Desert safaris: explore the world’s most wonderful wildernesses

For most people, when they think “desert” what springs to mind is the Sahara. And nowhere captures the romance of the Sahara quite like a stay in Morocco. Home to a sizeable portion of the world’s largest hot desert, the country boasts some of North Africa’s most iconic desert scenery.

Perhaps the best-known destination is Erg Chebbi, a spectacular sea of rolling orange dunes rising just outside the tiny village of Merzouga. Reaching Merzouga is an adventure in itself, whether as part of a classic Moroccan road trip or as the starting point for a multi-day Sahara tour from Marrakech. Once you arrive, civilisation soon disappears behind you. Within minutes, you’re surrounded by towering dunes stretching endlessly towards the horizon. Camel trekking is one of the most memorable activities on an Erg Chebbi tour. And spending time at a traditional Berber camp adds another layer to the experience, where you’ll be treated to local hospitality, delicious cuisine and a stunning blanket of stars.

Alternatively, you can enjoy a taste of the desert much closer to Marrakech. The city’s famous Palmeraie, an expansive palm oasis just a few miles from the bustling medina, offers a wonderfully accessible introduction to desert life. The luxury Palmeraie Oasis Camp, located within the Barceló Palmeraie Oasis Resort, blends traditional Moroccan craftsmanship with modern creature comforts, allowing visitors to enjoy stylish glamping amid the palms. Start the day with sunrise yoga, then maybe explore the surrounding dunes by quad bike. Or simply relax in the peaceful surroundings before settling in for an evening gazing up at that clear desert sky.

Tunisia’s slice of the Sahara combines dramatic desert scenery with fascinating history and culture, making it one of North Africa’s most rewarding destinations for desert safaris. Among its natural highlights is Chott el Djerid, an immense salt lake that greets travellers with a shimmering landscape of whites, pinks and silvery blues year round. Even during the dry season, the colours constantly shift under the changing light, creating one of Tunisia’s most Instagrammable destinations.

Equally captivating are the country’s beautiful desert oases. Towns like Tozeur and Douz remain vibrant communities where visitors on an oasis desert safari can experience traditional Tunisian culture and cuisine while surrounded by lush palm groves springing almost miraculously amid the surrounding sands. At abandoned mountain oases like Tamerza (or Tamaghza) and Chebika, near Tozeur, the atmosphere is entirely different. Depending on the season, waterfalls and streams flow through rocky canyons, creating unexpected pockets of greenery in the otherwise arid landscape.

A desert safari tour in Tunisia is also a chance to experience a landscape steeped in cinematic history. The fortified granaries, or ksour, around Tataouine famously inspired George Lucas when creating the desert planet Tatooine for the Star Wars films. Nearby Matmata is equally remarkable, with its unique underground homes carved directly into the earth; they too served as a backdrop in the iconic movies. Wildlife enthusiasts, meanwhile, should head to Jebil National Park, where vast sand dunes cover much of the reserve. With a little luck, you may even spot the elusive dune gazelle, one of the Sahara’s most graceful inhabitants.

Egypt is famous the world over for its ancient monuments, but its deserts are every bit as spectacular as its temples and pyramids. Among the country’s most extraordinary destinations is the White Desert, where enormous chalk rock formations have been carved by the wind into fantastical shapes resembling mushrooms, towers or giant abstract sculptures. The landscape feels almost extra-terrestrial, particularly in the soft glow of sunrise or sunset. Many visitors combine the White Desert with the nearby Black Desert, whose volcanic basalt hills provide a striking contrast to the pale limestone formations. Multi-day desert safaris from Cairo allow travellers to experience both sites beneath some of Africa’s clearest night skies.

For travellers holidaying in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt has another remarkable option: the Sinai Desert. Dramatic mountains, colourful canyons and rugged rock formations create a landscape that differs greatly from the classic sand dunes of the Sahara. Adventure seekers can explore the region by jeep or quad bike, while others might choose more peaceful pursuits such as R&R at a yoga retreat or a Bedouin culture safari to enjoy traditional food and learn about the customs of the desert’s indigenous people. One of Sinai’s most unforgettable experiences is climbing Mount Sinai overnight to watch daybreak illuminate the surrounding desert – a breathtaking spectacle that attracts visitors from all over the world.

A visit to Dubai is rarely complete without a day trip into the surrounding desert. One of the city’s biggest advantages is that the spectacular desert scenery begins just beyond the skyscrapers, which means desert trips into the wilderness are a cinch. The nearby Rub’ al Khali, or Empty Quarter, forms part of the largest continuous sand desert on Earth. Its immense dunes are the image many people conjure when they think of the Arabian Desert.

A half-day red dune safari is especially popular with young adults and older teens and provides plenty of wow factor. Enjoy the thrill of dune bashing in powerful 4x4 vehicles, race down the slopes on sandboards or ride camels across the majestic landscape. For those eager to gain a deeper insight into desert life, a full-day Arabian desert safari often includes visits to traditional Bedouin-style camps, where guests can discover the region’s rich cultural heritage before the oil boom transformed the United Arab Emirates. As evening falls, the desert reveals another of its greatest treasures: unforgettable sunsets followed by dark, velvety skies pierced by countless stars.

Neighbouring Dubai might draw much of the attention, but Oman is emerging as a premier Gulf holiday destination and offers a quieter and arguably more authentic desert safari experience. The country’s best-known desert is the Wahiba Sands, also called Sharqiya Sands, where towering amber dunes stretch across eastern Oman towards the Arabian Sea. Desert tours are still relatively low-key here, giving visitors a much sharper sense of isolation and wilderness.

A Wahiba Sands tour is best led by an experienced guide, as temperatures can soar, particularly during the summer months. The payoff is a desert that feels wonderfully untouched, where silence reigns and the scenery seems to stretch forever. And despite the harsh environment, the sands are home to desert foxes, free-roaming camels and hundreds of other animal species.

Oman also offers something few other Arabian destinations can match: its beautiful wadis. These dry river valleys remain empty for much of the year but burst into life after seasonal rains, creating emerald pools, waterfalls and lush vegetation amid the desert landscapes. The contrast between barren dunes and vibrant oases makes Oman one of the Gulf’s most attractive destinations.

When you think of Mexico, your mind might leap straight to holidays on tropical beaches lapped by turquoise Caribbean waters. Yet the country is also home to some of North America’s most impressive deserts. Mexico boasts three major desert regions, including the vast Chihuahuan Desert, the largest desert on the continent, spanning the border with the United States. Alongside it lie the Sonoran Desert and the Baja California Desert, each offering distinct landscapes and rich opportunities for exploration.

For travellers, the Baja California Desert is perhaps the most accessible, as it’s relatively close to several popular Pacific coast resorts. Despite receiving very little rainfall, its proximity to the ocean creates slightly more humid conditions than many deserts, which means it supports an impressive variety of plant and animal life. Towering cacti, hardy succulents and drought-resistant shrubs thrive in the landscape, while reptiles, birds, insects and small mammals have all adapted to survive in the harsh environment.

Protected areas such as El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve and Valle de los Cirios showcase the region’s extraordinary biodiversity while offering spectacular scenery reminiscent of classic Western films. Rugged mountains, giant cacti and endless dusty plains create a landscape made for adventure.

No matter the desert destination, one thing remains constant: desert safaris are far more than simply travels across sand. Desert tours are about unplugging from everyday life and reconnecting with our deeper selves, embracing the silence, drinking in the extraordinary landscapes and marvelling at night skies that so awed our ancestors. Desert trips allow us to tune in to a part of our planet that has remained largely unchanged for thousands of years.