Erg Chebbi dunes
Tall, wind-shaped orange dunes that change colour through the day. Sunrise and sunset are the two hours worth planning your day around.
South-east Morocco · Erg Chebbi dunes
Merzouga
The village at the edge of Erg Chebbi, and the reason most people come.
Why travellers come
Visiting Merzouga
Merzouga is a small village on the eastern edge of the Sahara, and the closest settlement to Erg Chebbi — the dune sea that rises straight out of flat stony desert to around 150 metres. It is the overnight point of every Sahara circuit we run.
The rhythm here is simple: arrive in the afternoon, ride a camel or take a 4x4 into the dunes for sunset, eat and listen to drums at the camp, then wake early for sunrise on the ridge above your tent.
Erg Chebbi is the most accessible large dune field in Morocco, which makes a genuine Sahara night possible even on a short trip from Marrakech or Fes.
Travel information
- From Marrakech
- 2 days by road, overnighting in Dades or Todra
- From Fes
- Around 8 hours via Ifrane, Midelt and the Ziz Valley
- Nights in the desert
- One night is enough; two if you want to slow down
- Best months
- October to April; summer days are very hot
Main attractions
What to see in Merzouga
The places worth your time, and roughly how they fit into a day on the road.
Desert camps
Camps sit inside the dunes, from simple Berber tents to en-suite tents with real beds, hot showers and solar power. Dinner is usually tagine, followed by drums around a fire.
Rissani and Erfoud
The old caravan market town of Rissani and the fossil workshops of Erfoud sit on the road in, and are easy stops before you reach the dunes.
Khamlia and Gnawa music
The village of Khamlia, just south of Merzouga, is known for Gnawa music brought north across the Sahara generations ago.
Best experiences
- Camel trek into the dunes at sunset
- One night in a private Sahara camp under an unlit sky
- Sandboarding on the dune crest
- Sunrise walk to the ridge above camp
Tours that go there
Private tours including Merzouga
Each route below is private, flexible and led by our own driver-guides.
