The Erg Chebbi desert , better known as the Merzouga desert , is one of the most impressive landscapes in Morocco and an essential stop on any route through the country. The best way to experience it is to sleep in a camp at the foot of the dunes, and here we are going to give you a few tips on how to visit the Merzouga desert (Erg Chebbi) , so that you can plan your trip on your own or on a multi-day tour .
Throughout the post you will find all the information you need to organize your adventure: where it is, how to visit it, the best time of year and much more.
Where is Erg Chebbi?
The Erg Chebbi desert is the closest to the border with Algeria and is located in the southeastern corner of Morocco. It is one of the many small deserts that make up the great Sahara desert . From Marrakech it is just under 600 km along the Route of the Thousand Kasbahs, which passes through such interesting places as the Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou , Ouarzazate, the Todra Gorges and the Dades Gorges . So the ideal would be to take advantage of this to make a multi-day excursion from Marrakech , and visit all these places on the way.
Unlike Erg Chigaga , where the nearest village (Mhamid) is about 60km from the dunes, the first sand mountains of Erg Chebbi are just a stone’s throw away from two villages: Hassilabied and the more well-known Merzouga (this desert is sometimes referred to as “the Merzouga desert”). We say a stone’s throw away because it is so – many accommodations and riads are right on the edge of the sand, and some medium-sized dunes can be reached by foot from your own doorstep. Here’s more to explain…
How to visit the Merzouga desert on your own
The Erg Chebbi desert is approximately 22 km long by 5 km wide, with several fairly large groups of dunes. To the south is the largest of them all (Erg Chebbi), which is about 150 metres high according to some sources, although the guide told us it was 250 metres high.
There are two ways to visit Erg Chebbi, which do not have to be mutually exclusive: staying overnight in a hotel near the dunes (both in the Hassilabied area and in Merzouga), or spending a night in a camp .
As for the night in a hotel , the important thing is to know its exact location, and that it is on the front line of the dunes. We stayed at the Riad Kasbah Aiour (which by the way, is amazing), which has the beginning of the desert right on its doorstep, and in about 25 minutes walking we were on a cool dune to see the sunrise. It is in the Hassilabied area and around it there are other good accommodations on the line of the dunes. In the Merzouga area there are also plenty of options for accommodation.
For those who want to spend a night in a desert camp , there is one thing to keep in mind. During this year 2019, the Moroccan government has forced the relocation of camps to the edges of the dunes, but not inside them. Apparently, the damage to the ecosystem was quite serious, the groundwater that the nomadic villages used was contaminated and the control of garbage was non-existent. So don't expect to wake up surrounded by huge dunes around you. Even so, there will usually always be a group of dunes nearby where you can climb to see the sunset and sunrise. However, try to know their exact location and use Google Maps (in Satellite mode) to analyze if they are really close (a correct distance would be less than 1 km to a high dune).
In general there are camps on all 4 sides of the desert, however the largest concentration is in the southeastern part.
Finally, you will have to choose whether you want a standard or luxury camp . The most notable difference is having a bathroom inside the tent, as well as other niceties, perhaps better food, towels, etc. Our choice was the Sahara Majestic Luxury Camp , and the truth is that it turned out to be impeccable.
There is a third, more adventurous option: camping in a tent in the middle of the desert . Since it is no longer possible to set up permanent camps inside the dunes, local agencies offer the experience of sleeping in a tent, in a much more spectacular location and away from the noise of drums and songs from the camp parties. If you are interested, it is best to ask several local tour operators.
To get to Merzouga on your own, the ideal option is to rent a car . The location also makes it an excellent stop on a road trip, whether you take a trip between Marrakech and Fez (it's more or less halfway), or to take the famous circular route with departure and arrival from Marrakech, passing through the Route of the Thousand Kasbahs.
If you don't feel like renting a car, you can also get there by bus . CTM and Supratours have plenty of routes all over the country. You can check their websites/apps for timetables, prices, etc.
What is the best time to visit Erg Chebbi?
The best months to go on an excursion to the Erg Chebbi desert are October, November, March and April . In summer, temperatures soar above 40 degrees and in winter, nights can be quite cold.
We went in mid-September and, although it was less hot than in Erg Chigaga, the temperatures were still quite high. But when night fell, I dare say it even got a bit cooler. If you travel in winter, don't forget some warm clothes.
How to book a camp in Erg Chebbi and what they are like
If you are travelling on your own, you can find campsites on both Airbnb and Booking.com . On the latter page, you should search for “Merzouga” and then apply the “ tented camps ” filter. There are also websites of agencies specialising in these services and official pages of the camps; just google “Erg Chebbi camp” to get plenty of options.
