Amazing 2-night glamping in Merzouga
In November 2022, we made a 16-day Road trip in Morocco going all around and driving over 2 500 km (in a Fiat 500! What an adventure).
Our trip started and ended in Fes, and we made a loop in order to visit this magnificent country. Our itinerary went through the main cities, the Sahara Desert, the seaside and the mountains of Morocco.
We personally rented a car at the airport and did the following: Fes, Chefchaouen, Rabat, Casablanca, Essaouira, Marrakesh, Imlil, Telouet, Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate, Tinghir, Merzouga, Ifrane. However, you don’t need to follow it by the dot, you can use it to make your own plan.
We spent 2-night glamping in Merzouga in a luxurious tent in the Sahara Desert. It was a blast! We loved it and would do it all again. The part of the Sahara where we stayed was Erg Chebbi next to the town of Merzouga.
Merzouga is a small Moroccan town in the Sahara Desert, near the Algerian border. It’s known as a gateway to Erg Chebbi, a huge expanse of sand dunes north of town.
Erg Chebbi is one of Morocco’s several ergs – large seas of dunes formed by wind-blown sand. Technically all these ergs are within an area of semi-arid Pre-Saharan Steppes and not part of the Sahara Desert which lies some distance to the south yet those are often referred as the Sahara.
In this article, we will tell you how we spent 2 amazing nights glamping in Merzouga. So, if you too are planning a trip to Morocco, then let ‘s dive in this Amazing 2-night glamping in Merzouga
Here is our complete video from this trip :
Table of Contents
Mapping the day
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Getting there
There are mostly 2 cities from which you can come from, Marrakech or Fes.
From Fes:
- Rent a car and drive to Merzouga for 456km which takes around 7h.
- Go on a tour of the desert using 2 Day Morocco Desert Trip, Merzouga to Marrakech 3 Day Trip or even the 4 Days Sahara Desert Tour from Fez to Marrakech
But the best option would still be Marrakech:
- Rent a car and drive to Merzouga for 556km which takes around 9h. However, it is a super scenic route with lots of great places to stop along.
- Go on a tour using 4 Day Merzouga Desert Trip Or even a shorter version with only a 3-Day Sahara Desert Tour. Or loop it to Fes with 4-Day Trip from Marrakech to Fez
- By bus there is the Supratours bus that goes there in 12h. However, you will be missing a lot of Morocco.
Moving Around
To get to the glamping in Merzouga, most of the glamping site organise a free 4×4 transfer from Merzouga.
Once in the middle of the dunes, you can walk wherever you want and everything can be provided on the camp. If you want to go on a tour or do something else. It will have to be through the camping site directly once there.
When to Visit
You can visit Merzouga all year round but be aware that temperature varies from the extreme 41°C in summer to fresh 7°C in winter at night.
The touristic season runs from May until October usually, yet since covid-19, November is also more and more visited. That’s when we were there, and the weather was quite pleasant. In beginning of November, it was still warm to be in short and end of November was colder, especially at night.
The best time then to visit Merzouga is then from May to June and then September to November. July and August being super-hot as well as the peak season for local.
Where to Stay
- (€): Merzouga activities camp
- (€€): Sahara Desert Luxury Camp
- (€€€): Sunrise Sahara Camp
The camp where we stayed was Sahara Desert Luxury Camp.
We stayed 2 nights in glamping in Merzouga and we would strongly recommend it. Staying 1 night glamping in Merzouga is great and give you a first experience if you do not have time but with 2 nights glamping in Merzouga, you will have a whole day to enjoy the desert.
What to Eat
While glamping in Merzouga, most of the camp site provide as a standard half-board. So, you will have breakfast and dinner included in your rate. They can also provide lunch for a fee.
During our stay, the food was delicious and as we stayed 2-night, we ate all our meal on the camp. They are super flexible with it.
Breakfast was buffet type with generally, omelette, spreadable cheese, cakes, breads, fruits, jams, yogurt… With tea and coffee.
Dinner and lunch are 4-meal course different every day. Our first night it was some olives, followed by a barley soup and a tajine grilled cheese with tomatoes. The main dish was a mix of grilled vegetables, vegetables pastilla (and some chicken for me meat eater). Dessert was a vanilla pudding.
During the day, you can ask tea anytime you want with biscuit.
Glamping in Merzouga Day 1
Reaching the camp
There are 2 ways to reach the glamping side:
- By 4×4 transfer which is included
- By camel ride combined with a sunset tour (15€ per person)
As we were too late for the camel ride to the camp with sunset, we took the regular 4×4 transfer from the meeting point in Résidence Touristique Merzouga where a private parking is located.
The sunset camel ride will be for our second night.
At the meeting point, we met with Daan and Puck, a Dutch couple travelling 10 days in Morocco. We all hoped on the 4×4 towards the camp.
After a few minutes we were in the middle of the dunes, and quickly we made a stop to admire the desert and take some pictures.
Welcome drink.
Another few minutes later we drove to the camp where we all had tea with biscuits and peanuts. There we started discussing and got to know better Daan and Puck who were super friendly.
Once the tea finished, we got to our rooms which are quite unique. And then went to watch the sunset over the dunes altogether. In the end, once nice part of our stay there was also to meet Daan and Puck.
