Spend more than a couple of days in Marrakesh, and sooner or later someone will ask you the magic question: “Desert tour, my friend?” 😄

The riad owner, the guy at the spice stall, the taxi driver… everybody seems to have a cousin with a camp! 

The thing that confuses most people though, is that in Marrakesh what they call “the desert” can mean two completely different trips:

• the Desert of Agafay, a stone desert about 40 minutes from the medina;

OR

• the Sahara desert near Merzouga, the real Sahara dunes, on the other side of the Atlas Mountains, around 560 km away!

Same “desert” word, but two different worlds and experiences:)  

So in this article we thought of putting the two deserts side by side, to help you pick the right one for your time, your budget and the kind of memories you want to bring home ;))

Let’s dive right in! 😀

In this article:

• Agafay vs Merzouga at a glance
• Agafay: the stone desert right next to Marrakesh
• Merzouga: the real Sahara
• Which one is right for you?
• When to go (and when to avoid)
• Frequently asked questions

Agafay vs Merzouga:

at a Glance!

Before going into details, here is the quick comparison that you can screenshot, and keep with you as it might come in handy while you plan!😉) :

In short: Agafay is an evening out, Merzouga is a journey! :))

Agafay: the Stone Desert

Right Next to Marrakesh

The first thing to know is that Agafay is not a sand desert!

The Agafay is a stone desert which geologists call “hamada”: a plateau of hard ground, pebbles and pale rock, where the wind swept away almost all the sand a long time ago…

If you’re picturing golden dunes and footprints, you might be a bit disappointed.

With the right expectations, though, the place is beautiful: soft lunar hills that change colour through the day, the Lalla Takerkoust lake nearby, and in winter the snowy peaks of the High Atlas on the horizon.

Its real advantage is the close proximity to Marrakesh: you can leave the medina after lunch and be back in your riad before midnight:)

In between, a classic Agafay afternoon looks like this:

• Quad or buggy ride (the firm ground is perfect for it);
• Short camel ride at sunset (more for photo than adventure, let’s be honest ;));
• Dinner and Berber music in a tent camp;
• Stargazing, with a sky much darker than the one you see from the city!

If you’d rather sleep there, the area is full of camps, from simple Berber tents to proper glamping with private bathrooms, hot showers and, in some cases, even pools.

Quick Tip: Book the sunset slot, not the morning one. From late spring to early autumn the plateau gets very hot by midday, while at golden hour the rocks turn pink and copper and the temperature finally drops.

We’ve written quite a lot about this place: if you’re curious, here are the 7 secrets of the Agafay Desert and 5 awesome experiences to try in the Agafay Desert 🙂

Merzouga: the Real Sahara

The Dunes of Erg Chebbi

Merzouga is a small village in south-eastern Morocco, close to the Algerian border, right at the foot of Erg Chebbi: a sea of sand dunes about 22 km long and 5 km wide, with peaks reaching around 150 meters.

This is the Sahara of postcards: orange sand changing tone every hour, camel caravans against the sunset, and a silence so deep you can hear the wind moving the sand.

The classic experience goes more or less like this:

• you arrive in Merzouga in the afternoon and leave your big luggage in the van;
• you ride a camel for about 1.5 to 2 hours into the dunes to reach the camp;
• dinner, drums around the fire and a sky full of stars;
• an early wake-up to watch the sunrise from the top of a dune;
• back on the camel, then breakfast and a shower in the village.

If you have a few spare hours, visit Khamlia too, a small village about 7 km south of Merzouga, where the Gnawa community (whose ancestors came from sub-Saharan Africa) still plays its hypnotic music for visitors 🙂

The catch? The distance to get here, of course! 😅

Merzouga is about 560 km from Marrakesh, which means 8 to 9 hours of pure driving across the Atlas, stops not included.

A day trip is simply impossible, and doing it in 2 days would mean living inside a van.

