Backpacking Merzouga, Morocco - A Travel Guide
Last Updated: September 29, 2025
NEED THE ESSENTIALS FOR BACKPACKING MERZOUGA NOW?
HOW TO GET HERE | WHERE TO STAY | THINGS TO DO | WHERE TO EAT | WHERE TO PARTY | STAYING SAFE
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So. Much. Sand.
Ever been to a beach, got home and emptied a small pile of sand from your shoes? Well, after a few days backpacking Merzouga, you'll end up with an entire beach stuffed in your clothes.
Merzouga is exactly what you imagine a desert town to be. An oasis in the sands, with beige buildings and small trees somehow growing out of the parched earth.
It has been a resting place for centuries, flitting between occupation and emptiness as a stop on the trade routes that cross the Sahara.
Nowadays, it's a small, permanent town, thriving thanks to its huge natural underground water reserves, and its proximity to Erg Chebbi; the sand dunes.
Which is likely why you're here.
It certainly was why I came. I was backpacking Merzouga in January 2020, blissfully unaware of the impending pandemic, and I made the long, overnight journey here to get lost in the timeless Merzouga desert. And Merzouga nails it.
Ultimately, Merzouga is a simple town, with absolutely none of the 'pushiness' people mention when talking about Morocco. It's home to some of the nicest people I've ever met and is one of my favourite places in the world. The desert here is pure, unspoiled and endless. It feels eternal, and therefore somewhat spiritual.
However, there's not a lot to cover, so this Merzouga guide will be short and sweet. Please come here. More than anywhere else in Morocco, I urge you to spend some time backpacking Merzouga.
What's Merzouga, Morocco Like?
Serene, achingly beautiful, and fucking cold at night!
If you get the overnight bus to Merzouga it'll likely arrive in the early hours. Mine arrived at 4am, and learn from me: if you're coming in winter, don't try and wait it out until morning outside, because hypothermia will probably have you first.
Anyway, after mile upon mile of uninspiring, bland scenery out the window, arriving in Merzouga is similarly disappointing, at least in the darkness. It's plain, sandy streets lead to rows of single-storey buildings that look like they're made of sand, too.
It makes you feel nervous, like you've wasted your time.
But fear not! It's when the sun comes up that Merzouga is revealed.
Piercing blue skies illuminate the streets, and doors are flung open. Restaurants, shops and houses emerge, and the small, tight-knit community welcomes the new day in.
These people are nomads, particularly of the Berber and Amazigh tribes, and they offer such a genuine, kind welcome to visitors that it throws you off guard, particularly after the big cities. Here, there's no catch, no tricks, just authentic kindness.
Finally, casting your eyes up makes you realise how small this setup is. Sand dunes roll off into the distance in three directions, and some sit like mountains on the horizon. The scale is humbling.
Outlying the town, amongst the dunes, are a series of traditional Berber camps, with cloth tents set up on the sands. You can take tours out here and stay overnight under the stars, living the way the nomads have done for thousands of years.
No one will pressure you to do anything whilst you're backpacking Merzouga. Hang around the town, or head into the sands, it's up to you. Both will offer warm welcomes.
This town demonstrates that good hospitality has only ever been about people welcoming you into their way of life.
How To Get To Merzouga
Unless you're parachuting in with the French Foreign Legion, you'll be arriving by Merzouga's single, rather sandy road.
There are no trains, the nearest airport is 80 miles north in Errachidia (and fuck all flies from it), so the nearest useful airports are Fes and Marrakech, each a 10+ hour drive.
It's in the sticks, which makes this 'how to get to Merzouga' section rather short.
Private taxis here will bankrupt most backpackers, so, realistically, the only and best way to get to Merzouga is via buses provided by CTM and Supratours. Even then, CTM stops in Rissani (25 miles north), leaving you to get a taxi to finish the job.
So Supratours it is then! However, they don't do online bookings like CTM, so you'll need to head to the bus station.
They offer routes from Fes (10hrs drive) to the north, and Ouarzazate (8hrs) and Marrakech (12.5hrs!) to the west. Each will cost close to 200 MAD (~£16) one-way.
If you're travelling this length of time, I'd suggest taking the overnight bus! You can (try to) sleep through the pain, you don't write off a whole day, and you're saving on a night's accommodation.
If you're shoestring-ing it, this makes total sense.
Timing your Trip
How long should you spend backpacking Merzouga?
I'll cut to the chase here: you could see pretty much everything Merzouga has to offer in a one-night stay.
Wander the town, buy some lunch, camel trek into the dunes, wake up the next day and leave. Boom. Done.