The tent
Before dinner we took a shower as our tent had private shower and toilet. It was nice but the water just warm which was enough as we are in the desert. The tent was super well-made and so comfortable.
Our tent was the last one of the camp before the dunes. It was spacious with one big double bed and 2 single beds. There were 2 windows in the rooms which was great as during the day it gets hot inside even in November. But at night, it was better to close them.
There was also a clothe rack with traditional clothe for us to use, as well as a coat hanger and even some funny hats. The room was fixed with a heater that was turned on at the beginning of the night.
There were also a few lamps and USB sockets.
The camp where we stayed had private ensuite. So, we had a sink, a shower and private toilet in our tent. Everything was provided, towels, shampoo, soap, hot water…
In front of the tent, there was a table and 2 beach chairs. It was amazing.
Dinner
By 19h30, it was getting dark and much colder. It was also time for dinner in the main tent. It was a bit awkward has they separated us at the opposite of the tent. But we quickly came back to chat together.
Dinner was yummy. First some olives, followed by a barley soup and a tajine grilled cheese with tomatoes. Then the main dish was a mix of grilled vegetables, vegetables pastilla and some chicken for me meat eater. Dessert was a vanilla pudding.
End of the day
Once finished, we were invited around a fireplace next to the camp for some local music. At that time another couple from Italy was also there. They were from the next camp. There are quite a few camps next to one another.
We even were asked to play their instruments. What a disaster but it was fun. To finish the evening, we chatted some more before going to bed.
Note to Daan and Puck: if you ever read this article, get back in touch with us. We though we got your whatsapp number but no ☹ We would love to hear back from you
Glamping in Merzouga Day 2
Morning
We woke up for sunset around 7h but when we went out it already started. Actually, dawn starts at 7h09 but sunset is at 7h40. To get the best color, we had to be much earlier than that. Our alarm is set for 6am tomorrow.
Anyway, we watched sunset with Daan and Puck and later headed for breakfast. Which was buffet type. Also, quite good.
And to finish breakfast, we went with coffee on the dunes altogether.
4x4 Tour of the desert - Nomad
At 10h, they left, and we went for a tour that we had just organized 1 hour earlier.
We were a bit late but here everything is OK. We hoped on the 4×4 with our guide and someone else from the camp. Our first stop was a nomad home. There we saw how they live, make food, care for the cattle At the moment the nomad are not moving anymore. They mostly live from tourism and animals. During the day, men go with the animals, women stay at home, kids are at school during the week and only come back for weekend.
We drunk tea there under a tent and ate some freshly made Berber pizza, a traditional dish of them.
If you feel like it, you can give them something. We opted for 20dh for the tea and the pizza.
4x4 Tour of the desert - Fossils
Next was a stop to discover fossils. There were tons of them. Our guide told us that we can even take some for souvenir as they are sold in some places.
4x4 Tour of the desert – French settlement
Following was a stop in an old French settlement where they made mascara. Now it is just ruins with another viewpoint and some huge holes when they digger for raw materials.
4x4 Tour of the desert – African song
We were slowly arriving at the end, we stopped in a bar where local black people played their traditional music.
4x4 Tour of the desert - Museum
And finally, we made a stop in a car museum for a few minutes. It was fun.
We then went back to the camp, it was 13h45. The hardest moment arrived, should we give a tip to the guide? We wanted to give 50 but didn’t have change. We ask in the camp, but they also didn’t have… The guide was really nice though. Later we got some change and gave 50dh tips to the guide Ibrahim.
We learnt from him that there are around 160 camps here. Now it is low season and before covid there were no tourist in November.
Camel ride
Next was our dromedary ride for sunset. Around 17h we left on the back of two dromedaries with one guy guiding them. We went some 20min away or so and then watch sunset. It was nice as we were in the middle of dunes and sunset wasn’t blocked by the huge dunes.
There we were with another group, but it was breath-taking.
We were back at camp around 18h. At this time we asked for a tea and enjoyed it in front of the tent.
We took shower and then went for dinner.
Dinner
Dinner was again supe good. First some olives, then a soup, a vegetables tajine, a mix plate of vegetables and fried stuffs. It was so much we couldn’t finish the main dish. Dessert was some cake with banana and chocolate.
Today for lunch we were with an older couple from Italy and a gay couple from the Netherlands, but we didn’t connect too much.
End of the glamping in Merzouga
After breakfast we took some more videos and photos and left around 10am. Mohammed walked with us to the car where another Mohammed drove us to town.
We left 50 tips in the camp and then paid once in the hotel 3334dh total and left 16 tips as it was all cash.
We then went on driving towards north until Arzou where we will stay tonight.
Amazing 2-night glamping itinerary in Merzouga
Day 1:
- Arrive in Merzouga in the afternoon
- 4×4 Transfer to the camp
- Tea, peanuts, and biscuits
- Enjoy a bit your tent
- Dinner
- Music by the fire in the dunes
Day 2:
- Sunrise watch on the dunes
- Breakfast
- 4×4 tour in the desert
- Lunch in the camp
- Sandboarding
- Relaxing
- Camel ride sunset
- Tea and biscuit
- Dinner
- Stargazing
Day 3:
- Sunrise watch on the dunes
- Breakfast
- Return to Merzouga in 4×4
ضرب الحديد ماحدو سخون Strike the iron while it’s still hot. (Take advantage of the opportunity before it passes you by)
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