Merzouga – a desert in Morocco: how to get to the desert, where to stay – hotels, riads, desert camps, what to do in the desert in Morocco.
Merzouga is a small town in the desert in Morocco, which is a real highlight of a trip to this brightly colored country.
I dreamed of visiting a real desert with huge dunes, seeing camels crossing kilometers of sand, and the sun rising over the sand waves.
This is exactly what we saw when we arrived in Merzouga, which is located near the so-called “branch” of the Sahara in Morocco. It is here that you can not only walk along the dunes but also take a tour of the desert in jeeps or on camels. You can also spend the night in the desert in a real Bedouin camp.
In this article, you will find all the information about the Merzouga and the desert in Morocco, based on our own experience.
General information about Merzouga
Merzouga is a tiny town in the southeast of Morocco, 40 kilometers from the border with Algeria. The village is located right on the edge of the desert. It is quite spacious and consists entirely of clay buildings and hotels typical of the country. Most of the buildings were built since 1980 to meet the tourist demand for hotels, restaurants, and shops.
The desert near Merzouga is the so-called Erg Chebbi. It’s an area covered with sand dunes, which is actually a piece of the Sahara Desert in Morocco. The dunes in Erg Chebba are huge – they reach a height of almost 200 meters. There is another Erg in Morocco – Chigaga, located near the city of Zagora. The dunes there are much lower, up to 60 meters high.
A visit to the desert near Merzouga is one of the best things about traveling to Morocco that leaves vivid memories. Here you can see a fascinating landscape formed exclusively by wind and sand. The dunes are constantly moving, creating incredible waves of sand. Thanks to its ideal location on the edge of the sand dunes, Merzouga is a very cool starting point for camel rides, jeep tours or other exciting desert excursions.
How to get to Merzouga from Marrakech
There are three ways to get to Merzouga: rent a car, buy bus tickets, or buy a ready-made tour from Marrakech. Let’s analyze all three options.
Rent a car
We rented a car on Rentalcars.com. The best conditions were with the international car rental company Herz (but I reccomend to check your the best offers on this site). We picked up the car at Agadir Airport (we flew here from Warsaw on a direct Wizz Air flight)/ And returned it at the end of the route at Tangier Airport (from here we returned home via Milan-Bergamo on a Ryanair flight).
We advise you to read about our ideal travel itinerary for Morocco
From Marrakech to Merzouga, about 560 kilometers of roads. It takes about 9-10 hours of pure travel time. Part of the route leads through the High Atlas Mountains with steep serpentines. Roads in Morocco are well, and there are plenty of gas stations along the route (except for the mountain passes in the High Atlas).
We were traveling to Merzouga with a stop in Ait Ben Haddou and an overnight stay in an oasis near Ouarzazate. We split the five hundred kilometers in half so that we wouldn’t get tired and could see interesting places along the way.
In addition, there are places on the way to the desert that are worth making a hook for, for example, Dades Gorge, which should not be missed. The further south you go, the more barren and dry the landscape becomes, and you realize that you are getting much closer to the Moroccan desert.
By bus from Marrakech to Merzouga
There are two large bus companies in Morocco that provide intercity transportation. These companies are SupraTours and CTM.
To get to Merzouga from Marrakech, you must first get to Ouarzazate, and then buy tickets to Rassani. Then take a taxi to Merzouga.
Excursions from Marrakech to Merzouga
If you don’t want to drive a rental car and don’t have time to travel by bus, there is an alternative option to get to Merzouga. These are tours from Marrakech by minibus. Small groups gather not only in Marrakech, but also in Fes, a city 500 km from Merzouga.
Most of these tours include meals, and there are additional stops for sightseeings. For example, in the Ait Ben Haddou fortress and the Dades Gorge. You can easily book these tours online in advance.
Merzouga – what to do there
What exactly to do in this small village near the border of Morocco and Algeria?
On this trip to Merzouga, we planned to go hiking in dunes at sunrise and a camel ride. In addition, you can spend the night in the desert, which is also an unforgettable experience, worth the 500 km drive from Marrakech or Fes.
Arrival to Merzouga – where is the best place to buy a desert tour
When we arrived in Merzouga, we were warmly greeted by Mustafa. He is the owner of a small traditional mud-brick hotel. He took purely symbolic money for housing but earned money by organizing tours to the desert. This is what all the owners of hotels or desert camps in Merzouga do.
How to book hotel in Merzouga
But when you get to the village, you will see men in traditional clothes who will try to stop your car to sell you a tour of the desert. But I think it is better to negotiate with the owner of the accommodation you book in advance on Booking-Merzuga. They will do their best – because they know that you will leave a review on Booking, which will bring new guests to them.
Mustafa treated us to mint tea, which was very nice after a long drive. But immediately we went to look at the desert – the day was ending and we really wanted to see the sun go down behind the dunes. The sunset on the dunes is beautiful because the sand turns a soft pink color. But remember, in the desert in the Mezuzah, the sunrises are much more beautiful. Because the sun rises from the desert side and sets on the opposite side, where there is no more sand. But the evening in the dunes was still wonderful.
We stopped in front of a huge dune about 200 meters high, and even managed to climb the dune before sunset. Incredibly beautiful!