But you're kinda missing the point.
I've banged on about this with Chefchaouen before. There are places you go to see the sights and then get out straight after (like Fes), and then there are places like this, places that should be appreciated. Backpacking Merzouga is like sipping a well-aged scotch. Fes is more like a tequila slammer.
What I'm trying to say is spend a few days savouring Merzouga - at least three nights, ideally.
The best time of year for backpacking Merzouga
To answer this, there's really only one question to ask...
Is your skin pasty white, like mine? Are you occasionally mistaken for a vampire? Do you burn in the glow of candlelight? Okay, that was more than one question, but...
If so, avoid Merzouga in high summer! That's July and August particularly. It's a desert, and will regularly hit 40C+, and you're gonna buuuuurn! Even if you're a Greg-sorta tan colour, this is still likely to be too much.
Instead, aim for three months either side of summer. You'll still get glowing hot days, the nights won't be hypothermic, and there'll be plenty of fellow backpackers around.
I went in January, which is winter, and we were still getting 20C days! Whenever you go, it'll be toasty in the daytime, but in winter (December to February) it's properly chilly at night! Don't worry though, as long as you pack wisely, you'll be fine.
Plus, it's less busy, and you'll get the Merzouga Desert largely to yourself!
Where to Stay Whilst Backpacking Merzouga
Merzouga is tiny. It's a 10-minute walk from end-to-end, so it doesn't really matter where you stay, it's not like you're going to be miles out of the action.
That said, Merzouga is sorta split in half by a few plantations growing olives and other hardy trees. Most of the food places are dotted along the main high street on the southeast side of that plantation area, so I'd recommend you stay there. This makes more sense if you look at the satellite map!
Merzouga has plenty of riads (Moroccan guesthouses) and hostels to choose from, but the only place I'd ever stay in Merzouga is with Hassan at the Gout Du Sahara!
Gout Du Sahara
- What: A one-man hostel operation, run by the nicest guy on the planet!
- Where: Dead middle of Merzouga's main drag. (Map)
- Why: Hassan. He's the guy who runs it and would give you his kidney if it would make your stay better. He also does a mean breakfast!
- Why Not: It's not flash. At all. In particular, there's no AC.
Here's the short version:
This is the best hostel I've ever stayed at.
It's not the flashiest, the prettiest, the most comfortable, or the most exclusive.
Instead, what it is is a shining example that being a good person makes a slightly better world.
Hassan is one of the nicest blokes I've ever met. His humble hostel is small, basic, and run with a big heart. Even his Hostelworld write-up is beautiful. Please, please stay here.
For the long version, I'm going to tell you this story:
When I arrived in Merzouga, I was on a night bus that arrived earlier than expected. I planned to sleep on the bus, arrive around 5am, and find somewhere to huddle up for a few hours. I'd wait for sunrise, and find somewhere to stay (Moroccans are up early).
Instead, I arrived just before 4am. The ride had been so bumpy I hadn't slept. I should have guessed that one really, I'm crap at sleeping on public transport. The Merzouga desert was windy, and just above freezing. I'd cocked up and needed some shelter.
I'd been strongly recommended Hassan's place by some backpackers in Fes, so I dug out Maps.me and walked there.
Seriously cold at this point, I gently tried the front door.
It was locked.
I turned around to find somewhere out of the wind to wait it out, and heard the door open.
"Hey! Come in!" Hassan whispered. "Are you booked to stay here?"
"No, I'm really sorry for waking you up!"
"Don't worry! Come and lie down and rest, we'll sort it in the morning."
I thanked him massively, and asked if I'd be able to stay a few days. He told me he was fully booked, but I should stay until morning, then use the WiFi to sort somewhere out. He showed me to the common room and told me to crash on the cushions. I fell asleep pretty much immediately.
When people started moving in the morning, I woke up and peered into reception to find Hassan offering me coffee and breakfast. I pointed out I hadn't paid, and was told I didn't owe him anything.
I'd woken this guy up at 4am, and without hesitation he'd let me in, given me somewhere to rest, fed me breakfast, and was ready to help me find somewhere to stay in town. He had such a kind air about him that I didn't think for a minute this was anything other than genuine.
As we ate, he checked the rooms again, and there had been a cancellation! Would I like to say? Of course, I said yes.
I was shown through a small, fairly dusty courtyard with a few tables and chairs, and taken to one of the rooms. It's not a massive hostel. It probably holds about 20 people.
I asked how much it was a night, and was told 60 dirhams. I had to double-check that one, cause that's around £5, and included breakfast. Yep, turns out that was right. Bargain!
