What to Pack for a Sahara Desert Tour from Marrakech

The Core Checklist

The table below groups the items camp owners and travel writers name most often, with the figure attached where a source gives one. Everything here fits into one daypack plus a main bag.

Clothes and Small Extras

Add loose long pants, a t-shirt, a warm layer and pajamas. Lip balm and sealable bags for your phone and camera keep sand out. Camps provide blankets, so a cardigan was enough for the rtwgirl writer outside the cold months.

Temperatures by Season

These ranges come from two desert sources. Umnya Desert Camp writes about Erg Chegaga at around 700m altitude, and Blondie in Morocco covers the Merzouga side. Use them as a guide to layers, not a forecast.

September and October

Both months fall inside the June to October hot season, when days can reach +50 C. Tours arrive in the desert in the evening, so you miss the worst sun. Pack breathable long sleeves and one warm layer, since autumn nights still drop to 10 to 16°C at Erg Chegaga.

Winter

The Short Girl on Tour writer spent New Year's Eve in Merzouga below freezing. Her winter list holds a thick jacket, thermals, a beanie, thick pajamas and high boots. A regular jacket is fine inside the tent, the thick one is for sunset, sunrise and stargazing outside.

Footwear

Camel saddles have no stirrups, so flip-flops fall off. They also fill with sand and slip on dune faces. Closed-toe sandals, trail runners or breathable sneakers are enough, and hiking boots are not needed.

Sandals are fine around camp, never on the camel.

Pants and Tops

Camel fur is scratchy on bare legs, so wear long pants. They should be stretchy enough to climb on and off a kneeling camel. The rtwgirl writer rode in loose pants, a t-shirt and sneakers.

A long-sleeved shirt adds sun cover in the hot months from June to October.

The Scarf

A Touareg turban scarf called a shesh or cheche covers head, neck and face against sun and blowing sand. The camel guides will tie it for you.

Covering Up on the Road

Desert Luxury Camp asks guests to cover shoulders and knees in the towns and villages en route. Long loose pants or a maxi skirt with a light shirt work for the drive and the camel. The Short Girl on Tour writer picked stretchy leggings to get on and off the camel.

A Sahara Desert Outfit for Photos

For photos on the dunes, wear the dress on the camel ride with light pants underneath. Blondie in Morocco notes there is little time to change after you arrive at camp. Dunes near Merzouga reach up to 160 metres, the highest in Morocco according to the Moroccan National Tourist Office.

Split Your Bags

The rtwgirl writer could only carry a small pack on the camel ride. Desert Luxury Camp says guests reach its camp by 4x4, so a suitcase is okay there, though soft duffels travel better off-road. Pack a daypack for the night (warm layer, toiletries, power bank, flashlight, water) and leave the main bag with the vehicle.

Buy It on the Drive

The rtwgirl writer bought 2 x 1.5 liters of water at a Carrefour supermarket before leaving, and water is also sold at camp. The shesh can be bought on the way, since the bus stops at local shops. Umnya Desert Camp says a cheche costs €5 to 10 in M'Hamid, on the Erg Chegaga side.

Bring sunscreen, medicines and a power bank from home, as the dunes have no shop.

Charging and Light

Umnya Desert Camp runs on solar power and asks for a power bank of at least 10,000 mAh. The rtwgirl writer found the tent outlet may not work. Budget camps have limited electricity and shared toilets outside the camp area, so a flashlight matters.

Desert Luxury Camp switches electricity off from around 11 pm to midnight in winter, and its tents have air conditioning units for cool and warm air.

Toiletries

Leave the hairdryer behind, since solar power cannot run it. Pack lip balm, sunscreen and any medicines in your daypack. Filtered water is provided at camp, so a refillable 1.5L bottle saves buying plastic.

FCDO notes pharmacies are open 24 hours in every city and district, which helps on the drive but not on the dunes.

Cash and Documents

The US State Department says foreign currency equal to 15,000 MAD (about USD 1,500) must be declared on arrival, and US passports need six months' validity. FCDO tells UK travellers their passport needs 3 months of validity after arrival. The dirham is a closed currency, so change only what you will spend.

Gear That Does Not Work in Camp

Hairdryers and other high-power devices will not run on solar camps. Hiking boots are more than the dunes need. A hard suitcase cannot go on the camel.

For more desert time, the 4 day desert tour with 2 nights in the desert adds a second night at camp.

Match the Bag to the Trip

The table lists the desert tours from Marrakech on this site with their price and length as shown on each listing, and the packing point each one changes. On the Fes route you do not return to Marrakech, so there is nowhere to leave a suitcase.