Erg Chebbi Camel Trek and Overnight in the Dunes
The classic Merzouga experience: a camel ride into the Erg Chebbi dunes at golden hour, dinner and music at a desert camp, a night in a tent and a sunrise walk on the sand before breakfast.
Morocco
Merzouga & the Sahara
Merzouga is the village at the edge of Erg Chebbi, the great sea of orange dunes in the far southeast of Morocco, and the place where most travellers go to meet the Sahara.
This guide books the desert properly: overnight camel treks to camps among the dunes, luxury tents with private bathrooms, sunset rides, quad bikes and buggies, sandboarding, 4x4 loops to nomad families and the Gnawa musicians of Khamlia, a madfouna cooking class, a couscous lunch in the village and a night of stargazing. Beyond the dunes, we include the multi-day tours that link Merzouga with Fes, Marrakech and Ouarzazate, a private fossil day, a motorcycle adventure and a five-day desert hike, plus ten places to stay, from desert camps to kasbah hotels in nearby Rissani and Erfoud.
Don't miss
Erg Chebbi Camel Trek and Overnight in the Dunes
The classic Merzouga experience: a camel ride into the Erg Chebbi dunes at golden hour, dinner and music at a desert camp, a night in a tent and a sunrise walk on the sand before breakfast.
Luxury Desert Camp Night with Camel Ride and Sandboarding
A comfort-first version of the Merzouga overnight: a camel ride to a camp with proper beds, private bathrooms and a good dinner, plus sandboarding on the dunes beside your tent.
Quad Biking on the Erg Chebbi Dunes
A guided ATV ride across the rolling dunes and hard plains around Erg Chebbi, with plenty of stops for photographs and time to feel the Sahara at speed.
3-Day Marrakech to Merzouga Sahara Tour with Camel Trek
The classic Morocco road trip: three days from Marrakech over the High Atlas to the Erg Chebbi dunes, with kasbahs, gorges, a camel trek and a night in the desert.
Things to do in Merzouga & the Sahara
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
Luxury Desert Camp Night with Camel Ride and Sandboarding
A comfort-first version of the Merzouga overnight: a camel ride to a camp with proper beds, private bathrooms and a good dinner, plus sandboarding on the dunes beside your tent.
Sunset Camel Ride in the Merzouga Dunes
A short, affordable camel ride into the Erg Chebbi dunes for the best light of the day, with time on the sand to watch the sun go down and no overnight commitment.
Quad Biking on the Erg Chebbi Dunes
A guided ATV ride across the rolling dunes and hard plains around Erg Chebbi, with plenty of stops for photographs and time to feel the Sahara at speed.
Dune Buggy Adventure on Erg Chebbi
Strap into a two-seater buggy and let a driver or guide take you over the dunes, with a roll cage, a seat belt and plenty of speed across the sand and gravel plains of Merzouga.
Sandboarding on the Erg Chebbi Dunes
Climb a tall Sahara dune with a board under your arm and slide down it, with a guide to wax the board, show you the technique and help you find the best slope.
Half-Day 4x4 Tour of Erg Chebbi and the Desert Villages
A guided half-day in a 4x4 that links the dunes with the villages, nomad tents and stony desert beyond, with local stops that explain how people live at the edge of the Sahara.
Nomad Families and Khamlia Gnawa Music by 4x4
A 4x4 outing that pairs a visit to a nomad family with the village of Khamlia, where Gnawa musicians keep alive a rhythmic tradition rooted in the Sahara.
Sunrise Jeep Tour in the Merzouga Dunes
Rise before dawn, drive to the foot of the high dunes and climb for sunrise, with a guide who knows where to stand for the first light on Erg Chebbi.
Sunset, Dinner and Stargazing in the Merzouga Desert
An evening in the dunes that follows the sunset with a Moroccan dinner and a long look at the night sky, where the Milky Way is clear and light pollution is almost absent.
Berber Cooking Class: Madfouna Baked in the Sand
Learn to make madfouna, the stuffed Berber bread often called Berber pizza, and watch it baked beneath hot sand and embers in the traditional way.
