During our road trip in Morocco in November/December, we’re planning to spend a night at the Hassilabied dunes around November 10th.
We don’t want to sleep in a camp, go on a camel trek, or do a 4x4 tour—we just want to stay right at the foot of the dunes so we can walk around on our own, on foot, at sunrise and sunset. It seems like Hassilabied is better located for this (closer to the dunes) than Merzouga.
Do you know of any clean accommodation with hot water, not too rustic but not too "bling-bling" either, and—most importantly—ideally located right in front of the dunes?
Thanks so much for your tips!
Fran
Thanks so much for the tip.
We’re still a bit torn about Hassilabied. The area is apparently really beautiful, but very busy. That doesn’t bother us in itself, but we’re a bit worried about the engines and the noise. We’re coming more for the beauty of the landscapes than for the pools, 4x4s, and parties.
Unless it’s quieter in mid-November?
The periods from November to mid-December and January to mid-February are the quietest in Morocco in terms of tourist traffic. So you’ve picked a good time.
However, around Merzouga, you’ll still hear/see quads and 4x4s used by tourists (even if there aren’t many) and by locals who use them as everyday transport. But in the dunes themselves, it should be peaceful.
There are hostels accessible via good tracks (maybe even paved roads now) located right in the middle of the dunes, mostly to the north of the erg.
Personally, I’d avoid Hassilabied because the hostels are practically side by side along the erg. There are also a few hostels at the foot of the dunes in the village of Merzouga, which is much quieter than Hassilabied.
I forgot:
I highly recommend arriving in Merzouga in the afternoon (before nightfall, at any rate). The approach to the erg by road is magical. You just keep getting closer and closer—it goes on and on... and that’s a good thing. It’s beautiful!
Thanks a million, Murielle, you gave us a great tip.
After poking around a bit on Google Maps and a few sites, right in the middle of the dunes north of the erg as you suggested, we found exactly what we needed. There’s no tarmac to get there, but we checked—it’s doable. And we’ll be far enough from Hassilabied to enjoy the silence.
Thanks for the info; we thought the only options in the sand were luxury camps, which don’t really excite us.
We’ll actually be arriving in the afternoon via Rissani. Hope the approach is as amazing as you described!
Hi everybody,
I am also interested to visit Erg Chebbi as described by Fran and Murielle. Could you please indicate the name of hostel you found in the middle of the dunes north of the erg?
Thanks in advance
Isabelle
Hi,
Morocco is absolutely stunning. But it's a victim of overtourism!!
And now, even in winter, it's almost like St. TROPEZ.
Merzouga is nearly at the top of the list!! Still worth seeing, though!!
I hope you can wait untill Thursday, as we will arrive at Hassilabied on Wednesday. I'll be able to give you more accurate information once we've spent the night there.
Best regards
Fran
Now that we've been to Hassilabied I can give you more indications.
Our 1rst recommendation: check the weather forecasts before you go all the way to Hassilabied/Merzouga. Yesterday afternoon and evening we've had a sandstorm, the dunes were almost invisible. Had we known it in advance, I'm not sure we've had travelled so much to see so little. The weather was better this morning when we left, the wind had fallen but still the sun was very pale, all the area was really foggy and the dunes were (more or less) visible, but not with the superb orange color you generally see on the pics.
2nd point: we cannot recommend the place we've been to. There's lots to say about it, some pros and (more) cons, but first of all: it's too far from the high orange dunes, there's no chance you can see them from this point. There's sand of course, but very small sand dunes, pale color; it looks more like any beach anywhere. As we've been back to Hassilabied this morning, I've checked which places could be suitable, i.e. I've looked for quiet places far enough from the buzz around Hassilabied, but still located near the big orange dunes. There are several places in the sand - you can get there trough trails, but they seem easy enough for a normal car - around the Auberge du Sud (GPS N 31° 12,602'; W 004° 01,430') - it's about 5-8 km north from Hassilabied, on the right side when you drive on the main road from Hassilabied direction Erfoud. Of course we've tested none of these places. I think you can check on Google Maps and read comments on them. I'm not sure they are cheap, but their location is really good. One important point: don't stay further north than this point, or you'll not be anymore located in the interesting zone.
If you have more questions dont hesitate - if I have connexion I can answer.
Thank you Fran for your detailed report. Really sorry you didn't enjoy. Yes, sandstorms may destroy the experience but they are not supposed in November! Anyway, i will follow your advise, check the weather and don't travel further north of Hassilabieb. Thanks again for sharing
After months of chronic indecision (wavering between at least 15 countries ), I was initially going to Martinique, but in the end, it’ll be a trip to discover Tunisia—just 10 days for now. The dates are tentatively March 10–20, 2008, but they’re not completely finalized yet. I’m traveling with a friend.
