Merzouga or Zagora?

By Abdou, founder of Oasis Roads · Updated October 2026

It is the question we hear most from travellers starting in Marrakech. Both are real Sahara experiences, but they are very different trips.

The short answer

If you have three days or more, go to Merzouga. The dunes of Erg Chebbi are the tall, golden Sahara dunes you have seen in photos. If you only have two days, Zagora gives you a real taste of the desert, palm groves and a camel ride, with less time in the car.

Merzouga and Erg Chebbi

Merzouga sits at the edge of Erg Chebbi, a sea of orange dunes up to about 150 metres high, near the Algerian border. This is the classic Sahara: camel rides over the dunes, sunset from a high crest, a camp tucked between the dunes and a sky full of stars.

It's far from Marrakech, about 560 km, or 9 to 10 hours of driving if you did it in one go. That's why we split the road over two days, through Aït Benhaddou, the Dades Valley and the Todra Gorge. Those stops are some of the best things to see in Morocco. From Fes, Merzouga is closer, around 7 to 8 hours through the Middle Atlas and the cedar forests of Ifrane.

The camps in Erg Chebbi range from simple Berber tents to luxury camps with private bathrooms, real beds and heating. We use Tiziri Camp and Sahara Eden Camp.

Zagora and the Draa Valley

Zagora is a palm oasis town in the Draa Valley, about 7 hours from Marrakech. The road crosses the High Atlas, passes Aït Benhaddou and follows one of the longest palm groves in Morocco.

The dunes near Zagora are small compared to Erg Chebbi. The experience is more about the camel ride at sunset, the Berber camp, the palm groves and the kasbahs along the way. It works well for a 2-day trip, or for travellers who prefer less driving.

Side by side

Here is how the two compare for travellers starting in Marrakech:

• Dunes: Merzouga has tall, golden dunes up to about 150 m. Zagora has small dunes and stony desert.
• Time from Marrakech: about 9 to 10 hours to Merzouga, split over 2 days, and about 7 hours to Zagora.
• Minimum trip: 3 days for Merzouga, 2 days for Zagora.
• On the way: both pass Aït Benhaddou. Merzouga adds the Dades Valley and the Todra Gorge.
• Camps: luxury and standard camps in Merzouga, mostly simpler Berber camps in Zagora.

What about Erg Chigaga?

Erg Chigaga, beyond M'Hamid at the end of the Draa Valley, is the wildest dune field in Morocco. It's reached by 4x4 across the desert and is very quiet. It needs at least 4 or 5 days from Marrakech. Ask us if you want something truly remote.

Our advice

Choose Merzouga if you want the big dunes and have at least three days, or if you're going from Marrakech to Fes anyway, because Merzouga is on the way. Choose Zagora if you only have two days and want to be back in Marrakech quickly.