Merzouga guide
The questions we get on WhatsApp every week, answered properly. Written by people who live here, not copied from another website.
Written by people who live here, not copied from another site
Most of the information about Merzouga online was written by someone who spent one night there, or by nobody at all: it gets copied from site to site and the mistakes travel with it for years. That is why there are guides still saying you need your own 4x4, or that August is a good time to come.
This guide is written from the camp. The temperatures are the ones we measure, the bus times are the ones our guests use, and the prices are what things actually cost around here. When we are not sure about something, we say so.
If you still have a question after reading it, message us on WhatsApp even if you are not booking with us. We answer anyway.
Before your trip to the desert
Best time to visit the desert
Month by month, with real day and night temperatures, and why we close in July.
Read the guide →
What to pack for the desert
The short list of what you actually need, and what you can leave at home.
See the list →
How much it costs to sleep in the desert
Real Merzouga prices, from basic to high end, and what each one actually includes.
See prices →
Where to stay in the desert
Hotel in the village, camp in Erg Chebbi or a camp set apart: who each option suits.
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Standard or luxury camp
What really changes between the two levels, and when standard is enough.
Compare them →
How many days you need
One night, two or three: what fits in each, and which is worth it.
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The desert with children
From what age, which activities work, and how to plan the trip without stress.
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Merzouga or Zagora
Both are sold as “the Moroccan desert” and they are nothing alike. Which suits you, depending on the days you have.
Compare them →
Agafay or Merzouga
Agafay is an hour from Marrakech and made of stone. What each really costs, and which one suits you.
Compare them →
Merzouga without a tour
Driving yourself: the route, your licence, fuel and what it costs.
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Travelling solo
Whether it is safe, what to ask a camp before booking, and what to look for so you are not left uncomfortable.
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What to do in Merzouga
Beyond the dunes: the oasis, the fossil mines, Khamlia and the Rissani souk.
See the area →
Where to start, depending on where you are in your planning
This guide is meant to be read in parts, not end to end. Find the sentence that sounds most like what you are thinking right now:
- “I do not know whether to go to Merzouga or Zagora”Start with the comparison. It is the decision that shapes the rest of the trip, and sometimes the right answer is Zagora.
- “I know I am going, but not when”Look at the best time to visit, with temperatures month by month for day and night. We close in July, and that page explains why.
- “I do not know how many days to give it”One night covers the essentials; two change the trip. The maths is worked out for both.
- “I do not know what it costs or what is included”Real prices for the area, from the most basic to the most expensive, and the questions worth asking before booking anywhere.
- “I have dates. What goes in the bag?”The short list of what you actually need, and what you can leave behind. It is shorter than people think.
- “I am travelling with children” or “I am travelling alone”Both situations have their own page, with what to check in each case before booking.
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Still have a question?
Ask us on WhatsApp even if you have no dates yet. We answer anyway.
+212 661 614 125 · We always reply the same day.
Keep reading
- Private Luxury Desert Camp in the Merzouga Sahara Discover a quieter side of the Sahara at Tassili Luxury Desert Camp, set away from the busy camp areas near Merzouga.
- Luxury tents in the Merzouga desert Ten private tents in our luxury tented camp in Morocco, from €100 to €425 a night depending on occupancy. All with their own bathroom, a hot shower and air conditioning and heating.
- How to get to Merzouga and to our camp We are in Erg Znaigui, 20 minutes from the centre of Merzouga on the N13 towards Taouz. You do not have to drive: we come and get you, and the last stretch is done by 4x4.
- Book your stay at the camp From €100 per tent per night. WhatsApp is the fastest way: you write, we reply, it is done. If you would rather take your time, use the form.