Who is Hassan?
Hassan loves backpacking. He's a world traveller himself, and told me about some of his adventures in South America. It's not easy to travel the world on a Moroccan salary. So his philosophy is this: in order to both stay in, and give back to, the backpacking world when he's not travelling, he runs this hostel, and runs it cheap, offering his beautiful Amazigh hospitality to the world. Once he's saved up enough, he closes up shop and travels for half a year or so. Rinse and repeat.
He's done this since '94.
He told me there's no AC in the rooms because then he'd have to charge more, and it's cheaper to have windows and blankets the traditional Moroccan way. Also, he mentioned he'd make more money converting the place to a luxury riad, but he'd rather host twenty backpackers than two flashy tourists. He's one of us; a part of the community. He gets it.
Whilst I was there, he booked my overnight camel tour for around half the normal price, because he doesn't take a big finder's cut himself. I also asked him where to buy a long Moroccan silk scarf, and he walked with me to a nearby shop and asked the owner to get out the best ones for me.
It turned out that Merzouga's only cashpoint had stopped working for a few days, and everyone was waiting for it to be repaired. I didn't have enough cash on me for the camel tour, and instead of letting me cancel it, Hassan insisted on paying it himself. He said I could pay him back when the machine worked again.
By the time the cashpoint started working, he was floating me around £40 for the tour and room. I hadn't paid him anything yet.
He let a few of us borrow his snowboard to take out sandboarding. Every morning, he makes a simple, beautiful Moroccan breakfast with boiled eggs, fruit, dates, olives, and a few other bits. If he makes M'semen, which is not a typo but a flaky, sweet pancake-y thing, please try it!
You have to stay here
I don't think I've ever felt more welcome anywhere. Lounging around the courtyard next to a big pit Hassan assures me will one day be a pool, chatting with him and the other guests whilst resplendent dunes roll away in the background, is one of my fondest travel memories.
I know this review is massive. Normally, I'd just describe a hostel's facilities, talk about the comfort and the decor, and maybe drop in a line or two about the friendly staff. I can't do that here. Hassan is the hostel. It wouldn't be what it is without him.
He has carved a corner of the desert out, and committed it to the backpacking community. He's utterly selfless, and embodies everything that it is to be a citizen of the world. As a result, he's single-handedly responsible for producing one of the world's best hostels.
I beg of you: if you're looking for the best place to stay in Merzouga, stay with Hassan.
Other Accommodation
Don't book other accommodation. Stay with Hassan.
The only way I'd ever do anything other than that is if he's away travelling or fully booked.
If that happens to be the case, you can check out other accommodation in Merzouga below.
Best Things to do in Merzouga, Morocco
A lot like Chefchaouen, there's not actually a ton to do when you're backpacking Merzouga.
It's a small town surrounded by sand. It's not a wealthy area, nor is it particularly touristy. Instead, it's just a beautiful place to be.
All that means this list is pretty short, and you shouldn't rush it. Take it slow. One of the joys of being in such a small community is it's very easy to learn how it works, and become part of it. In fact, I felt at home in a day!
Slow down to Merzouga's pace and soak it all in.
Backpacking Merzouga: The Highlights
- Enjoy No-Pressure Shopping For Once!
- Try Your Hand at Sandboarding
- Spend a Night in the Dunes
- Kick back and enjoy!
Yep, it's a small list! You could smash it all in 24 hours and be out of town, but it's almost always better to travel slow and become part of a place. And what a place you've picked!
Enjoy No-Pressure Shopping For Once!
- Why: You've probably come from a big city to get to Merzouga, and know the stress of shopping. It stops here.
- Where: Wander the town, there's shops in the unlikeliest places.
- How long: It's a small town, it won't take long to see most of it.
- How much: What're you buying? Whatever it is, it's probably cheaper here than in the cities!
Merzouga has a wonderful way of getting you to drop your guard when shopping.
You can look at something you're interested in without a shopkeeper pouncing on you, and offering you a 'special' price if you buy three other things with it. In places like Fes, this is so bad that you end up not even looking at stuff. It's just too much hassle.
Backpacking Merzouga, you can browse!
I was so surprised that I mentioned it at the hostel the first night, and Hassan told me, "In Merzouga, if you don't want to buy it's your problem!"
And I'll be damned if he wasn't right!
Because of this, I ended up buying more here than anywhere else on the trip. Merzouga's shops are very piecemeal, and some seem more like you're browsing someone's collection of stuff than a fully stocked shop.
