friendly website, great communication, and a picturesque camp inside and out.

I also liked that they were deeper into the desert (you can see Algeria from the camp). Another plus is that Kam Kam is surrounded by tall dunes and is well spaced from other camps.

Our tent ↓

Exploring the nearby dunes on our own time ↓

If you book the entire journey directly with Kam Kam, they offer different options based on your preferences. You can book a group minibus tour with people from different camps, a private tour like ours, or drive yourself and book a tent with them. We did a customized 3-day/2-night private tour from Fes instead of Marrakech.

Our desert camp tour included:

• The private driver in a 4×4 vehicle who speaks multiple languages (we spoke in Spanish after he learned we were fluent)
• Pick-up and drop-off at our riads in Fes and Marrakesh
• 2-night stay in the Haima tent with private toilet and shower
• Dinner and breakfast
• Camel ride for sunset
• Day trip to visit a nomad family, among other things

I know they call it camping, but it was a lot more luxurious than real camping. As you can see from the photos, they have a gorgeous setup for their guests. The bed was comfortable; I felt safe, there were no bugs to be seen, and we never ran out of hot water! What more can you ask for in the desert?!

The breakfast was decent. The dinners were fantastic! The setup for dinner was stunning. I wish I could redo my wedding to have it look like this.

I loved the traditional live music they played after dinner. They sing and dance, and in the end, they’ll show you how to play one of the instruments (if you’re interested).

The first night they played inside the “lounge” tent. It was just Jorge and me who stuck around till the end, and when they learned we speak Spanish, they started playing “Despacito” lol. It was so much fun.

The second night, they played around the fire under the abundance of stars, and I felt like I was in a dream. It’s one of those moments that you keep around forever.

Weather in the Sahara Desert

For the most part, the weather was great. Since it was the end of September, the temperature hit a high of 85ºF and a low of 60ºF at night.

The Haima tents are thick, so they hold in the heat; I was never cold while sleeping. They close the camp over the summer when temperatures hit 120ºF.

It doesn’t usually rain, but of course, when we arrived, a storm hit immediately. It was a sand/thunderstorm combo, and I was freaking out.

The wind was hitting hard against our tent. I feared it would fall over and I’d get struck by lightning and die (just a teensy bit dramatic). But those tents are pretty sturdy, and we survived the storm.

Me surviving ↓

Camel Ride in the Sahara Desert

Let’s not forget the camels! The camel ride wasn’t as bad or scary as I thought. They’re tall animals, so I was afraid I’d come crashing down, but the seat and handles were solid. Depending on where the hump is, it might be bumping up against your front or backside as they walk, and that can get a little uncomfortable.

When they’re going uphill or downhill, you’re at a higher risk of falling right off if you’re not holding on tightly. We spent about 40 minutes on the camels (to and from the dunes). The following day we were so, so sore.

Our camel handler took us to the foot of a high dune to watch the sunset. We had to do the steep climb on foot (wasn’t bad). Sitting up there as the sun went down was amazing. 

Sand got in every nook and cranny ↓

Overall, it was an unforgettable and relaxing 2-night stay, and I wouldn’t change anything about it.

Driving in Morocco: Private Driver vs Renting a Car 

I read mixed reviews about driving in Morocco. The main complaint was that the car rental companies were shady and would try to charge you for scratches that were already on the car. But to be fair, I read those reviews for just about every country. 

As I’ve mentioned, the drive is long, and many of the roads wind around the mountains. One reason I decided against renting was that we’d have to drive down the Tizi n’Tichka road. ↓

Tizi n’Tichka source: moroccoworldnews.com

Tizi n’Tichka is a mountain pass located in the High Atlas Mountains and is on the list for one of the world’s “most dangerous roads”. It’s a long road that takes 3-4 hours to pass.

Sadly, many people die on those Moroccan roads. I didn’t want to make that drive without someone with more experience. And boy did we make the right choice!

One thing I noticed while on the road from the camp to Marrakesh is that there are a lot of cop checks. We saw them once or more every hour. Sometimes they’d stop us and ask our driver questions (not sure if they speak English), and sometimes they’d just let us through.

On our drive to Marrakech from the desert, cops rerouted us because the roads were flooded (from earlier rainfall; photo below). Thankfully, our driver knew the route so well he took a side road and got us back on track.

Other drivers from the camp were calling him for directions! Imagine if we had been driving ourselves. We didn’t know about that side road, and the iPhone GPS isn’t as savvy in Morocco. We would’ve been stuck.

Our driver was concerned that more rain was coming because their roads aren’t equipped to handle heavy rain. He told us that many people had died that year because of the flooding. They tried to cross through high water when a wave would crash in from the river and take their cars.

At this point, I was a nervous wreck. I asked him to make no stops (except for gas) and just get us to Marrakech ASAP. I was hoping to beat any future rain. All was well until we got to Tizi n’Tichka. The storm came and continued the entire time we were on that dangerous, scary road.

I could feel the tension in my body, and I was praying HARD. We ran into an accident where a motorcycle crashed into a truck. The bike was a crumpled mess, and I’m not sure whether the person survived.

Thank God we made it to Marrakech safe and sound. I was grateful we hired someone to drive us who knew the roads, the safest places to eat, and the best (regular) toilets *traditional Moroccan toilets are holes in the ground*. Peace of mind was worth every penny on this trip.

Looking to explore more of Morocco? Check out these posts next

• Chefchaouen, Morocco: What it’s really like visiting the Blue City
• Sahara Desert Nomads: Day Trip Idea

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