That’s why from Marrakesh the trip usually takes 3 or 4 days, and the road becomes part of the experience:

• the Tizi n’Tichka pass at 2,260 m,
• the kasbah of Aït Benhaddou (a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, and one of the sets of Gladiator),
• and the Dades and Todra gorges.

So, 3 or 4 days? Here’s the difference most people only discover after booking:

• A 3 days Marrakech tour to Merzouga desert is the fastest way to do it (considering having proper time to enjoy it!). You sleep in the Dades valley, then in the desert camp, and on the third day you drive all the way back to Marrakesh through the Draa Valley and the Tichka pass. On the way out, it also stops at the abandoned Glaoui kasbah of Telouet. Just know that the last day is a long one: after the sunrise and the camel ride back, you have around 570 km of road ahead of you!

• A 4 days Marrakech to Merzouga tour has the same desert night, but the extra day splits the return in two, with a night in Ouarzazate. On the way out you also pass through the Skoura oasis and the Valley of Roses. More relaxed, and much better if you get carsick or travel with kids.

Quick Tip: Before leaving Marrakesh, pack a small overnight bag. Your suitcase normally stays in the van, and on the camel you’ll only want what you need for one night: a warm layer, a power bank, a head torch and a scarf to protect your face from the sand.

Which One Is

Right for You?

Still undecided? Here are a few quick scenarios 🙂

• You have 2-3 days in Marrakesh: Agafay. (Merzouga would eat your entire trip)

• You have a week or more in Morocco: Merzouga, no doubt. It’s one of those places you remember for the rest of your life, and the road there is half the fun.

• You’re traveling with small kids: Agafay is the easy choice. If you want to try Merzouga anyway, go for the 4-day option and its shorter driving days.

• You want THE Sahara photo: only Merzouga. Agafay has no real dunes, and no filter will fix that ahah 😅

• You’re in Morocco in July or August: Agafay at sunset is the safest bet. Merzouga is possible, but daytime temperatures easily climb past 40°C.

• You’re on a tight budget: Agafay costs less overall, but keep in mind that a Merzouga tour usually covers transport, guide and most meals for 3-4 days.

• You really can’t decide: do both! A sunset in Agafay on your first evening is a nice warm-up before leaving for the Sahara 😉

When to Go

(and When to Avoid)

Both deserts follow more or less the same seasons, with Merzouga always a bit more extreme:

• Spring (March-May): warm days and cool nights. Careful though: late March and April are the windiest weeks in Merzouga, and sandstorms are more likely.

• Summer (June-August): very hot. In Merzouga daytime temperatures can go beyond 40-45°C, and camel rides only happen at dawn and sunset. Agafay is hot too, but you’ll only be there in the evening.

• Autumn (September-November): September is still hot, while October and November are probably the sweet spot, with stable days and pleasant nights.

• Winter (December-February): sunny, mild days (around 20°C in Merzouga), but desert nights can drop close to 0°C, in Agafay too. Camps give you heavy blankets, but pack a real warm layer. Also, the Tichka pass can occasionally close because of snow.

Frequently Asked

Questions

Final Thoughts:

Which Desert Will You Choose?

And here we come at the end of this article! 🙂

Today we compared the two most popular deserts you can reach from Marrakesh: Agafay, the stone desert 40 minutes away, and Merzouga, the Sahara of postcards, which asks for 3-4 days but gives you the dunes you’ve been dreaming of.

Before going, I want to ask you:

• Which one would you choose?
• Have you already been to Agafay or Merzouga?
• If you’ve been to both, which one did you prefer?

Let us know in the comments below! 😀

Here are a few more articles you might like:

• 10 Fun Facts About the Atlas Mountains That Will Surprise You
• In & Around Marrakesh: 7 Fun Facts That Will Surprise You!
• 10 Curiosities about Fes (Morocco) That Will Surprise You
• Namibia Travel Guide (if dunes are your thing, Sossusvlei is another world! 😉)

Thank you for reading, and see you in the next article! 🙂