The short answer: most multi-day Sahara desert tours from Marrakech are close to all-inclusive on the big-ticket items — private transport with a driver-guide, your desert camp, the camel trek, and dinner and breakfast at camp are almost always part of the price — while the usual extras are lunches on the road, drinks, tips, site entry fees, optional activities like sandboarding or quad bikes, and any upgrade to a luxury camp. That mix is fairly consistent across operators, but the details vary — and the gaps between quotes are almost always in the small print, not the headline price. Here's exactly what tends to be included, what you'll usually pay for separately, and how to read a quote so you're comparing the same trip rather than two different ones.
What's (almost) always included
These are the parts you can reasonably expect to be in the price on any proper multi-day desert tour. They're also the expensive parts — which is why a tour that covers them is better value than it first looks.
Private transport and a driver-guide
A vehicle — usually a 4x4 or a comfortable minivan — with a driver-guide, fuel and all the long-distance driving from Marrakech and back. On a private tour the vehicle is yours; on a shared tour you travel with a small group.
Your overnight in the desert camp
At least one night at a desert camp with a bed in a Berber tent. The standard ranges from simple to luxury, but the overnight itself is part of the package on every proper multi-day tour.
The camel trek to camp
The classic camel trek over the dunes to camp at sunset — and usually the ride back at sunrise — is included on most tours. It's also optional: you can ask to be driven to camp by 4x4 instead.
Dinner and breakfast at camp
An evening tagine or couscous at camp and breakfast the next morning are almost always included, usually with mint tea. It's the meal most people remember most fondly.
The route and its built-in stops
The drive is the tour. Aït Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate, the Dadès or Todra gorges and oasis viewpoints are written into the itinerary, so the sightseeing along the way comes as standard.
Worth knowing: the transport, the camp and the camel trek together are the costly bits — so even a modest tour price is mostly paying for those, not for extras you can skip.
What usually costs extra
None of these are hidden, exactly — but they're the things travellers most often assume are covered when they aren't. Budget a little for them and there are no awkward moments on the road.
Lunches on the road
Dinner and breakfast at camp are usually in; lunches at roadside restaurants are normally pay-as-you-go, so you pick and pay for your own. Most travellers prefer it that way.
Drinks beyond the basics
Mint tea and water at camp are typically included, but bottled water for the drive, soft drinks and any alcohol are usually extra — and alcohol is limited in the desert.
Tips for your guide and camp team
Gratuities aren't part of the price. They're modest and entirely at your discretion, but a tip for your driver-guide and the camp crew is customary and appreciated.
Site entry fees and local guides
Small entrance fees — for example at Aït Ben Haddou or a kasbah — and any local guide you choose to hire at a site are usually paid on the spot rather than bundled in.
Optional desert activities
Sandboarding, quad bikes or buggies, an extended camel ride or a 4x4 excursion to outlying villages are add-ons. Lovely to do, but not part of the standard inclusions.
Camp upgrades and the single supplement
Upgrading from a standard tent to a luxury, en-suite or private tent — or a single supplement if you travel solo — costs more, and it's the biggest single swing in price.
Private vs shared changes what you pay for
The same list of inclusions sits inside two quite different products. On a shared group tour you split a minibus with other travellers, which keeps the price down but fixes the pace and the stops. On a private tour the vehicle, the driver-guide and the schedule are yours, which costs more but lets you set the rhythm of the days. The camp, the camel trek and the meals are broadly the same either way — what you're really paying the difference for is exclusivity and flexibility. If you're weighing the two, our private vs shared desert tour comparison lays out the trade-offs in full.
The camp standard is the biggest variable
If two tours look similar but the prices are far apart, the camp is usually why. "Desert camp" covers everything from a simple Berber tent with shared facilities to a private, en-suite luxury tent with proper beds and heating — and the gap in comfort, and cost, between them is large. Decide what standard you actually want first, because it shapes the rest of the quote more than anything else. Our guide to where to stay in the Sahara and our desert camps explained piece walk through the tiers, and the luxury vs standard camp comparison shows exactly what the upgrade buys you.
Tipping — a real but small extra
Tips deserve their own mention because they catch people out. They're never included in the tour price, but a gratuity for your driver-guide and the camp team is part of how things work in Morocco — modest, discretionary and genuinely appreciated. There's no fixed rule and no pressure; just treat it as a small, expected line in your trip budget rather than a surprise. Our tipping in Morocco notes give a sense of what feels right, and our Morocco on a budget guide helps you plan the extras as a whole.
