The TRUTH about the 3 Day Tour from MARRAKECH to the SAHARA DESERT (Merzouga) - IS IT WORTH IT?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 พ.ค. 2024
- Are you thinking of taking the 3 day tour from Marrakech to Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi sand dunes in the Sahara Desert? If so, you've found the right video!
In this video I'll take you along and show you in detail what the tour is like. I'll show the truth, the good and the bad. The driving, the sights along the way, the food, the accommodation, the timings, the costs. Everything.
It’s a popular tour for anyone visiting Morocco, and it’s the real thing right to the edge of the Sahara proper, rather than the one day tours. Before I went I couldn’t find that much information online prior to going. There was no real detail about exactly what you see, where you stay and what you eat. Also, what you get for paying a little extra for the luxury option.
This is the video I wish I had been able to watch before going.
We’ll go from Marrakech and up into the Atlas Mountains via the Tizi n'Tichka Pass - The highest pass through the mountains. From there we come out the other side of the mountains and visit and amazing ancient town of Ait Ben Hadou, where many movies have been filmed. We’ll stop at the Rose valley and the Dadès Gorges before going to the hotel for the night.
On day 2, we’ll visit Tinghir and the Todgha Gorge before getting to Merzouga and riding a camel into the Erg Chebbi dunes to the camp for the night.
The final day is the long journey back to Marrakech. On this day I’ll give you my full summary of the tour - the good, the bad, advice and tips.
Here's a full breakdown of what the tour involved, allowing you to go straight to any part you're interested in. Be sure to watch to the end so that you can hear my summary and useful tips!
This was filmed on 24, 25, 26 May.
I stayed at Riad Al Amine and arranged the tour through the riad. I do not have a name of the tour company.
DAY 1:
00:32 - 7:30AM - Left riad in Marrackech medina
01:19 - 8:00AM - Left Marrakech - Drive 1 hour 30 mins
01:28 - 9:30AM - First stop - Café Restaurant Tagudalt (15 mins) - Drive 1 hour
03:15 - 10:30AM - Tizi n'Tichka Pass (Atlas Mountains) (15 mins) - Drive 1 hour 30 mins
04:18 - 12:15PM - Ait Ben Hadou (2 hours - Old city tour then lunch at Hotel Restaurant L'oasis D'or) - Drive 3 hours 15 mins
10:21 - 5:30PM - Rose valley - Cafe Restaurant Al Manadir (15 mins) - Drive 45 mins
11:13 - 6:30PM - Dadès Gorges (15 mins) - Drive 15 mins
11:47 - 7:00PM - Luxury Riad Dadès (Day 1 Hotel) - See the luxury hotel option and included dinner
DAY 2:
14:44 - 8:00AM - Pick up from the hotel - Drive 1 hour 45 mins
15:01 - 9:45AM - Service station / coffee break (15 mins) - Drive 15 mins
16:15 - 10:15AM - Tinghir tour (1 hour 50 mins) - Drive 15 mins
18:06 - 12:20PM - Todgha Gorge (25 mins) - Drive 1 hour
19:40 - 1:45PM - Lunch at Restaurant & Cafe Reda (1 hour 25 mins) - Drive 1 hour 40 mins
21:41 - 4:50PM - Final stop (10 mins) - Drive 45 mins
22:18 - 5:45PM - Arrive at Merzouga and wait for the sun to get lower
24:24 - 6:15PM - Camel ride to Erg Chebbi camp
25:20 - 7:15PM - Arrive at Erg Chebbi camp - See the luxury camp, food and Berber drumming around the fire
DAY 3:
27:47 - 7:00AM - Breakfast at Erg Chebbi camp
29:00 - 7:30AM - Leave Erg Chebbi camp in pick up
29:20 - 8:55AM - Leave Merzouga in mini bus - Drive 35 mins
29:35 - 9:30AM - Break - Touroug Cafe (25 mins) - Drive 2 hours 35 mins
** 30:01 - My summary of the tour - The good, the bad, advice and tips **
36:41 - 12:30PM - Lunch at Cafe Restauran Panorama (I went over the road instead as reviews were so bad!) (1 hour) - Drive 3 hours 30 mins
39:10 - 4:00PM - Break - Cafe Resto Targa (15 mins) - Drive 2 hours 45 mins
39:45 - 7:00PM - Arrive back at Jemaa el-Fnaa Square, Marrakech
----------------------------------------------
🔔 Subscribe and hit notify for regular new videos:
/ @chriskermis
----------------------------------------------
💪🏼 Support the channel here:
🔗 www.buymeacoffee.com/chriskermis
----------------------------------------------
INSTAGRAM: chriskermis
🔗 / chriskermis
TIKTOK: chriskermis
🔗 / chriskermis
----------------------------------------------
Want to see more from Morocco?
Agadir - • The REAL AGADIR, Moroc...
Asilah - • ASILAH, Morocco 🇲🇦 | W...
Casablanca - • CASABLANCA - A whole D...
