Field note · Morocco · Drâa-Tafilalet

Merzouga and Erg Chebbi

Only Supratours takes a public coach all the way into Merzouga village – one overnight from Fes and Meknes, one daytime run from Marrakech via Ouarzazate – while CTM stops 40 km short at Rissani and Erfoud, so most people finish the journey in a shared grand taxi or minibus from Rissani for a few dirham, or in the 4x4 their auberge sends; from the village itself the only transport into the dunes to the desert camps is a camel caravan or a 4x4, both leaving at the ends of the day because nothing moves in the midday heat.

Researched: 22 September 2026
Reviewed: not yet
Ways of moving: 8, 41 sources
Not confirmed: 7
Fares seen: 2019–2026

The place

Merzouga is a village in southeastern Morocco. The village is near the Erg Chebbi dunes, among the tallest in the Sahara. It is about 35 kilometres (22 mi) southeast of Rissani, about 55 kilometres (34 mi) from Erfoud and about 50 kilometres (31 mi) from the Algerian border. Some of the other villages near the dunes are Hassilabied, Tanamoust, Takoujt, Khamlia, and Tisserdmine. Rissani is the closest city of significant size, at a distance of 42 kilometres (26 mi).

Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The place page has what to see, do and eat, and every way there from the planner.

How transport works here

8 ways of moving, each with its rule

We confirmed eight ways of moving to, from or around Merzouga: five by road, two hired or on demand and one under your own steam, from 41 sources. Three of them run only on demand or when the seats are full, so there is no timetable to show; the rule is written where the timetable would be. One needs a phone call or a message before you turn up.

The fares were seen in 2019 to 2026; a fare from an older year is a floor, not a price. We rate 1 of the 8 high confidence, our own judgement of the sources. The entry was checked on 22 September 2026, and ends with seven things we could not confirm.

5 ways

By road

minibus

Supratours overnight coach, Fes and Meknes to Merzouga village

Fes to Meknes, Azrou, Midelt, Errachidia, Erfoud, Rissani and Merzouga

This is the only scheduled bus that ends in Merzouga village rather than 40 km short of it. The Merzouga end is the Supratours bus station at 31.09876, -4.01732, at the north end of the village on the main road. At the Fes end the stop is Supratours' own terminal beside the ONCF railway station, not the gare routière. Southbound the coach is numbered N6210, northbound S6210. Book online at supratours.ma, where Merzouga appears as the station MERZOUGA (SUPRAT.). Note the overnight can run more than an hour early and drop you in the village before sunrise with no taxis about, so tell your auberge your arrival time and wait for them.

When: One departure a day each way. Southbound Fes 20:30, Meknes 21:45, Errachidia 03:35, Rissani 05:25, Merzouga 06:00. Northbound Merzouga 19:00, Rissani 19:30, Erfoud 20:10, Errachidia 21:20, Fes 04:25.
Takes: 9h 30m Fes to Merzouga, 9h 25m back; 8h 15m from Meknes
Fare 2026: Fes–Merzouga 220 dirham, Meknes–Merzouga 210 dirham, Fes–Rissani 200 dirham, Fes–Errachidia 170 dirham, Merzouga–Errachidia 80 dirham, all one way in the operator's own booking system in 2026. Bookaway prices the Fes run at US$10–11. Whoever grabs your bag at a Supratours stop will ask for up to 20 dirham; 5 is the going rate.

SeasonYear-round. October to June is the sensible window; July and August are punishing and midday is lost to the heat, and November to February nights in the desert are cold. Bookingsupratours.ma, or at any Supratours office. Foreign cards are sometimes refused by Moroccan bus sites, in which case buy at the counter. Run bySupratours, the road arm of the national railway ONCF.

minibus

ONCF train to Fes or Meknes, then the Supratours coach

Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier or Marrakech by train to Fes or Meknes, then the overnight coach south

Supratours is owned by ONCF and sells from the same booking gateway, so the coach and the train use one account and one station list, and the Fes coach stop is at the railway station itself at 34.0473, -5.0053. In practice you buy two tickets: the train to Fes or Meknes, then the Supratours coach. Allow a long gap – the coach leaves Fes at 20:30 and Meknes at 21:45, and a missed connection means a night in Fes. The Merzouga through-journey is not sold as one train-plus-coach itinerary: searches from Casa Voyageurs, Rabat Ville, Tanger Ville and Marrakech to Merzouga all came back empty in September 2026, so book the two legs separately.

When: Frequent trains to Fes and Meknes through the day, feeding the single evening coach
Takes: Casablanca to Fes about 4 hours by train, then 9h 30m on the coach; Tangier to Fes about 5 hours by train
Fare 2026: The coach leg is 220 dirham from Fes and 210 from Meknes (2026); the rail leg is priced separately by ONCF. Summer trains can be hot and there is no water sold on board, so carry your own.

