Sunset Camels, Drums and a Sky Full of Stars

Merzouga Desert Camp: What to Expect

Everything about a night at Erg Chebbi, from camp types and bathrooms to the hour by hour rhythm of sunset, dinner and sunrise.

The Short Answer

What a Sahara Camp Night Is Really Like

A Merzouga desert camp night follows a simple, wonderful script: a camel carries you into the Erg Chebbi dunes an hour before sunset, you watch the sand turn from gold to deep orange, then dinner, drums around the fire and a sky with more stars than you have ever counted. You sleep in a real bed inside a Berber style tent and wake for sunrise over the dunes.

Erg Chebbi itself is one of Morocco’s two great sand seas, a field of dunes roughly 28 kilometres long whose highest crests rise about 150 metres above the surrounding plain, according to the Erg Chebbi reference on Wikipedia. The camp night is the emotional centre of every route we run, from the 8 day tour to the 2 week itinerary, and the reason our 10 day route stays two nights instead of one.

Camps and Rhythm

Standard or Luxury, and the Hour by Hour

Standard Berber camps

Traditional woven tents around a shared dining tent, proper mattresses and thick blankets, shared bathrooms with running water. Simple, authentic and the most budget friendly way to sleep in the dunes. Dinner and breakfast are included at essentially every camp.

Luxury desert camps

Private en suite tents with real beds, hot showers, flushing toilets, electricity and heating in winter, plus dining under lanterns and often a dune facing terrace. This is what we book for honeymooners on the Morocco honeymoon tour and for anyone who wants the desert without giving up comfort.

The evening and morning, hour by hour

Arrive at the dunes late afternoon, meet your camel and ride 45 to 60 minutes into the erg (a 4×4 transfer is always available instead). Sunset from a crest near camp, mint tea on arrival, a tagine dinner, then Gnawa and Berber drumming around the fire. The silence afterwards is the part nobody forgets. Wake 30 minutes before sunrise, climb a dune, watch the light arrive, then breakfast and back out by camel or 4×4.

FAQ

Desert Camp Questions We Hear Every Week

Is the camel ride difficult or uncomfortable?

It is easier than it looks. The pace is a slow walk, the saddles are padded, and the ride into camp takes under an hour. Anyone who prefers to skip it rides the 4×4 in with the luggage, no judgement and no price difference worth worrying about.

How cold does the desert get at night?

In summer, nights settle to a pleasant 20 to 25 degrees. From November to February they can drop close to freezing, which is why winter camps provide thick blankets and luxury camps run heating. With the right layers, winter is actually a superb desert season with warm sunny days.

Are there toilets and showers at the camps?

Yes at every level. Standard camps have shared bathroom blocks with running water, luxury camps give each tent a private bathroom with a hot shower. Nobody is digging holes in the sand, whatever older blogs may suggest.

Can children stay at a Merzouga desert camp?

Absolutely, and they usually rate it the best night of the trip. Camps welcome families, camels walk gently, and the drumming evening is very child friendly. For young children we recommend the luxury camps for the private bathrooms and shorter camel option.

Do the camps have wifi and phone charging?

Luxury camps generally offer charging in the tent and patchy wifi in the dining area; standard camps offer charging at the main tent. Signal in the dunes is weak to absent, which most guests come to treasure. Download offline maps and let the desert do its thing.

Sleep in the Dunes