The usual trinkets, jewellery, and other artsy bits are available, and in particular blankets and carpets. If you're going to buy something for the Shit Shelf in Morocco, I'd do it here. They're cheap, you're supporting a very small economy, and you're doing it somewhere there's not as much tourism.
Personally, I fell in love with a handmade wool and silk blanket that's around two metres square, and I paid around 300dh (£25-ish) for it. It was the longest and most entertaining haggle I'd ever done at around half an hour, and everyone was happy at the end.
Remember, they won't sell to you at a loss, just try not to gouge out every penny of profit from them.
Also, this is the perfect place to get one of those huuuuge silk scarves that the Berbers and Amazighs have used to make headdresses for centuries. A lot of backpackers can really pull this look off, and look like they're embracing the culture. On me, it looks like a hate crime. I'll stick to using it as a scarf!
Try Your Hand at Sandboarding
- Why: Because the Merzouga desert (Erg Chebbi) is the new home for winter sports, obviously.
- Where: Pick a dune!
- How long: Dunes are hard to walk up, and quick to ride down. Feeling fit?
- How much: There are a few places to hire boards, but a lot of hostels and riads have one you can borrow.
It's wonderful to see that the noble art of strapping a plank to your shoes and falling down a mountain has made it's way out of the snow and into the warm.
If you're a decent snowboarder and are pretty fit, you might want to hire a board that fits properly, take it (and some water!) out into the desert, and tackle one of the big dunes. Some are pretty steep!
If you're more in the 'I went snowboarding once and ended up with concussion' camp (... cough ...), just grab the nearest available board and take it (and some water!) out anyway! Sand makes for a soft landing, you'll be fine...
It's a desert, so there's plenty of dunes to pick from! You'll work up a sweat climbing them, as sand has an annoying habit of sliding downhill as soon as you stand on it, meaning each step takes you half the distance you expected it to.
Once you're at the top, strap in and carve your way elegantly to the bottom! Bonus points if you stop by turning sideways and kicking up a big puff of sand! More bonus points if you can go more than a few metres without falling over.
Worst comes to worst, you can sit on the thing and ride it like a sledge.
Spend a Night in the Dunes
- Why: To connect with an ancient way of life. Plus, it supports the locals.
- Where: Several camps are set up a mile or two into the sands.
- How long: Head out late afternoon, and return mid-morning the next day.
- How much: You'll pay somewhere between £30-50 for an overnight camel tour.
There are several ways to see the dunes, including 4x4, quad bike and motorbike tours, but by far the most authentic is to trudge through the sand on a camel, and set up shop in a traditional Berber camp for the night.
There's a few places that do this, but I recommend the one Hassan at Gout Du Sahara hooks you up with. This is because: it's cheaper, as Hassan doesn't take a cut; the guys that run the tours are really nice and make a banging couscous; and because the camels are actually well looked after and healthy. Also, their camp is a little way away from the others, under the lee of the biggest dune for miles It also looks more traditional than some of the white-tarpaulin ones we spotted on the way.
The camels are incredibly strong and pretty big up close. There'll be a well-padded seat and a grab handle to hold on to for balance, but once you're underway, they just sway from side to side as they walk. Don't try to fight it, it's easier and comfier to just sway with them.
You'll walk a mile or two across the fierce orange sands, and stop once or twice on the way for some photos. We had the chance to go on foot up the biggest dune to watch the sunset, too.
Once you get to camp, there'll be tea - this is Morocco, after all - and then dinner will be made for you, which will probably be tagine or couscous. Then the campfire will be lit, and you can exchange some talk, music and so on, and watch the stars come out. Merzouga has some of the clearest night skies in the world, and the stars are breathtaking.
The three guys we were with were really nice dudes. They played us some music on the drums, and offered round some coffee made over the campfire. One of them soon ran off, and returned a minute later with a bottle of Pastis and some glasses.
I was sitting in a desert camp, talking around a campfire, singing and drinking under a perfect starscape, and realised this exact scene must've played out a thousand years ago, too.
When I asked about alcohol being banned under Islam, one of the guys said, "Don't worry, Allah cannot see in the desert!" before sparking up a joint.
Fair play.
This is a really beautiful night, and I urge you to do this whilst you're here. Falling asleep on a simple bed in a huge cloth tent, protected from the chill under a mountain of blankets, head slightly fuzzy from the night... You'll sleep soundly.
Kick Back and Enjoy!
- Why: You're somewhere truly beautiful, savour it!
- Where: Just look out across the dunes.
- How long: Take your time.
- How much: Free!
Wander into the desert and look around. You're in one of the prettiest places in the world.
It's a timeless place, where yesterday's footprints are swallowed into the sand, and tomorrow's surface is untouched once more.