Chefchaouen - • CHEFCHAOUEN - Morocco'...
Essaouira - • The REAL ESSAOUIRA, Mo...
Fes - • FES - Morocco's GRAND ...
Marrakech - • The REAL MARRAKECH 🇲🇦 ...
Meknes - • MEKNES, Morocco 🇲🇦 | B...
Rabat - • RABAT - Never expected...
Tangier - • The Myth of Tangier UN...
Tetouan - • TETOUAN - Why Morocco'...
What Not To Do - • MOROCCO 🇲🇦 | WHAT NOT ...
----------------------------------------------
🍲 Want more food travel content? Try my other channel:
/ @nosebaggin
----------------------------------------------
Where I get the music for my videos (free 30 day trial for creators):
🔗 share.epidemicsound.com/4ky0jh
A night in the Sahara, under the stars, hearing the wind blow past your tent, and then delicious breakfast in the morning is one of life's great experiences. I've done it twice and hope, Inshallah, to do it with my grandson in a few years.
Also, I do this experience on a southern loop from Fez, to the desert, and back around to Marrakech. There are wonderful places to stay the nights before and after the desert, and you're seeing new ground and places instead of backtracking.
It is special, I hope you do manage to return with your grandson
I am traveling to Morocco next month, last 2 weeks of January. Would you please recommend me an agency for a trip to Sahara desert.
I will be in Marrakech.
Thank you in advance
Hello! I am from Argentina. I m looking for an excursion to the desert but leaving from Fes and arriving in Marrakech but I can't find a trustworthy agency. I travel alone and would like to be able to join a group. If you have information I would appreciate it. Thank you! Yamile
@@ooregon100 I've used ExperienceIt Tours. Based in Fez and totally reliable.
@@yamileroumie4909 I've used ExperienceIt Tours - based in Fez - for 5 trips.
No BS. No sensationalism. This is perfect. Thank you for your genuine thoughts!
Thank you, glad you liked it!
@@ChrisKermiswhat time of year did you take this trip?
Mid May
I’m Moroccan living in the US and I have done a tour driving from Casa to Merzouga then ouarzazat then Marrakech then back to Casablanca. I did the full trip in 5/6 days. I think seeing the other side of the Atlas mountain is worth it and I think it’s the best part of Morocco. The roads are excellent with really good cellular coverage. Food in Morocco outside of large cities and especially along the roads in villages could be hit and miss but I don’t think $10 at a restaurant is abnormal (knowing that a sandwich in Marrakech or Casablanca could cost you between $4 to $6). But for people worrying about it, get some sandwiches with you from Marrakech to eat for lunch. The trip you did is indeed long for 3 days. That’s 560km one way with stops probably most of the day you would be driving. I think that region is so beautiful with some spectacular landscapes (especially the spring with snow on the mountains as a background) to rush through it in 3 days. I do not believe it’s a desert trap but the area is famous along tourists and if you showed up in the high season, you will encounter many tourists as the country does host close to 10 million tourists a year. Advise for some of your viewers: The desert is warm during the day but also could be very cold at night (especially during fall, winter and spring). I would not advise doing this trip in the summer as these areas could be extremely hot.
Thanks for the additional info, 5/6 days seems like a nice more relaxed way to do it if not on the 3 day tour.
We skipped Marrakech this time, but I recommend flying to Ouarzazate to save yourself a 14 hour drive back and forth. When you return to Casa, Marrakech is only a two hour train ride.
@@ChrisKermisalso if you're a Cheapskate you shouldn't travel!
@user-ob4cc1jl5h If you like bad food just because it’s cheap you should eat at McDonald’s 😂
I think for €12 a 3 course meal in the middle of nowhere is a deal no matter how you look at it. It is pretty annoying to see tourists that make 25 times the average salary of a Moroccan complain about the price of a tour meal. Other than that comment pretty informative video and great captures. Straight to the point.
I couldn’t agree more with you!
I was thinking the same. 12 euro gets you a crappy McDonald's in most European countries.
The point was never that it was too expensive, the point is the quality is not good. For the same money you can find way better. A restaurant should not compromise quality just because they have a captive audience. I'm just seeking to give an honest and authentic view and I glad you enjoyed the video overall.
With 12 bucks you look for daily specials junk at McDonald's here in California.
@@ChrisKermis Finally someone told you what i wanted to tell you since you came to Morocco.stop complaining 😂😂😂😂😂
Flying to morocco tomorrow and visiting merzouga around next week, really hyped about it. Happy to have found a realistic blog about the tour with some actual advice, thanks for that!
Thanks, glad it was useful for you!
I was planning to do something like that in Morocco and I found this video very helpful. Chris gave a very detailed information about everything a new tourist may need about this tour. Thank you Chris.
Thanks, Khalid. Glad it was useful!
At least go once
Check it out
Don't trust no word'go see by your own eyes
Am from there stay at home go Turkey 80% cheaper
Great fun traveling and meeting Chris. Thank you for making the video and reminding me of part of my trip.
