Camel trek · Merzouga
Explore the Merzouga region by 4x4, then ride into the dunes for sunset and a night in the Sahara.
This is the most complete way to experience Merzouga in a single day and night. Instead of arriving at the dunes just in time for sunset, you spend the whole day discovering what surrounds them: a palm oasis watered by an ancient irrigation system, a seasonal desert lake, a village of Gnawa musicians, old mines scattered with fossils and minerals, and the tent of a Berber nomad family.
After breakfast, your driver collects you in a 4x4 for a relaxed circuit around Erg Chebbi, with a free lunch stop in Khamlia, where you can try the famous Berber pizza. In the late afternoon you trade the vehicle for a camel and ride into the golden dunes, pausing to watch the sunset before reaching your camp in the heart of the Sahara.
The evening is exactly what a desert night should be: mint tea on arrival, a private tent, a generous dinner and Berber music around the campfire beneath a sky full of stars. The next morning, wake for sunrise over the dunes before returning to the village.
Best for: Travellers who want to see the whole Merzouga region, not only the dunes, and enjoy culture, landscapes and a desert night in one experience.
Merzouga · Hassi Labied · Dayet Srij · Khamlia · M'ifis · Erg Chebbi camp · 4x4 exploration, then about 1.5 hours by camel
Your day begins after breakfast, between 9:00 and 10:00 am, when your driver arrives in a 4x4 for a full-day exploration of the Merzouga region. The first stop is the oasis of Hassi Labied, where you walk among date palms and vegetable gardens and see the traditional irrigation system that has carried water to each family's plot for generations. From there, drive out to Dayet Srij, a seasonal lake that appears at the foot of the dunes after the rains and, in good years, attracts flamingos and other migratory birds.
Next comes Khamlia, a small village known throughout Morocco for its Gnawa music. Sit down with a glass of tea and enjoy a live performance of drums, iron castanets and call-and-response singing, a tradition brought here centuries ago from sub-Saharan Africa. Continue across the open desert to the M'ifis mines, an abandoned site where the ground is scattered with fossils and minerals, then visit a Berber nomad family in their tent to share mint tea and learn how they live with their herds on the edge of the Sahara.
You then have free time for lunch at a typical restaurant in Khamlia. This is the place to try a Berber pizza, a round stuffed bread filled with meat, onions, herbs and spices, traditionally baked in hot sand or a clay oven. Lunch is not included in the tour, so you can order whatever you like.
After lunch you return to prepare for your desert adventure. Your camel trek begins approximately two hours before sunset and lasts around an hour and a half, winding through the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi. Along the way your guide stops at a high point so you can watch the sun sink behind the sand, one of the most beautiful moments of the journey, before you arrive at your camp in the heart of the Sahara.
At camp you are welcomed with Moroccan mint tea and shown to your private tent. After a delicious dinner, gather around the campfire for traditional Berber music beneath a star-filled sky. You are welcome to join in and dance, or simply sit back and enjoy the peace of the desert night.
Desert camp · Merzouga village · No driving
Wake early and climb the dune beside your camp to watch the sun rise over the Sahara, as the sand turns from soft pink to gold. It is worth every minute of lost sleep.
After a shower and a full breakfast at camp, ride back to the village by camel, or return by 4x4 if you prefer. Your experience ends at our guesthouse in Merzouga, where you can freshen up before continuing your journey.
Every tent is private. Pick the comfort level that suits you; tell us your choice when you book.
Private tents with their own en-suite bathroom, offering a good balance between comfort and the authentic feel of a Berber camp.
Spacious, elegantly furnished tents equipped with air conditioning and heating, so you stay cool on summer nights and warm in winter. Ideal for couples and families.
Most travellers arrive by car or on one of our private tours. By public transport, Supratours buses run daily from Marrakech (departing around 8:00 am, arriving around 9:00 pm) and overnight from Fes (departing around 7:00 pm, arriving around 6:00 am). Tell us your bus and we will meet you at the stop.
No. Our camps provide real beds, pillows and plenty of blankets in both the mid-range luxury and the luxury camp.
Yes. If you prefer not to ride, we offer a 4x4 transfer to and from the camp at no extra charge.
Yes. The camps run on solar power and have charging points for phones and cameras.
Both camps have private tents with en-suite bathrooms, hot showers and comfortable bedding. The mid-range luxury camp offers a good balance between comfort and authenticity. The luxury camp adds air conditioning and heating in every tent, plus more spacious, elegantly furnished tents, so you stay comfortable on hot summer nights and cold winter ones.
Before you go
Where the dunes are, the best season to visit and what a night in Erg Chebbi is really like.
How to reach Erg Chebbi, what to do there and how to choose between a camel trek, a 4x4 day and a night in camp.
A practical packing list for medinas, mountains and a night in the Sahara, with what to wear in each season.
Related tours
Ride out at golden hour, watch the sun set from a high dune, share dinner and drums around the fire, then wake early for sunrise over Erg Chebbi.
Two nights in a desert camp: a sunset camel trek on day one, then sunrise and a full-day 4x4 excursion to Hassi Labied oasis, Khamlia's Gnawa music, the M'ifis mines and a nomad family.
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