I’ve already browsed the forum a bit—it’s packed with great info, so now I just need to sort through it all 😛. That said, I have a quick question: could anyone recommend a place for renting a car?
Otherwise, if you have any tips, I’d love to hear them! I’m a total beginner when it comes to planning trips, and this is my first one (gotta start somewhere, right? lol ).
Thanks in advance 😉
We’re planning a trip to Egypt from January 21 to 28, 2027.
J21 – Arrival in Cairo at 6 PM
V22 – Visit the Pyramids
S23 – Early flight to Aswan, visit Aswan
D24 – Visit Aswan, depart mid-afternoon for Abu Simbel
L25 – Morning visit to Abu Simbel, return to Aswan. Is it possible to go all the way to Luxor the same day? Private driver between Aswan and Luxor
M26 – Visit Luxor
M27 – Visit Luxor
J28 – Early flight to Cairo, arrive around 9–10 AM, head back into the city to see 1 or 2 museums (probably just 1 due to time), then flight to Lyon at 7 PM
Does this itinerary seem realistic to you? Does it cover the highlights?
During our trip to Egypt at the end of January, beginning of February, we plan to visit the White Desert and nearby oases for 3 to 4 days, starting from Cairo.
If my initial agency searches weren't conclusive, I now have a "too many options" situation.
Here’s an alphabetical list of my first findings.
If you’ve had any experience (good or bad) with any of these agencies in the White Desert:
Hello, my husband and I will be in Egypt this coming November. Cairo seems more challenging to explore without a guide, and we’ll be there for 3 full days. Would anyone have the name of a guide?
Thanks!
Hi
It's hard to tell from Maps or anything else whether the road along the Tessaout is fully paved from Amezri all the way to the junction with the road connecting Demnate to Ouarzazate (RN23).
Thanks for your replies!
Herviche
Here’s a first draft for a 14-night itinerary during the Christmas break with two teens. We’re especially fond of hiking (nothing too extreme, though), which is why we’re drawn to the south.
- Marrakech (2 nights)
- Aït Ben Haddou (1 night)
- Dadès (3 nights, though we’re thinking of doing a day trip to the Todra Gorge on one of those days)
- M'hamid (1 night)
- Erg Chigaga (1 night)
- 4 nights to slot in
- Marrakech (2 nights)
Okay, I realize this involves a lot of driving, and we’re still debating the return route since we’d like to avoid the Tichka Pass in January, but going through Taroudant seems like it would add *a lot* of time. 😕
If you’ve got other suggestions for an itinerary with great hikes, I’m all ears!
Also, the 4 nights total in MRK isn’t really our preference, but since we’re arriving/departing super early from overseas, we’d like to be a bit rested before the long flight.
Another question:
For hikes (aside from the desert one), is it better to have a guide with us, or are the trails well-marked?
Hi there!
I’m heading to Dakhla at the end of October for about two weeks as a backpacker.
Without renting a car or booking pricey excursions, what are the best ways to get around and explore?
I’ve heard that the small taxis only cover limited routes outside the city center, and the local buses might be tricky...
Thanks to anyone who knows the area and can share their tips for nature and culture in this up-and-coming destination!
Laurence
Hi, I’m planning a 10-day trip to Morocco starting on 12/30 with my parents, and I’d love your thoughts on the itinerary. Since I’m traveling with my parents, who are 78, I’m trying to keep train rides between cities short. I’d like to start with 4 days in FES (with Meknès nearby), then head to Casablanca for 2 days, and finish with 4 days in Marrakech, including a day trip or overnight stay in Essaouira. Thanks for your input!
Hi, we're looking for a guide to show us around Essaouira.
We're 11 adults and don't want to go through an agency. If you have a contact to help us discover this city, that would be great!
Thanks
I’m currently planning several trips to Morocco (Marrakech, Draa Valley, Merzouga) and I’m wondering about the reliability of data connections outside major urban centers.
Here’s what I’ve observed on the ground so far:
- In cities (Marrakech, Agadir, Fez), 4G is excellent, including in the medina riads.
- On the Tizi n'Tichka road and toward Ouarzazate, coverage remains decent, with a few dead spots here and there.
- In Saharan areas (Merzouga, Chegaga), the connection becomes patchy: some camps get great reception, others none at all.
My specific questions:
1) On your recent trips, which operator (Maroc Telecom, inwi, Orange) gave you the best coverage in the Atlas and Sahara?
2) Have international eSIMs seemed as reliable as a local Moroccan SIM, or have you noticed a difference in speed in rural areas?
