# Merzouga and Erg Chebbi The village at the foot of Erg Chebbi, a sea of orange sand dunes about 22 km long. One night in a camp is enough; two, if you arrive by road from far away. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/morocco/merzouga · Revisado: 2026-11-11 ## 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. ## Dónde está - Zonas: Sahara ## Qué hacer - **Sunset Camel Ride to a Camp** (2 h · From small children with an adult · Included in the camp night): What it is It is the classic Merzouga plan: mid-afternoon you leave the hotel in a guided dromedary caravan, go into the Erg Chebbi dunes as the sun drops and arrive at a tented camp among the dunes as the sand turns orange. You have dinner there, sleep in a tent and the next morning, after climbing to watch the sunrise from a dune, you go back by dromedary or 4x4 to the hotel for breakfast and a shower. The dromedary journey lasts one to two hours depending on how far the camp is. A guide always walks leading the string, so you do not need to know how to ride. Who organises it Almost all the hotels and guesthouses on the edge of the dunes have their own camp or work with one, and the dromedary ride is included in the night. Some examples: Riad Madu, in Hassilabied, north of Merzouga: organises guided dromedary excursions of a few hours or a day and has two camps, Premium and Luxury, with tents with bathrooms. It does not publish prices on its website: ask for a quote. Kasbah Mohayut, right next to the dunes, has its own camp that you reach by dromedary. The camps range from simple tents with a shared bathroom to large tents with a bed, private bathroom and electricity. When booking, ask for the total price in writing: dromedary there and back, dinner, breakfast, luggage transfer and whether the return is by dromedary or 4x4. That way there are no surprises. What the day is like Arrive at the hotel early in the afternoon, leave the big suitcase (at the camp you only need a small rucksack) and get ready. Departure is usually one or two hours before sunset, which in Merzouga is around 18:30 in mid-January, 19:45 in April, 20:20 in June and July and 18:45 in October, in official Moroccan time. Halfway, the caravan stops on a crest to watch the sun set. Then, dinner, often a tagine, with music by the fire and a sky full of stars, because there are no lights around. What to bring A scarf or chèche for your face, sunglasses, sun cream, water, a warm layer for the night, a head torch and a power bank, because at some camps there are no sockets or signal. Long trousers: rubbing from the saddle is uncomfortable in shorts. From December to February, at night in the dunes it nears zero degrees: fleece and hat. With children There is no official minimum age. Many camps put small children in front of an adult or lead them walking alongside; ask when booking. Bear in mind it is one or two hours of swaying. For the youngest, a short ride to a nearby camp works better than a long outing. When to go In spring and autumn, with days of 25 to 30 °C and pleasant nights. From June to August it often exceeds 40 °C: you only go out late in the afternoon and it is worth choosing a camp with good ventilation. In winter the days are good, but the night is cold. In a sandstorm, camps may delay departure; if the wind does not die down, ask about staying at the hotel and moving the night. - **Sunrise from the top of a dune** (1 h · With legs: the sand is tiring · Free): What it is Watching the sun rise from the top of an Erg Chebbi dune is the moment most remembered from a night in Merzouga. The erg is a field of dunes about 22 km long and 5 wide, next to the Algerian border, with crests reaching about 150 metres. Before dawn you climb on foot, in the dark or with the first light, sit on the crest and watch the light go from grey to pink and then orange, and the dunes' shadows gradually shorten. It costs nothing and you do not need a guide if you sleep next to the dunes. What time Leave your camp or hotel about 45 minutes before sunrise, to climb at a relaxed pace and be at the top with the first light, which begins to show half an hour earlier. Sunrise times in Merzouga, in official Moroccan time, are approximately: Mid-January: around 8:15. Mid-April: around 6:50. Mid-June and July: around 6:10–6:20. Mid-October: around 7:15. Mid-December: around 8:05. During Ramadan Morocco puts the clock back an hour, so in those weeks subtract an hour from these figures. Ask at the camp the time for the next day. The climb The dune behind your camp is enough: you do not need to go to the highest. Climb along the crests, not the slopes, because on the crest the sand is firmer and you sink less. Even so it is tiring: it is like climbing a staircase of sand, and with each step you slip a little. A medium-sized dune takes 20 to 45 minutes to climb depending on your pace. Barefoot is better for climbing, but in winter the sand is very cold at dawn; with socks it also works. The descent is quick and fun: down the slope, in great strides. Do not go out of sight of your camp or of other people. The dunes all look alike and, in low light, it is easy to get lost. Note mentally