How much it costs to sleep in the Merzouga desert
Between the simplest camp and a tent with a private bathroom there is a wide price gap, and an even wider gap in what you actually get.
What sleeping in the Merzouga desert actually means
Before looking at prices it helps to know what you are buying, because the same phrase covers very different things.
Sleeping in the Merzouga desert means spending the night in a tent pitched on the sand, among the dunes, far enough from the road that the last stretch can only be done by 4x4. There is no village around, no street lights, no traffic. You arrive in the afternoon, head out towards the dunes before the sun drops, have dinner at the camp and sleep there. In the morning, almost everyone climbs a dune to watch the sun come up.
None of that changes from camp to camp. What changes is whether the bathroom is inside your tent or you cross the camp at three in the morning, whether there is hot water, whether there is heating in January, and whether you sleep among ten tents or among fifty. That is where the price difference sits, and it is why comparing the number alone tells you nothing.
If you are still deciding between a hotel and a camp, start with where to stay in the Merzouga desert.
Three levels of camp
Merzouga has broadly three kinds of camp. The basic one: simple tent, shared bathrooms, dinner and breakfast. Usually €30 to €40 per person per night, and it is what gets sold inside the organised tours from Marrakech.
The middle one: your own tent, private bathroom, a good dinner. Between €80 and €150 per tent, depending on season and agency.
The high end: spacious tents, private bathroom with hot water, climate control and proper service. Prices in this area run from €100 to €470 per tent per night.
What really changes between levels, and when basic is enough, is in standard or luxury desert camp.
Where to stay: not all of the desert is the same
There are three different places to spend the night around Merzouga, and both the price and the experience change a good deal between them:
- In the village, at an aubergeA hotel room in Merzouga or Hassi Labied, with the dunes in view but without sleeping in them. It is the cheapest and the easiest option if you are travelling with very young children or arriving very late.
- On the Erg Chebbi stripWhere most camps are concentrated, one next to the other. It is the big sea of dunes and the access is short, but at night you hear the neighbouring camps and see their lights.
- Away from that stripCamps set apart, like ours at Erg Znaigui. It takes slightly longer to reach and there is nothing around it. This is the option for people who came for the silence and the sky, not only for the photograph of the dune.
Why comparing prices is hard
The problem is not the number, it is what sits behind it. Some publish the price per person and others per tent, and the difference is enormous: €200 for a double tent is €100 each, not €200 each.
Then there is what the price covers. Many camps charge separately for the 4x4 transfer, the camel ride or sandboarding, and what looked cheap stops being cheap.
Our rates, so you can compare
Price per tent per night, with dinner, breakfast, the sunset camel ride, Berber music, sandboarding, climate control and the 4x4 transfer both ways included.
| Tent | Sleeps | Price per night | Per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | 1 person | €100 | €100 |
| Double / Twin | 2 people | €200 | €100 |
| Triple | 3 people | €285 | €95 |
| Quadruple | 4 people | €360 | €90 |
| Family | 5 people | €425 | €85 |
No extra-night supplement and no single supplement.
Questions worth asking before you book
Wherever you end up booking, ask these:
- Is the price per person or per tent?
- Does the tent have a private bathroom, or are they shared?
- Is there hot water? Heating or air conditioning?
- Is the transfer to the camp included, both ways?
- Is the camel ride part of the price or charged separately?
- How many tents does the camp have? Sleeping among 10 is not the same as among 60.
One night or two: how the maths changes
Most people book a single night, and it works: it covers the sunset camel ride, dinner, the fire and the sunrise. That is the full arc of the experience.
Two nights change the trip, not the experience. On the middle day you do not have to drive, so there is room for a 4x4 excursion, a quad ride, or doing nothing at all. And you see two sunrises, which are never the same.
In money terms, the second night is charged at the same rate as the first: no supplement and no discount. What really changes is that you save yourself a whole day on the road, particularly if you are coming from Marrakech.
Organised tours: watch the cheap ones
Three-day tours from Marrakech sell from €85 to €100 per person, transport included. That is a good price, but it covers two days in a minibus and one night at a camp you do not choose. If the desert night is what you came for, it works out better to book it directly and arrange the transport separately.
Questions about prices and accommodation
How much does one night in the Merzouga desert cost?
It depends a great deal on the type of camp. Basic ones, with shared bathrooms, run around €30 to €40 per person. Mid-range ones, with a private bathroom, between €80 and €150 per tent. Luxury ones in the area go from €100 to €470 per tent per night. Our tents run from €100 to €425 per tent per night, with half board and the transfer included.
Is the price per person or per tent?
It is the most important question and the one that causes most confusion. Some publish per person and others per tent. We charge per tent: a double is €200 for two, which is €100 each, not €200 a head.
What usually falls outside the price?
At many camps the 4x4 transfer to the camp, the camel ride and sandboarding are charged separately, and that is where the cheap option stops being cheap. At ours, all three are included.
Is it cheaper to book a tour from Marrakech?
It looks that way, because they sell from €85 or €100 per person with transport. But that figure includes two days in a minibus and a night at a camp you do not choose. If what you want is the night in the desert, booking it directly works out better.
Do I have to pay in advance?
Write to us with your dates and we will confirm availability. We then explain the payment methods and the cancellation terms.
Is it more expensive in high season?
Our rate is the same all year. What changes is availability: there are only ten tents, and in spring and autumn they fill up well in advance.
Is a luxury camp worth paying more for?
It depends on the season and who you travel with. In spring and autumn a simple camp is fine; in winter and summer, climate control and a private bathroom change the night. We compare them point by point in the guide «Standard or luxury desert camp».
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Keep reading
- Luxury desert camp in Merzouga: private tents in the Moroccan Sahara Tassili Luxury Desert Camp is a luxury desert camp in Merzouga, Morocco. Discover a quieter side of the Sahara, set away from the busy camp areas near Merzouga.
- Merzouga guide The questions we get on WhatsApp every week, answered properly. Written by people who live here, not copied from another website.
- Luxury tents in the Merzouga desert Ten private tents in our luxury tented camp in Morocco, from €100 to €425 a night depending on occupancy. All with their own bathroom, a hot shower and air conditioning and heating.
- Book your stay at the camp From €100 per tent per night. WhatsApp is the fastest way: you write, we reply, it is done. If you would rather take your time, use the form.