SeasonYear-round; the train legs are uncomfortable in July and August heat. Bookingsupratours.ma for the coach; ONCF for the train. Book the coach first, since there is only one a day. Run byONCF for the train, Supratours for the coach.

minibus

Supratours daytime coach from Marrakech via Ouarzazate

Marrakech to Ouarzazate, Boumalne Dades, Tinghir, Erfoud, Rissani and Merzouga

The southern run is a daytime journey, leaving the Supratours station in Marrakech in the morning and reaching Merzouga in the evening; the overnight service comes from Fes instead. Its last legs are sold separately and appear in the booking system as Erfoud 19:00, Rissani 19:45, Merzouga 20:30, so if the through ticket will not sell you can still buy the tail end at Erfoud or Rissani. Coming back, the coach leaves Merzouga and reaches Ouarzazate in the early afternoon and Marrakech in the evening. It is a through bus with no sightseeing stops: no Todra Gorge, no Dades valley, no Ait Ben Haddou.

When: One a day each way. Marrakech departure about 08:00–08:30, Merzouga arrival about 20:00–20:30. Northbound out of Erfoud at 21:00, Ouarzazate 13:00, Marrakech 20:00 as recorded in 2019.
Takes: About 12 hours Marrakech to Merzouga for 382 km
Fare 2026: Bookaway shows the bus at US$9–41 (2026). Marrakech–Erfoud was 175 dirham in 2019. The Erfoud–Rissani–Merzouga tail is 40 dirham (2026).

SeasonYear-round, but this is the run to avoid in July and August – twelve daylight hours across the pre-Sahara. October to June is the recommended window. Bookingsupratours.ma or the Supratours counter in Marrakech. Booking the Marrakech to Merzouga through journey online failed on every date tested in September 2026, so buy at the counter or book the legs separately. Run bySupratours.

minibus

CTM overnight bus, which stops at Rissani and Erfoud but not Merzouga

Fes and Meknes overnight to Errachidia, Erfoud and Rissani

CTM does not reach Merzouga. Its southern terminus is Rissani, 40 km short, and the bus also calls at Erfoud. That last 40 km is on you – shared grand taxi, minibus, or the 4x4 your auberge sends. CTM drops you in the Rissani medina rather than at the gare routière, which is exactly where the touts are waiting, so arrange a pickup in advance and have a name to ask for. The CTM ticket office in Erfoud is on Mohamed V Boulevard between the city hall and Rue Allal ben Abdellah.

When: One a day each way. Fes about 20:00–21:30, Meknes about 22:45, Errachidia and Erfoud around 07:00–07:30, Rissani around 07:00–07:30.
Takes: About 9½ hours Fes to Rissani
Fare 2023: Fes–Rissani 165 dirham; Meknes–Rissani 150 dirham; Meknes–Erfoud 140 dirham. These are Wikivoyage figures without a stated year, so treat the shape as right and the number as indicative.Seen in 2023: a floor, not a price.

SeasonYear-round; the Middle and High Atlas stretch is scenic and can be snowbound in winter. Bookingbooking.ctm.ma. CTM's marketing site ctm.ma was serving a certificate for an unrelated hosting domain when checked in September 2026 and could not be read. Run byCTM.

share taxi

Shared grand taxis and minibuses from Rissani, Erfoud and Errachidia

Errachidia to Erfoud to Rissani to Merzouga, the N13 chain, with Rissani to Merzouga the 40 km that matters

The Rissani hop is the link almost everyone arriving on CTM ends up using. In Rissani the Merzouga cars have their own stand on the east side of town at 31.28204, -4.26472, mapped as Taxi pour Merzouga and surveyed in November 2024, with a second stop at 31.28083, -4.26482; the general long-distance taxi station is at 31.28384, -4.26962 and the Supratours office at 31.28180, -4.26724. The Merzouga end is the Grand Taxis Rissani stop at 31.09500, -4.01124. Cars and vans leave when the seats sell, and if you arrive before dawn on the Fes bus there may be nothing waiting at all. Further up the chain, Erfoud's grand taxi station for Rissani and Merzouga is at 31.43063, -4.23189, with the Supratours stop at 31.43362, -4.23148 and the gare routière at 31.43316, -4.22993; the Errachidia cars leave from Place des FAR in front of the Erfoud market when seven seats fill. Errachidia is the regional hub and has the only airport in range, ERH Moulay Ali Chérif, about two hours north. Road distances from Erfoud: Rissani 19 km, Merzouga 55 km. Villages near Merzouga such as Hassi Labied, 5 km short, are a separate short hop.

