A Two-Day Desert Immersion in Merzouga and Erg Chebbi

Stay at this small hotel before the desert excursion. The documented room cost 25 euros per night, and the staff allowed a free late checkout around 5:30 p.m. They also provided a fresh-air bed outside when the room became too hot and served breakfast with mint tea, orange juice, and local food.

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Explore Merzouga’s compact desert-village streets before departing. The documented architecture included earth-toned houses, blue doors, and few or no windows. The village sits approximately 20 kilometers from the Algerian border and exists largely around desert tourism.

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Have the documented inexpensive dinner stop here. The meal was described as pistachio mixed food with a bottle of water and tip, totaling approximately 70 dirham; the food itself was around 50 dirham.

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Buy a desert scarf in the village before the dune excursion. The documented bargaining reference was roughly 50–80 dirham, with the final scarf purchase discussed at 80 dirham. Use it to protect your face and neck from sun and blowing sand.

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Wear a djellaba or similarly loose clothing for the transfer and dune activities. The documented traveler used one together with a scarf for protection from sand and intense sunlight.

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Before leaving for the meeting point, buy at least two large bottles of water. The documented traveler also bought a cold Red Bull, but water is the essential supply for the hot transfer and dune ride.

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Begin the desert excursion in the Erg Chebbi dune field. The documented dunes include formations above 150 meters, while the broader Sahara also contains rocky plains, gravel desert, and mountains rather than continuous sand.

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Take the planned dromedary ride into Erg Chebbi, lasting approximately one hour to one hour and twenty minutes. Although commonly called a camel ride, the animals used here are one-humped dromedaries.

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Use the dune slopes for sand boarding. The documented experience was enjoyable but physically rough when falling, so control your speed and expect hard impacts even on soft-looking sand.

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Check into the documented luxury desert camp, which had a large bed, air conditioning, and a private bathroom. Verify the precise camp location before booking because this camp was on the edge of Erg Chebbi rather than in the dunes’ interior.

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Return to camp for an ice-cold shower and the evening bonfire. The camp was described as cozy, with the fire set up for the evening.

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Eat the camp dinner of pasta, chicken tajine, bread, and dessert. Dinner was served inside the camp and was described as good, though the timing of the later music meant the documented traveler was already tired.

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Spend time outside after dinner for the exceptionally dark desert sky and camp music. The planned experience included stargazing and a music performance, although the documented music began more than an hour after dinner and was missed because of fatigue.

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Have breakfast and pack for departure in the morning. Do not assume the sunrise will be visible: the documented morning was cloudy, so conditions may prevent the expected sunrise view.

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