Glad you enjoyed it! I really hope it helps some people out as well before they take the trip.
Thanks for sharing, your video has covered many of my questions before I go, really appreciate it
Glad it helped, enjoy your trip!
Hello Chris I love your style! We're going to Morocco on february and we are using your videos as a guide, greetings from Argentina!
Thank you, I’m glad to hear you like them!
thank you for this, we are going on a trip to marrakech soon, and your tips and insight are very helpfull!
Good stuff, enjoy your trip!
Enjoyable video! And refreshing that it's honest instead of going overboard on the positivity like a lot of travel videos do.
Thank you! I certainly hope to show the truth in my videos rather than Instagram perfection. With this one I just made the video that I wish I could have watched before doing the trip.
This is literally the best video i ve ever watched. clear , totally helpful. Thanks billlionsss
Thank you, I'm glad it helped!
Great video!! Like you said, there is not an abundance of information about this desert trip online and I will be undertaking it in November (albeit with a rental car) so I am happy to find a recent video not long before I leave myself and to see see it's worth the long distance.
Definitely worth the effort and the stop offs, but if you see a load of white minibuses at a restaurant, avoid!
Thanks for this! Doing one of these tours on the 27th and this was a great overview. As a solo traveller I have no desire to pay the premium for a private tour or drive on my own, so this seems to be the way to go!
Absolutely, it’s well worth it overall!
Did you try it? I will be traveling solo in morroco and i wonder if its worth it.
Cheers my fellow Englishman... excellent informative video showing everything 👌... planning on going to morrocco in September... just trying to make my mind up Agadir for the sea or Marrakech for the experience and the trip to the desert something I've always wanted to see 🙏
Hey it all depends on how long you have. I would say don't spend too much time in Marrakech. The medina is an experience and well worth seeing, but I soon got fed up with it. Then you've got the Majorelle Garden which is a must outside of the old city and not to be missed IMO. 3 days was plenty for me though. I actually shot a bunch of footage there and intended to make a video but I wasn't happy with it so never released it. I'm super keen to visit Agadir myself and will do so on my next trip. Enjoy your trip and by all means get in touch via the usual socials if you need any tips.
Nice video Chris, it's a beautiful country Morocco, probably the most different place you can visit that is closest to home.
Absolutely, I think that's why it sees so many tourists. The downside of that is that may tourists equals more hastle. Still, well worth visiting finally!
Thank you for your video Chris, thanks to you I have chosen this excursion and the same luxury option, it was a really nice trip !
Good stuff! I’m glad the video was helpful!
Thank you for your video, it really help us planning our trip. Our tour was a bit different, but very similar at the end.
Great to hear, glad it was useful!
I learnt a lot from your own experience throughout this journey...thank you for sharing the bad and the good feelings.
Thank you, glad it was useful!
Interesting. I just came back from Marrakesh, staying in a beautiful riad all by myself, exploring Marrakesh. I don’t think I missed a great deal without taking such a trip, but thank you for the video so we can appreciate what to expect on such a trip.
Thanks for watching, hope you had a great time in Morocco!
Less than a month ago I did the camel trek (each way, about an hour each) and overnight in the tent camp. As it was part of a larger, comprehensive tour of the country it felt more integrated with the overall country experience. It was well worth it.
Glad you enjoyed it! 3 days was enough for me, I was very happy to be independent again after that
hi monizdm, could you kinldy provide the tour company you traveled with? much appreciated! cheers ;)
Hello @monizdm did you book through a tour company? If yes, what's the name? Thanks
Chris oh wow you look good in sahrawi style 😊 i really like you❤ im moroccan from italy
I skipped the camel back and was able to make an extra stop on the way back through Draa Valley.
I love the old town where you see the houses like claves on the Mountain and the dry river, and we didn't stay the night at the desert, but spend 2 hrs admiring the sunset and the views, spectacular.
Excellent video, Chris, with some great insights into these tours. It helped that you had a degree of awareness about the kickbacks earned by the tour companies for bringing their customers to the various sales outlets. And of course they get kickbacks from the restaurants as well so you did well to eat solo on the way back. Once you get over the Atlas mountain ranges, the whole massive area to the south and east is semi-arid desert which the Moroccans refer to as 'sahara' as that's Arabic for desert/wilderness.
But it's not 'The Great Sahara Desert' which is hundreds of kilometres to the south. Much of this Moroccan desert area is 'hamada' which is a stony/beaten earth surface, a few bits are 'ergs' which are sand seas, but geographically they are all part of the same semi-arid region. Some people think only Erg Chebbi (measuring 16 miles by 5 miles) is desert, but no, that's just a sand dune within the same climatic region. Anyway, great video which I will point people to.
Thank you, appreciate the additional info too. Some day I must make it to the Sahara proper, though overall I'm glad I took this trip to the edge of Morocco.