Dinner was also delicious, especially the tagine – I really liked it, because Mustafa did a great job for us.
Desert hike in Merzouga
In the morning, we got up before dawn to see it in the middle of the dunes, and then have the opportunity to ride camels. When we reached the first dunes in Erg Chebbi by car, we saw how the dunes get higher and higher when you try to walk on them. It is quite difficult, but it is quite possible for people who do not have problems with movement.
Although the climb was not easy, from the top of the dunes we saw a breathtaking 360-degree panoramic view of the beautiful Erg Shebbi desert. For the first time, I felt myself on the edge of the desert, where the extravaganza of dawn was about to begin-the sun was gradually emerging from behind the wavy desert sky.
We sat by the dune for a while to see an incredibly beautiful sunrise, sitting in the Sahara, it seemed as if we were there all alone. It was so quiet around us, magical moments that made our trip to Morocco unforgettable.
Camel tour in Merzouga
But there is an alternative option – to climb the dunes on camels. Riding a camel is a unique way to see the desert through the eyes of nomads. To ride through the desert like the Bedouins do.
A camel ride through the dunes lasts 1-1.5 hours. In principle, it is enough to experience new feelings and not get bored or fall asleep on the back of a camel )))
The price depends on your arrangements with the organizer – on average, it costs from $25 per person. You can join a group (it’s cheaper), or you can ask for a separate trip, which is a little more expensive, but not much.
Tip: For a desert camel ride, wear comfortable clothes, no shorts or tight underwear. Take sunscreen with you, as well as sports shoes for climbing the dunes. Don’t forget about warm clothes: you are in the desert, and the temperature changes greatly from day to night. Even if it’s warm or hot during the day, the temperature in Merzouga can quickly drop to zero degrees at night. Even in the Sahara, it sometimes snows.
Jeep safari
You can also book a jeep safari driving through the desert dunes. This is a completely different experience than a camel ride. If you have traveled to Dubai you probably already know what it’s like to be sitting in a jeep and have it fly over a dune at a 60-degree angle. My heart sinks to my heels – I feel like the car is about to roll over.
The story is the same in Morocco, but there is a slight difference. The jeep tour of the desert in Merzouga includes a trip to the Berber camp, where you can see how the desert inhabitants live, listen to their music, and buy souvenirs.
Some organizers additionally bring tourists to the black volcanic desert, where our guides tell and show how to find fossils and beautiful minerals in the black stones. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a souvenir that you found with your own eyes. On the way back, the jeeps also stop at a lake where you can see pink flamingos in winter. We visited Merzouga in May, so there were no birds there.
Hotels and desert camps in Merzouga – where to stay overnight in the desert
Merzouga is located on the edge of the Erg Chebbi. It is actually adjacent to the first dunes of the Moroccan desert. There is a wide range of accommodation – from ordinary mud-brick guesthouses to kasbah hotels, which are houses with their own garden and pool. You can also stay right inside the desert in a desert Berber camp.
In addition to hotels, Merzouga offers a huge selection of desert camps. Almost all of them are highly rated on Booking. You have to read the reviews carefully. Because for some people, the price and attentive owners are important, for other tourists, beautiful tents and the opportunity to take bright photos for Instagram. Suggestions for entertainment in the desert – desert tour routes, camel rides, dinner, overnight stay in the desert, are basically the same. Only the equipment of the desert camps differs.
Accommodation prices vary from $10 in a guesthouse to $100 in a luxury hotel or camp. Choose according to your own preferences and budget.
Hotels and guesthouses in Merzouga:
- Riad Madu ≫ – is a riad with a large private area, a palm garden, and a swimming pool. It has beautiful views of the desert and dunes.
- Desert Villa Boutique Hotel Merzouga ≫ – hotel in the form of a traditional kasbah fortress with large, stylish rooms and its own small pool. It’s great to watch the stars at night from the roof of the hotel.
- Hassilabiad Appart Hotel ≫ – Excellent clean hotel with a nice interior and large rooms. There is a patio and a swimming pool. Nice restaurant and delicious breakfast and a very nice view of the dunes.
Desert camps in Merzouga
- Nomad Bivouac – is a small but nice and cheap desert camp in Merzouga. A great opportunity to explore the desert on a budget.
- Merzouga Sahara Luxury Camp – is one of the best desert camps in Merzouga. A very comfortable camp in the middle of the desert with beautiful tents that have all the amenities. You can spend the night here either in a tent or in the open air.
- Sahara Luxury Tented Camp – for an unforgettable vacation in the Sahara Desert.
What you need to travel to Morocco
- Check if you need a visa to visit Morocco. You can do it on the IATA official site.
- You will also need a car – it will be quite difficult to see Morocco without it. In ten days, you can see the best cities and most interesting sights. Rent a car right after arrival and travel along the beautiful roads of this country. I recommend looking for a car on Rentalcars.com – here you can find budget and more comfortable car options.
- Don’t skimp on health insurance, especially since you need it to get a visa to Morocco.
- Book your accommodation in advance – Booking.com allows you to find discounted options.
Useful articles and links:
- 8 things to do in Essaouira, Morocco
- 5 most picturesque roads in Morocco that you should definitely add to your itinerary
- The perfect route in Morocco
- Road trip in Jordan
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