Merzouga desert tour: camel ride and a night in a desert camp

For most of our guests it is the highlight of the whole trip: the Merzouga desert tour. The camel ride into the sunset, the silence between the dunes, the campfire with Berber music and in the morning the first light over the Sahara. We drive this route every week. Here we explain how a tour works, what awaits you in the desert camp and what to pack.

What are Merzouga and Erg Chebbi?

Merzouga is a small village in south-eastern Morocco, near the Algerian border. Right behind it begins Erg Chebbi, a sea of dunes about 22 kilometres long. The highest dunes reach around 150 metres. Depending on the time of day, the sand glows golden yellow, orange or almost red. Erg Chebbi is Morocco’s best-known sand desert and easy to reach by car, even without a 4x4.

There is more around Merzouga than sand: the Gnawa village of Khamlia with its drum music, the fossils of Erfoud and Rissani, the old caravan town with its big market, and small oases with date palms.

How a desert tour from Marrakech works

From Marrakech to Merzouga it is about 550 kilometres over the High Atlas, 9 to 10 hours of pure driving. So we always split the route:

1. Day 1: Tizi n’Tichka pass, the UNESCO kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate, the Valley of Roses and a night in the Dades Gorge.
2. Day 2: walk in the Todra Gorge, drive through the Ziz Valley and arrive in Merzouga in the afternoon. Then you climb onto your camel.
3. Day 3: sunrise on the dune, breakfast at the camp and drive back to Marrakech or on to Fes.

If you have more time, stay two nights. You then get a full day around Erg Chebbi, for example by 4x4, with music in Khamlia or simply resting at the camp. You will find the matching routes among our tours.

The sunset camel ride

You set off about two hours before sunset. A camel driver leads the caravan; you sit on a saddle with a handle. The ride lasts about an hour to an hour and a half. The rocking feels unusual but is not difficult. Halfway we stop on a high dune. From there you watch the sun disappear behind the sand and the colours change. If you would rather not ride, you can walk or go to the camp by 4x4.

The night in the desert camp

The desert camp lies between the dunes, sheltered from the wind. There are different standards, and we choose the camp to suit you:

• Classic Berber camp: wool tents with beds and warm blankets, shared bathrooms.
• Comfort camp: private tents with their own bathroom, shower and electricity.
• Luxury camp: large tents with a double bed, furniture and a terrace in the dunes.

In the evening there is tagine, salads and mint tea. Then everyone sits around the fire while the Berbers drum and sing. And then comes the moment nobody forgets: lights out, look up. Far from any city, you can see the Milky Way with the naked eye.

Merzouga, Chegaga or Agafay: which desert suits you?

If you only have one day in Marrakech, the Agafay dinner show is a lovely choice. For the real feeling of the Sahara with high sand dunes, we recommend Merzouga or Chegaga.

Packing list for the Sahara

• A small backpack for the night at the camp (big luggage stays in the car)
• Sunglasses, sun cream and a hat. You can get a desert scarf locally, and we will show you how to tie it.
• A fleece or down jacket, even in spring. Nights get cool.
• Comfortable shoes or sandals; sand gets in anyway
• A head torch or your phone light
• A power bank and wet wipes
• We buy water together on the way

Best time for a desert tour

The best months for the Sahara are March to May and October to November. Days are warm and nights pleasant. In high summer temperatures rise above 40 degrees, so outings happen early in the morning and late in the evening. In winter the days are sunny and mild, but the nights are cold. More in our article on the best time to visit Morocco.