3) While trekking or driving a 4x4 in the desert, have you come across completely dead zones despite theoretical coverage?
I’m happy to share my own coverage notes if it helps, and I’ll gladly answer any questions about Morocco—I know it well.
I’m heading back to Egypt for the first time in 30 years this July. Last time, I was 20, and we spent two weeks traveling on a shoestring as backpackers.
I’m wondering about a "cruise" on a felucca from Aswan—mainly to avoid being stuck in an air-conditioned tourist bubble (we’re already spending our first week in that setting with our diving club). We’d like to explore the most interesting stretch of the Nile between Aswan and Luxor. Do you have any thoughts on this option, tips, or maybe some contacts?
I was wondering if it’s possible to join a group as a solo traveler with local agencies in Djanet for circuits like Tadrart, Essendilene, Sefar, or Tassili?
If you have any agencies to recommend, I’d love to hear about them.
I didn’t find any info on the forum.
Best,
Hi everyone,
Our trip to Morocco will be from November 3 to 17, in the High Atlas.
Basically, our route would be:
Marrakech - Aït Benhaddou
Skoura - Tinghir - Merzouga
Merzouga via the N12 to Zagora
Zagora - Draa Valley - Marrakech
It seems to be the low season, so I’d love to travel without having to book accommodations in advance. In other countries, pre-booking has restricted us and kept us from visiting unplanned sites. Freedom is important to us, but I’d also like to avoid arriving somewhere and finding nothing available.
What do you recommend? Book ahead or not?
Your advice is always helpful, and thanks to anyone who can shed some light on this for me.
Roberto
First of all: a big thank you to everyone whose insightful, funny, lively, and exotic posts we’ve enjoyed. It’s a joy to find such lovely writers on this forum, who’ve given me tons of ideas and addresses to prepare our trip.
Our plan: to explore Morocco from November 2nd to December 4th. We’ll have our own vehicle (a 2011 Renault Grand Scenic, in great condition), shipped with us from Sète to Tanger Med. Returning from Nador.
Our profile: 75 and 62 years young, so old but happy to be, in very good health. Seasoned travelers—it’s practically our whole life. Lovers of beautiful landscapes, historic sites, fine craftsmanship, and road trips. This will be my 3rd trip to Morocco, but the first two were 20 and 17 years ago. I’ve never been north of the Essaouira-Marrakech line (though I’ve gone further south). As for my husband, a lifelong expat including in Muslim countries, it’s his first time in Morocco.
He’s the one driving. He’s very experienced, cautious, not necessarily fast, but used to driving in all conditions (and countries, including the most creative on the road). But I don’t want to tire him out, and he no longer drives at night (and we’ll be there in November).
I’ve decided to show him a bit of everything by taking a road trip along beautiful backroads, with daily distances averaging 180-200 km (except on highways, which will be rare), regularly broken up by rest days. I’m counting on a speed of 40-50 km/h, plus stops/visits along the way.
Since I’ve read so many posts, I’ve narrowed it down to some very specific questions.
1) Coming directly from Rabat via the highway, we’d prefer to skip Marrakech*. Still, we’ll need to sleep somewhere nearby. We’ll head toward Skoura the next day. Does anyone have a well-located address for this route, possibly east of Marrakech? Ideally, we’re looking for a small town, easy parking, clean accommodation (minimum) with average comfort (or better if available), a bit heated, and if possible, pretty and/or nice—but above all, a place to sleep well, wash with lukewarm (ideally hot) water, and have a decent dinner.
(*Explanation for the "no-go" in Marrakech: it’s a shame, because there are truly beautiful things in this city, but I think the vibe won’t suit us—it’s an understatement for "it’ll put us off" / "make us flee" / "traumatize us." Not because it’s too crowded and we want to stand out from tourists (we’re part of them), but because of forced henna on your hand, or spending 10 minutes every quarter-hour saying "no thank you" to a "guide" who’s as much a guide as I am a trapeze artist. Knowing us, it’ll wear us down. The country is vast and beautiful, and our time too short to waste our memories just days after arriving. And I don’t want to ruin things for my peaceful husband, or he’ll demand we turn back—and Sète in November isn’t exactly thrilling either.)
2) Which route to Skoura (in 2 days)? I see two options: either via the Tichka Pass, with a night in Telouet before reaching Skoura, or via the R307/N23 from Demnate, with a night near Megdaz before descending to Skoura. So: Tichka Pass or R307/N23? I have a slight (big) preference for the second option, even though I know the other route is very beautiful too. Of course, before deciding, we’ll check the weather and the current state of the R307/N23—does anyone know where to get info on the road conditions? But even assuming the road is "passable," is it a bit too tough in itself? In short, is it reasonable? If a kind soul could share their experience, a thousand thanks in advance.
