Our experience in Merzouga’s Desert Camp: Worth it?

Getting to the desert camp

The road to Merzouga is of great quality, but there’s not much to see on the way there, except maybe a camel or some goats that might cross the road.

If you’re not planning to rent a car and drive to Merzouga, you can also catch a direct flight to Errachidia from Marrakesh and Casablanca. From there, you can take an affordable bus for the rest of the way or book a private transfer from the airport.

We arrived in Merzouga from Todra Gorge during our big Morocco road trip. We left Todra after breakfast, so we got to the desert camp right at check-in time.

On arrival, we received the classic Moroccan welcome of Mint tea and some peanuts, which was nice.

Why we liked this camp

We could drive to the camp with our rental car

We traveled all over Morocco by renting a car, since we love having the freedom to explore places on our own time.

So being able to drive right up to our desert camp in Merzouga and not having to take a camel ride or a 4×4 to pick us up was the ultimate goal.

We hit the jackpot with the camp we booked, as it had a great access road that, even though it was a mix of gravel and sand, was easy to drive on.

This also meant we weren’t stuck there and could go into the towns of Merzouga and Hassilabied for food or groceries if we wanted. Plus, we could drive around and explore the area.

The location proved super important, since by the time we arrived in Merzouga, it was already Day 11 in Morocco, and we were craving something different from Tagine and Couscous.

We stayed right next to the sand dunes

Our desert camp was located in the northern part of Merzouga, where some of the highest dunes are.

But they are not as visited as the ones just outside the towns of Hassilabied and Merzouga. This was great for us, since we love a more peaceful environment.

Right as we arrived at our camp, we knew we were going to hike up the highest dune we saw, no matter what. We decided to do it at sunrise the next morning, and it was quite an intense exercise! But it was so worth it, and we got fantastic views of the whole area.

Every night they made a campfire, sang and played the drums

One of the reasons we booked the camp we stayed at was the nightly campfire, singing, and drumming.

Not every desert camp in Merzouga has a campfire or a performance, and it was something we really looked forward to.

The staff started a campfire after serving dinner, and we all gathered around as they sang and played the drums. It was a great end to the night, and we even tried playing the drums a bit.

Going stargazing was easy

Staying at a camp near the dunes was also perfect for stargazing.

Stargazing is actually our favorite thing to do in the desert, and it’s one of the things we were really looking forward to when visiting Merzouga!

We could just step out into the desert right from the camp and walk the dunes at night, with the lights of the camp guiding us back.

However, since there was a full moon during our visit, we could see everything without a flashlight. The full moon didn’t help with night photos, though!

You can rent quads or go for camel rides right at the camp

Another great thing is that they had their own on-site quads that we could rent. Plus, they have sandboards you can use for sandboarding down the nearby sand dunes.

We didn’t end up going for a ride, which we now regret, as it would have been a cool way to see more of the sand dunes.

They also have camels you can ride, and, judging by reviews, they take good care of them. We don’t like promoting camel rides, as it’s often hard to recognize which ones are treated well or not. But it seems they do a good job here.

Breakfast was perfect for fuelling up for the day

The breakfast was a traditional Moroccan type, with spreads like honey and jam, breads, yogurt, olives, butter, eggs, and of course, both coffee and tea.

Since we went out for sunrise on both mornings, we arrived back at the very last moment, just as breakfast was finishing (10 am if we’re not mistaken). We were basically running back down the dunes so we would be back in time.

But luckily, there was still more than enough food waiting for us, as well as tea, coffee, and everything else.

Since we made it back to the camp quite late after both sunsets on the first and second day, we ate in the towns, so we didn’t book a dinner at the camp. But judging by other guests’ reviews, they supposedly do a really good one (taste & portion-wise).

What the camp looked like

Room

We booked a basic room without a toilet, which was actually fine, as there were enough shared toilets and showers for all the rooms without.

There are also rooms with private bathrooms, and they cost just a bit more.

Outside area

This is not a luxury camp by any means, but it still looks great, and the grounds are well-maintained.

We especially loved the campfire area at the back of the camp, which had beautiful views of the sand dunes.

Dining tent and chilling area

The camp had a dining tent and chilling area with couches where you can sit in more comfort if your room gets too hot. The temperature in this shared tent is much better, as it’s more open.

The dining tent is also where the charging station was, which we had to use since our tent didn’t have electricity. That’s why we recommend bringing a good powerbank, especially if you’re traveling with a camera, laptop, phones, and more like us.

Oh, and bring a Universal Power Adapter, so you can actually plug your electronics in, if your country doesn’t have the same plugs as Morocco.

What we wish we did differently

This camp was in the perfect spot in the Erg Chebbi dunes in Merzouga, where it wasn’t crowded with people or vehicles. So we wish we had done more activities, like riding a quad, going sandboarding, or similar.

Looking back, we have no idea why we didn’t at least go on a quad ride! It looked like a fun activity.