If the epic visuals of the Dune movies have been living rent-free in your head, you’ve probably thought – “well, that looks gorgeous.” Of course, that’s without the massive worm and drinking of body fluids. But the truth is, some of the most stunning deserts in the world look just as surreal, and you don’t have to travel to Arrakis to find them.
In fact, there are about 33 desert areas across the globe, including some of the hottest, like the Sahara Desert, which earns its spot among the most extreme and best deserts in the world.
These deserts aren’t all concentrated in one place either. They are scattered across nearly every continent, giving you a ton of room for exploration. In this guide, we’ll go through seven of the most epic ones you can visit with your friends.
That said, let’s talk deserts!
Introducing the Sahara — the largest hot and dry desert in the world. It sprawls across the horizons of multiple African countries that all bow down to its wonder as one of the great deserts of the world. Few things will make you feel smaller and more humble than weaving through the golden grains of the Sahara.
To begin with, Marrakech desert trips are quite the treat and, depending on your travel agency/company, they come with camel treks! For all you real-deal adventure lovers, this may just become your new favorite hobby. The sunsets here will also leave you with lasting memories. Further, when the stars come out, the Milky Way and her twinkling stars are all spread out just for you to experience and be under!
Outside its landscapes, the Sahara is replete with cultures and experiences. You can go to the Berber villages. There; you’ll learn about the ancient culture while drinking mint tea and chatting with the locals. What’s more – that’s not all the Sahara has to offer. To truly experience the magic of the Sahara, look into an organized group tour from Marrakech to the Sahara. You won’t be sorry.
Everyone occasionally wants to be transported to a place that feels a little out of this world. Wadi Rum is easily the closest you can get to that desire. This apple of a desert with its epic red sand dunes, shapes and rocks has pretty much become Mars on Earth.
In more ways than one, the Wadi Rum is an epic and otherworldly playground, where the landscape creates the impossible again and again. Wadi Rum is where magic is lost and magic is found.
Beyond its good looks, Wadi Rum has many adventurous activities to satisfy your inner daredevil. Whether you love the sound of high-speed jeep rides across the sands, conquering the looming rocks via rock climbing or sitting back in a Bedouin camp to wake under a star-lit sky, you will fall for the magnetic pull of the desert while consuming delicious, tasty traditional food that would leave you wanting more!
Further, if you want to cosplay and take some great pictures looking like characters from your favorite movies like, say, “Lawrence of Arabia” or “The Martian” this is the desert this epic films were filmed in! So, don’t dilly-dally. Join a group tour to Jordan and explore Wadi Rum now now!
When you look at a map of deserts of the world, there is one that is a must see, given its status as the oldest desert in the world. Seriously, if you haven’t already been to see this grandpa of the deserts, what are you waiting for?! Discover Namibia’s Namib desert with an organized group adventure now.
The most amazing thing about this place is Dune 45. This—and other dunes—are evidence of the desert’s insistence on leaving you mesmerized. Apart from looking at the landscape, you can sandboard also, go quad biking and do others. The Namib desert is full of surprises.
One such surprise is the Skeleton Coast of the Namib, which is a visually stunning place that feels like walking through a cinematic apocalypse.
Other deserts welcome you with heat and dunes. The Skeleton Coast of the Namib desert, however, is home to shipwrecks that show humans’ love for adventure. The Skeleton Coast also got its name from a history of having whale bones on its shores, a remnant of the whaling industry. This natural wonder has desert-adapted wildlife Iike the Oryx. They freely graze against a backdrop that’s the subject of many poems. In a nutshell, every moment spent here is a new lesson in Mother Nature’s beauty!
Africa has the most famous deserts in the world, but the exclusive reserve for natural wonders it isn’t. Asia has this one, and this Gobi desert is an oasis mix of green mountains, rivers, oceans, desert dunes, and rugged mountains. Even if you don’t know of it, its truly incredible and worth a visit. More than that is its a peek to the past for many cultures and peoples.
For instance, did you know that the Gobi Desert provided a major pathway for people and their caravans traveling down the Silk Road? Even though the climate is harsh, it served as a connector between the east and west, allowing for cultural and economic exchange crucial to the development of the modern world.