When: Rissani to Merzouga roughly every 30 minutes through the day and nothing dependable before sunrise; Erfoud to Merzouga every 1–2 hours; Erfoud to Errachidia when seven seats fill, roughly 06:00–22:00; CTM runs Ouarzazate to Errachidia once a day and Merzouga to Errachidia every second day
Takes: Rissani to Merzouga 35–45 minutes; Erfoud to Merzouga about 1 hour; Erfoud to Errachidia about 1 hour; Errachidia to Merzouga about 2½ hours
Fare 2019: Rissani–Merzouga 12–15 dirham a seat, about 60 dirham for the whole car, and up to 100 dirham if you turn up between 06:00 and 07:00 off the night bus; about 50 dirham total, not per person, for the 5 km on to Hassi Labied; Erfoud–Merzouga 25 dirham a seat, Erfoud–Rissani about 10, Erfoud–Errachidia 20 (all 2019). Supratours sells the same legs on its evening coach at 40 dirham from Rissani or Erfoud and 80 dirham Merzouga–Errachidia (2026), and Bookaway shows Errachidia–Merzouga buses at US$9–12.Seen in 2019: a floor, not a price.

SeasonYear-round. In July and August the shared cars all but stop around the middle of the day. BookingNone for the shared cars. Pay the driver, and check what the locals are paying. Supratours and the minibus operators sell online or at the counter. Run bygrand taxi and minibus owner-drivers; Supratours, CTM and local operators such as Ait Moumen Transport and Alliance Rana Voyageurs for the scheduled runs.

2 ways

Hired, booked and on demand

offroad 4x4

Auberge 4x4 pickup from Rissani, Erfoud or Errachidia airport

Rissani, Erfoud or Errachidia airport to the auberges at Merzouga, Hassi Labied and Khamlia

Most of the auberges and camps along the western edge of Erg Chebbi will send a vehicle to meet the CTM bus at Rissani, the Supratours coach, or an Errachidia flight; several advertise pickup at Errachidia, Ouarzazate or Marrakech airports. Email or phone the property with your bus number and arrival time and agree the price in writing before you travel. The reason this matters is the standing scam at Rissani and Erfoud: men offering to run you to Merzouga for five dirham each, who instead deposit you at their own auberge 20 km north of the village, where refusing the camel ride and the room makes getting back into town difficult and expensive. Only get into a vehicle if the driver knows the name of the place you booked.

When: On demand, arranged to meet your bus or flight
Takes: Rissani about 40 minutes; Erfoud about 1 hour; Errachidia airport about 2 hours
Fare 2019: No published tariff. Merzouga properties quote on request rather than listing transfer prices, so ask for a figure in dirham by email before you commit. As a reference point, taking a whole grand taxi from Rissani is about 60 dirham and the tourist rate for the 5 km hop to Hassi Labied is about 50 dirham (2019).Seen in 2019: a floor, not a price.

SeasonYear-round. BookingDirect with your accommodation before you leave, by phone or email, quoting your bus arrival time. Run bythe auberges and camps themselves.

offroad 4x4

4x4 desert transfers and dune excursions

Merzouga village into the dunes, to Khamlia, Dayet Srji lake, Taouz and the camps

The 4x4 is the alternative to the camel for reaching a camp, and the only realistic way to cover the wider area – Khamlia and its Gnawa musicians, the Dayet Srji salt lake west of the village, the tracks towards Taouz. Rates are quoted per vehicle, not per seat, so the price only makes sense split between a group; agree the figure and the itinerary before you get in, because the standard circuit includes a stop at a relative's shop. The asphalt reaches Merzouga and Taouz and there is now tarmac to Hassi Labied, but the last one or two kilometres from the road to each hotel is graded track, which is why hotels meet you rather than letting you walk in. Off-road hire is also possible from Erfoud.

When: On demand, all day, though nothing much moves in the middle of a summer day
Takes: A standard dune, village and lake circuit is about 2 hours; camp transfers 20–40 minutes
Fare 2019: About 800 dirham per vehicle for a 2-hour 4WD circuit and from 400 dirham a person for a guided quad tour, both negotiable (2019). Car hire in Erfoud was 400 dirham a week for a Dacia Logan and 1,400 for a Land Cruiser (2019). Packaged multi-day 4x4 desert tours out of Marrakech start around MAD 4,375 for three days (2026).Seen in 2019: a floor, not a price.

SeasonYear-round. Midday in July and August is not the time; the sensible window is October to June. BookingIn the village on the day, or through your accommodation for a camp transfer. Run bylocal 4x4 owner-drivers and the auberges; tour companies for the multi-day runs from Marrakech.

