kimtrip

Has anyone been to the desert during the summer? Is it worth the trip to Merzouga - 10hrs each way from Marrakesh - to see the dunes? How hot does it get?
Any help and insight is very much appreciated!

jgg

We went in March so cannot comment on the heat in August. However, I must say going to the desert was the highlight of our 8 days in Morocco. If you go, I suggest you do more than just "see the dunes" but experience them by camel and spend a night out in the desert in a berber tent. That is what we did, and truly it was an incredible experience. The next day we spent in Merzouga exploring the village which was also a fabulous time as well.

Not sure how much time you have, but 3 days is the minimum to really have the full adventure. We drove from Marakkech to Ouzarzate stopping at the Dades Gorge and briefly at Ait Benhaddou, spending the night in Ouazarzate. The next morning we drove to Merzouga, arriving about 3pm beginning our camel ride at 5pm. Spent the night in the desert, then back to Merzouga the next morning and spending the rest of the day in Merzouga. We left the next morning for Fez, which is a slightly shorter drive than back to Marakkech - and I city I highly recommend visiting.

kimtrip

Thanks so much for the advice! We are considering a similar itinerary - 3 days from/to Marrakesh. Was the driving brutal? Was your car air-conditioned?

jgg

We used Blue Men of Morocco (www.bluemenofmorocco.com) for this portion of the trip. We had a wonderful driver Zaid who had a one year old Toyota LandCruiser. Very comfortable and definitely air conditioned.

The driving isn't really that bad. Zaid was very friendly and we thoroughly enjoyed our conversations and beautiful scenery. We made several stops along the way to break up the trip, and we were also travelling with our kids ages 11 and 14. I think the "anticipation" of the long ride is worse than the actual ride. We never actually told my 11 yo son, who hates long car rides, how long it would be before we left!!

Here is a link to my trip report where I post a lot of details about our trip:http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34974589.

I am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

kimtrip

Thank you for your advice, jgg. If anyone else has been to the desert in July/August, I'd appreciate your perspective.

jgg

You may want to try the Morocco forum on TripAdvisor, it tends to be a bit more active then here. http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum...5-Morocco.html

Luisah

I thought I'd posted a reply to your question but don't see it here.

I was in Merzouga last September and it was extremely hot -- we could not leave our tents until late aftenoon and it was still hot then. I'd met a woman in Rabat who had been there in the desert in August and said it was broiling hot.

The temp in Marrakech today is 102 with a ten day forecast ranging from 102 to 110. The desert will be hotter.

I think your decision depends upon your tolerance for heat.

sebti

Given the current weather (temperatures in the 40s and staying around 30 at night, that's the mid-80s in Fahrenheit) I don't think that August is a good time to visit the desert, and certainly not in the time frame you have and the considerable distance you will have to drive. BTW, the trip from Merzouga/Marrakesh or vice-versa is much more than 10 hrs, and should not be done in one go.

Crisshowe

Not necessarily in August. It will be very hot. I was there in September a couple of years ago and it was perfect then.

You could give yourself more time in Marrakech, Essouira, and an extra night somewhere in the High Atlas.