Couscous Lunch in Merzouga Village with a Local Guide
A relaxed lunch of couscous and tagine in a Merzouga home or restaurant, led by a local guide who explains the food and the village behind it.
Where to stay
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
Desert Villa Boutique Hotel Merzouga
Merzouga desert edge
A small boutique hotel on the Merzouga side of the dunes, offering a proper room, a hot shower and quick access to camel treks, quad rides and sunset points.
Check rates →
$$$Merzouga Luxury Desert Camps
Erg Chebbi dunes
A camp-style stay in the dunes with upgraded tents, evening music and a camel ride in, aimed at travellers who want the Sahara night without roughing it.
Check rates →Merzouga Experience Camp
Erg Chebbi dunes
A mid-range desert camp that focuses on the full Merzouga experience: a camel arrival, dinner by the fire, music and a night in the dunes at a friendly price.
Check rates →Merzouga Paradise Luxury Camp
Erg Chebbi dunes
A luxury-style camp in the dunes with spacious tents, a lounge, dinner under the stars and activities such as sandboarding and sunrise walks.
Check rates →Yakout Merzouga Luxury Camp
Erg Chebbi dunes
A luxury camp in the Merzouga dunes with comfortable tents, traditional dinners and the activities most guests come for, from camel treks to sandboarding.
Check rates →Auberge Derkaoua
Merzouga village
A traditional auberge in the Merzouga area with simple rooms, a friendly welcome and the practical advantage of being near the dunes and the village services.
Check rates →Hotel Kasbah Erg Chebbi
Erg Chebbi area
A kasbah-style hotel near the Erg Chebbi dunes, with traditional architecture, a quiet courtyard and a setting that bridges the village and the desert.
Check rates →Kasbah Hotel Ziz Palace Rissani
Rissani
A kasbah hotel in Rissani, the historic market town near Merzouga, ideal for travellers who want to combine desert trips with the souk and the ruins of Sijilmasa.
Check rates →Kasbah Hotel Chergui
Erfoud
A kasbah hotel in Erfoud, the gateway town to Merzouga, handy for fossil workshops, the Ziz valley and an early start for the dunes.
Check rates →Hotel Ziad
Erfoud
A straightforward town hotel in Erfoud for travellers who want a bed, a shower and an easy start toward Merzouga without paying camp prices.
Check rates →Tour + stay
Ready-made pairings: a top sight and a hotel that suits it. Add both to your trip and book each when you are ready.
Do
Erg Chebbi Camel Trek and Overnight in the DunesStay
Yakout Merzouga Luxury CampErg Chebbi dunes
Do
Luxury Desert Camp Night with Camel Ride and SandboardingStay
Merzouga Luxury Desert CampsErg Chebbi dunes
Do
Quad Biking on the Erg Chebbi DunesStay
Hotel Kasbah Erg ChebbiErg Chebbi area
Merzouga & the Sahara guides
Merzouga and the Sahara: A First-Timer Guide
Everything a first-time visitor needs to know about Merzouga, Erg Chebbi, camel treks and desert camps, from distances to what to pack.
Where to Stay in Merzouga: Desert Camp, Village Hotel or Nearby Town
How to choose between a camp in the dunes, a hotel in Merzouga village and a base in Rissani or Erfoud.
Merzouga in Three Days: A Desert Itinerary
A realistic three-day plan for the Merzouga area that blends dunes, culture, food and rest.
Eating and Drinking in Merzouga: Tagine, Madfouna and Mint Tea
A guide to the food of the Tafilalet region, from madfouna and tagine to dates, tea and what to eat in a desert camp.
Best Time to Visit Merzouga: Seasons, Heat and Desert Nights
How the seasons shape a trip to the Sahara at Merzouga, including temperatures, crowds, wind and what to pack.
Getting to Merzouga: Roads from Fes, Marrakech and Ouarzazate
How to reach Merzouga by road and which multi-day tours, private cars or self-drive routes suit your plans.
