Erg Chebbi vs Erg Chigaga is the first real decision of any Sahara trip in Morocco. Both are true ergs — seas of wind-blown sand — and both give you a camel ride, a night in camp and a sky full of stars. But they are reached in very different ways, they feel very different once you are there, and they suit different travellers. This is how we explain the choice to the people who write to us.
Choose Erg Chebbi, near Merzouga, if you want the tallest dunes and an easy arrival: the tarmac runs right to the sand, and it works from both Marrakech and Fes. Choose Erg Chigaga, beyond M'Hamid, if you want remoteness and do not mind a long 4x4 track and an extra day. If you only have two days from Marrakech, Zagora gives you a desert night with small dunes.
Erg Chebbi vs Erg Chigaga at a glance
Erg Chebbi lies in the far south-east, on the edge of the village of Merzouga in the old oasis region of the Tafilalet. Erg Chigaga — also spelled Chegaga — lies in the far south-west, past the end of the Draa valley, where the road stops at M'Hamid El Ghizlane. Several hundred kilometres of road separate them, so few trips include both.
| Erg Chebbi (Merzouga) | Erg Chigaga (M'Hamid) | Zagora | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From Marrakech | About 560 km, split over 2 days | Road to M'Hamid, then a 4x4 track; usually 2 days | About 360 km, 7–8 h with stops |
| From Fes | About 470 km, one long day | Only as part of a longer route | Not practical |
| Dunes | Compact, up to about 150 m | Wider, more spread out, generally lower | Small dune patches |
| Feel | Lively, easy, many camps | Remote, quiet, few camps | Palm groves and kasbahs |
| Minimum trip | 3 days from Marrakech, 2 from Fes | 3–4 days from Marrakech | 2 days from Marrakech |
Getting there: drive times from Marrakech and Fes
Erg Chebbi
From Marrakech the road crosses the High Atlas on the Tizi n'Tichka pass (about 2,260 m), passes Aït Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate, then follows the Dades valley and the Todra gorge east. It is about 560 km, and almost everyone sleeps in the Dades valley on the way. Our 3-day Merzouga desert tour from Marrakech is the shortest sensible version; the 4-day Merzouga tour adds a night so the driving days are shorter.
From Fes it is closer — about 470 km through Ifrane, the cedar forest of Azrou, Midelt and the Ziz gorges — and it fits in one long day. That is why Erg Chebbi is the natural choice when you start in Fes: the 2-day desert tour from Fes goes out and back, and the Fes to Marrakech desert tour uses the dunes as a stop on the way across the country.
Erg Chigaga
The first part is the Zagora road: the Tichka pass, Ouarzazate, then south down the Draa valley — about 360 km to Zagora. From there the tarmac continues to M'Hamid, the last village, and stops. The dunes begin further out, across stony plains and patches of sand that only a 4x4 should attempt. The track takes a couple of hours or more, depending on the sand and on where your camp is.
In practice that means two days to get in from Marrakech, or one very long one that arrives in the dark. From Fes, Chigaga only makes sense as part of a longer southern loop: Merzouga first, then west along the back roads to Zagora and M'Hamid.
The dunes: height, size and colour
Erg Chebbi is compact and tall. It runs for more than 20 km north to south and only a few kilometres wide, and its highest dunes reach about 150 m above the plain. Standing on the stony ground at its edge, you see a wall of sand. The colour is a deep orange that turns almost red in the last half-hour before sunset.
Erg Chigaga covers a wider area, with long chains of dunes separated by flat corridors of sand and gravel. Its highest dunes are generally lower than Chebbi's big ridges, but the scale feels different: from a crest you look out over sand in almost every direction. The sand is a paler gold, and the light is softer.
If the picture in your head is one enormous dune with a line of camels on its ridge, that is Erg Chebbi. If it is an empty horizon, it is closer to Chigaga.
Camps, crowds and the night itself
Merzouga is Morocco's busiest desert: guesthouses line the edge of the erg and many camps sit in the hollows between the dunes. That has advantages. Camps are easy to reach, the camel ride from the village takes about 1 hour, and comfort levels range from simple to very comfortable. On our tours you sleep in a standard camp with electricity and shared bathrooms, or you upgrade to a luxury camp with a private bathroom with hot water, charging outlets and Wi-Fi. The downside: from a high crest you may see other camps, and in busy months you will share the sunset dune with other travellers.