The charm of Merzouga, for me at least, is it doesn't take an investment of money to get here. In fact, it's cheap. But it's not an easy place to get to in comfort! You have to make a bit of a sacrifice to see these dunes, even if it's just 8 hours on a bumpy night bus. This means the people you find here all really want to be here.
You can get to Bora Bora or Lake Como in air-conditioned luxury all the way, and you can't really do that in Merzouga. But once you're here, you can live for a week on what you'd spend on lunch at the Italian lakes. If you can slum it a little to get here, it'll welcome anyone on any budget.
So if you've made it, enjoy it! You've put in effort to get here, after all.
Where to Eat When Backpacking Merzouga
Street food kinda goes out the window here, I'll be honest. The town is just too small.
This leaves you with a bunch of cafe-restaurants, a few convenience shops, a grocer, and your accommodation.
For me, I fuelled up on the breakfast Hassan made, and then in the afternoons ate at the dirt-cheap cafe nearby or ate fresh fruit from the grocers, which is as close as you'll get to street food here.
The fruit was ridiculously cheap - I bought a handful of oranges for 3 dirhams, which is about £0.20.
When I wanted something more substantial, a trip to Chez Youssef was in order!
Chez Youssef
- What: Pure Moroccan food.
- Where: Halfway down Merzouga's 'High Street', if that's the word! (map)
- How much: I got hooked on the 7dh Harira soup (~£0.50).
This was another good shout from Hassan.
This is a tiny cafe that serves classic Moroccan food. Sit on the terrace out front, and enjoy simple food, done well.
There's a few things like tagine and flatbread sandwiches on the menu, but I just had the harira soup three times over. For 7 dirhams, you get a hearty bowl of chickpea and noodle soup, a big bowl of olives and some flatbreads to dip with. It's one of the cheapest meals I think I've ever had, and I love it! I still cook it now.
Chez Youssef is nowhere near busy enough for me to talk about ambience or wait times, it's just nicely done food in the desert sun. You'll love it.
Where to Party Whilst Backpacking Merzouga
When it comes to a good night out backpacking Merzouga, you just have to head for The Dirty Camel, a towering club with three rooms, regular and guest DJs every night...
Okay, I lied. It's a tiny desert town, and if you're after that you're in the wrong place!
The party scene doesn't exist here. If you like hanging out around a campfire, and maybe a few tokes of the local produce, I refer you back to the night out in the desert.
And that's as crazy as it gets here, folks!
Is Backpacking Merzouga Safe?
Not much to say here either!
As long as you're not stupid enough to wander into the desert without water or a sense of direction, you'll be fine!
Hassan warned that a few 4x4 guides in Rissani, a town further north, may offer you a cheap taxi ride to Merzouga, and then take you into the desert and charge you for that, so be sensible about who you get in a car with.
Other than that, it's pretty much perfect. The kindness of the people here is genuine, and I felt safer and more welcome backpacking Merzouga than I do at home in England. No joke.
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Merzouga is probably in the top three places I've ever visited. It's so simple here I don't know what it is about Merzouga that keeps calling me back, but it does.
Maybe it's the simplicity? It feels almost like a Utopia for me, not in terms of civilisation, but in terms of humanity. It's just so welcoming!
Have you been? Let me know what you thought, or even better, anything I missed in the comments!
If you're heading to Merzouga, Morocco and need any pointers or questions answered, drop them in the comments or send us a message on Insta, and we'll sort you out.
Thanks for reading this Merzouga blog, and enjoy the sand! You'll be finding it for weeks!
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Hi,
Enjoyed reading your article. It was very useful. I am planning a trip to Merzouga.
Would be taking the bus from Erracidia. But going back to Errachidia, the Supra Tours timing is not convenient for my flight. A taxi at USD 80 is too expensive. Are there any other cheaper ways to reach the Errachidia airport please.
Would appreciate your kind response.
Thank you
Chandunil
Hi, sorry to hear of the troubles you’ve got getting back. Sadly, I don’t think there is another way. I would mention it to someone local and they might know someone who is willing to do the drive for you.
what an incredible achievement! Your Sahara adventure looks absolutely epic—navigating those vast dunes, enduring the heat, and soaking in the desert’s stark beauty. Truly inspiring to see you embrace such a challenging journey and come out smiling. The photos are stunning, and your spirit of exploration really shines through. Bravo!”
Thank you for such kind words. Any adventure we take is always a fun and fastastic experience. The more crazy activities we can do and stories we can make along the way are what push us to travel. Merzouga is a magical place and we cannot wait to return one day.