Sleeping in the desert in Morocco: The magic of Merzouga

On my list of things to do at least once in my life, there has always been sleeping in the desert in Morocco and lying on the cold sand under the bright stars of the African sky. In January 2024, after spending a month in the small surfing village of Taghazout, I had the opportunity to make my wish come true by traveling to Merzouga, the gateway to the Moroccan part of the Sahara Desert, a vast sea of golden sand, characterized by undulating dunes that stand as monuments to nature’s grandeur.

Do you also want to sleep in the desert in Morocco and have one of the most beautiful (and cold) experiences of your life? Then read on as I explain well how to plan your trip!

Sleeping in the desert in Morocco: How do I get to Merzouga?

To get to the desert you have two possible choices: rent a car and drive from Marrakesh to Merzouga (they are about 9 hours apart), or book an organized tour. I will preface this by saying that I am not a fan of group tours because I like to go on adventures and mingle among the locals. However, I did not have many days left in Morocco and did not have the option of renting a car, so I opted for the Civitatis organized tour, and I must say it was a very interesting experience!

In case you decide to rent a car, I still recommend that you donot drive directly to Merzuoga, but make several stops because you will find places along the way that are definitely worth visiting.

Day 1

I tell you about the excursions done with the Civitatis tour, but you can very well do the exact same route again even if you decide to rent a car and do it all on your own.

The organized tour departs from Marrakesh at about 8 a.m., heading for the High Atlas Mountains, passing through the Tizi N’Tichka pass, which features spectacular scenery to say the least. You can do the same if you decide to travel by car.

In my opinion, the highlight of the day was undoubtedly the visit to the fortified village of Ait Ben Haddou, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Once you arrive at your destination, you will feel as if you have been catapulted into some period movie.

Air Ben Haddou, in fact, has been the film set of such famous movies as “Gladiator,” “The Mummy,” “Star Trek,” “Lord of the Rings,” “Jesus of Nazareth,” and many more. The guide told us that they, the locals, were pleased to be able to attend the filming of such famous and important movies, partly because very often the registries paid them to be extras in their films.

But before it became one of the world’s most famous movie sets, Air Ben Haddo anciently was a trade route and strategic point between Marrakesh and the Sahara. As of today, only 10 families live in this old village; all the others have moved to the “new town” built across the bridge.

After the guided tour, you can decide to stay overnight there. According to what the guide told me, those who do not depend on any tours would be better off staying overnight there, because after 5 p.m. the city empties out and is much nicer to experience, as most tourists come there on guided tours.

Day 2

Have you ever heard of the Todra Gorges? It is one of the most spectacular canyons in the world. I had honestly never heard of it before, but it is definitely a place worth visiting.

Located on the eastern slope of the Atlas Mountains near the town of Tinerhir, the gorges are formed by the Todra River, which has cut into the rocky terrain, creating vertical rock walls that rise up to 300 meters in height.

These canyons are characterized by numerous trails that wind along the canyon floor and along the rock walls. They are, in addition, home to many nomads in the area, who spend at least a few months a year in the famous caves.

I had the opportunity to be told the story by one of the nomads in the area, who told me that the caves were a paradise for the nomads, as it offered them pure water and a cozy place to rest and graze their animals. I told him that in a way I too was nomadic like him, only I am a little more “digital”!

He told me, laughing, that globalization had annoyed them a bit, and that nowadays it has become very difficult to “hide” from curious tourists who try to take their pictures while they live their lives in the caves. In any case, if you head to that area, you will see a lot of nomads in the paths selling their handicrafts to tourists passing by.

Also, if you have time to hike the Todra Gorges until sunset, you will see how the canyon lights up with warm shades of orange and red, creating a breathtaking spectacle.

The Dunes of Erg Chebbi

After two days of travel, the long-awaited moment finally arrived : the arrival in the desert to contemplate the sunset as the last rays of the sun enveloped this immense sea of sand.

I recommend that you equip yourself with a scarf, hat, sweaters, and a nice heavy jacket. Don’t be fooled by the desert heat during the day, because once the sun goes down you will start to freeze!

To arrive at the campsite at sunset, my tour included a camel ride. Let me preface this by saying that I am against the exploitation of animals so the idea did not appeal to me at all. Before I got on it, I tried to ask the Bedouins, owners of the camels, how many times a day they had them carrying tourists, what their life was like, and whether they gave them enough rest.

