since 2009

Azalai’s Luxury Desert Camp from Marrakech on a private tour

 

A desert luxury camp experience in the Moroccan Sahara.

{ There are currently no travel bans in Morocco to stop you from traveling to the Sahara desert }. You want to spend a night in the desert but don’t want to loose on the comfort ? Or perhaps you are considering renting a car and drive there yourself, but are afraid of getting lost, coping with the traffic of Africa or missing out on things to do/ see on the way ? Then this Morocco luxury desert camp experience is just what you need ! Our English fluent driver- guide and comfortable air- conditioned 4×4 will take you from Marrakech to the luxury desert camp in Erg Chigaga and bring you back to Marrakech over 3 nights and 4 days. We will book the luxury accommodation, the meals, camel rides and local guides. We will even take care of all entrance fees and stock your 4×4 with refreshing drinks so that all you have to focus on is laying back and enjoying the breath- taking landscapes. On this private tour you will have the 4×4 all for yourselves and your private driver will often stop for you to visit a local attraction, take a stunning photo or simply stretch your legs. This Morocco private tour is available any day of the year.

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This 4 day private tour leaves Marrakech over the Atlas Mountains and reaches Erg Chigaga’s dunes by the second evening. The first and third nights are spent in a suite at the very elegant Azalai Desert Lodge set in the palm grove of Zagora ( it can also be arranged to describe a loop and return to Marrakech via a different route, maintaining the same duration). The second night is spent inside a 20 square meter ( 215 square feet) luxury desert tent with en-suite toilet and shower in the most remote dunes of Moroccan Sahara. On the way to the Sahara, you will cross the High Atlas at 2300 meters ( 7500 feet) high, visit UNESCO world site Ait Benhaddou, the Kasbahs of the south, Biblical adobe villages, wind along mythical Draa Valley, stop by the oasis, walk through the palm groves, watch emerald- colored pottery being baked at Tamegroute, visit the Jewish ksour in Amezrou, uncover honey- combed ksours, ride a camel into the Sahara, sleep in the desert under the starriest sky, awe at the ruined Pasha’s pasha’s palace – all highlights of a bespoke trip of Morocco.

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Best time to visit Morocco for a Sahara overnight ? 

February to April, if you can make it. Temperatures are cooler at night and very pleasant day- time. So is October to mid December, but photography- wise there is dust in the air. Mid December to February can be cold at night ( close to 0 Celsius, athough you will be quite warm cuddled up under the duvets), but so rewarding for those that wish to avoid the crowds ( outside of winter holidays).

Is Sahara one of the best places to visit in Morocco ?

You bet. I’ve stayed in a desert camp a dozen times since I’ve settled in Morocco back in 2006 and it never gets old. Sahara still stirs up my most intense emotions, sitting there on the top of the dunes, engrossed in the immensity of sand. If anything, it is even more compelling now, after the year we all had in 2020. It is possibly the most befitting location to forget all about virtual museum visits, mask wearing and social distancing. 

Should we include this on our honeymoon ?

Oh yes. If you can, try and spend two nights in a row. The particular dunes of Erg Chigaga offer a complete immersion into the desert setting, unlike the dunes of Erg Chebbi. Visit a nomad school, have tea with a nomad family, look for water wells, pluck out fossils, meander aimlessly around the dunes or try and hike the tallest one, you won’t feel time passing you by. To not mention the Mily Way night…

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The rates for the 4 day private tour from Marrakech to the luxury desert camp and back are:

975 €/ 1160 US $/ 835 £ per person ( junior suite & luxury tent with en suite shower and toilet);

Our rates include:

– private use of the English fluent driver- guide & modern air- conditioned Toyota 4×4;
– boutique/ luxury hotel accommodation for 2 nights at Azalai desert lodge, Zagora;
– Sahara camel trek and private luxury tent for 1 night at Azalai desert Camp, Erg Chigaga;
– 3 three- course- meal dinners and 3 breakfasts for 2 persons;
– airport or hotel pick- up and drop- off;
– private guided visit of a palm grove or trek in the High Atlas with local guide;
– refreshing drinks inside the vehicle all along the itinerary;
– local English speaking guides;
– admission fees to all local sites and attractions;
– 24 hours travel assistance;
– gasoline and transport insurance;
– VAT and visitors tax.