One way

On foot, by bike, or otherwise

camel

Camel caravan into Erg Chebbi to the desert camps

Merzouga, Hassi Labied and Takoujt west edge of the dunes, into Erg Chebbi to the tented camps

For the camps out in the sand this is the actual transport, not a photo opportunity: there is no road, and you either ride a camel, take a 4x4 or walk. Caravans leave from the sand at the back of the auberges on the western edge of the dunes, timed for sunrise or sunset because that is when the temperature allows it and the light is worth having. Most one-night trips end at a cluster of pre-pitched camps at the foot of the big dunes where several operators share the ground; a few operators keep their own camp further out, which is quieter and costs more. Confirm before you agree what is included – meals, water, tents, showers on return – and book with the company directly rather than through a tout or your hotel's cousin. Erg Chebbi runs about 30 km north to south and 5–10 km across, and the Grand Dune is at 31.07766, -3.99029.

When: Daily, departing late afternoon for the overnight camps and before dawn for sunrise rides
Takes: 1–2 hours each way to the nearer camps; longer routes run to a second night with a Berber family beyond the dunes
Fare 2019: Highly negotiable and not published. Wikivoyage advises opening at 25% below the quote and walking away. Half-board at village auberges runs about €17–50 a person, and a night in the desert was quoted at 350 dirham per person half-board (2019), which is the only camp figure found with a number attached.Seen in 2019: a floor, not a price.

SeasonAutumn to spring. October to April has the clearest skies and no sandstorms; July and August are too hot to ride outside the first and last hours of daylight, and desert nights from November to February are cold. BookingArrange the day before with a company in the village, or through the camp you have booked. Run bythe auberges and camel-trek companies in Merzouga, Hassi Labied and Khamlia.

Not confirmed

What we could not find out

7 things the researcher looked for and did not find, in their own words, with where to ask instead. None of this goes into the planner; it stays here until someone confirms it.

01
Correction to the brief: there is no CTM night bus to Merzouga. CTM's southern terminus on this corridor is Rissani, with a stop at Erfoud, and the last 40 km is always a grand taxi, minibus or hotel 4x4. Only Supratours reaches Merzouga village.
02
Correction on Marrakech: the Marrakech to Merzouga daytime Supratours coach is well attested by Bookaway and by Wikivoyage, but the operator's own availability API returned nothing for Marrakech to Merzouga, Marrakech to Rissani, Marrakech to Erfoud or Marrakech to Ouarzazate on any date tested in September 2026, while Fes to Merzouga sold normally. Either those seats are not sold online or the southern route was suspended. Confirm at the Marrakech Supratours counter before planning around it.
03
No current dirham price was found for a camel trek or an overnight desert camp. Every Merzouga auberge, camp and trek company checked – Auberge Sahara, Kanz Erremal, Nomad Palace, Sunrise Palace, Riad Madu, Merzouga Desert, Merzouga Camel Trek, Desert Luxury Camp – publishes photographs and a phone number and no tariff. The figures here are 2019 Wikivoyage numbers and should be treated as a shape, not a quote. Ask two or three companies in the village by WhatsApp before arriving.
04
The Rissani to Merzouga shared taxi fare of 12–15 dirham dates from 2019. The stand itself was resurveyed in OpenStreetMap in November 2024, so the service is current, but the fare is almost certainly higher now. The one 2026 number available is the Supratours coach leg at 40 dirham.
05
CTM's own site could not be read: ctm.ma answers with a TLS certificate for an unrelated hosting domain. The CTM fares above come from Wikivoyage and carry no stated survey year. booking.ctm.ma loads and is the place to check live prices.
06
Nothing was found on how the Erg Chebbi camps and treks actually operate in July and August – whether they suspend midday departures, close entirely, or simply shift to night running. The sources agree the heat is the constraint but none states an operating rule.
07
No source was found giving a per-vehicle rate for a straight 4x4 transfer between Merzouga village and a named camp, as opposed to the 2-hour sightseeing circuit.

In the planner

What the planner can route today

The options above live on the place page, not in the departure board: a boat that comes when you phone has no time to show. What the board can do for Merzouga is this.

N: Scheduled flightsnearest airport OZG is 200 km away
Y: Trains and coachesTransitous carries 1 timetable feed for this country, 0 with real-time
N: Ferriesno crossing within 25 km
Y: Driving and taxiOpenStreetMap roads; cab fare from the country band
N: Bike and scooter shareno share feed known
N: Cruisesno open itinerary source anywhere

Y routable now · F found, not yet implemented · N no source known. Nearest place with more: Errachidia, 101 km.