Errachidia to Merzouga 3-day desert tour: Camel trek & camp

Camel trek at sunset, Berber music under stars, sunrise over golden dunes

A 3-day desert tour from Errachidia to Merzouga combines camel trekking across Erg Chebbi, nights in a Sahara camp, and a 4x4 exploration of nomadic family settlements and the Gnawa music village of Khamlia. The tour includes a guide, all transport, meals, and accommodation. Lunch and drinks are not included. Children from age one are welcome, and the itinerary can be adjusted based on your interests.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Errachidia to Merzouga via Ziz Valley

• Meet driver in Errachidia
• Travel through Ziz Valley
• Stop to admire palm groves and mountains
• Continue to Erfoud and Merzouga
• Enjoy camel trek on Erg Chebbi dunes
• Watch Sahara sunset
• Arrive at desert camp
• Have traditional Moroccan dinner
• Listen to Berber music
• Overnight stay under stars

Day 2: Explore Merzouga Desert

• Wake up early for sunrise
• Have breakfast
• Take 4x4 excursion in Sahara
• Visit nomadic families
• Experience Gnawa music in Khamlia
• Explore desert landscapes
• Enjoy sandboarding or quad biking
• Relax and have dinner
• Overnight in desert region

Day 3: Return to Errachidia via Rissani and Erfoud

• Have breakfast
• Begin return journey to Errachidia
• Stop at Rissani market
• Visit fossil workshops in Erfoud
• Enjoy Tafilalet region landscapes
• Arrive in Errachidia
• Tour ends with drop-off

The experience

The tour departs Errachidia and crosses the Ziz Valley (a stretch of palm groves and mountain scenery) before reaching Merzouga on the afternoon of day one. You mount a camel for a trek across the golden dunes of Erg Chebbi, timing it to watch the sunset from the sand. The evening brings you to a desert camp where you sleep under the stars after a traditional Moroccan dinner and Berber music.

Day two starts before dawn so you can watch the sunrise over the dunes. After breakfast, a 4x4 takes you to nomadic family settlements scattered across the Sahara and to Khamlia, a village known for its traditional Gnawa music performances. The landscape shifts between sand, rocky terrain, and scattered settlements. If you want more action, sandboarding and quad biking are available as optional activities. You return to the camp for dinner and another night in the desert.

On day three, the return journey to Errachidia includes stops in Rissani, a traditional market town, and Erfoud, where local workshops display fossils and crafts from the Tafilalet region. The tour ends with drop-off at your hotel, bus station, or airport in Errachidia. A live guide in English or Spanish travels with you throughout.

What’s included

• Live guide in English or Spanish.
• hotel pickup in Errachidia and drop-off at your hotel, bus station or airport.
• all transport by vehicle and camel.
• three nights' accommodation in Merzouga, the desert region, and Erfoud.
• breakfast and dinner each day.
• camel trek across Erg Chebbi dunes.
• 4x4 exploration of nomadic settlements and Khamlia village.
• traditional Gnawa music performance.
• Moroccan meals and Berber hospitality throughout.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (15 to 60 years) · Child (5 to 14 years) · Infant (1 to 4 years)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 4 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 72 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Echoes of sahara

Is this one for you?Book this three-day tour if you want the Sahara's core experiences (dunes, nomadic culture, and fossil towns) in one fixed itinerary. Choose a longer tour if you need flexibility to add activities like quad biking or spend more time in the desert.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 14 years); Infant (1 to 4 years).

What's the camel trek like on the first day?

The camel trek across Erg Chebbi dunes happens in the afternoon of day one and is timed so you reach the desert camp at sunset. It's a single trek, not multiple rides, and the pace is set for first-time riders.

Where do you sleep during the 3-day tour?

Night one is in a luxury camp in Merzouga on the edge of the dunes; night two is in Hotel Plais des Dunes in the desert region; night three is in Hotel Dar Diafa Chez Anaam. All three nights are included in the tour price.

What happens in Khamlia village?

Khamlia is visited on day two as part of the 4x4 exploration. The village is known for traditional Gnawa music, which you experience as part of the day's activities. It's a working settlement, not a tourist stage.

Is lunch included in the tour price?

Breakfast and dinner are included on all three days, but lunch is not. You'll have time to eat in towns like Erfoud and Rissani, or you can arrange meals separately during the day.

What's the difference between the standard and high standard options?

Both options follow the same 3-day itinerary with the same guide, transport, and activities. The high standard option includes upgraded accommodation at each stop.