M’Hamid Desert Tours: Camel Treks & Erg Chigaga
Desert tours from M’Hamid with Sahara Wonders. Camel treks, 4x4 to Erg Chigaga, tea by the fire and big sky nights—guided by Berber nomads.
Tripadvisor reviews...
TerezaDavid
April 2024
Amazing experience!
We got a recommendation for a Sahara tour and the phone number of Aziz, whom I contacted the day before we wanted to go. He was super nice, spending time answering all my questions and managed to organize Ali who took us for a 24-hour long trip to Sahara - starting from Foum Zguid. It was everything that was promised and even more, we felt welcomed and well cared of. Thank you again for an amazing experience and I hope we are coming back!
Lolo R
March 2024
Great place and great hosts by the Sahara
Great location and value if you are looking to spend a few days in the Sahara, which is simply breathtaking. Aziz and his brother were very welcoming, friendly and helped me during my stay getting around the town. Thanks!
Gail H
February 2024
Extraordinary Airbnb Host and Desert Guide
I was a guest at Aziz's house in 2020 and very happy to return recently for two weeks. Aziz is a wonderful Airbnb host and and guide; he is kind, enjoyable to spend time with and makes sure guests are happy every day. His brother Hassan works with him as co-host at his home, making and serving the breakfast every day. Their mother bakes all the breads and preserves the olives served at breakfast, and one of their sisters bakes some delicious small sweet cakes, one that is dipped in chocolate. The brothers were born in the desert and lived as nomads with their parents, six siblings, and roughly fifty extended family members. When Azis and Hassan were seven and five years old, the collective family decided to give up their nomadic lifestyle and settle down in the small village of Mhamid, there they live today. Mhamid is a wonderful place to take it easy before and after visiting the Sahara Desert with Aziz, who loves sharing the land of his birth and stories about his childhood in the desert with visitors. It's the place he feels calmest and in sync with nature, and you will, too. There are only two access points into the Moroccan Sahara. One is from Merzouga and the other is from Mhamid, which gets you to the least visited, most remote and widest dunes of southern Morocco, the El Chicaga dunes. I was captivated by wildlife encounters and the unique perspective Aziz offers as a guide. We encountered wild goats, ostriches, and camels, and rare bird species, and Aziz's answers to my questions about these creatures and their behaviors were fascinating and far more detailed than I expected. Overnights in the tented desert camp include delicious meals, hiking and camel rides into the high dunes, and the ultimate solitude and photo opportunities. My desert trip with Aziz ranks high on my growing list of cultural adventures I highly recommend.
Nicolás G
December 2023
Fantastic nomad and dessert experience!! A Must in Morocco!
Staying in M'Hamid and the trip to Erg Chigaga was fantastic. Thanks, Aziz for looking after us so well. The experience in M'Hamid was great and the trip to Erg Chigaga was so mindblowing. Accommodation in M'Hamid 10/10 Breakfast 10/10 Dinner 10/10 Overnight Trip to Erg Chigaga (all inclusive) 10/10 We spent 4 nights (including New Year's Eve) 2 nights in one house, 1 night in camp in dessert and 1 night in another house. All of them were great. We were travelling 7 people (2 families with young kids), and we were all delighted with the kind help of Aziz and his family. Hassan was always ready to help us with any need. I would recommend to any family travelling to that area to book accommodation and experiences with Azis. They were very professional. Thanks, Asis and Hassan for making this trip a wonderful experience for all the family. I don't usually write reviews but I feel the experience that we had was so good that people should not miss on the experience My kids can't wait to go to the dessert and repeat!!
Freedom59916800256
January 2024
Good knowledge
Good conversation with english and french, knowledge of the environment, no cheeting, sources in a family of nomads
Climber55060021749
January 2024
An amazing exeperience, a really great guide!
Our experience with Aziz was excellent. He and his brother Hassan are really kind and attentive hosts, and with them we experienced a taste of the life in M'hamid and the desert. We spent a couple of nights on the house at the outskirts of M'hamid. The house is wonderful, with its earthen walls, its patio and its vernacular architecture. We enjoyed specially an evening with some children of the neighbourhood and the incredible sky at night. On the second day, Aziz came to pick us with the 4x4 and, after a 3 hour trip with some stops and a lot of interesting explanations about the nomad way of life, the threats climate change and the building of dams pose to life on that zone and some other questions we asked, we arrived at the camp. We were stunned by it; we expected to find a basic place and instead we found a luxury one; the tents are so big and the beds so comfortable. Moreover, it's surrounded by the incredible dunes of Erg Chigaga, where we saw an unbelievable sunset. When we came back to the camp, there was a band playing beautiful touareg music. Then we ate a really good dinner and went out again to find an incredible night sky while we listened to the live music. In the morning, we saw the dawn, ate breakfast and then started the return to M'hamid. We're so happy to have decided to visit Aziz, he's a great host and guide, and we're so grateful to him and his family for all they've teached us about their way of life and their places and for their incredible hospitality. Sukran, Aziz!
Kira W
December 2023
Sahara dream come true
A real introduction to the wild sahara and a lot of beautiful good conversations:-))) we had such a good time, I would recommend to anyone visiting the area!!! Thank you 🙏
reginaehlers
December 2023
Experience nomadic life!
We had a very amazing time staying in Mohamed's place right at the border of M'Hamid and the desert. He welcomed us with a lovely vegetarian dinner. The next day we went on a 2 day desert trip that he organised for us. It was a memorable experience! Walking, riding camels, driving in a 4x4, right into what felt like the deep desert. A very authentic experience, lovely company, incredible scenery. Highly recommended!
Ella G
September 2023
A must do in Morocco!
