Erg Chebbi or Erg Chigaga, how many days you need, what a night in a desert camp is like and the best months to go, from the team that drives these routes.
Morocco's Sahara is in the south-east of the country, in the Draa-Tafilalet region, and travellers visit two big dune seas there: Erg Chebbi near the village of Merzouga, reached by paved road, and Erg Chigaga beyond M'Hamid, reached by about 60 km of sand tracks. Both are far from the cities, so a trip that includes a night in the dunes takes at least three days from Marrakech and two from Fes.
This guide covers which dunes to choose, how long to plan, what a night in a desert camp involves and when to go. The distances and driving times are the ones we use on our own desert tours.
In the south-east, past the High Atlas, along the border with Algeria.
The dunes most visitors see are Erg Chebbi, at the edge of the village of Merzouga, and Erg Chigaga, west of the end of the road at M'Hamid in the Draa Valley. Between them lies stony desert, called hamada, with oases and palm groves along the Ziz and Draa rivers.
The nearest airport to Merzouga is Errachidia (Moulay Ali Cherif), about 100 km away. Most travellers come by road: about 459 km and 7.5 hours from Fes, or two days from Marrakech with a night in the Dades Valley on the way.
Erg Chebbi for easy access and the widest choice of camps; Erg Chigaga for remote, quieter dunes reached only by 4x4.
Erg Chebbi is the classic Sahara of Morocco: dunes up to about 150 metres high, camels waiting at the edge of the village and camps from simple to luxury. Erg Chigaga feels wilder. There is no paved road to the dunes, so you cross about 60 km of sand tracks from M'Hamid and sleep at a camp far from any village. The table compares the two.
| Criterion | Erg Chebbi (Merzouga) | Erg Chigaga |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Paved road to Merzouga, then camel or 4x4 | About 60 km of sand tracks from M'Hamid, 4x4 only |
| Dunes | Up to about 150 m, next to the village | Big dune sea far from any village |
| Camps | Wide choice, from standard to luxury en-suite tents | Fewer, wilder camps |
| From Marrakech | 2 days' drive via the Dades Valley | 2 days' drive via the Draa Valley |
| Our tour |
Three days from Marrakech, two from Fes, four if you want a full day in the dunes.
From Marrakech the dunes are two days' drive away, so the shortest round trip is three days: the High Atlas and the Dades Valley on day 1, the Todra Gorge and the camp on day 2, and a long drive back on day 3 (our 3 days desert tour from Marrakech to Merzouga). From Fes, Merzouga is one long day away, so two days is possible (2 days desert tour from Fes).
With four or five days you can sleep two nights at the same camp and spend a full day around the dunes, or drive one way and finish in another city, as on the 4 days desert tour from Marrakech to Fes. Our 5 day Morocco itinerary compares three ways to do it.
No. The big dunes are too far; the closest desert experience in a day is the Agafay stone desert, 45 minutes from Marrakech.
Merzouga is too far for a day or even a two-day round trip from Marrakech. In two days you can reach the smaller dunes near Zagora in the Draa Valley (2 days desert tour to Zagora). For a desert sunset without a long drive, the Agafay desert is a stone desert of rocky hills, not sand dunes.
You arrive by camel or 4x4 for sunset, have dinner at the camp, sleep in a private tent and get up early for sunrise on the dunes.
Camps at Erg Chebbi range from standard tents to luxury tents with an en-suite bathroom; some have hot water and solar power. Dinner and breakfast are served at the camp. Evenings are quiet, often with music around a fire, and the sky is dark enough to see a great many stars.
On a two-night stay the day in between is spent around the dunes: on our tours that means Gnawa music in the village of Khamlia, tea with a semi-nomadic family on the black hamada and time for sandboarding.
About one hour or 90 minutes at sunset; you ride back to the village after sunrise.
Camels wait at the edge of Erg Chebbi and walk you into the dunes to the camp, timed for sunset. If you prefer not to ride, the camps can also be reached by 4x4. Long-distance camel treks over several days are a different trip and need more time.
March and April, and October and November.
These months have comfortable days and mild nights. From June to August the desert passes 40°C, so camps stay open but camel rides run only at dawn and dusk. From December to February the days are clear and pleasant, but nights at the camp drop close to freezing, so bring warm layers. Month-by-month ratings are in the best time to visit Morocco.
Layers for cold nights, sun protection for the day and a small bag for the camp.
Days can be hot and nights cold, even in spring, so pack a warm layer, a scarf to keep sun and sand off your face, sunglasses, sun cream and comfortable closed shoes or sandals for the sand. Keep what you need for one night in a small bag: the main luggage can stay in the vehicle. Our packing and dress code guide covers clothing for the rest of Morocco.
By road from Marrakech, Fes or Agadir, on a private tour or with a rental car.
From Marrakech the usual road crosses the Tizi n'Tichka pass and follows the Dades Valley: about 330 km and 6.5 hours to the Dades, then 250 km and 4.5 hours to Merzouga. From Fes the road crosses the Middle Atlas and the Ziz Valley, about 459 km and 7.5 hours. Erg Chigaga is reached from the Draa Valley via M'Hamid, where the tarmac ends. Self-drive is possible to Merzouga, but the last tracks to Erg Chigaga need a 4x4 and someone who knows them; see driving in Morocco.
The shortest Sahara loop from Marrakech: one night in the Dades Valley, one at Erg Chebbi. From $395 per person for two.
See the tourTwo nights at the same camp and a full day in the desert, ending in Fes. From $540 per person for two.
See the tourThe remote dunes, two nights at a wild camp. From $690 per person for two.
See the tourThe quickest way to a night in the dunes from Fes.
See the tourIn the south-east of the country, in the Draa-Tafilalet region near the Algerian border. The two dune seas visitors go to are Erg Chebbi, next to Merzouga, and Erg Chigaga, beyond M'Hamid in the Draa Valley.
Erg Chebbi is easier to reach by paved road and has the widest choice of camps, with dunes up to about 150 metres. Erg Chigaga is quieter and more remote, reached by about 60 km of sand tracks by 4x4. For a first trip most people choose Erg Chebbi.
At least three days. Merzouga is two days' drive from Marrakech by the Dades Valley, so a round trip with one night in the dunes takes three days; four or five days add a full day in the desert.
No, the dunes are too far. For a desert sunset in an evening, go to the Agafay stone desert, 45 minutes from Marrakech; for sand dunes, plan three days.
March and April, and October and November. In summer the desert passes 40°C, and in winter nights at the camp drop close to freezing.
No. Camels are the classic way in at sunset, about one hour or 90 minutes, but the camps can also be reached by 4x4.
Our private desert tours cost from $395 per person for two travellers sharing on the 3-day loop from Marrakech, $540 for 4 days to Fes and $690 for 5 days to Erg Chigaga, with the desert nights included. See Morocco tour prices for what changes the price.