True very beautiful video. I love so much Morocco. I myself Come back from a road trip there. You Can even see the first vidéo of thé trip on m'y channel : Au Sud De Nulle Part (Cheffe Chaouen) subtiles available
Tim Cullis is correct when he talks about the kickbacks. It is well known that bazars and other tourist facilities have to 'take care' of the guides, etc, if they want tourists to visit their establishments. That said, it also happens in other countries. Another thing to point out is that, due to the excessive heat during the summer, the main foreign tourist season is between October and May, which means months of unemployment and a lack of income for folks employed in the remoter areas south of the High Atlas Mountains, including the desert regions. Enjoyed the video - Lots of correct info.
I beg to differ regarding a few points. I've been to Morocco three times, almost always in the area east of the High Atlas, and mostly in Merzouga. The many Moroccans I met didn't call everything past the mountains "desert." Maybe Arabs call it "sahra" as a description for both arid and semi-arid. The eastern edge of Morocco where Merzouga is (and many miles to the north and south) is true desert, and since that desert is contiguous with the rest of the Sahara, there's no point in saying it's not the Sahara. The Sahara isn't just sand dunes. To be considered arid (desert), an area must have less than 10" of precipitation a year, on average. Merzouga's average is 3.2". (Ouarzazate is also desert, by the way.)
@@ChrisKermis thank you if you could share where did you book your tour to the Desert
Thank you for uploading this informative video.
Thank you, glad you liked it!
Hi Chris, thank you for your candid information in your excellent video. I’m going to Marrakech next month. Your information helps greatly. Looks like you had a good & insightful trip. As you say, always save some room for patience, it’s hard.
Thank you, glad it was useful!
Thanks, really a big thanks for this video, very interesting, very real. I'll do this trip perhaps next summer, and I appreciate to have a clear idea about it.
Thanks, glad it helped!
Brilliant video! Really appreciate your honesty. Peace!
Thank you, glad it was useful!
Thanks for your in depth review! We are going next month "on our own", so great to see the roads and spots in advance!
Doing it without a tour will certainly be better. Enjoy your trip!
Thank you for struggles and highlighting a few of the traps... The camel i rode was on a beach in Agadir... The ride was much smoother then a horse.
I did that over 30 years ago. It was great and the owner was called Michael and he introduced his camel. Also called Michael
❤❤❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉 thumps up Mr. Chris, realy appreciated such Great vido tank you so mcuh.
I recently went to Morocco and hired a car at the airport for the duration of my stay [5 weeks]. Although it was a smaller Fiat 500 I had much fun taking it through the Atlas Mountains and often on dirt track roads and some roads still being constructed. Many times I didn't see another car or person for an hour at a time so some level of mental preparedness for these 'solo' adventures is required, staying at Riads and your back with real people again (4G mini-router helps keep you connected in the wilderness, buy the data-SIM in the airport arrival hall.) It was a great and relatively cheap way to see this amazing country and I had total freedom to stop and eat wherever I wanted.
Sounds like a great fun way of doing it to me. On my trip I did want to do the major cities as well so public transport worked well for that. The trains are really good in Morocco between the cities.
@@ChrisKermis I'm more of a Mountain person than a City person despite living in London (or perhaps because of it.)
That's awesome! I'm thinking to rent a car too for a trip in May, would be going from Ouarzazate to Merzouga... What are the roads like? Is petrol/diesel cheap? I'm most worried about keeping the car in perfect condition to return it without risking insurance claim, I know in Europe they can be really petty about tiniest scratches, no idea what they're like in Morocco?
Thanks Chris, I love your channel, enjoy watching your videos .
Thank you, appreciate it!
What a fantastic video, we’re off there on our motorbikes april 2024, thanks for a super informative insight
Thank you, glad it helped!
SO incredibly helpful, thank you!!!!
Thank you for the kind words, I'm glad it helped you!
Welcome to Morocco and to desert
Thanks for the advice, I live in Fuerteventura, there’s talk of starting a new ferry to Morocco from Fuerteventura soon, I look forward to taking a trip to Morocco, probably in my van 🚐
Thanks for your video, I’m so happy we rented a car and will be in control of our itinerary
So much money you say and being ripped off for around £10 for an extensive salad and chicken tagine...really? You might consider the distance a food supplier has to deliver his wares to this location and the associated costs. People still think Morocco is immune to rising world wide costs. Making a fortune??? well this may come as a shock to you but a business relies on making a profit to survive and Morocco's travel industry is seasonal.
Simply comparing to other restaurants in the same area that don't have a deal with tour companies but offer better food...
Very good and honest review.. no sugar coating ❤
Thank you, that’s what I wanted to do
I love this place, thank you for sharing
Thank you for such a great video..
Thanks Chris a very informative video
Thank you, glad it was useful!
Thank you for all the infos. Making this trip in June with my daughter
Glad it helped and I hope you have a great trip!
Very good and honest videos, we spent a month driving our own car around Morocco and totally agree it is far better going to non tourist stop off “restaurants” they are a rip off and are not what “true” Morocco and Moroccans are. Our stay for one month was so good we are going back again next year.👍. The people are lovely, friendly and have a great sense of humour, the food is excellent and the scenery is outstanding. Having been to many of the cities we found that even if you do have some men approaching to act as guides if you say no they say OK and walk away. Same for the stall holders they will try to get you to go into their shops etc if you say no they say OK so all in all we felt very safe even in medinas where we spent most of our time in back alleys we had absolutely no problems.
