Planning a Merzouga camel trek
A Merzouga camel trek is a ride on a dromedary in the Erg Chebbi dunes. It can be an outing that returns to the village or a stage of an overnight camp package. Decide which experience you want before comparing the price: a short ride and a camp transfer use similar scenery but leave you with different evening plans. A sunset activity is useful if you already have accommodation arranged.
The local rides selected here have a two-hour product duration. That describes the programme, including its stops and activities, rather than a promise of two continuous hours in the saddle. Use the Erg Chebbi guide to understand the setting and compare Merzouga activities if you are also considering a camp or a motorised outing. Choose the meeting point around your arrival plans.
Camel rides
The private ride includes sandboarding; another offers sunrise with the selected option.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide and Viator. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Guided camel ride
- Camel each
- Guide
- Parking for your car
The ride starts at a meeting point in Merzouga; confirm its location.
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Private camel ride
- Camel Guide
- Camel Per each Person
- Sandboarding
Confirm the departure time and location before your visit.
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Sunset camel ride
- Local Berber camel guide
- Sandboarding experience
- Return camel ride to Merzouga
Sunrise is available only with the selected option; check your booking.
Check availability →Camel outings around sunset and the dunes
Two-hour products include guided camel riding, with sandboarding in selected packages and sunrise available through a specific option.
Sunset and sunrise camel rides
The sunset outing includes a camel for each participant, a local camel guide, sandboarding, a stop on a dune for sunset, time for photographs and the return camel ride to Merzouga. Parking at the meeting point is also included. Food and drinks are extra. Sunrise is included only when the sunrise option is selected, so choose the time of day as part of the product decision.
A sunset ride and a morning ride need different arrival arrangements. For the evening outing, reach the meeting point in time for its departure; for a morning option, organise the previous night around the start. Use the departure time supplied for your date rather than a fixed clock time copied from a seasonal description. The sun's appearance and the colour of the dunes depend on the conditions that day.
Guided riding with or without sandboarding
The private two-hour camel and sandboarding product includes a private tour, camel guide, a camel per person and sandboarding. It suits a party that wants those local activities together while arranging its own accommodation and approach. Its included services are the ride and sandboarding; keep meals, camp accommodation and motorised activities as separate decisions rather than adding them because of a broad activity title.
Another two-hour ride includes a camel for each person, a guide and parking for your car. It is a simpler comparison when riding is the priority and you do not need a bundled sandboarding activity. Compare the actual services rather than expecting every camel outing to include the same extras. The local quad and sandboarding guide covers motorised products if that is the activity you want instead.
A longer experience through a camp combination
A desert camp stay connects camel riding with dinner, sleeping in a tent and breakfast. It is the relevant next step when your aim is an evening and morning in the dune environment rather than a short return outing. The tent, bathroom, luggage arrangement and return transfer then become as important as the outward ride. Compare those services on the camp page before committing nights in your itinerary.
Keep a camp combination separate from the road journey from Marrakech or Fès. A local ride starts near Merzouga; a multi-day city departure also includes the long approach and its route stops. If you are organising transport independently, use getting to Merzouga before choosing a meeting time. A delayed arrival and a sunset departure are difficult to fit together without room in the schedule.
Animal welfare and choosing responsibly
A local initiative brought dromedary keepers together on 25 January 2025 with the aim of supporting their work and animal welfare. It is an initiative, rather than a certification of every ride. Discuss your circumstances and the way the animals are handled with the organiser when deciding whether riding suits your party. Avoid treating a short duration or a scenic photograph as a welfare assessment.
Consider the ride itself as well as the landscape. Mounting, dismounting and time on the animal are part of the experience you are choosing. If you prefer another way to reach a camp, compare an offer with an explicit vehicle alternative. Do not transfer a 4×4 service from an unrelated camp package to a short camel outing. Selecting the service you actually want is more useful than relying on a general desert-trip label.
Questions about your visit
Are these camel rides balloon trips?
These products are guided camel outings in the dunes, with sandboarding where included. Choose them for riding and the sunset or selected sunrise experience.
Is sunrise included with every ride?
The two-hour sunset product offers sunrise through the selected option. Choose the morning option if that is your priority, and arrange your arrival around its departure.
Does a two-hour camel outing include dinner?
The short outings here focus on riding and their listed activities. For dinner and an overnight tent, choose a camp package whose included services cover those parts of the evening.