How to Get from Marrakech to Merzouga: Distance, Bus, Car and Flights

Every Way Compared

The table compares time and cost for each way. Bus, train and flight figures come from Rome2rio and the Travelling Weasels budget guide, tour prices from the catalog on this site.

Which One Fits You

Short on days: the 2-day trip covers the road in one push. Want the stops without very long days: a 3-day tour with a first night in the Dades Valley. Travelling cheaply and alone: the Supratours bus, then a budget camp.

Confident behind the wheel: a rental car gives the most freedom on the 2,260 m Tizi n'Tichka pass.

The Road in Legs

Rome2rio gives 333.8 miles and about 9h 27m for the full drive. The Moroccan National Tourist Office splits its Desert Break route into legs. Ouarzazate to Zagora to Tinghir runs 193.7 km and 3 h 47 min. The Errachidia, Midelt and Merzouga leg runs 303.0 km and 4 h 20 min, with a desert camp night and a visit to Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou on the way.

The climb out of Marrakech crosses the Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 m, the highest road pass in Morocco. Take motion sickness tablets before the bends.

What Waits at the End

Erg Chebbi rises up to 150 m above the flat stony hamada and runs about 28 km north to south and 5-7 km east to west. Moroccan tourist board material puts Morocco's biggest dunes, up to 160 metres high, near Merzouga.

Supratours

Supratours is the coach arm of ONCF, the national rail company, and runs buses to towns the train does not serve, including the South from Marrakech. The Travelling Weasels budget guide prices the Supratours seat at about $25-30 (250-300 MAD), with one departure a day and about 12 hours on board including stops.

CTM and the Meknes Routing

Rome2rio names CTM as operator and routes the cheapest connection via Meknes at $35-$55 and 16h 1m. On arrival you still need a transfer or a camel ride from the village to a camp in the dunes.

Why Rail Does Not Help

ONCF says Supratours coaches exist to reach towns the train does not serve, and Merzouga is one of them. Rome2rio's train and bus combination costs $35-$70 and takes 15h 29m, which is slower than the direct coach and far slower than the 9h 27m drive.

Papers and Rules

UK drivers need the 1968 international driving permit and a green card from their insurer. Morocco no longer accepts the 1949 permit. After any accident both drivers must sign a constat amiable report, so keep a blank form in the glove box.

Road Risks on the Way

The UK Foreign Office warns that poor lighting makes night driving dangerous and that mountain roads can be hazardous in bad weather. Flash flooding near rivers and in the mountains is a winter risk. Cross the 2,260 m Tizi n'Tichka in daylight and split the 9h 27m over two days.

The ambulance number is 150.

Fly and Bus

Rome2rio prices its fly-and-bus combination at $40-$310 and 6h 23m door to door. For a private transfer by car and driver no public price is published, so ask for a written quote. The private desert tour from Marrakech to Merzouga gives you a car and driver for the full 3 days, with the route stops included.

Tour Prices Side by Side

The table lists the per-person catalog prices of the tours on this site that drive from Marrakech to Merzouga. Prices are the lowest option on each listing, usually the shared standard camp.

The Route Day by Day

Pickup is often around 7:00 a.m. Day one crosses the Tizi n'Tichka at 2,260 m and stops at Ait Ben Haddou, the UNESCO-listed earthen ksar. A local guide there can cost as little as €2, per Kati's Travelling. The night is in the Dades Valley.

Day two runs through Todra Gorge and Tinghir to Merzouga, with the camel ride into camp at sunset. A Tripadvisor listing puts the desert drive at about eight hours. Kati's Travelling booked a 3-day tour for under £100 per person with most meals.

Standard, Luxury or Budget

Kati's Travelling found a proper bed at the standard camp, but shared washrooms and cold water for showers. If a hot shower matters, book the 3 day luxury Sahara tour from Marrakech with a private-bathroom tent at $148.26. Sahara Desert Luxury Camp sells luxury and traditional tents in the Erg Chebbi dunes, with dinner and breakfast included.

Arriving by bus or car, the Travelling Weasels budget guide puts guesthouses at $10-30 a night and budget camps at $25-50 a night with dinner and breakfast.

What to Do Once There

Visit Morocco lists camel rides and sand skiing on Erg Chebbi, with quad and 4x4 rides at Erg Moulay Omar or Erg Znigui. Bring your own headscarf, since buying one there costs more.

Nights and Seasons

The 2-day trip and the 3-day tours give you one desert night. The 4 day desert tour from Marrakech with 2 nights in the desert at $235.56 adds a second. The Travelling Weasels budget guide picks March to May and September to November as the best months and advises skipping July and August for the heat.

Pack a warm layer for the cold desert night.