When to Go

You’ll pay lower off-season rates and encounter fewer convoys of tourists if you travel the oasis routes in early December or mid-January through early March. High season begins in mid-March but doesn't fully kick in until April or Easter (whichever comes first). The Christmas and New Year period is also popular; if you want to visit a desert camp then, it’s wise to book at least two months ahead. Summer is extremely hot in the desert and some hotels close during July and August, especially if this coincides with the holy month of Ramadan. If you plan to visit the Sahara in summer, traveling east via the Dadès and Todra gorges to Merzouga is slightly easier since the shaded depths of the canyons offer some respite from the sun.