How to read a tour quote
The cheapest quote isn't always the cheapest trip — it's sometimes just the one that includes the least. Before you compare prices, line the quotes up against the same questions so you know you're comparing the same tour.
Ask of every quote
- Is it a private tour or a shared group departure?
- How many nights in the desert, and which camp and what standard?
- Which meals are covered — just dinner and breakfast, or lunches too?
- Are site entry fees, the camel trek and any local guides included?
- Which optional activities cost extra, and roughly how much?
- Is there a single supplement, and what are the cancellation terms?
We don't quote a flat figure here on purpose: prices move with the season, the group size, the route and — above all — the camp standard, so any single number would mislead more than it helps. The honest way to compare is on what's actually in the box, then on price. If you want a fuller sense of value, our is a Sahara tour worth it piece and our what a desert tour is actually like guide are good companions to this one.
Our honest take
For most travellers a Sahara tour is better value than it looks, precisely because the expensive parts — the driving, the camp, the camel trek and the camp meals — are baked in. The extras are real but manageable: a few lunches, some drinks, tips, the odd entry fee and any activities or upgrades you choose to add. The only thing we'd urge is to compare on inclusions before price, and to confirm the camp standard early, because that's where the real difference between two trips lives. Get those straight and the rest of the planning is easy.
When you're ready, our 3-day Marrakech-to-Merzouga desert tour, quicker 2-day Zagora trip and remote 4-day Erg Chigaga expedition each spell out exactly what's included on the page — and if a particular luxury desert camp is what you're after, we'll set out the upgrade plainly before you book.
Frequently asked
Are meals included in a Sahara desert tour?
Mostly. On a typical multi-day tour, dinner and breakfast at the desert camp are included — usually a tagine or couscous in the evening and a simple breakfast with mint tea in the morning. Lunches on the road are normally not included: you stop at roadside restaurants and pay for your own, which most travellers prefer because it lets you choose. Always confirm exactly which meals a quote covers, as this is one of the most common differences between operators.
Is the camel ride included, or do you pay extra?
On most Sahara tours the sunset camel trek to camp — and usually the ride back at sunrise — is part of the package, not an add-on. What sometimes costs extra is a longer or extended camel excursion beyond the standard trek. The camel ride is also optional: if you'd rather not ride, you can usually be driven to camp by 4x4 instead at no extra charge, so it's worth saying so when you book.
Are drinks and alcohol included at the desert camp?
Mint tea and drinking water at camp are usually included, but anything beyond the basics tends to be extra. Bottled water for the drive, soft drinks and any alcohol are normally paid for separately, and alcohol in particular is limited in the desert — many standard camps don't serve it, while some luxury camps do. If a drink matters to you, ask before you book rather than assuming.
Do I have to pay entrance fees to places like Aït Ben Haddou?
Often, yes — small site entry fees and any local guide you choose to hire at a monument are usually paid on the spot rather than bundled into the tour price. The amounts are modest, but they're a real extra to budget for. Some operators include certain fees and others don't, so it's worth asking which entrances and guides, if any, are covered.
Is tipping expected, and is it included in the price?
Tips are not included in the tour price, and they're entirely at your discretion — but a gratuity for your driver-guide and the camp team is customary and genuinely appreciated in Morocco. Amounts are modest and personal; there's no fixed rule. Think of it as a small but real line in your trip budget rather than something baked into the headline cost.
What's the difference between a standard and a luxury camp in the price?
Camp standard is the single biggest reason two desert tours can be priced very differently. A standard camp gives you a bed in a Berber tent with shared or simple facilities; a luxury camp adds a private en-suite tent, proper beds and more comfort. Upgrading — or paying a single supplement for solo travellers — raises the price, while the route, the camel trek and the meals stay broadly the same. Decide on the camp standard first and the rest of the quote makes more sense.
No surprises, start to finish
Tell us what you want, and we'll quote it with everything spelled out.
From a simple shared trip to a private tour with a luxury camp, Sahara Desert Adventures will set out exactly what's included and what isn't — in writing — so you know precisely what you're paying for before you commit.
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