Merzouga & Erg Chebbi
Erg Chebbi is the sand sea most travellers picture when they think of the Sahara: dunes reaching 150 metres, running 22 kilometres north to south along the Algerian border. The village of Merzouga sits at its western edge.
What Erg Chebbi actually is
An erg is a dune field built by wind rather than a rocky desert, and Erg Chebbi is one of only two true ergs in Morocco. It rises abruptly out of flat stony hamada, which is why the first sight of it from the road is so startling. The sand is fine and iron-rich, which gives it the deep orange that changes hour by hour.
Getting there
Merzouga is about 560 km from Marrakech and 360 km from Ouarzazate, on paved roads the whole way apart from the last stretch of desert track. Most travellers arrive on a three-day tour from Marrakech, or on a five-day circuit that gives a full day at the dunes. Coming from Fes takes roughly seven hours. There is a small airport at Errachidia, two and a half hours away.
Camps and what a night is like
Camps sit in hollows between the dunes, an hour's camel ride from the road. Standard camps have Berber tents with real beds and shared bathroom tents; luxury camps add private en-suite bathrooms and hot water. Dinner is usually tagine, followed by drumming around a fire. The sky at Erg Chebbi is genuinely dark, so the Milky Way is visible on any clear moonless night.
Beyond the dunes
The area rewards a second day. Khamlia village was founded by descendants of Sudanese caravans and its Gnaoua musicians play daily. Rissani, half an hour south, has one of the oldest markets in the region and was the seat of the Alaouite dynasty. Dayet Srji, a seasonal lake west of the village, draws flamingos after a wet winter. Quad biking, sandboarding and nomad visits fill the rest.
When to go
October to April is the comfortable season. Midsummer regularly passes 45 °C in the afternoon, though camps still run and the nights are pleasant. Winter nights fall close to freezing — bring a warm layer whatever the season, because the daily temperature swing is large all year.
Tours — Merzouga & Erg Chebbi
3-Day Marrakech to Merzouga Desert Tour
The classic crossing of southern Morocco. In three days you go over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, walk the kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou…
From 350 EUR
5-Day Grand Tour of Southern Morocco
The trip we recommend when you have the time. Five days lets the south unfold at its own pace: two nights in the Sahara instead…
Price on request
Merzouga Camel Trek & Desert Activities
For travellers already in Merzouga, or arriving under their own steam. Build your own days at Erg Chebbi: a camel trek and a…
Price on request
Imperial Cities & Sahara Grand Circuit
The whole country in one loop. This circuit joins the imperial cities — Marrakech, Fes, Meknes, Rabat — with Roman Volubilis…
Price on request