Overview
Merzouga sits at the foot of Erg Chebbi, a compact wall of orange dunes rising to about 150 m and reached entirely on sealed road. It is the most straightforward way to spend a night in the Sahara from Marrakech.
The route runs east through Ait Ben Haddou and the Dades Valley, turns down the Todra Gorge and reaches the dunes on the second afternoon, in time for a camel ride to the camp.
Trip Highlights
- The kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou and the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs
- The rock walls of the Todra Gorge, some 300 m high
- Camel ride into the Erg Chebbi dunes at sunset
- Night in a desert camp and sunrise over the sand
- Fossil workshops of Erfoud and the souk town of Rissani