Merzouga · Erg Chebbi dunes
Things to do in Merzouga: camel treks, quads, buggies and 4x4
Merzouga is a small village at the edge of Erg Chebbi, a sea of orange dunes that rise to around 150 m. Most things to do in Merzouga happen in or around that sand: a camel trek to a desert camp, an hour on a quad, a buggy for two, or a 4x4 loop through the stony desert that surrounds the dunes.
All four start in Merzouga itself. If you are already in Merzouga, travelling on your own or on one of our tours, you can add any of them: pick a date in the booking panel on the activity page, or send us a message.
Four ways to see the dunes
Slow or fast, overnight or a few hours. Each card opens the full page, with prices and booking.
When to go, and how to combine them
In Erg Chebbi, light is everything. Early morning and late afternoon are when the dunes turn deep orange and the shadows give them shape; that is why people time the camel trek around sunset and sunrise.
Timing matters for comfort too. Summer middays are hot on the sand, so the motorised activities are more pleasant earlier or later in the day. In winter the days are often mild and sunny, but desert nights are cold.
New to the area? Read our Merzouga and Erg Chebbi travel guide, or see where Merzouga fits into a route in the Morocco destinations guide.
Ideas for combining activities
- A quad or buggy in the afternoon, then the camel trek to camp in time for sunset.
- The 4x4 excursion in the morning, before the heat of a summer day.
- On a tour that reaches Merzouga, one activity on the afternoon you arrive or on a free day.
- Travelling in a group? Split up: some on quads, the rest in the 4x4.
Tell us your plans when you book and we will confirm what fits into the day.
Tours that reach Merzouga
Each of these tours spends at least one night by the Erg Chebbi dunes, so you can add an activity while you are there.
3 days · Marrakech → Marrakech
3-day Marrakech to Merzouga desert tour
Over the Tichka pass to Aït Ben Haddou and the Dades valley, then a night in a camp in the Erg Chebbi dunes.
Where you sleep: Dades valley (1) → Desert camp, Erg Chebbi (Merzouga) (1)
- Cross the High Atlas on the Tizi n'Tichka pass, about 2,260 m up
- Walk up through Aït Ben Haddou, a UNESCO-listed earthen ksar
- Sleep in the Dades valley among rose-coloured cliffs
4 days · Marrakech → Marrakech
4-day Marrakech desert tour
Merzouga with shorter driving days, a walk in the Todra gorge and a slow afternoon in the dunes.
Where you sleep: Dades valley (1) → Desert camp, Erg Chebbi (Merzouga) (1) → Ouarzazate (1)
- Shorter driving days, with the long return split over two
- Rose water, oils and soaps at a cooperative in Kelaat M'Gouna
- A walk on foot between the tall walls of the Todra gorge
3 days · Marrakech → Fes
Marrakech to Fes desert tour
A one-way crossing: kasbahs and gorges to the dunes, then the Ziz valley and Middle Atlas cedars to Fes.
Where you sleep: Dades valley (1) → Desert camp, Erg Chebbi (Merzouga) (1)
- Climb over the High Atlas on the Tizi n'Tichka pass, roughly 2,260 m high
- Explore the mud-brick lanes of Aït Ben Haddou, on the UNESCO list since 1987
- Walk the floor of the Todra gorge, with rock walls up to about 300 m
2 days · Fes → Fes
2-day desert tour from Fes
Out and back through Ifrane, Azrou and the Ziz gorges, with one night in a camp in the Erg Chebbi dunes.
Where you sleep: Desert camp, Erg Chebbi (Merzouga) (1)
- Stop at Dayet Aoua, a quiet Middle Atlas lake fringed with cedar and oak
- Stretch your legs in Ifrane, a mountain town of steep-roofed houses and tidy gardens
- Look for Barbary macaques in the cedar forest outside Azrou
3 days · Fes → Fes
3-day Fes to Merzouga desert tour
Over the Middle Atlas and down the Ziz valley to the Erg Chebbi dunes and back, with more time in Merzouga than the two-day trip allows.
Where you sleep: Merzouga, at the edge of the dunes (1) → Desert camp, Erg Chebbi (Merzouga) (1)
- Watch for Barbary macaques in the cedar forest near Azrou
- Drop through the Ziz gorges into a valley of date palms
- Listen to Gnawa drums and castanets in the village of Khamlia
3 days · Fes → Marrakech
Fes to Marrakech desert tour
Ifrane, Midelt and Erfoud on the way to Erg Chebbi, then the gorges and the High Atlas on the road to Marrakech.
Where you sleep: Desert camp, Erg Chebbi (Merzouga) (1) → Dades valley (1)
- Look for Barbary macaques in the cedar forest near Azrou
- Drive through the Tunnel du Légionnaire into the Ziz gorges
- See fossils cut and polished in an Erfoud workshop
See every route in desert tours from Marrakech and desert tours from Fes.
Things to do in Merzouga: your questions
Do I need to be on a tour to book an activity?
No. If you are already in Merzouga, travelling on your own or with us, you can book any of the four on its own. The activities run from Merzouga, so if you are not on one of our tours you make your own way there.
Which activity should I choose if I only have one afternoon?
For calm and the dunes at their most beautiful, the camel trek, which also keeps you in the desert overnight. For speed, a quad or a buggy. For a wider look at the desert without driving yourself, the 4x4 excursion, about 3 hours.
I have never driven a quad or a buggy. Can I still go?
Yes. Tell us when you book that it is your first time. You drive at your own pace and follow the guide's instructions; nobody expects you to take on the steepest dunes straight away.
What is the best time of day for the dunes?
Sunrise and sunset, when the light is soft and the sand turns orange. Summer middays are hot; winter nights are cold, so pack a warm layer for any evening in the desert.
How do I book and pay?
On each activity page, choose your date and the number of people in the booking panel, then pay online or send us an enquiry. We confirm the details when we reply.
In Merzouga soon? Tell us your dates.
Say which activity you like the look of and when you will be in Merzouga, and we will confirm what fits.