Where to stay in the Merzouga desert
There are three places to spend the night, and they are less alike than they look. Here is who each one suits, including when the answer is not our camp.
The short answer
If you want to really sleep in the desert, among the dunes with no village around, stay in a desert camp. If you would rather have a room with a pool and the dunes in view, book a hotel or an auberge in Merzouga or Hassi Labied. And among the camps, the big difference is whether they sit in the Erg Chebbi strip, one next to the other, or out on their own.
Everything else — private or shared bathroom, heating, how many tents there are — is what separates a good night from a long one. Further down is what to ask before you book.
The three options, one by one
They are all within half an hour of each other. What changes is the night:
- Hotel, riad or auberge in the villageIn Merzouga or Hassi Labied, at the edge of the dunes. A room with a bathroom, often a pool, and the big dune in view. The most comfortable choice if you arrive after dark or travel with a baby, but you do not sleep in the desert: you look at it.
- A camp in the Erg Chebbi stripWhere most camps are: many of them side by side at the foot of the big dunes. The ride in is short and the landscape is the one in the photos. In return, at night you see the lights and hear the music of the camps next door.
- A camp set apartOutside that strip, with nothing but sand around. It takes a little longer to get there and there are usually fewer tents. It suits people who come for silence and the night sky. It is what we are: we are in Erg Znaigui, about 20 minutes from the centre of Merzouga.
The three, side by side
| Hotel in the village | Camp in Erg Chebbi | Camp set apart | |
|---|---|---|---|
| You sleep among the dunes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Quiet at night | Depends on the hotel | Not much: there are camps next door | Yes |
| Bathroom | In the room | Shared or private, depending on the camp | Shared or private, depending on the camp |
| Getting there | By car to the door | Camel or 4x4, short ride | 4x4, a slightly longer ride |
| Best for | Babies, very late arrivals, anyone who wants a pool | The big dunes with little travel | Couples, families and anyone who wants to switch off |
A basic tent or a tent with a bathroom: what changes the night most
The Berber tent of canvas and rugs is sold under the same word whatever is inside: from a shared tent with mattresses on the floor and shared bathrooms at the far end of the camp, to private tents with a real bed, a bathroom and a hot shower.
What you notice most at three in the morning is the bathroom: having it inside is not the same as crossing the camp in the dark. The second thing is the temperature. From December to February nights drop to about 4 °C and can get close to freezing; in August, daytime goes past 40 °C. Ask whether there is heating and air conditioning, and at what times.
The prices of each level, with real examples, are in how much it costs to sleep in the Merzouga desert.
What to ask before you book
Five questions that separate the good surprises from the bad ones:
- Is the camp really among the dunes, or a few hundred metres from a hotel? Ask for the location on the map.
- Does the tent have its own bathroom, with hot water?
- Is there heating in winter and air conditioning in summer? At what times?
- How many tents does the camp have? Sleeping among ten is not the same as among sixty.
- Is the price per person or per tent, and are dinner, breakfast and the transfer included?
Depending on how you travel
As a couple: a camp set apart, with a double tent and your own bathroom. Sunset from the dune and a night with no neighbours is what people remember.
With children: a family tent, so you are not split up, with the bathroom inside. The camel ride is optional and sandboarding is usually their favourite part. With a baby, or if you arrive late and tired, a hotel in the village may be the wiser choice; more in the desert with children.
Travelling alone: look for a single tent with no single supplement, because not every camp has one. More tips in travelling solo to the desert.
Short on time: one night is enough for the sunset, dinner and sunrise. If you can, stay two; we explain why in how many days in the desert.
How you get to your camp for the night
You can drive to the door of hardly any camp: the last stretch is sand. Usually you leave the car in a car park and cover that stretch by 4x4 or by camel. Ask whether the transfer is included, both ways.
Bring a small bag for the night and leave the big suitcase in the car. And arrive before the sun goes down: the sunset is a big part of the reason to come.
How to reach Merzouga from Marrakech, Fes or Errachidia airport is in getting here.
Where we are, and who we are not for
Tassili Luxury Desert Camp is ten private tents in Erg Znaigui, away from the area where the camps are concentrated. Every tent has its own bathroom with a hot shower, plus air conditioning and heating from 8 pm to 8 am. Dinner, breakfast, the sunset camel ride, Berber music, sandboarding and the 4x4 transfer from our car park are included. We are open all year except July.
We are not the best choice if you want a pool, a late party or the cheapest camp: for that there are good hotels in Hassi Labied and simple camps in Erg Chebbi. If what you want is silence, a sky full of stars and a tent with a bathroom inside, see our tents.
Questions about where to stay
Can I sleep in the desert without booking a tour from Marrakech?
Yes. You can get to Merzouga on your own, by car, by bus or by flying to Errachidia, and book the camp directly. That way you choose where you sleep instead of taking whichever camp the tour includes.
Is it better to stay in a hotel or a desert camp?
It depends on why you are coming. The hotel is more comfortable; the camp is the experience: the sunset, dinner by the fire, the sky and sunrise among the dunes. Some people do both: one night in the camp and one in the village.
Is it cold at night in the desert?
From December to February, yes: around 4 °C and sometimes close to freezing. In spring and autumn nights are cool and pleasant. That is why it is worth asking about heating before you book.
How many nights should I spend in the desert?
One night is enough to live the whole experience. With two, you do not drive on the day in between and there is time for an excursion, or for doing nothing at all.
Where do I leave the car?
Each camp has its own arrangement. Ours is a car park from which we drive you to the tents by 4x4, about ten minutes, there and back included.
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Ask us about your dates
Tell us when you are coming and how many you are. We will reply with availability and price, with no obligation, even if you end up staying somewhere else.
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Keep reading
- How much it costs to sleep in the Merzouga desert Between the simplest camp and a tent with a private bathroom there is a wide price gap, and an even wider gap in what you actually get.
- 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.