That said, when you go to Gobi, you will eventually find Bactrian camels—you know, the ones walking around gracefully like they own the place. You may also meet the nomadic tribes of the desert. The easiest way to see all that it has to offer is to book a group tour through Uzbekistan and beyond. The memories are to die for. Not literally, of course.
Atacama is in the North of Chile. It is the driest non-polar desert in the world. Some places here have never seen rain. Now, this a desert worthy of the name!
One of the most stunning places in the Atacama is the Valle de la Luna, or Valley of the Moon. This is a huge sand theatre with paths covered in salt. The uniqueness of the landscape makes it resemble craters on the moon—kinda like paintings come to life. If you like the stars, the Atacama is pretty much begging you to come around. The lack of clouds makes it great for astronomers.
Atacama is also home to geysers. Or, better put, exploding hot water in the middle of the desert! The El Tatio geyser Field is the most famous. Just wait until you see the earth’s hot belly blow up into the air. It’s almost like fireworks, but you know, not made by people.
There’s more, like the beautiful mix of plant life and animals that have decided to call this place their home. You will see flamingos chugging along through salt flats and flowers that only bloom in such conditions. You would think nothing could possibly thrive here but the miracle is – plenty does!
Next, we’re off to the Rub’ al Khali—also known as the Empty Quarter. Over 1,000km long, the Rub’ al Khali is actually the largest sand desert in the world. Just picture finding amazing dunes left and right – dunes that feel like they never end. Most of them are over 250 meters high, and they’ll make you feel like a child in a sandbox!
One thing you’d love to do in Rub’ Al Khali— sleep under the night sky, listenin to the gentle whisper of the air. Further, if you’re lucky, you could see the rare sighting of a falling star!
You can also walk through the old merchant routes. They once linked this sandy place with the rest of the Arabian Peninsula. And we’re saying walking specifically because it’s the closest you can get to feeling like an olden-day merchant who lived their lives, exchanging goods and stories, drinking a bit of tea here and there.
When it comes time to list deserts of the world that are an absolute trip, you would be remiss if you did not mention Rub’ al Khali. And if you want to be guided through this place and get the lay of the land from some natives, a group adventure through Oman’s Empty Quarter just might be what the doctor ordered! Go for a ride on a camel. Feel the sands under you and reach the most incredible oasis of your life – which, by the way, looks like a postcard from a fairy kingdom.
Hold onto your hat. We’re going down to the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia, a place that quite literally looks and feels like Salvador Dali painted – it is an absolute stunner! The 10,000 square kilometer spread of white is the biggest in the world, and a trip there is so incredible you’ll question afterward whether it was really real. In the rainy season, the flat turns into a mirror, showing the sky. Instagram filters have nothing on this place.
The fun doesn’t end with this place being a picture-perfect place (literally)! The Salt Flats are also a real playground for the adventurous – from 4×4 tours taking you all over the flat’s turquoise landscapes to a nearby Train Cemetery that you can walk through and see some cool rusted hulks.
You can equally visit communities, learn about lives long forgotten, and, most importantly of all, eat some of the food of the region — it’s quite the experience. The best part of seeing this desert is you can also get to see some surrounding areas and spice up your exploration with a group trip through Peru and Bolivia. Not only will you marvel at the surreal perfection of the Salt Flats, but you also tackle the majestic Andes and get to know the secrets of long-gone societies.
Most people would think that deserts maintain the same state throughout the year — dry. While that is somewhat true, it’s a bit of an oversimplification. There are, in fact, times when it’s best to visit different deserts in the world. They are, after all, some of the toughest climates on the planet. Here are the best times to visit some of the most famous deserts:
Want to discover some of the best deserts of the world during your next trip? Desert landscapes are not just dry, dusty brown places that are always hot with sandstorms everywhere. Oh no! There are quite varied – some with gorgeous vegetation and wildlife, some white and snowlike, and yes– some fall into the stereotype but are still stunning. On top of all this, these deserts come with the chance to explore surrounding areas and go on some pretty cool adventures! The best way to make sure you glean all you can from these deserts is to go on some guided company-filled group tours like an organized group tour to Morocco’s iconic deserts!
