Imagine being on the edge of endless golden sands, nothing but the vast Sahara Desert ahead of you, welcome to Merzouga! A small village found in South eastern Morocco, it’s the gateway to the Sahara Desert.
Merzouga is an extraordinary place, rich in its Berber culture, you’ll find traditional mud built houses scattered throughout the village. What really stands out the most is the striking view of one of the Sahara’s biggest sand dunes, Erg Chebbi. It towers over and glistens in the sun light, giving off a golden mesmerising glow.
The desert is a giant playground waiting for you to release your inner child, you can sand board down the dunes or join a quad bike tour and speed off into the endless Sahara.
You can climb Erg Chebbi and watch a powerful sunset and then slide down the giant dune, letting go of your stresses and your adult restraints, in that moment you’re back to your 6 year old carefree self, without a worry in the world, just you and the magical desert.
That’s what Merzouga does, it brings out your best side, your playful side and connects you to the greatest and biggest desert in the world. It’s time to make your Sahara Desert dreams a reality, in this guide we’ll walk you through everything you need to start planning an adventure of a lifetime!
Best Time to Visit Merzouga
It get’s incredibly hot in Morocco, especially Merzouga, the sand traps the heat and makes it feel ever more hotter. It’s essential you come at a time where you can enjoy the activities outside and not be struck down from the intense heat.
Spring and Autumn are the best times of year to visit for ideal temperatures, you’ll have warm pleasant days in the spring, perfect for desert activities and in the Autumn it’s slightly cooler but still really nice, warm days and perfect for stargazing in the evenings.
Weather & Climate
Merzouga has a hot desert climate, we’re talking extreme heat in the summer with very little rainfall throughout the year. There’s a big change in the weather from day to night, and between the seasons. Let’s look at each season in more detail:
- Spring (March to May): Temperatures range from 25°C to 35°C during the day and 10°C to 20°C during the night. It’s one of the best times to visit Merzouga, the long warm days but not unbearable heat and cooler comfortable evenings for a good sleep. If you’re lucky. you might get to witness an exciting sandstorm.
- Summer (June to August): Temperatures range from 40°C to 50°C during the day and 25°C to 30°C during the night. The summers are extremely hot in Merzouga, it makes outdoor activities hard to enjoy during the peak of the day. You’d have to be used to this kind of heat or pretty damn hardcore to visit during the summer. My pasty white body certainly couldn’t handle that kinda heat!
- Autumn (September to November): Temperatures range from 25°C to 35°C during the day and 15°C to 25°C during the night. It’s a lovely time to visit and enjoy all the desert activities, clear skies and lots of sunshine and very little chance of rain. Nights are still warm but can start to feel chilly closer to November.
- Winter (December to February): Temperatures range from 15°C to 20°C during the day and drops to 0°C to 10°C in the night. The days are mild but it can be cold at night, especially if you’re out in the desert. It can drop close to to freezing and all that open space in the desert creates a lot of wind.
How to Get to Merzouga
By Car
Driving yourself into Merzouga makes for an incredible road trip, when you start approaching the desert you can see the sand dunes in the distance, it’s really amazing seeing the landscape change.
We drove our campervan (Silvie) all the way from London, it was the most epic adventure we’d embarked on. Moroccans drive pretty crazy and don’t follow the usual road rules so be careful and pay extra attention, they’ll be many hazards such as donkeys, close call over takers, overpacked trucks of hay. You name it, you’ll see it in on the Moroccan roads.
- From Marrakesh: The drive to Merzouga is around 9-10 hours (560km). The scenic drive will take you through the Atlas mountains and past historic towns like Ouarzazate and Tinghir.
- From Fes: It’s a short drive from Fes, around 7-8 hours (470km). This route takes you through Ziz Valley, known for its luscious oasis and palm groves.
Driving Tip: There are many corrupt police officers in Morocco and they will try and fine you for absolutely nothing. Be sure to follow the speed limits and pay attention to police signs, make sure you stop before you approach the stop sign, have your documents ready and wear your seat belts at all times.
By Bus
There are companies such as Supatours and CTM who offer these routes from Marrakesh or Fes, similar to Flixbus across Europe. You can also get cheaper local buses or collectives, however these would take much longer and it might be more complicated to find where they start from but you just need to be pointed in the right direction. There’s a local bus from Errachidia to Merzouga.
By Train
There’s no direct train to Merzouga, and it doesn’t have a train line but from Marrakesh or Fes you can get a train to Errachidia and then get a taxi or bus the rest of the way, which is around 2 hours.
By Air
You can fly to the nearest airport in Errachidia (Moulay Ali Cherif Airport), around 130km from Merzouga, it’s only a 2 hour drive from here. You can get a taxi or a bus.
