Sunset Camel Ride to a Camp
2 hFrom small children with an adult
A guided dromedary caravan of 1 to 2 h at sunset to a tented camp in Erg Chebbi, with dinner, a night and the return at dawn.
From Marrakesh9–10 h by car
From Fez7–8 h by car
Best timeMar · Apr · Oct · Nov
Minimum time1 night
HeatOver 40 °C in summer
Do not drive in the dunes or on the road at night. Hire cars get stuck in the sand. At night the roads in the south have no lighting and there are animals and bicycles without lights.
What to do
What to do in Merzouga and Erg Chebbi
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
Sunrise from the top of a dune
1 hWith legs: the sand is tiring
A walk up an Erg Chebbi dune before dawn to watch the sunrise over the erg. Free; set off 45 minutes before sunrise.
Sandboarding in the Dunes
1 hTeenagers and adults
Riding down the Erg Chebbi dunes on a board, standing or sitting. Many camps lend the board; allow an hour and a few walks back up.
Plan the trip
Merzouga and Erg Chebbi, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Merzouga and Erg Chebbi
In spring and autumn: days of 25 to 30 °C and pleasant nights. From June to August it often exceeds 40 °C and you only go out at dawn and dusk. In December and January the days are good, but at night in the dunes it nears zero.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Who you're with
Merzouga and Erg Chebbi for whoever you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
The desert, if you can stand the road
The dunes enchant at any age. The problem is getting there: it is many hours by car. With children, split the trip into three or four days and do not drive more than five hours at a stretch.
- What works bestThe sunset camel ride to…
- Where to sleepA hotel with a pool…
- Where to eatTagine and bread at the…
- Keep in mindThere is no official minimum…
What works best
- The sunset camel ride to the camp
- Khamlia, with music and drums in a house
- Playing in the sand around the hotel late in the day
Where to sleep
- A hotel with a pool at the foot of the dunes, such as Kasbah Mohayut
- Just one night at a camp, the second in a hotel
Where to eat
- Tagine and bread at the camp: simple and suitable for almost everyone
- Bring water and fruit for the road: there are few places between towns
Keep in mind
- There is no official minimum age for the camel; small children usually go with an adult or walking alongside
- In summer, over 40 °C: only dawn and dusk
- Car sickness on the mountain roads is common: stop every hour
What to do as a family
Sand, board and a starry sky
For a teenager, the night in the dunes is one of the things they remember most from the trip: climbing a huge dune, riding down it on a board and seeing the Milky Way without a light around.
- What works bestSandboarding on the dunes by…
- Where to sleepA camp in the dunes…
- Where to eatDinner at the camp, with…
- Keep in mindAt the camp there may…
What works best
- Sandboarding on the dunes by the camp
- The sunrise from the highest crest
- Khamlia and its Gnawa music
Where to sleep
- A camp in the dunes, at least one night
- A hotel with a pool for the afternoon
Where to eat
- Dinner at the camp, with music by the fire
- Tea with the guides in the morning
Keep in mind
- At the camp there may be no signal or sockets: bring a power bank
- The climb up the dunes is hard: water and footwear that comes off easily
- The hours in the car get boring: download music and series beforehand
What to do with teenagers
Where to stay
Where to stay in Merzouga and Erg Chebbi
Hotel
Kasbah Mohayut
Why we like it: A mud-brick hotel next to Erg Chebbi, with a pool for the afternoon and its own camp in the dunes, which you reach by camel.
Hotel
Auberge Derkaoua
Why we like it: At the northern end of the dunes, away from the bustle of Merzouga, with a garden, pool and room for the car.
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Go into the dunes at five in the afternoon
The heat drops, the light turns orange and you reach the camp as the sun sets.
- 2Bring a scarf and glasses
In the wind, sand gets into everything. It protects your face and your phone.
- 3Ask for the total price of the camp
Make sure it includes the camel or 4x4, dinner, breakfast and the return. That way there are no surprises.
What is Erg Chebbi?
A field of sand dunes in south-eastern Morocco, near the Algerian border, with crests that exceed a hundred metres. Merzouga is the village on its edge, and around it there are dozens of hotels and camps. What you come to do is simple: go into the dunes at sunset, sleep in a camp and watch the sunrise from the top.
How do you get there?
It is very far from everything, and it is worth knowing. From Marrakesh it is about 550 km and between 9 and 10 hours by car over the Tizi n'Tichka pass; the usual thing is to split it into two or three days with nights at Aït Ben Haddou and the gorges. From Fez it is about 470 km and between 7 and 8 hours through the Middle Atlas. Without a car, Supratours has a daily bus from Fez of almost ten hours. The nearest airport is Errachidia, about two hours away.
The three-day excursions from Marrakesh do that route by minibus, with a lot of road and little dune. If you have time, five days is better.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can you go to Merzouga and back in a day from Marrakesh?
No. It is 9 or 10 hours by car each way. Allow at least three days, better four or five.
Is there a minimum age for riding a camel?
There is no official minimum age. Many camps put small children on in front of an adult or lead them walking alongside. Ask when booking and think about an hour of swaying.
Is it cold in the desert?
In winter yes, very, at night. From December to February bring a fleece and a hat even if it is 20 °C by day.
What is the difference between Merzouga and Agafay?
Agafay, near Marrakesh, is a stone desert without dunes. The Sahara's sand dunes are at Merzouga and Zagora, much further away.