At Chigaga the camps are fewer and far apart. You usually arrive by 4x4 rather than by camel, and the silence after dinner is total. Facilities tend to be simpler, everything has to be driven in across the track, and phone signal is often absent. That isolation is the whole point for some people and a worry for others.
Whichever you choose, the evening follows the same rhythm: tea, dinner, drums by the fire, a cold night and an early climb for sunrise. Our guide to a night in the Sahara covers what to pack and how cold it gets.
Zagora: the short option, and what it is not
Zagora is often sold as "the Sahara in two days". It is a real desert night, but be clear about what you get. The dunes near Zagora, such as those at Tinfou, are small patches of sand, not an erg. You still ride a camel to camp at sunset, eat by the fire and wake to a desert sunrise — and the road there, down the Draa valley past old ksour and endless date palms, is one of the most beautiful in the south.
Zagora is not Chigaga. Many people mix them up because both are reached down the Draa valley, but Chigaga lies well beyond Zagora and does not fit into a two-day round trip. Our 2-day Zagora desert tour from Marrakech is the honest choice when two days is all you have. With only an evening, the Agafay desert day trip near Marrakech gives you a stony desert with Atlas views — but no sand dunes.
Who each one suits
- First Sahara trip, iconic dunes: Erg Chebbi. It is the landscape most people picture, and it is reliable to reach.
- Starting in Fes, or crossing between Fes and Marrakech: Erg Chebbi, without question. See the Marrakech to Fes desert tour.
- Families with children: Erg Chebbi. Tarmac to the edge of the sand, short camel ride, more comfortable camps.
- Return visitors and solitude seekers: Erg Chigaga. Fewer people, a wilder feel, and the 4x4 crossing is part of the adventure.
- Photographers: both. Chebbi for tall, sculpted ridges; Chigaga for empty, layered horizons.
- Two days only, from Marrakech: Zagora — a desert night with small dunes.
Seasons and practical tips
The two ergs share the same climate. March to May and September to November are the most comfortable. From November to February the days are bright, but nights in the desert can drop close to 0 °C. In July and August afternoons often pass 40 °C — harder at Chigaga, where the 4x4 crossing happens in the heat and there is little shade. Spring winds can lift the sand at both.
- For Chigaga, travel with a 4x4 and someone who knows the track. Ordinary rental cars should stay on the tarmac.
- Pack one small bag. Camps have little space; leave the suitcase in the vehicle.
- Bring cash. Cash machines are in the towns, not out in the dunes.
- Want both? Allow a week or more and a private vehicle. A loop from Marrakech can take in Merzouga, the back roads west to Zagora and M'Hamid, then the track to Chigaga before heading home.
Our group tours go to Erg Chebbi and Zagora. For Erg Chigaga, or a route that combines both, we plan it with a private driver in Morocco and a 4x4 SUV (up to 4 passengers). For everything else, browse all our Morocco tours and activities, or read the Merzouga desert guide for more on Erg Chebbi itself.
Erg Chebbi or Erg Chigaga: common questions
Which has the bigger dunes, Erg Chebbi or Erg Chigaga?
Erg Chebbi has the taller dunes, up to about 150 m. Erg Chigaga covers a wider area, but its dunes are generally lower and more spread out.
Can I visit Erg Chigaga on a 2-day trip from Marrakech?
Not comfortably. Getting there takes the best part of two days, including the 4x4 track beyond M'Hamid. Plan at least three days, better four.
Is Zagora the same as Erg Chigaga?
No. Zagora is a town in the Draa valley with small dunes nearby. Erg Chigaga is a large erg much further south, beyond the village of M'Hamid.
Can I see both ergs on one trip?
Yes, on a private route of about a week or more. The two lie far apart, so you need time and a 4x4 for the Chigaga section.
Which is better in winter?
Both get cold at night from November to February. Erg Chebbi is the easier choice: more camps with good blankets, and a luxury camp option with a private bathroom and hot water.