Photo: Mustang Joe (CC0)
Adventure · Morocco
A night in the Sahara at Merzouga
The golden dunes of Erg Chebbi, sunset by camel and a night in a fine desert camp. A two- or three-day trip across the Atlas and the oases.
Morocco
The experience
Erg Chebbi is a sea of dunes near Merzouga in south-east Morocco, some rising to about 150 metres and turning from gold to orange with the sun. It is the closest Morocco comes to the Sahara of the imagination.
You reach it from Fes across the Middle Atlas, the cedar forests of Ifrane and the Ziz valley, in about 7 hours with stops, or from Marrakech on a three-day route over the Tizi n'Tichka pass by Ait-Ben-Haddou, the Dades valley and the Todgha gorge.
In the late afternoon you ride camels into the dunes for sunset, then stay in a fine camp with private tents and bathrooms, a Moroccan dinner under the stars and Gnawa music. The next morning you climb the dunes before sunrise.
We arrange the trip by private four-wheel drive with a driver who knows the road, and can reserve connecting family tents or a whole private camp.
Where to stay
Stays close by
Historic palace
Marrakech
La Mamounia, Marrakech
A historic hotel behind the medina walls, with 18th-century gardens, three private riads and a 2,500 m² spa.
Price on requestExplore
Historic palace
Fes
Palais Faraj Suites & Spa, Fes
Thirty-one suites of Fes craftsmanship in the Bensouda family palace, on a hill above Fes el Bali, with a rooftop restaurant and a spa with hammam.
Price on requestExplore
Beachfront
Casablanca
Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca
A hotel stepping down to the ocean on the Ain Diab corniche, minutes from the Hassan II Mosque, with a garden, a pool and a spa.
Price on requestExplore
Morocco
More to do
City and shopping
Old Marrakech, from the Koutoubia to Jemaa el-Fna
A day in the red city among its palaces, gardens and souks. It ends at sunset in Jemaa el-Fna.
Discover
Culture and heritage
A day in Fes el Bali
The largest car-free old city in the world, with a licensed guide. Al-Qarawiyyin, Bou Inania, the tanneries and the craftsmen's souks.
Discover
Culture and heritage
Ait-Ben-Haddou across the Atlas
A fortified earthen village on the old caravan route. The road there crosses the Tizi n'Tichka pass.
Read more