where the camp is before you start climbing. What to bring A head torch or your phone light for the first part, water, a fleece or a windbreaker and a scarf for your face if there is wind. From December to February, at dawn in the dunes it nears zero degrees: wrap up properly even if it is 20 °C by day. In summer, on the other hand, dawn is the only pleasant time of day, because from June to August it often exceeds 40 °C. When to go Spring (March and April) and autumn (October and November) are the best seasons: pleasant nights and days of 25 to 30 °C. In a strong sandstorm, the sunrise looks blurred and the climb is uncomfortable; on those days, stay near the camp. With children and in a group Children climb well, sometimes better than adults, and they love running down. Hold little ones by the hand at the top, where the crest is narrow and drops on both sides. If someone cannot climb, the view from a low dune next to the camp is also worth it. The usual thing is to combine it with the night at the camp: you arrive the day before with the sunset camel ride, sleep in a tent and climb at dawn. If you sleep in a hotel at the foot of the dunes, such as the Kasbah Mohayut or the Auberge Derkaoua, you set out on foot from the door. - **Sandboarding in the Dunes** (1 h · Teenagers and adults · Board lent at many camps; separate hire from about 50 DH): What it is Sandboarding is riding down a dune standing on a board, as on snow, or sitting or lying down if it is your first time. In Erg Chebbi the dunes reach about 150 metres and the sand is fine and loose, so there are slopes for every level a few steps from any camp. There are no lifts: each run is paid for with a walk back up, and that is what limits how many you do. Who offers it and what it costs Almost all the camps in Erg Chebbi have boards for their guests and lend them for free or for a little money, and many excursions with a night in camp include it. On the edge of the dunes they also rent out boards separately; guides cite about 50 dirhams per board, but that figure is of uncertain date. Ask when booking the camp whether they have boards and whether they are included, and at your Merzouga hotel, such as the Kasbah Mohayut or the Auberge Derkaoua, whether they lend them. The camps' boards are usually basic, sometimes without proper bindings, and are waxed with a candle or a piece of wax so they slide better. Do not expect snowboard-shop equipment. How it is done Choose a slope with a uniform gradient and no drops at the end. The leeward faces, the steepest on the dune, are the best to ride. If you have never snowboarded, start sitting or lying face down with your feet behind: it is easy and very fast. Standing, turn sideways as in snowboarding, with your weight slightly back, and let the board run. Falling on sand does not hurt, but it gets everywhere. Each climb takes effort: the sand gives way at every step. Climb along the crest, where it is firmer, with the board under your arm. With three or four runs on a medium dune your legs will be heavy. Allow an hour. When Late in the afternoon, on arriving at the camp, or first thing in the morning, after the sunrise from a dune. At midday the sand burns and the heat is exhausting, especially from June to August, when it often exceeds 40 °C. In spring and autumn the conditions are best. In a strong sandstorm, leave it for another time: you cannot see the slope and the sand hits your face. What to bring Sunglasses or ski goggles for the sand, a scarf for your mouth and nose, water, sun cream and clothes that can fill with sand. Leave your phone at the camp or keep it in a sealed bag: fine sand ruins cameras and phones. Ride barefoot or in socks; trainers fill with sand straight away. With children and teenagers For teenagers it is usually the best thing about the stay in the dunes. Children enjoy it sitting on the board, on short slopes and with an adult at the bottom to brake. Make sure they do not slide towards other people or the camp, and that they do not climb big dunes alone. It is a good way to round off the sunset camel ride before dinner. - **Khamlia and Its Gnawa Music** (1 h · Everyone · Donation): What it is Khamlia is a small village about 7 km south of Merzouga, about ten minutes by car, in a valley where a river once ran, at the edge of the Erg Chebbi dunes. About 400 people live there, almost all from one family, the Oujeaa. Their ancestors were slaves brought by force from sub-Saharan Africa; the family was emancipated in 1934 and by around 1950 had settled here. They have kept Gnawa music, that of Morocco's brotherhoods of sub-Saharan origin, with its rhythm of iron castanets (qraqeb), drums and the guembri, a three-string lute. What you do You go to listen to music. In the village, the group Les Pigeons du Sable plays for visitors: you sit down, are served tea and the musicians play and sing for a while. At the end a donation is left. There is no fixed entry fee or published schedule: the musicians play when visitors arrive. The group also gives workshops on traditional rhythms. The visit is part of the village's community tourism. The Khamlia Association, founded in 2004 by Mohamed