Camel trek · Merzouga
Ride into the dunes at golden hour and wake up to a Sahara sunrise.
For many travellers, this is the moment they remember most from Morocco. In the late afternoon you meet your camel guide at the edge of Merzouga village and set off into Erg Chebbi, a sea of sand about 22 km long whose highest dunes rise to around 150 metres.
The ride to camp takes about an hour and a half, including a stop on a high dune to watch the sunset and try sandboarding. At camp you are welcomed with mint tea in the Berber tent, then enjoy a Moroccan dinner and gather around the fire as the camp team plays drums and sings. With no towns nearby, the stars are extraordinary. Early the next morning the dunes turn pink, then gold, as the sun rises over the Algerian border.
Choose a mid-range luxury camp, where every private tent has an en-suite bathroom, hot shower and comfortable bedding, or a luxury camp, where the tents are also equipped with air conditioning and heating. If you prefer not to ride, a 4x4 can take you to and from camp at no extra cost. You can leave your car and main luggage safely at our guesthouse.
Best for: Independent travellers, self-drive road trippers and anyone arriving in Merzouga by bus who wants one perfect night in the dunes.
Merzouga village · Erg Chebbi dunes · desert camp · No driving
Arrive at our guesthouse in Merzouga in the afternoon. Park your car or leave your luggage with us, pack a small backpack with a warm layer, and let us help you tie a traditional cheche to protect you from sun and sand. About two hours before sunset (usually between 4:00 and 5:00 pm, depending on the season), your camel guide leads the caravan into the dunes.
The ride is slow and gentle, following the ridges as the shadows lengthen. Halfway, you stop on a high dune to watch the sun go down and slide down the sand on a board. Arriving at camp after dark, you are welcomed with mint tea and peanuts, then dinner is served: usually soup, a tagine or couscous and fresh fruit. Afterwards, gather around the campfire for Berber drumming, then step away from the lights to see the Milky Way.
Desert camp · Erg Chebbi · Merzouga village · No driving
Your guide wakes you before dawn. Climb the dune behind camp to watch the sunrise, one of the most beautiful moments of any trip to Morocco, as the sand changes colour minute by minute.
Back at camp, enjoy a hearty breakfast and a hot shower, then ride back to the village by camel, or by 4x4 if you prefer. At our guesthouse you can freshen up again 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
A full day exploring Merzouga by 4x4 (oasis, seasonal lake, Gnawa music in Khamlia, M'ifis mines and a nomad family), then a sunset camel trek to a night in a desert camp.
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.
A one-way crossing that turns a long transfer into an adventure: kasbahs, the Dades and Todra gorges, a camel ride into Erg Chebbi, then cedar forests on the road to Fes.
Our most requested route. Two days of mountain passes, gorges and oases lead to a sunset camel trek and a night in a Berber camp beneath the tallest dunes in Morocco.
