Dunes desert Gobi in Morocco.

For a more adventurous holiday in Morocco, the desert in the south east of Morocco is well worth the long journey. It is a highly scenic and atmospheric region with breathtaking sights such as gorges, stony desert, stunning earth architecture and peaceful palmeries, as well as the spectacular Saharan sand dunes.

The Region

The Moroccan Sahara offers far more than sand dunes. For visitors who find the time to travel to this area of great beauty and peace - we suggest a minimum of 5 days - the reward is an exciting mix of scenic gorges and valleys, dunes, beautiful oasis towns and a culture distinct from that in the north of Morocco. Many areas have a stunning backdrop of the Atlas Mountains, which you need to cross to access the desert from Marrakech, Taroudant and Fez.

The Sahara, the largest arid desert in the world, starts in Morocco with a mixture of sand and rock. It is a vast area, but one that is readily accessible from other parts of Morocco if a visitor has sufficient time to travel the vast distances involved.

Weather

The climate of this area varies a great deal due to its vast size and variations in altitude – much of it is mountainous - but a safe rule is that the deep desert is too hot for most visitors in June-September though cooler areas such as Skoura are more comfortable. The climate becomes more extreme as you go inland and further south.