Merzouga

Gateway to Erg Chebbi — the most dramatic dunes in Morocco.

Merzouga is Morocco's most celebrated gateway to the Sahara, set at the foot of Erg Chebbi — a sea of golden sand dunes that rise to about 150 metres, the tallest dunes in the country. The village exists for one purpose: to put visitors onto the dunes, into the camel caravans and into desert camps under some of the clearest night skies in North Africa. It is where the road from Marrakech and Fes ends, and where the desert experience begins.

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Merzouga in Pictures

Berber guide leading a camel across the dunes of Erg Chebbi near Merzouga, Morocco
A local Berber guide leads a camel over the Erg Chebbi dunes.
Tents and lantern-lit lounge of a desert camp at dusk in the Erg Chebbi dunes
Camp at dusk between the dunes — dinner, fire and a clear sky ahead.
Amazigh musicians in white djellabas playing bendir drums at an outdoor ceremony
Amazigh musicians at an outdoor celebration.
Stargazing under the Milky Way in the Sahara desert near Merzouga, Morocco
After dark the Erg Chebbi sky becomes the main event.
Ornate Moroccan riad courtyard with carved stone facades and potted plants
Kasbah hotels and riads at the gateway to the dunes.

Merzouga through our lens

Berber camel guide in a blue djellaba leading a camel across the Sahara sand near Merzouga
A local cameleer leads his camel across the sand near Merzouga.
Trekkers climbing the crest of a tall Sahara dune near Merzouga
Climbing a dune crest on foot near Merzouga.
Luxury desert camp tents glowing at sunset among the dunes of Merzouga
A luxury camp glowing at sunset in the Erg Chebbi dunes.
Saharan bivouac lounge with lanterns, carpets and a thatched canopy at dusk near Merzouga
A lantern-lit bivouac in the Erg Chebbi sands at dusk.
Berber child holding a baby goat outside a village house in southern Morocco
Village life in southern Morocco — a child with a baby goat.
Amazigh woman wearing traditional amber and coral bead necklaces with silver jewellery and a striped headscarf
Traditional Amazigh dress — amber and coral bead jewellery.
Amazigh musicians in white djellabas playing bendir drums at an outdoor ceremony
Amazigh musicians at an outdoor celebration.

Taste of Merzouga

Guests sharing a glass of mint tea across a richly laid riad dining table
Sharing mint tea — the ritual of Moroccan hospitality.

Things to do in Morocco

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