As we mentioned, there are two types of camps : standard and luxury . We stayed in a standard camp in the Erg Chigaga desert and this time we wanted to try the luxury one. Conclusion? Yes, the latter is much cooler, and having the bathroom inside the tent is a plus! But beware, the night in the standard camp will also be worth it!
If you don't have anything booked, you can obviously also go to Merzouga and check out the agencies , hotels, etc. There, everyone will know someone who can offer you the experience of spending the night in the desert. The good thing? You can try to get a good discount. The bad thing? You won't have too many references or opinions from other clients.
Prices start from around €30 per person per night, which includes the night in a tent and meals. Transport may not be included, which can be an extra €15-20 per person if you go by camel, and a bit more expensive, around €30 per person, if you go by 4×4. These prices are completely negotiable and some camps offer the full experience (transport, meals and night in a tent) for a fixed price. For example, the one we booked ( Sahara Majestic Luxury Camp ) did have everything included, so it is best to contact them and ask all your questions.
The camps are made up of between 8 and 14 tents (some more), which are placed facing each other, and at the top there is a large common tent that serves as a restaurant and kitchen. In this common area you will also find the bathrooms if they are shared. The tents usually have electricity, beds with good mattresses and plenty of blankets (for the coldest nights), some have fans too, and even free WIFI (this was our case, and by the way, it was quite fast). In addition, all of them have mobile coverage.
Tours that include overnight in the Merzouga desert
These are the tours that depart from Marrakech and include the experience of spending a night in a camp in the Erg Chebbi desert:
- 3-day tour : Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate, Dades and Todra Valleys and night in the Erg Chebbi desert.
- 4-day excursion : Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate, Dades and Todra Valleys, night in the Erg Chebbi desert, Berber villages and Draa Valley.
- 3-day tour ending in Fez .
- 4-day excursion ending in Fez .
- Imperial Cities + Desert Circuit in 6 days.
What is the Erg Chebbi desert experience?
The programme starts at around 4 or 5 pm, when you will have to go to the meeting point that they tell you (usually a hotel, where you can leave your car safely). From there the journey through the desert begins , which can be done in a 4×4 or on a camel. We preferred to go in a 4×4, with which we crossed the desert from east to west, in a mini stage of a Dakar rally!
Tip: inform the operator in advance that you DO NOT want the camel ride (many NO LONGER offer them but there are some companies that still use them).
Once you arrive at the camp, you are welcomed with the ever-present mint tea and you can enter the tent, waiting for the sunset . Many campsites provide boards for sandboarding during these free hours. When the time comes when the sun is about to set, it will be the best time to climb to the top of the dune you like the most, and enjoy the greatest spectacle of nature.
Then you will have dinner , which is cooked on site and is usually very tasty, both in the standard and luxury versions. And in the evening everyone will sing, play and dance around the bonfire .
At this camp we were not given the option of taking out the beds and sleeping under the stars (as we did at Erg Chigaga). So we spent the night inside, waiting for dawn , to greet the sun again from some high point.
After breakfast , you prepare your backpack and head back to the parking lot where you left the car (with a 4×4 or camel).
Our experience in the Merzouga Desert
As we had plenty of time to travel and had a car, we decided to spend two nights in Merzouga: one in a hotel in the Hassilabied area and another in a camp in the Erg Chebbi desert. As each of us was at a different end of the desert, we were able to see the sunrise and sunset from different points of view. For example, from Hassilabied it is worth getting up early to see the sunrise, which rises behind the dunes, while in the camp where we spent one night, the most beautiful thing was the sunset.
These were our accommodations :
- Riad Kasbah Aiour
- Sahara Majestic Luxury Camp
We spent the dead hours from checking out of the hotel to the transfer to the campsite working a little in the common areas of the riad, as the heat didn't give us much time to go out and wander around...
Tips for visiting Erg Chebbi
For the night in the desert, it is important that you take the following:
- Water, which you can buy in the shops in both villages. Although in the camps they also sell it at a higher price (15 dirhams instead of 6), in case you don't want to carry it around.
- Cap, turban, etc… something to cover your head with, because the heat is strong under the sun.
- Sunscreen.
- Towel (if not included in the camp) and change of clothes.
- Closed shoes for walking in the dunes during the day and flip-flops for swimming.
- Protective bag for your camera, in case a sandstorm comes up.
After reading this guide, you will surely have a better idea of how to visit the Erg Chebbi desert on your own, reaching Merzouga, or how to do it with one of the organized tours that leave from Marrakech. We hope you have an experience as fabulous as ours! And if you have any further questions, just leave a comment!