WHY SHOULD YOU BOOK WITH US

# We are based in Morocco since 2006 and no, we don’t work from home :). We scout for the most unique sites & local experiences all year round. We present these on our blogFacebook and Instagram  pages. And only a travel agent based in Morocco can keep you up to date with latest travel restrictions within Morocco or how to get the fastest PCR test;

# We anonymously test, hand- pick and continuously update the best boutique and luxury hotels, Riads , eco lodges and Kasbahs across Morocco;

# We strive to bring you most authentic experiences. Some of them are unique: private flight to the Sahara; visit of a medina with a local university teacher; mechoui with a nomad family;

# 1 percent of our receipts go towards local projects, like help educate girls from rural Morocco or restoring the agadirs of southern Morocco;

# we accept payments by credit card, PayPal, bank transfer and, in the near future, alternative coins;

# we are on hand 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, before and during your tour, by email, phone or Skype/ Zoom.

Ready to create your unique Morocco tour? Get in touch here with our on- the- ground team in Morocco.

 

Sun Trails
5.0
Based on 24 reviews
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Zach TobinZach Tobin
22:16 29 Jan 23
Traveling alone internationally with a 7-year-old for the first time had me a bit nervous, but Sun Trails made our week-long visit to Morocco a flawless and unforgettable experience (we toured the south of the country). Daoud was an exceptional driver through all sorts of terrain while also being so kind, patient, and personable to my daughter and me. The accommodations, food, and activities throughout were excellent in terms of value. I would recommend Sun Trails to anyone who is looking to have an incredible time in Morocco.
gosia lukomskagosia lukomska
13:46 29 Jan 23
We had the trip of a lifetime with Cristian's company. We feel like we made life long friends with his amazing guides who are knowledgeable, kind, and excellent at their profession. The hotels that he chose were boutique gems and our itinerary was so well executed. We even had some surprise desert picnics! The attention to detail and level of customer service surpassed our expectations. I would highly recommend anyone visiting Morocco to do so with this company.
Henri OrmusHenri Ormus
19:43 15 Jan 23
We had a great off-the-beaten-track experience with our guides Majid, Daoud, Leila and rest of the crew. The whole trip was well organized and our wishes were handled with care. Our group of adventurers got some very real local experience. We had too many interesting experiences to describe but of course the Western Sahara desert hike was superb (but I would recommend definitely 3 days instead of 2 days what we did) but actually the best was the hike in the deserty mountains with staying overnight in large tent carried by donkey... beautiful landscapes, very different actually, over the hills and through the valleys and dried-out rivers. One evening dinner was a goat bought from local nomads once arrived at the camping site. End of the hike was beautiful pools of water to swim in. Thank you Sun-Trails crew, it was great! Henri from Estonia
Rob MRob M
22:51 27 Dec 22
I highly recommend Sun Trails for your Morocco adventure. Our guide, Mustafa, was top notch and an incredibly fun and knowledgeable person for our 6-day journey from Marrakesh to Fes (via Merzouga). Sun Trails has some fantastic vehicles that can get you through the toughest terrain (including through sand dunes). The staff seem to know someone or something cool to see (or something delicious to eat) in just about every town on your journey. We felt safe and secure with our wonderful guide and friend. Yes, a private tour with Sun Trails is going to cost a bit more than the ones you may stumble across online. But trust me when I say you get what you pay for with Sun Trails. I’ve already recommended them several times to friends and strangers.
Kristi HarmarKristi Harmar
08:09 03 May 22
I wish I could give this review more than 5 stars. We are doing a world tour - and this trip with Suntrails (with Daoud as our guide) is by far the highlight of the entire trip. We did a 4 day tour to the Erg Chigaga dunes in the Sahara and it was incredible. The accommodations, sights and car were great but what made this trip so amazing for us was our guide, Daoud. In order to see the things we wanted, we had several long days in the car and we did the trip with 2 small children (2 and 5). Daoud was fantastic with our kids - playing with them and entertaining them and the kids are still asking me to see him 2 months later.We decided on the "dreamer" level of accommodation with an upgrade to a luxury tent for the night in the Sahara. I deliberated a lot about which level/price point to choose but what we chose was perfect. The tagines were amazing and the riads were beautiful. Cristian took care (and a lot of emails) to help me include everything I requested out of this trip: camel riding, adventure off the beaten track, hiking to a kasbah, etc. Our guide, Daoud even walked to the next closest desert camp to find us a sand board one morning.I could go on and on about this experience but I will just say that I have recommended it to anyone I have spoken to about Morocco. I never repeat trips but I am planning a future trip to come back to Morocco just to do another trip with Suntrails to explore more of the country off the beaten track.