1-Day Desert Walk in Merzouga (Erg Chebbi)

A merzouga desert walk is the quietest way to get to know Erg Chebbi: no engines, no rush, just the sound of your feet in the sand and a guide who grew up among these dunes. You walk for a few hours at a time, sit with a nomad family over sweet mint tea, rest through the heat in the shade of tamarisk trees, and finish on top of a tall dune as the sand turns copper. It suits anyone who can manage a long countryside walk, and it shows you a side of the Sahara that most visitors only glimpse from a camel.

Tour overview

Your guide is a local man from a nomadic family, many of whom still move their goats and camels around the edges of the erg. He chooses the route on the day, depending on the wind, the temperature and how your group is walking. Most days cover around 10–14 km, broken into gentle stages with long stops, so the walking itself takes roughly four to five hours.

The day is built around the rhythm desert people have always kept: move in the cool morning, shelter at midday, walk again in the late afternoon. If one day leaves you wanting more, our 3-day desert trek with wild camping takes the same idea much further.

Highlights

• Walking through the dunes of Erg Chebbi with a guide from a local nomad family
• Mint tea and bread baked in the sand with a family living in a traditional tent
• A long, shaded lunch break under tamarisk trees near a small oasis garden
• Learning to read tracks of fennec foxes, beetles and desert birds
• Climbing one of the high dunes for sunset over the whole erg

Itinerary

Morning walk (about 8:30–11:30)

Your guide meets you at your hotel or riad in Hassi Labied or Merzouga. You set off straight into the dunes, taking the soft valleys between the ridges where walking is easiest. After roughly two hours you reach a nomad family’s camp, where tea is poured from a height to make it froth, and you can ask about life without a fixed address.

Lunch and rest (about 12:00–15:00)

Around midday you drop down to the edge of the sand, where tamarisk trees and a few palms give real shade near small irrigated plots. Lunch is simple and fresh: salad, bread, a vegetable or chicken tagine in the camel-support option, fruit and more tea. Then you rest. Locals do not walk in the middle of the day and neither should you, especially from May to September.

Afternoon walk and sunset (about 15:30–19:00)

As the heat eases you head back into the erg, climbing gradually towards one of the higher dunes. The last pull to the crest is steep and slow, sand sliding under each step, but the view from the top across the ridges of Erg Chebbi is worth every breath. You watch the sun go down, then walk down the soft slope back to your accommodation, usually within 45 minutes, with a torch if needed.

Options and prices

The full-day guided desert walk includes your guide, tea with the nomad family and water for the day; you bring or buy your own picnic, and your guide can help with that the evening before. The desert walk with camel support and lunch adds a camel and handler who carry water, lunch and spare layers, plus a freshly cooked lunch in the shade. The camel is also there if someone in the group wants to ride for a stretch, which makes this option popular with families. Prices are per person. The live price for your group, date and option is shown in the booking form below, and you secure the booking with a 10% deposit.

What’s included

Included

• Local nomad guide for the full day
• Pick-up and drop-off at hotels in Merzouga and Hassi Labied
• Tea with a nomad family
• Bottled water
• Camel, handler and cooked lunch (camel-support option only)

Not included

• Transport to Merzouga from other cities
• Lunch on the standard walk
• Overnight accommodation
• Tips for your guide and the nomad family

Good to know

You need reasonable fitness rather than athletic ability. Walking on sand is slower and more tiring than on a path, so think of it as a long day out rather than a hike measured in kilometres. Children from around eight who enjoy walking usually do well, especially with the camel option. Older walkers are very welcome; tell us in advance and we will plan a shorter loop.

The best months are October to April, when days are mild. In summer we start earlier and keep walking to the coolest hours. Our page on what to wear in Morocco and the guide to the best time to visit Morocco will help you plan. For more ideas on foot, see our desert trekking trips, the wider range of Morocco hiking tours and other Merzouga activities.

Frequently asked questions