That's a wonderful for way to do it if you have the time! I only had 2 weeks there so doing this tour made sense for me. Also solo so didn't want to just drive myself. What you say about dealing with the unwanted attention is certainly the way, just be clear and always look like you're not freshly off the plane!
I agree, being polite is always the best way as while we would say “no” we always said in Arabic “thank you” and always with a smile as they always greet you politely and with a smile - lovely people.
Do you think it’s oki to drive through the desert to Mezouga by our car? Do we need 4x4?
@@sheislittlewonderer Mezouga is the point where the road runs out pretty much. Getting too Mezouga is fine
Hi there, can you please share the information of the guest house you stayed at or if you have any recommendations where to stay? TiA
I just came back from a Merzouga trip with my family. We flew to Ouarzazate, spent a day touring the Atlas Studio and Ait Ben Haddou, then two days to Merzouga, a night in the desert camp and a day back to Ouarzazate. That's a good way to go.
Nice video Chris, you are getting better at this.
Thanks, glad to hear! Now if only TH-cam would offer it up to a few people so that more could watch it.
@@ChrisKermis I guess it takes a while to build up an audience. Have you ever seen the Finnish lads who did Madventures? That was really different, although quite extreme. Why not do some videos on places to drink great beers in Netherlands and Belgium...you know it really well and lots of people visit the Netherlands & Belgium
@@matthewmorris7510 Yeah it's tough to build, there was some really good growth then it slowed to a crawl when my content shifted away from Iraqi Kurdistan. I don't think I've seen the Finnish lads though I wathc a fair few other channels.
Your not the first to suggest I do something about beer, but my heart wouldn't be in it. I've completely lost interest in the beer scene nowadays.
I am very happy to watch this video before I go to Morocco. Thanks!
Thank you, glad it helped!
Great video Chris! Love your humor
Can you share the tour company you did it with?
Thanks!
Thanks, glad you enjoyed the vid! I can’t really say what company it was, I never contacted them directly. Basically I just made a deal with my riad In Marrakech (a lot cheaper than doing it online in advance)
@@ChrisKermis thanks a lot Chris!
Thank you for posted this video
You're welcome
Thanks for the honest review
- Very Nice vlog !!…… Merci 🙏 beaucoup pour cette belle vidéo de partage !!…❤❤
Thank you!
Great video. Well done. Thank you. Just curious. What camera did you use and what video editing software did you use? Thanks. Steve in Atlanta, Georgia USA
Thank you! I use a GoPro Hero 10 with media mod & shotgun mic. I've come on a bit since making this video but still rely heavily on the GoPro. For editing, DaVinci Resolve.
Thanks Chirs, for your honest review. Thanks for the tips on the tourist food scams
Very accurate feedback in this video. Great review
Lovley video,welcome to Morocco,but what i can say as a tour operator that you been in good experience,
Thank you for your honest review.
Glad it helped!
Thanks Chris for your video!
landscapes look insane tbh, hostile yet calming i wanna visit the desert one day
What a useful video! Thank you!
Headed to Morocco at the end of February for either 3 or 5 weeks (depending if I leave earlier to visit friends in Europe). This is something I want to do. Haven't decided yet if to loop north from Casablanca to Fez and Chefchaouen before heading south to the Sahara and then Marrakech and some hikes in the mountains, or to do it the other way around, heading south first. In any case, interesting to see what the tours are like. The dunes are beautiful. I think it's a complete shame that vehicles are allowed to traverse them as they contribute to their erosion. But of course, people always want "convenience."
That'll be a pretty awesome trip you can spend that long. I get what you mean by the vehicles, they do go set ways around the dunes that you don't really see but they're still there of course. It's quite a tourism factory line there.
Great review! Thanks 👋
Thanks, hope it was helpful!
Thank you Chris for sharing, all your videos are amazing and this is so helpful :). I need your advice:
How much do you think is reasonable to pay for a 3 day tour to desert from Marrakesh and back. I guess I should bargain on spot and not buy upfront via Internet, right?
Hey man , love ur videos . Just wanna put thst out there . Good luck . Moroccan native , live on US ..✌️🙏💕
Thank you! They’ll be more coming from Morocco this year 🙂
Going to Morocco 🇲🇦 in August 2024 ( family of 4 )
We watch all your videos! Thank you 😊
Glad you enjoyed them. Hope you have a great trip to Morocco with your family!
Great info Chris.
Thanks!
Hi Chris, in retrospect if you had to do this trip over again would you have booked this 3-day tour -or- used a car rental to venture at your own pace? Thanks for the video!
Sorry for the slow reply, internet was blocked in Iran where I just was. If I was solo I would certainly have booked this tour again. If I was with others I would probably use a car rental (split the driving, have company etc).
