The best Sahara desert tour from Agadir – The complete itinerary

The Sahara desert; the largest desert in the world! Famed for it’s mountainous wrinkled orange dunes, wild camels riding across it’s horizon and tent made settlements completed with nomadic homes that host locals and tourists alike. It’s easily a must visit place when exploring North Africa.

Regardless of where you go in Morocco, you will notice that tours are heavily pressured and you’re told that you’re receiving a “great sale” which is made from all kinds of weird and wonderful people. This can make it difficult to know where to start and how legitimate some companies are. Thankfully we did our research and found the perfect tour company from Agadir which cost 482 dirhams ($72 AUD) for a whole day of exploration.

The tour ended up being one of the highlights of my trip to Morocco. We were not only taken to the desert, but were also taken off the beaten track to coastal villages and a traditional Berber mud brick hut for a tagine meal which immersed us into the real life of a Moroccan.

Here’s everything you need to know about the tour and what to expect!

8am – Starting the Journey

They will pick you up at the destination you requested online, this is most likely to be a hotel or resort. They state that they will pick you up at 8am but this time can vary over the period of 30 minutes, so don’t worry if they are late.

There’s enough room for 6 people within the four wheel drive, so this is a great way to make friends. We were fortunate enough to explore alongside of two French couples where I practiced my French – there lack of anyway.

9am – Pottery and tagine store

Our first stop was at a pottery store that made anything from elaborate tagine pots to jewellery boxes and knick knacks to take home. Something so simple turned out to be an incredible insight of the everyday life of the Moroccan person.

You will enter back of the store where you are met with piles of terracotta enclosed within the gates of a traditional Moroccan Riad. Here you can explore the processes of how the famed Moroccan pottery and decor is created from clay harvesting to painting intricate mosaics on the pottery. At the end you walk through the stores to find thousands of incredible products to purchase. The shop is a lot cheaper than anywhere else we had been in Morocco. Therefore if you are looking for a souvenir, opt for here rather than a souk.

10am – Four wheel drive through the Sahara

We travelled further south toward the West coastline which was bare desert specked in green shrub and the odd goat. Our driver made a sharp turn left and hit the accelerator off the beaten track which was unexpected, but a thrilling highlight to the trip.

Between the 7 of us being thrown around the car caused by the slippery dunes and our drivers lead foot, we got the occasional (poor quality) snap and video of the orange abyss that dramatically surrounded us until we headed toward scenic cliffs that dropped onto a long stretch of golden beach.

10:30am – Explore the seaside village of Aglou

The golden beach just happens to play host to a sleepy fishing village where clusters of beach ‘cottages’ are etched into the side of cliffs, overlooking blue crashing waves which begged to be swam in and we agreeably did.

A Moroccan fisher man is located at the entrance of the walk down to the beach where he will invite you into his traditional beach hut for a small fee where he will allow you to explore his hut, sit on his balcony and pour mint tea out of his Moroccan tea pot.

11:30 – A glimpse of the real Morocco

After we dried off our salty toes, we head again further south, driving through villages where tourists are not in sight which gives an incredible insight of the traditional Moroccan lifestyle.

Here you can see men loading their donkeys with crops, women cropping the fields and children playing in the streets and greeting the tour guides with their huge grins. The village lines the river that stretches all the way to the Atlas mountains.

12 noon – Camel ride in the Sahara

We stopped at a hill where dunes had been crafted by wind and sand which is a perfect photo opportunity. Unfortunately it is noon and the lighting is harsh so if you’re looking for world class photos – this probably isn’t the place.

There are camels decorated in beautiful Moroccan dressings which can be ridden. Although in good health, I am personally against animals being used for entertainment, however, I am never object to giving an ear scratch and admiring the animal in a desert habitat where I snapped a few shots.

It is important to note that it costs 20 dirhams to ride on the camels which is not covered by the cost you pay so keep some spare change.

1pm – Lunch in a Berber hut

Hungry and thirsty from spending time in the desert, we visited a local Moroccan village memorably called Berber where we stopped at a traditional Berber mud brick home.

As we walked into the pleasantly cooling home, we were greeted with friendly Moroccan faces who cleansed out hands with water from silver teapots and escorted to the dining room which was mesmerising.

Decorated with geometric red rugs, earthy tones, low rise tables and pillows as seats, we sat sat down to begin out quintessentially Moroccan dining experience, completed with no other than fresh tagine and a cinnamon dessert. It is important to let the guide know at the beginning of the trip of any dietary requirements. Myself and another were made our own vegetarian tagine which was incredible.

The meals are included in the cost of the tour, but drinks are not. So hold onto some change if your planning on purchasing a drink from the Berber home.

3:30pm mine

After a visiting the Berber home, we finally were full and relaxed when we embarked on a river from the loft heights of desert cliffs. It’s a simple yet mesmerising experience to see how vibrant the blue river water is in comparison to the terracotta desert, making for a scenic landscape snap.

We also got to chat with our driver who spoke great English and French, who provided us with some interesting facts about Morocco in addition to some helpful recommendations.

4pm – visit the ancient city of Tiznit

Located half an hour South of Agadir is the ancient civilisation of Tiznit. Although already established, the village was recognised by Sultan Hasaan I in the 1800’s due to its reputation of gold and silver. For this reason, Tiznit is known for it’s beautiful jewellery which is still being hand crafted to this day.

The old ‘cities’ mosque, palace and Medina is still enclosed by it’s terracotta walls which makes for some picturesque views. You can also wander the old stores outside which sell jewellery and other knick kacks available for purchase.

5pm – Back to Agadir

By 5pm you will enter back to Agadir and be taken back to the destination that you were picked up from. It is expected to tip the guide around 7% of the overall cost (or whatever you have available from the day).