Merzouga: book your desert camp directly and know what is included

Tour from Marrakech or direct booking?

Three-day tours from Marrakech are convenient: transport, nights and a camel ride are included. But they involve a lot of driving (around ten hours each way) and the margin of several middlemen.

If you rent a car or take the overnight coach to Merzouga, you can book directly with a camp in Erg Chebbi. You choose the level of comfort, the timings and the length of stay, and the price is often noticeably lower.

What to check before paying

Ask in writing what is included: the camel (or 4x4) ride to the camp, dinner, breakfast, water, private or shared tent, private or shared bathroom, and parking for your car. "Standard" and "luxury" camps have little in common, in comfort or in price.

Book through the camp's official website, its page or your accommodation, and avoid paying the full amount to a tout met on the road: that is the most common source of bad surprises.

Choosing the right time

Spring and autumn have the most pleasant temperatures. In winter, desert nights are cold: check the camp provides thick blankets. In summer, daytime heat is intense: ride out late in the afternoon and get up before dawn for sunrise over the dunes. Zagora, closer to Marrakech, is an alternative with smaller dunes.