I just got back from a week and a half in the country and did a 3 day tour from Fez to Merzouga and then onto Marrakesh. Sadly we made the mistake of going during Ramadan so the only places available for the lunch stops was those in and out tourist-y stops. Still a lovely time though!
Bad timing but still well worth it I bet. Wish I had have done between Marrakesh and Fez rather than going back to Marrakesh. Just didn’t work with my itinerary though
Hi, we're also planning to do this from Fes to Marrakesh, may I know the link/ where did you book the tour? Thanks!
Loved it. Very honest opinions that give us a better perspective of the tour. I want to do it but now Im wondering about some issues you commented on; the lonnnnnggggg journey my biggest concern. You said to pay the guides, how much should we pay them? and the driver as well? Greetings from Costa Rica
Very informative and helpful, many thanks for sharing! I am planning to join this tour, just a question, since you stay 2 nights on the road, did you check out the previous hotel? I assume the hotel have storage to keep your suitcase for 2 days? Thank you.
I checked out. I travel light anyway so didn’t have a suitcase
@@ChrisKermis Thanks for sharing!
Just came back home from Moroco with 3 small kids 6, 3 and 3 and it was great, especially the sahara and camels..
They are well organized and if you have kids there are ways for that.
Good to know, I couldn’t imagine doing it with kids but good if they can make it work
Hi there...this is very helpful for us who plans to go to Morocco. May I know the name of the tour agency where you book the tour?Thank you😇
Please take a look at the pinned comment, that gives more details
Very comprehensive and balanced review, thanks. We've been to the "other" erg, Erg Chegaga, out of M'Hamid a couple of times. I understand it's less crowded than Merzouga. We've always gone in winter and practically had the place to ourselves. The most recent trip we took the express CTM bus down to M'Hamid via Ouarzazate and Zagora, then booked a five day trek out to the Erg and back (walking with the camels carrying the kit). It was just my wife and myself and we had two guides; a cameleer and a cook. We bivouacked under the stars and ate freshly prepared food courtesy of our chef, morning, noon and night. It was physically fairly tough but an absolutely outstanding experience!
That sounds like an amazing experience, very different than these kind of tours.
I have made the tour 2 times. but with final destination in Fez.
The first time I was in the luxury version like you. Even the same camp.
The second time I did the 4 day tour with an extra day in Merzouga. This day without driving has made the long drive a lot more bearable.
That extra day I’m sure would make things nicely more relaxed
@@ChrisKermis Iam not realy shure but did you the tour on may 24 in Merzouga 25?
I think we share the Meal
Yes that’s right! I was wondering if it was you when I saw your original message. It was a great evening!
@@ChrisKermis i can see me @28:27 :D
@@Manuel-oq3ti Haha wow! 🙂
Great video review.
Thank you!
Hi Chris hope you're well, lovely video; I wanted to know if you had guidance on clothing and/or specifically footwear for the desert?
Thank you! Assuming you’re just going on a tour like I did, it’s not proper desert, it’s just what could be described as an edge. I went around in trainer style shoes, but then barefoot around the camp. With caution though, its not common at all but there could be nasties around like scorpions.
@@ChrisKermis That's brilliant and yes the exact same tour; thank you for the prompt response.
Did you find the trainers to be okay? Any issue with sand or general abrasion?
Thanks for the video. Those were dates in your Tajine but, dry Plums :)
Hey Chris. I did the exact 3-day Sahara tour from Marrakech and I agreed with everything you said about this tour in my 10 day stay in Marrakech. The food in some of those restaurants were horrible, the journey was very long especially going back to Marrakech. And I agree that paying a bit extra for luxury accommodation is worth it because I did exactly the same thing as well. All in all, it was worth it. But yes, you bring cash, sun cream, probably insect repellents, pack light, bring plenty of drinks and snacks and sweets, portable charger, wet wipes. I know the guy who was next door to me in the bedouin tents seen a scorpion in the toilet area. Camel rides are very uncomfortable but the views of the desert was amazing. I did the 2-day Sahara tour in Tunisia as well which was pretty good too
Wow a scorpion in the toilet?! All I had was a cockroach under the bedside table though that didn't seem a big enough concern to even. put in the video. Anyway, good to hear that it matched up with your experience. What I wanted was to make the video that I wanted to see before doing it, something that tells both the good and the bad.
@@ChrisKermis It was on the side of the toilet. They ended up containing it and simply took it away somewhere. Yes it is important to put the pros and cons rather than sugar coat it. I always do the same and give an honest opinion about the places that I have been to
i guess you are tunisian or algerian i can't trust you
@@soumia_kiz4265 No I'm from England!! - a bit of a dumb response from you for making these silly assumptions
A group of friends will be heading to Morocco in about 5 weeks. We will be traveling this way with our own guide. I have been all over the world and it is common to go to places where the guides get a commission however More common in the Middle East and Africa countries. I would be surprised if it was any different. And I love to ride camels! Always seems to be a day or two you have to drive for hours to get from place to place. Cant wait! Enjoyed the video
Have a great trip! That's the ideal way to do it if you can travel independently with your own guide. Of course the commission the tours get for bringing groups to certain restaurants keeps the cost of the tour down (and the cost is pretty low for what you get overall!), but there's plenty of other places to eat around that are sitting mostly empty and probably care more to make better food.
