Ask ten travellers which desert to visit in Morocco and most will say Merzouga. Ask ten guides and some will say Erg Chigaga. This article makes the case for Merzouga. A second article makes the case for Erg Chigaga. Read both, then choose.
The dunes are the highest and the most photogenic
Erg Chebbi, the sand sea at Merzouga, rises straight out of a flat stony plain. Its highest dunes are among the tallest in Morocco, and at sunrise and sunset they turn orange, then red, then pink. Because the erg is compact, you see the whole wall of sand at once, which is exactly what most people imagine when they think of the Sahara.
You can get there without a 4×4
The tarmac road runs all the way to the edge of the dunes. That means fewer hours bouncing on a track, and a trip that works for families, older travellers and anyone who gets car-sick. From Fes it is one long day; from Marrakech it is usually two days, with a night in the Dades Valley.
There is a lot to do around it
- Rissani, the old market town of the Tafilalt, with its souk on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday and the ruins of the caravan city of Sijilmassa. Read our Sijilmassa article.
- Khamlia, a village of Gnawa musicians whose families came across the Sahara generations ago.
- Ramlia and the quieter southern edge of the erg, where the dunes meet small oasis villages.
- The nomad families who still live around the dunes, the fossil workshops of Erfoud, and the khettara water channels.
The honest downsides
Merzouga is popular. In high season you will see other camel caravans and many camps. Some camps are close together and the silence is not total. If you want to feel completely alone, Erg Chigaga is the better choice. Our answer is to choose a camp away from the busiest area and to go out at dawn, when the dunes are empty.
Which Merzouga tour
- 3-Day Sahara Tour: Marrakech to Fes via Merzouga
- 3-Day Fes to Merzouga Round Trip
- 4-Day Tour: Fes to the Sahara and Beyond
- 6-Day Two Deserts Tour (both deserts)
Still undecided? Our side-by-side comparison is here: Erg Chigaga or Merzouga?
All our tours are private, with your own driver-guide and vehicle, and every route can be adapted to you. Send us your dates on WhatsApp or through the enquiry form.
Written by Hda Abdou, founder of Morocco Cultours.