We had an absolutely wonderful time on this tour. Our guide Smail was so welcoming, kind, patient and a lot of fun! He completely went above and beyond to show us wonderful viewpoints, tell us interesting facts and stories, and point out even the tiniest of details. If you're concerned about the driving time...don't be! The journey itself through the mountains and Draa valley to the end of the road in M'Hamid and then off road to the dunes was just as much a highlight - from communities in the Atlas Mountains to small pottery factories on the edge of the Sahara. Driving off road for a few hours to reach the camp near Erg Chigaga was an unforgettable experience and the dunes themselves were simply breathtaking. Learning about the Nomadic lifestyle was fascinating. Sahara Wonders provided us with a well constructed and adventurous trip to the Sahara! 100% recommend if you are in Morocco.
FarAway4963895769
October 2022
Good Pick for Mhamid
The handling of the sahara tour was satisfactory. The place is on the edge of town, but it is walking distance to the center. Host was nice and helpful, and communication was easy. His cousin even took us for a sunset walk across the river to see ruins of the old settlement.
Herb
February 2023
Wonderful Desert Stay
We had a lovely stay with Mohamed, who was extremely welcoming and attentive, from meeting us at the Bus Station to providing many pots of tea and a delicious breakfast. We also arranged a separate Sahara tour experience with him and it went wonderfully, music, campfire, desert dunes and camels... The works! I don't think we would have had anywhere near as good an experience in M'hamid if it hadn't been for him. We only spoke English and felt like he could deal with our many questions, both practical questions for our stay but also helping with our interest in the area. It's not often you find such a friendly and proactive host!
Natalia S
April 2023
Wonderful Experience in the Moroccan Desert!
We had a wonderful time visiting the desert! We booked with Aziz and ended up going with his brother Ali. He made sure we had everything we needed and that we were well looked after. Aziz also helped us to arrange taxi transfer from Ouarzazate airport, and welcomed us at his home before heading into the desert by 4x4. We saw camels and the changing landscape on the way to the desert which was extraordinary. When we arrived at the dunes, we had time to explore, take pictures and wander around. There were sand board provided too but we were so excited to look around that we completely forgot to use them! The camp itself is much better than I expected! The tents are large with double beds, and there is an outhouse with western style toilets, running water and showers (which I did not expect, but was very glad for!). We watched the sun set over the dunes and had dinner under the stars. Food and water was included in the price we paid. I was initially a little nervous about spending the night in the desert, for anyone who is considering but is unsure: do it!! you will not regret if you go with Aziz! The only slight negative is that because I booked outside of tripadvisor, part of the money I paid went missing in the international banking system and I think we ended up paying a bit more than we expected, but I guess sometimes these things cannot be helped haha. Bottom line is I would definitely recommend this experience!
Foxy Mags
March 2023
Amazing Desert Experience
The stay in Mhamid was amazing! Aziz was a wonderful host, he was very welcoming! It truly felt like home. He also arrange an overnight trip to the desert-we rode camels, had delicious food, campfire and songs, played in the dunes and slept in a tent. It was really was an experience of a lifetime! I look forward to visiting Aziz and Mhamid again one day!
Amanda S
July 2023
Bucket List
Thank you, Aziz and Mohamed for an absolutely sensational trip. We honestly didn't know very much about Morocco when we first arrived in Marrakesh and the city was a little overwhelming, but as soon as Mohamed arrived to start our tour, the pace slowed down, we learned so much, and we enjoyed Mohamed's company immensely. We learned about the way cities are structured, the culture of the Berbers and the nomads, the history of the Kasbahs, the agricultural regions, and lots of personal stories of what it's like to live and grow up in a small town close to the Sahara. Thank you Mohamed so much for sharing your personal story with us and giving us a lens into what it was like to grow up in such a special place on this planet. There really are no words for how spectacular and intense the Sahara desert is. We also loved all the other places we got to see! The mule ride and hiking in the Dades Gorge, the hamam in Casablanca, the beach time in Essaouira. The whole trip was like a gift. Thank you Aziz and Mohammed for your incredible hospitality, flexibility, and kindness on our journey with you. We will never forget it!!!
Sergi G
August 2023
Amazing Desert Experience
We did a 3 day tour from Marrakech to Erg Chigaga spending one night in the desert camp. The tour was very interesting, Ismail was very professional and a good driver. The car was a well equipped 4x4. He gave us explanations about the Nomads and the Berbers and we made stops during the trip in very nice locations like Ait-Ben-Haddou or palm groves in the Draa valley. The desert days were the best, where we could spot some wildlife and take pictures of the amazing dunes. Also ride dromedaries. The days were extremely hot (beg August), the team at the camp put the bed outside of the tent so we could be more "fresh", still difficult with temperatures around 40. The hotel at M'Hamid had a nice swimming pool and the food was good in all the places we stopped. Also Ismail always checked with us if we wanted to stop at some cooperative/shops or not, which I appreciated. In a nutshell a very enriching experience with a knowledgeable guide (Nomad himself) which made us enjoy a lot this Sahara desert trip. I'd wish to come back in autumn-winter. Inshallah! ;)
Camel Trips
Take a 1 to 6 day trip in the desert on the backs of camels! Engage on a wondrous adventure, lead by none other than Aziz himself.
4x4 Trips
Get to see many places and bumpy roads during the 2-3 day ride through the desert with the 4x4!
Erg Chigaga Desert Trips
Experience the magical Erg Chigaga dunes with our 2-day trips from M'Hamid, offering both wild camping and desert camp options.
Yoga Retreat
Find your center in the heart of the Sahara with our upcoming yoga and meditation retreats led by Aziz.
Festival
Experience the rich cultural celebrations of the Sahara through the Taragalte and other festivals in M'Hamid.