Sahara & Merzouga,
Morocco.
Erg Chebbi · Southeast Morocco
Sahara & Merzouga, Morocco
- From Marrakech
- 381 kmas the crow flies
- How long
- 3 days minimum from Marrakech
- Nearest airport
- ERHErrachidia (ERH), then 2h drive
- Best time
- October–April (avoid July–August)
The genuine Sahara, reached from Marrakech: the 150m dunes of Erg Chebbi, camel caravans and luxury camps beneath a sky stuffed with stars.
When people picture Moroccan dunes, they are picturing Erg Chebbi — a 22 km sweep of orange sand near Merzouga that rears up to 150 m above the flat hammada. From Marrakech this is the great desert expedition rather than a day's outing: about eight and a half hours by road over the Tizi n'Tichka pass and down through the Dadès and Todra gorges, which we deliberately stretch across two days so the kasbah road becomes part of the adventure rather than a slog, or a short flight to Errachidia and a two-hour transfer. The reward is one of the most cinematic landscapes on the planet and a night under canvas with Berber hosts, where the only sound is the wind combing the crests.
Where it sits
Sahara & Merzouga on the map.
Sahara & Merzouga is about 381 km east of Marrakech in a straight line; the road is longer. The line on the map is that straight line, not the route your driver takes.
Map: Marrakech to Sahara & Merzouga
- MarrakechView on OpenStreetMap
- Sahara & MerzougaView on OpenStreetMap
- RissaniView on OpenStreetMap
- TinghirView on OpenStreetMap
- Dadès & Todra GorgesView on OpenStreetMap
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
What to see in Sahara & Merzouga.
A camel line on a ridge at golden hour Camel trek into the dunes
A 60–90 minute plod from the village out to camp, best saved for late afternoon when the sand shifts from gold to a deep, burnt copper.
A Merzouga camp walkway lit at night A night in a luxury camp
Canvas suites kitted out with proper beds and en-suite bathrooms, a candlelit dinner beneath the stars, and gnaoua players keeping time around the fire.
Guests climbing a dune to the sunset chairs Sunrise from the high dune
Up before six for a barefoot haul up 150 m of soft sand, rewarded as the sun cracks the ridge toward Algeria.
Erg Chigaga, the wilder option
Deeper south and reached only by 4x4 from M'Hamid — quieter, with a fraction of the camps and a tougher approach. The pick for travellers who have already ticked off Merzouga.
Trips
Sahara & Merzouga, the way we would plan it.
Every itinerary is private and built around your dates, with a proper stop in Sahara & Merzouga. Each one is priced in a written quote within 24 hours.
The silence of Chigaga
5 days
A private 4x4 expedition to the empty dunes south of Zagora — three nights under canvas with Berber hosts, far from the nearest road or road sign.
One night in Erg Chebbi
1 day
A camel ride out to a luxury camp on the high Merzouga dunes, gnaoua music by the fire, and a dawn climb up the sand before breakfast.
Plan your Sahara & Merzouga days
- Private your group in its own car
- 24 h a written quote
- Free nothing to pay to ask
Sahara & Merzouga, answered.
Can I see the Sahara on a day trip from Marrakech?
Is the desert too hot in summer?
Erg Chebbi or Erg Chigaga?
Before you go.
- Getting there
- Around 8h30 by road (about 560 km) from Marrakech to Merzouga, which we split over 2 days on the kasbah road; or fly to Errachidia and drive the final 2h.
- What to pack
- Warm layers — desert nights bite even in summer — plus a scarf against blowing sand, a headlamp and a pair of slip-on shoes.
- Connectivity
- Expect a flicker of mobile signal at the camp's edge and, quite deliberately, no Wi-Fi at most camps.
Pair Sahara & Merzouga with.
From the journal.
Have your Sahara & Merzouga days planned by a local.
Tell us your dates, group size and pace. We send a written proposal within 24 hours: private guides, transfers, riads, the lot.