Camel Ride & Desert Camp

Imagine riding a camel—one of the original “ships of the desert”—across the dunes of the Moroccan Sahara as the sun sets. Around Erg Chebbi, the dunes can rise as high as 160 metres and change colour with the light.

Sahara Whispers works with local guides, drivers, and camel handlers to arrange this overnight desert experience.

The experience can begin near Merzouga at Erg Chebbi or from the remote oasis village of Ramlia.

The drive from Fes to Merzouga takes approximately eight hours. A Sahara Whispers guide can meet you on arrival. Depending on your timing, you may begin the camel ride in the late afternoon or stay at a hotel and depart for camp the following day.

Luggage can be left at the guesthouse before a departure around 4 or 5 pm. The camel ride takes approximately one hour and 20 minutes. Dinner, breakfast, and one night in an equipped Berber tent are included. After sunrise the following morning, return by camel to the same guesthouse as the changing light reveals a different view of the dunes.

Supratours operates an overnight bus from Fes that reaches Merzouga at approximately 6 am. We can meet you at Merzouga bus station and take you to a guesthouse, where you can rest and have breakfast after the overnight journey.

Spend the day beside the dunes, then begin the one-hour-and-20-minute camel ride around 3 or 4 pm before sunset. Return to the guesthouse after sunrise the next morning for breakfast and a shower. The source itinerary notes an 8 am bus from Merzouga to Marrakech and a 7 pm bus to Fes.

Driving from Marrakech to Merzouga takes approximately ten hours. The source itinerary also notes a daily Supratours bus taking around 12 hours, from approximately 8 am to 8 pm. We can meet you at Merzouga bus station and take you to a guesthouse near the dunes for the night.

The following day can include a camel ride, lunch with local nomads, and one night at camp. Return after sunrise for breakfast and a shower before continuing by public transport. Grand taxis also connect Moroccan cities and towns with Merzouga via Rissani.

Erg Ramlia lies approximately 70 kilometres west of Merzouga. The off-road route from Taouz to Ramlia follows a piste associated with the Paris–Dakar rally. Guests booking a complete tour may arrange a camel ride at either Erg Chebbi or Ramlia. Ramlia is a remote oasis accessible by four-wheel-drive vehicle, motorcycle, or camel, with a full-service guesthouse outside the village.