That’s all I’ve written for now. I’ll save the other questions for later posts. Thanks again to those who had the patience to read this and to those who can respond. Happy Sunday to all!
I’m just a few days away from my trip to Marrakech—I’m leaving from November 13th to 20th and bringing my parents along! I’d love to plan my stay as best as I can, and I’m sure the forum crew can help. So, here are my questions:
- Where’s the best place to exchange money without getting ripped off? The owner of the riad where we’re staying told us to avoid doing it at the airport because it’s really expensive and to do it in the medina instead, near Jemaa el-Fna square.
- Which traditional hammams do you recommend that are reasonably priced? How much should we budget for one? That’ll help me plan my expenses.
- What are some nice restaurants in the medina?
- I’d also like to know roughly how much to expect for a tea, a meal, a taxi, a djellaba, and babouches. I don’t want to get overcharged and would like to know what to expect.
- What are the must-do activities and places to visit?
Hi, I’d like to head to Morocco next week with my car. I’ve looked online at all the different info about the ferry crossing to Tangier, but I’m finding it really expensive. Is there a way to buy tickets in Spain? Or another way to get the Algeciras–Tangier crossing cheaper? Thanks for any tips or info!
We found a guide who offers the trip from M'hamid to a camp (departure at 3 PM, tea, meal, camel ride, overnight stay, breakfast, and return to M'Hamid by 11 AM the next day via the sacred oasis). He quoted us a price of 380 € for April.
What do you think of this rate?
This might sound like a silly question, but is it common to negotiate the price for this kind of thing (we're booking from France)? It’s still a big part of our travel budget.
Hi there,
We're planning to visit Egypt between January 25 and February 15, 2027. I looked up the Ramadan dates and found some sites saying it starts on February 8, while others say February 18... Where's the mistake?
Thanks,
Christian
Hi there,
We’re a family of 4 with two boys aged 12 and 10 traveling to Egypt in February.
We’re spending 3 days in Cairo to take our time exploring the city and the sites before heading south.
-Is it necessary to have a guide to visit the GEM? Are audio guides available?
-Do you have any contacts for drivers to organize a few transfers (Giza, Saqqara, Airport)?
-Do you know a French-speaking guide who’s friendly, family-friendly, and good at making things exciting, with reasonable prices?
With our two teens, we’re heading to Morocco for two weeks at the end of December and beginning of January. It’ll be our first trip that’s more "off the beaten path," even though we’ve visited several countries before. Given the overwhelming amount of info, I’m feeling a bit swamped with the prep this trip requires, and I’ll admit I’m a little lost when it comes to figuring out what’s realistic to visit in two weeks 😕 So, all your tips, personal experiences, and suggestions are more than welcome!
- Which places should we prioritize during this time of year? (I’ve read that some spots are less accessible in winter?)
- What’s the best way to get around? (rental car, train, private transport, buses, etc.? — just a heads-up, we’ll have a few suitcases!)
- In terms of "safety," are there any areas to avoid?
- Any recommendations for reliable local tour companies (beyond the big names like "Get Your Guide") that offer excursions or private transport to help us explore the country?
- A doable 2-week itinerary that lets us enjoy the country’s diversity without having to change accommodations every two days?
I’m planning a trip to the High Atlas in Morocco and have a few questions for you:
- Why do so many people recommend avoiding international agencies for car rentals? Can anyone explain why?
- Is Booking.com reliable, and has anyone rented a vehicle through their service? There’s a pretty big price difference compared to local Moroccan agencies.
- Is there a detailed road map included in the rental car?
- Is Google Maps enough to get around the High Atlas? This will be my first trip there.
Thanks so much to anyone who can help with this destination I’ve been dreaming about for years.
Have a great evening,
Roberto
hi there, I’m heading to Tunisia 🙂 from April 27 to May 8 with my family. I’ve read through the various discussions about the country, but I’m still a bit unsure🤪: for currency exchange, I saw on the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs website that withdrawing currency with a bank card from ATMs is limited to 200 TND per week. There are four of us traveling by car, so that might be a bit tight! And it’s a hassle to carry a lot of cash, even if I’m not being paranoid! What do you all recommend?
Cheers,
Laurent.
We're planning a 2-week trip in late February/early March for a road trip in the High Atlas with a rental car, and we'd love to avoid booking our accommodations in advance. Is that doable, easily manageable, or risky (are accommodations available, expensive, or not great)? Thanks for your tips!
Annie