Where to Stay in Merzouga
If your’e looking for an authentic traditional place to stay, then be sure to check out some of the most impressive Berber housing the area has to offer. The architecture is designed to withstand the high summer temperatures as this part of the world is ridiculously hot and it’s not unusual for the climate to reach over 50°C in the peak of the summer.
Not only does this design keep the buildings cooler, they also help protect the structure during intense sand storms which does happen during bad weather. The walls are compacted with mud and straw which is a traditional technique still widely used today, especially in the more remote villages located in rural parts of Merzouga.
You could also stay in one of the luxurious desert camps and experience sleeping under the stars while having luxury glamping style accommodation. You’ll receive red carpet treatment, and amazing fresh prepared food on request. The camps can arrange excursions like sand boarding or 4×4 drives.
Airbnb and Booking.com are full of different types of accommodations to choose from, if you can rent your own apartment with a kitchen it’s always a good way to save money, be sure to check out our 7 Airbnb Hacks to learn how to save even more.
If you’re coming with your camper there are a few campsites to choose from in Merzouga, we choose Auberge Sama Glamping (La maison Rurale). We hit the jackpot with this campsite, we were right on the doorstep of the powerful Erg Chebbi dunes, we ended up staying here for a month and those golden sunsets lit up the dunes every night and the views never got old.
Things to See and Do
Erg Chebbi Dunes
Erg Chebbi Dunes are a spectacular stretch of dunes in the Sahara Desert, and Merzouga is the gateway to these powerful golden sand dunes. These dunes are the tallest in Morocco, reaching heights of 150 metres and stretching over 13 miles. What makes them stand out is the beautiful golden sand colour, it’s unlike anything we’ve every seen before.
During sunrise and sunset, a warm reddish glow is cast over the sand, it’s enchanting to witness and there’s certainly something healing and powerful about the desert and these mighty dunes. There’s so many activities you can do on the dunes, let’s take a look!
Sandboarding
You can rent a sand board from anywhere in Merzouga, the owner of where we stayed had sand boards delivered to our door. It’s such a fun experience, going down the dunes on the board gives you such a rush!
4×4 Desert Tours
4×4 Desert tours are a great way to get deeper into the vast desert, there are many tourist agencies to choose from. They’ll take you around the dunes at high speeds which is exhilarating and slightly scary, some take you to the desert camps, Berber villages, fossil quarries or even a nearby oasis.
Quad Bike Tours
Quad biking on the dunes is so much fun, it’s really such a great experience that should be on everyone’s bucket list. There’s nothing like feeling the wind in your hair and just going for it in the Sahara Desert! The tour companies in Merzouga will provide you with helmets and you can also rent dune buggies which are just as fun.
Bird Watching at Lake Dayet Srij
This seasonal salt lake is a unique habitat for many bird species, the lake had been dried up for a few years but this year they’ve had a lot of rain, even some flooding, so the lake is full and the birds will be back in the Spring. You can see beautiful flamingos, what a sight that would be with the sand dunes as a backdrop for these colourful exotic birds.
Day Trip to Rissani
Rissani is a historial town around 30km from Merzouga, it’s home to a bustling souk (market), an ancient ksar (fortified village) and the
Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif, the founder of the Alawite dynasty. We enjoyed a traditional Haman in Rissani, never felt so clean in our lives.
Star Gazing
Merzouga has minimal light pollution and when you walk onto the dunes, it’s a never ending span of sand that is undisturbed from lights, buildings and just humans. It’s nature at its finest and it’s out of this world for star gazing, you’ll witness stars, planets and the milky way.
It certainly grounds you and makes you realise how bloody small we are and all those worries and stresses seem irrelevant in the grand scheme of the universe! Book a night in a desert camp and spend all night admiring the magic above.
Sand Baths
Known as “Hamam Ramli” in Arabic, the sand baths are a natural healing method to the local Berber communities. The practise is believed to have originated from the nomadic Berber tribes who roamed the Sahara Desert for centuries, they learnt that the hot sand could ease muscle aches, joint pain and even sever illness such as arthritis.
In the old Berber folklore it is said that the desert sand is believed to have mystical, healing powers. The heat of the sand, warmed by the blazing sun is said to draw out impurities and illnesses from the body. In some stories, it is said that the earth absorbs pain and diseases from the person, leaving them rejuvenated and cleansed.
The sand baths are not just a physical therapy but also a spiritual ceremony for many, it’s thought that being buried in the sand helps align one’s energy with the earth, the sand is seen as a conductor of energy, grounding you and bringing you back into balance with nature.
I’m not sure what to make of these old tales, but i do believe in the power of mother nature and i would be open to try it when my bones start to ache but I’m not sure about baring that intense desert sun!