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Traveller questions · Sahara and desert

Can you visit the Sahara during Ramadan?

Yes.

Answered by
the Marrakech Tours team
Checked
October 2026
Jemaa el-Fnaa square in Marrakech by day

The short answer

Yes. Camps, drivers and camel guides keep working through Ramadan, and riads and camps serve visitors as normal. Ramadan 2027 is expected from about 8 February to 9 March, which falls in good desert weather. You may share the sunset meal that breaks the fast with your guide or camp team, a fine part of the trip.

In more detail

Our camel guide notes that Ramadan does not change the desert experience much. The difference is in the people around you: your driver and guides are likely fasting from dawn to sunset, so days can feel slower in the afternoon, and there is a natural pause at sunset when the fast breaks.

Be considerate on the road. Eat and drink discreetly in the car rather than in front of a fasting driver at the roadside, and do not push for a late lunch stop in a small town where cafés are closed by day. Your driver will know where to stop.

The dates are approximate because they follow the moon. Ramadan 2027 is expected to start about 8 February, with Eid al-Fitr about 9 to 10 March, and Morocco now stays on GMT all year, so there is no clock change to plan around. The days around Eid are busy on the roads as families travel.

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