Hi Chris, great video, thank you. Just wondering what camera you use for your TH-cam clips ?
This video was shot with a GoPro Hero 10. With media mod and shotgun mic. Nowadays I have more kit than just that but the GoPro still does most of the camera work
They take you to specific restaurants because they get kick backs from these restaurants. These guys know very well that most people go for the desert experience usually once in a lifetime and don't return. Its basically a silo :). I went for a private tour on a 4x4 for 3 days and although the camp experience wasn't luxurious but we had alot of freedom to stop at local restaurants in the villages and had some great food and flexibility, of course had to pay a little higher than the group tours.
Certainly a better experience for sure! Overall these tours are pretty good value but a private tour or driving yourself is always going to be better
Morocco and it’s people are wonderful 🎉 il be going back with some small change in my pocket they deserve it ❤🎉🙏
CHRIS!!! You are terrific!! I'm planning my trip now. Was wondering how you got from Marrakech to Casablanca at the end of this trip. That's sort of my last thing to figure out. Thank you for sharing!
Very easy! There’s a fast train between Marrakech and Casablanca.
Ha - what used to be the Marrakesh Express. Can't help singing the song!@@ChrisKermis
I did this tour with my family last week, including two kids, 5 and 14 years old. We spent an extra day (and night) in a nice hotel in Merzouga to able to chill and relax a bit and not have the long journey back to Marrakesh straight after waking up at 5am in the desert to watch the sunrise.
A few points:
1. We took camels to the desert camp in the evening and again from the camp back to Merzouga the next morning. There was a sandstorm in the evening, so I was very glad we had the ride back on the camels the next morning in stunning early morning sun conditions. Regarding your comment about young kids, there was no riding shotgun on 4x4s or in the back of a pickup, and my 5yr old daughter rode with me on the camel both ways and loved it.
2. IMO you’re exagerrating the issues with the lunches, or you just had bad luck. Our 3 lunches that were included were all either 100 or 120 MAD per person and were all delicious and very good value, even my kids loved them. We had vegetable soup + meatball (kefta) tajine + desert each time and all were very good, particularly the first one in Ait Ben Haddou. You also can’t compare the cost of an omlette and a coke to a 3 course meal. Sure, you probably could get something cheaper and more “authentic” but 10€ for a delicious 3 course meal is great deal IMO.
3. Don’t be so cynical about being guided to opportunities to buy stuff from local sellers. That’s how these people make a living. We never felt under any pressure to buy anything, it was all very relaxed.
Regarding the driving part, you’re right, the roads are excellent and there’s almost always good cell phone coverage. As for the driver safety, it depends. On the way there our driver was extremely calm careful and I felt very secure. On the way back though we had a different driver and he was constantly on the phone (no hands free) and made a lot of very sketchy overtakes with basically no visibility of oncoming traffic.
All in all enojyed watching the video, nice job 👍
Thank you for taking the time to write all this based on your experiences. To be honest I look back on some aspects of this video and cringe. It was made fairly early in my TH-cam “career”, and I certainly think some aspects were too negative and came out wrongly. The main thing I wanted to do was just show exactly what it was like, the good and the bad. I couldn’t find any info online at the time even though so many people do it.
Wow it must be difficult attempting it with a 5 year old though. It’s a lot of time in the minibus!
Hope you and your family had a great trip overall in Morocco. It’s certainly a great country with a lot to offer!
@@ChrisKermis Thank you for your honest response. Despite my criticisms I still think it was a great video and would certainly be very helpful to anyone who was doing this tour for the first time. We had a great time in Morocco and would love to return!
thanks for the informative video - may I ask if you had the option to, would you have stayed in the desert for another day (so 2 nights in the desert instead of 1)? Just trying to think if it's worth doing 1 or 2 nights
One night was certainly enough for me, I think there would be nothing to do staying longer. Unless you find some different tour that goes deeper into the desert than the camps on the edge, but I don’t know if that exists.
I did 4 days with one night in the dunes in the lux camp and another night with a very short walk to the dunes at a hotel (Kasbah Mohayut). I absolutely loved it as it allowed me to have 2 sunsets and 2 sunrises in the dunes which can change quite a bit with the light and color. The tour I was on also went to various stops in the area. But if you have limited time/money it's still worth going for the more limited trip. I also felt comfortable walking around the dunes myself bc I could see the camps/buildings and there was (spotty) 4G and GPS. I downloaded offline Google maps and was able to use it all over Morocco. Sometimes there wouldn't be a pathway in a medina or it says you need to go around when there's a path through, but I found it to be pretty useable. I booked the Sahara trip with Camel Safaries. They might be on the pricer side, and I spent way less than it is now esp with a discount code, but it was great. On the way there I stayed at Riad Gabsi Du Dades and the service was amazing. It included dinner and breakfast with local farm products. The Sahara one did as well though the dinner was just okay TBH. In the lux camp the food was stale though. It was the only negative part of the whole 4 day trip, but I was so amazed by the views. The stars were amazing with the milky way visible. They turned the lights off to see them better. You might have to ask (if feasible). I had the lux camp to myself and joined the reg one for performances, though I was honestly more interested in the stars.
