Merzouga
A village in south-eastern Morocco at the foot of Erg Chebbi, the great dune field that most desert routes head for.
About Merzouga
Merzouga is a small village in south-eastern Morocco, near the Algerian border, best known for Erg Chebbi: a field of orange sand dunes that in places rise more than a hundred metres.
It is the end point of most desert routes from Marrakech or Fez. From here you head into the dunes on a camel or on foot, and the surroundings hold villages, palm groves and old ksour.
What to see nearby
The Erg Chebbi dunes at sunset and sunrise.
Khamlia, a village known for its Gnawa music.
The Rissani market and the local ksour.
The palm groves of the Ziz valley on the way north.
When to go
Spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons. Summer days are very hot and winter nights are cold.
Tours that include Merzouga
2 days · 1 night
2 days - Desert route ending in Fez
A two-day trip from Fez to the Merzouga desert: crossing the Middle Atlas, sunset among the Erg Chebbi dunes, a night in the desert and the return to Fez the next day.
Difficulty: Moderate
3 days · 2 nights
3 days - Desert route ending in Marrakech
A three-day route from Marrakech to the Merzouga dunes and back: the High Atlas, Aït Ben Haddou, the Dades and Todra valleys and a night in the Moroccan Sahara.
Difficulty: Moderate
4 days · 3 nights
4 days - Morocco desert route
A four-day round trip from Fez through the Moroccan desert: the Middle Atlas, the Ziz valley, a full day around the Merzouga dunes and the Todra gorges before returning to Fez.
Difficulty: Easy
4 days · 3 nights
4 days - Sahara desert route ending in Marrakech/Fez
Four days from Marrakech through southern Morocco to the Merzouga dunes, with two possible endings: back to Marrakech, or on to Fez across the Middle Atlas.
Difficulty: Easy
5 days · 4 nights
5 days - Morocco from south to north
Five days crossing Morocco from south to north: from Marrakech to the Merzouga desert, then on to Fez, the blue city of Chefchaouen and, finally, Tangier.
Difficulty: Moderate
7 days · 6 nights
7 days - Morocco from north to south
Seven days through Morocco from north to south: Tangier, Tetouan, Chefchaouen, the medina of Fez, a night in the Merzouga desert and the road of the kasbahs to Marrakech.
Difficulty: Easy
9 days · 8 nights
9 days - Imperial cities and desert route
Nine days from Tangier to Marrakech with time for every stage: Tetouan, two nights in Chefchaouen, the imperial cities of Fez and Marrakech, a night in the Merzouga desert and the kasbah country of the south.
Difficulty: Easy