Of course, I can never know the 100% truth, but they told me that they only did one tour a day and spent the rest of the time free near their campsites. Again, I can’t know if it was true or not, I only know that (at least those camels I saw), they did not look shabby or desnourished. In any case, you can choose not to get on the camels and pay for the quad bike that takes you to the campsite (renting the quad bike for 10 minutes costs about 30 euros extra).

In case you decide to go on a do-it-yourself excursion, it is still mandatory to enter the desert with the Bedouins and pay for overnight stay in one of their campsites. You can choose between traditional and luxury camping. I, of course, chose the traditional one, partly because the Bedouins told me there was not much difference. The only real difference is that the luxury campsite is located a little further from the desert entrance, the beds are a little bigger, and there is a private “bathroom,” but everything else is the same. I put “bathroom” in quotes because they are actually fake bathrooms, in the sense that there is no flushing, you have to flush with buckets of water, because (obviously) there is no running water.

What is it like to spend a night under the stars in the desert?

Sleeping in the desert in Morocco was an extraordinary experience, out of the ordinary, even for me who had traveled halfway around the world. Once we arrived at the campsite, I remember being excruciatingly cold. It is always cold in the desert at night, even in August, though obviously less than in January.

That night, while the desert Bedouins played drums and sang their typical songs around the fire, I lay on the sand to look at the stars, and it was magical to the point of being able to feel the presence of my mom, who left this land about a year ago. I was one with Mother Earth, until then I had never felt my mother so close to me. It was an incredible experience.

The immensity of the desert you feel it, it’s inevitable, you feel it anyway, you don’t need to have lost a loved one to be moved by such beauty.

One of the Bedouins, after shelling out half a bottle of gin (but weren’t they forbidden to drink alcohol?), suggested that I and a select few others go and take pictures from the top of one of the dunes with a professional camera. At first I wasn’t sure I wanted to follow this half-drunk Bedouin into the Sahara desert (it almost sounds like a joke!), but in the end my instincts decided to agree, and this was the result:

I will never forget that night, it was one of the most beautiful and exciting nights of my whole life, besides the trauma of the tremendous cold during the night!

Sleeping in the desert in Morocco: How do I dress?

Speaking of cold weather, I decided to offer you a mini-guide on how to dress for sleeping in the desert in Morocco, because if I could go back, I too would be reading a few blogs to get better informed!!!

1. First, put on some hiking shoes and hiking socks so that you don’t come home with half a desert in your shoes as happened to me.
2. Bring not one but TWO sweaters and even a sweatshirt to wear overnight, you won’t regret it!
3. Wear leggings under your pajama pants (best if you wear wool ones!). During the day, however, I recommend you wear long cotton pants to be comfortable while hiking, and also a top or T-shirt because you will be hot under the scorching Sahara sun. For men, on the other hand, I recommend wearing a nice cool cotton shirt.
4. A hat and scarf could save you from the strong wind blowing in your face. It is not certain that when you go to the desert there will be wind, but there might be, so prevention is better than cure!
5. Finally, don’t forget your sunglasses, sunscreen, a brought charger (there are no power outlets in the tents), and of course a nice turban. I bought mine in Air Ben Haddou for the modest sum of 12 euros. Don’t worry if you are unable to put it on, the Bedouins will help you put it on. I advise you not to choose it in black color because it is very hot during the day, better a light pastel color.

Conclusion: What are the pros and cons of the Civitatis guided tour?

Pros of sleeping in the desert in Morocco with Civitatis

• You don’t have to arrange anything; they take care of everything.
• Included in the price (which is really very low for the services offered), is minibus transportation, driver or escort (Italian included), two nights’ accommodation on half-board basis, guided tours provided in the itinerary and the camel ride at sunset.
• Travel in total safety because you are accompanied by a Moroccan guide from the beginning to the end of the tour
• They tell you stories that maybe traveling alone you couldn’t hear
• You get to know the other people in the group, and perhaps if you are traveling alone it is better to share the experience with other travelers.

Against

• You have to stay with the timing of the guide, so you can’t just disappear and mind your own business.
• You have to eat where they tell you, also because most of the time meals are included.
• You will visit places of interest (desert aside because each tour has its own campsite), at the hours most frequented by tourists, so if you are looking for quiet you will not find it.
• If, like me, you hate the little shows made especially for tourists in hotels, you’ll have to put up with a couple of them because unfortunately there are also those on the tour. In any case, as I did, you may as well go to bed early and ignore everyone.

That said, I wish you a wonderful stay in the Sahara Desert, and I hope that sleeping in the desert in Morocco remains among the best memories of your life, as it was for me!