Oujeaa, uses what is raised to preserve local culture, for vocational training for women and for free tutoring classes for children. The women weave rugs and sew dresses that are sold to visitors at a fair price. Besides music, there are weaving, henna and cookery workshops (tagine, couscous, harira), and stays in village houses or in a camp. Every summer the village celebrates the Sadaka, a three-day festival of Gnawa music almost without a break. How long and how much Allow an hour for the music and tea, a little more if you do a workshop. The donation is up to you; bear in mind that the association lives partly from it. Bring dirhams in cash and in small notes. If you buy a rug, ask the price calmly and without hurry: you have no obligation to buy. Getting there Khamlia is on the road that leaves Merzouga towards the south, skirting the erg. In your own car you arrive in about ten minutes and park in the village; you do not need a 4x4. Without a car, many hotels and camps in Merzouga include it in their half-day 4x4 excursions, which usually combine it with visits to nomad families, the old Mifis mines and Lake Srji, which only has water in some seasons. If you go on an excursion, ask whether the music donation is included. When to go In the morning or late in the afternoon, when the heat is less intense; in summer, at midday, the village is drowsy. It fits well the morning after the night at the camp, after the sunrise in the dunes, or on the way to or from Rissani if you spend the day in the area. With children It is one of the visits that works best with children: there is live music and drums a couple of metres away. Sit them at the front so they can see the musicians. Ask permission before taking photos of the village people, especially women and children. - **Rissani and Its Souk** (2 h · Everyone · Independently · free): What it is and what you see Rissani was the historic capital of the Tafilalet, the great oasis of south-eastern Morocco, and a crossroads between the north and south of the Sahara. When the neighbouring Sijilmassa, the caravan city of which only traces remain today, was destroyed in the 14th century, Rissani took over as the centre of trans-Saharan trade. The dynasty that reigns in Morocco also comes from here: on the southern edge of the town is the mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif, ancestor of the Alaouites. Today it is still the area's great commercial centre, and its souk is the reason for the stop. It is a large souk, known above all for its trade in leather and goatskins. Around it, the region holds more than four hundred ksour, the fortified mud-brick villages of the Tafilalet. When The souk operates several days a week. Wikipedia gives it as especially lively on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, but other travel guides cite different days and we have not found an official calendar. Ask at your accommodation in Merzouga which days have the big market before planning the excursion. Best go in the morning, before the midday heat. Getting there Rissani is near Erfoud, about 40 km from Merzouga, and is the last large town before the Erg Chebbi dunes. If you arrive from Erfoud or from the north, you pass through it on the way to the desert: it is the natural moment to stop. On the road there is a fossil and mineral museum, and in Erfoud the International Date Fair is held. Without a car, ask at your accommodation whether it organises the excursion, and settle the price and duration beforehand. Price Walking around the souk costs nothing. What you buy is haggled over, as in any Moroccan market: decide beforehand how much you want to pay. Practical tips Carry cash in dirhams and small notes. Dress modestly and ask permission before photographing people, especially vendors. If you go with children, the souk can be intense because of the crowds: hold them by the hand and do not stay longer than an hour or two. Combine the visit with the mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif, from outside, and with the remains of Sijilmassa. On the way back to Merzouga, save your energy for the sunset camel ride or the sunrise from the top of a dune. On the way, Khamlia and its Gnawa music are 7 km south of Merzouga. ## As a family: 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 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 ### Qué hacer as a family - Sunset Camel Ride to a Camp - Sunrise from the top of a dune - Khamlia and Its Gnawa Music ## With teenagers: 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 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 ### Qué hacer with teenagers - Sunset Camel Ride to a Camp - Sunrise from the top of a dune - Sandboarding in the Dunes - Khamlia and Its Gnawa Music ## Consejos ### Go into the dunes at five in the afternoon The heat drops, the light turns orange and you reach the camp as the sun sets. ### Bring a scarf and glasses In the wind, sand gets into everything. It protects your face and your phone. ### Ask 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. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### 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.