Camel Trekking Morocco in the Sahara Desert: 6-Day Adventure

We had the most wonderful Christmas in the desert, thanks to Abidim and his great planning. It was our daughters birthday on Christmas Eve when we arrived and he even organised a surprise birthday cake with candles and he and the chefs sang her Happy Birthday! The next day Christmas morning the camels arrived at the Bivouac Sous Les Etoiles and we set off. Our guide and cook Ahmed and Said were super friendly and charming as well as providing delicious meals three times a day. We all played games round the fire at night in the desert camp (out in the dunes). Then back to the Bivouac for the last night where there was live music and more delicious Tagine. Also Abidim is such an interesting guy who has a wonderful outlook on life and is most philosophical. It was interesting finding out about desert and Moroccan customs and lifestyle. Would highly recommend booking through his company. Wish we had gone to Erg Chigaga - maybe next time....

I already went on a desert tour with Abidine last february and I was absolutely amazed and stunned by the atmosphere in the desert and the insight I got in both the nature and the culture and traditions of nomad life. It was an experience so different to everything I knew that I told my friends they should go on a tour as well. The five of us returned some month later to spend a whole week in the Sahara and we all loved it. Abidine is the greatest organizer I know, he thought about everything and cared about our wellbeing. He and the guides served us traditional food and at night we were telling stories at the bonfire. We could relax and enjoy the landscape and walking. I wish for everybody to once experience this. Thank you so much Abidine!

A fantastic experience, very hospitable and delicious food. Erch chegaga was an unforgettable experience. I am here now for the second time and feel at home here. Aziz the driver will never forget you...the dromedaries are very funny...I will definitely come back

We had an absolutely fabulous time and would like to thank you for arranging everything for us.

The clear highlight of the trip was the days we spent in the desert. We really wanted to create an "adventure" feeling for our trip, especially for our kids (5 and 8yrs). Since we live in an Alps in France surrounded by snow for 4 months of the year, I'm sure you can imagine that a visit to the desert was something truly different - just the ticket for an adventure! With a good balance between traveling in the land cruiser and the camels, along with the good quality of the camps, it all added up to be to a great time ... and the experiences of climbing the dunes at Chegaga will stay with us for a long time!!

We'd especially like say that Abdou was fantastic and made a wonderfully positive contribution to our holiday. His rapport with our kids was just great and, whilst not surprisingly they got a bit bored from time to time looking at decoration and listening to the history of the Kasbahs, the fun they had with Abdou more than made up for that. Its rare that you meet someone who is so genuine and full of life and simply happy to be doing what he's doing. He was fantstastic!

Before visiting Marocco I have made some extensive research through the internet, searching for various tour guides and asking for a price offer and pictures about the accomodation and car.

I have received several answers and in the end me and my boyfriend came to the conclusion that, -at least for us- a luxury camp wouldn´t be worth the money, which in the end also was the ride decision.

What I can tell about private desert tours is that we have been happy in all regards:

Our guide was super friendly and helpful (Ismael <3 ) and willing to support us in any question or wishes

The car was very comfortable and suitable for a desert trip (4x4 which is important for desert)

Also the tour was perfect! We choose the tour "Marrakech desert trip Chigaga Dunes Riding Camel Sandboarding" and slept two nights in the desert. What is good about the tour, that it goes through Erg Chigaga (which is important, as it is the biggest desert in Marocco and includes offroad driving which is more adventurous and not included in all tours. Usually the cheaper ones are not driving through the dunes and the car is a usual mini bus that can´t do offraod driving)

Furtherone the tour included camel riding (very nice :)) and sandboarding (we weren´t really talented but probably also very nice when you now how to do it)

Finally the tour also included all meals that where suuuuper delicous (freshly prepared and better than in some luxury restaurants that we have visited in Marrakesh) and the accomodations very clean(all bed sheets fresh etc. so that even my boyfriend felt comfortable who is usually very picky in this regard :) )

As a summary I can only recommend this tour to everybody, I was definately a very remindful experience and we felt save throughout the whole trip, as our guide was a local, born in the desert and new the area very well.

The next time we would choose to spend more time the beautiful desert instead of stressful Marrakesh! :)

All the best,

Michael and Christina

I had a wonderful experience with Private Desert Tours. Everything went very smoothly, and my trip was even better than I had imagined it would be. Accompanied by a terrific guide (who really knew his way around the desert because he came from a nomad family) and two other tourists, I traveled to Erg Chegaga by 4X4 vehicle. The ride into the desert was exciting; it was fun to watch how our guide skillfully navigated the bumpy terrain. We stopped along the way at a well, where our guide provided water for some cute donkeys who were "loitering" there. We arrived at our lovely bivouac, Bivouac Sous Les Etoiles, decorated in traditional style. The lodging, in tents, was extremely clean and comfortable. Big, thick blankets kept me toasty warm at night. There was also a very clean bathroom with Western-style toilets and showers. The desert was simply enchanting; on our first afternoon there, we climbed the dunes to watch the gorgeous sunset. Such a beautiful, peaceful experience! In the evenings, we were served delicious tagines which we ate with the four other guests who were also staying at the bivouac. After dinner, we would all gather around a campfire, gazing up at the star-filled sky (we even saw a few shooting stars), and listening to the guys who worked at the camp playing music on traditional Moroccan drums. The breakfasts were delicious and offered plenty of different options. On our way back out of the desert, our guide stopped at a few scenic points to let us take some photos. I had such a wonderful time that I wished I could have stayed longer. Book a trip with Private Desert Tours; you won't be disappointed!

Abidine put together a wonderful, customized tour for us. The accommodations and meals were all excellent. The guys were always helpful and in great spirits; it was fascinating to listen to stories of their nomadic past. Our driver, Abdul, always made us feel safe in the chaotic Moroccan traffic. We would definitely recommend private desert tours and would love to come back.