Thanks for sharing this Chris. Just one question - do you recall if the hotel in Merzouga has good wifi connection and speed?
I do remember the first hotel had pretty bad wifi. I could not connect at all from my room and had to sit outside by the reception.
Love your video Chris, i was wondering how did you book your 3 days trip?
Thank you, I just booked it with the riad where I was staying in Marrakech. I think you get a better deal than doing it online in advance. Check the pinned comment for a bit more info
done this tour few year ago
only problem is some of places they steer you towards for food arent great
not the price but just the quality
we found our own restaurants on some stops and it worked out better
Exactly!
Hey Chris. Glad we found you on ytube. We always travel with fruit. The kunch did seem expensive. But there yoy are. Our visit to tangiers for 3 weeks in march, 2024. Where do you reccomended to stay. Enjoying this video about your desert trip. Cheers
Tangier is a great city, check out my video on it and also Tetuaon which is a must visit really close by. I stayed in 3 different places in Tangier - firstly a modern apartment hotel near the beach/central train station in the new city part. Nice place but boring area I thought. Second in an apartment by the Medina (definitely the best!). Lastly at some well rated boutique hotel - overpriced and not worth it.
Thanks Chris
Hey Chris, great video. We are looking to book a tour in November. Can you tell me which tour company you used as well as the name of your Riad in Marrakech. Thanks.
Sorry for the slow reply, internet was blocked in Iran where I just was. I stayed at Riad Al Amine which I was very happy with, though a little hard to find. Beware of some in the medina who will help you find where you're going only to aggressively charge you for helping. I don't know the tour company, the riad arranged it.
@@ChrisKermis you are the most sad youtuber i have ever seen since i follow people coming to Morocco and omg you don't stop complaining pfffft
It looks wonderful and I definitely would not complain.
Hey great video! :) In which month you visited marocco? Thinking about July, but I am not sure if it is way to hot?
Thanks, I visited in mid to late May myself. The hottest place was actually Marrakech, not the desert!
Great job for my visit in June.
Glad it’s useful, enjoy your trip!
Hi Chris, great video, so clear and descriptive. 1 Question, how does luggage work? Do people tend to bring very limited luggage on these tours or do they have room? What do you suggest? We are on a two week trip going to multiple locations and can't leave luggage anywhere. Thank you in advance!
There’s space in the back of the minibus for luggage and when you do the camel ride your luggage comes separately by 4x4.
Super thankful for this video. I have no idea it's that far! That's like 10 hours of solid sitting in the car for the 3rd day. It's not worth it, especially since I've done desert camping in Dubai already, which wasn't very far from the city.
Glad it helped!
Mister Kermis, it was an absolute delight to discover your channel. Yours insights are always no nonsense, very down to earth, very thoroughly and highly entertaining. It has been a pleasure, please keep doing what you do x
Thank you 🙏🏽 Glad you like what I’m doing
@@ChrisKermis Can i go with you next time ? xD A shame the one in Tangier was so short, but that was an awesome one!! Culturally very highly rated! Never knew he wrote Naked Lunch there. ! Instant classics! Be waiting when you make a mor eprofound vlog about Tangier!
😆 I was surprised the Tangier one didn’t get more views to be honest, I thought it was quite a good one!
Hi Crish, thank you for the video and the explanation. I'm planning to visit Marrakesh this May and interested to join the tour, but I couldn't find any detail about the tour you are using. I try to read the description and find the pinned comment but i could find any. Could you give me any more detail if you have please? Thanks
Such a great vvideo..greetings from Casablanca
Thank you, look out for the next video, it's from my time in Casablanca!
Best option Chris is for 2 or 3 person
To rent car, Google little bit about all places on the way and am sure you will enjoy it
Remember easy option always not the best ones
Thank you for sharing
I agree that would have been better for sure. Had I have had more time and not been traveling solo I would have done this.
thank you very much, it was perfect for a decision making.
Glad it was useful, enjoy your trip!
Hey Chris, Thanks a ton for such a high quality, beautiful and honest film. You mentioned about small kids. Will it be okay to go on this tour with a 4 year old?
It really depends on your situation. I wouldn’t personally, I know that the amount of time driving would be a problem. That’s the main thing to consider really. I’m sure it would be possible to swap the camel ride for a 4x4 as the luggage goes in that anyway
@@ChrisKermis Much appreciate Chris, thank you👍
Thanks. Very useful information. Which was the month this video was recorded?
Glad to help. This was taken in late May 2022