Getting from Marrakech to Merzouga is the part of a Sahara trip that surprised us most, and it isn’t the part the photos show. In November 2018, Kevin and I made the trip as part of a travel conference’s included excursion: a tall van, a driver, a guide and about ten of us, on a day that was far longer than any of us expected. That is the only version of this journey I’ve done, so I’ll be clear about which parts are ours and which come from official and operator sources.
This guide compares the ways to make the trip (guided tour, private driver, bus, self-drive and flying) and tells you what our long van ride was really like. It’s about getting there, not about the camp itself. For that, and for a full route, I’ll point you to the posts where I’ve written them up.
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The short answer
Here is how I’d sort the options. This part is my reading of the facts below, not a rule:
- Book a guided tour if you want the least planning and don’t mind sharing a vehicle and a schedule. It’s the version we did.
- Hire a private driver or a 4×4 with a driver if you want control over departure time, stops and pace. The desert camp we stayed at says most of its guests arrive this way, and its getting-there page is the source for several points below.
- Take the bus if you’re on a budget and flexible. Supratours, the coach service of Morocco’s national railway, lists Merzouga as a station, but you’ll need to plan the last leg to your camp yourself.
- Drive yourself only if you’re comfortable with mountain roads and want the independence. Even the camp says the final desert stretch is best left to a 4×4 with a driver.
- Fly if time matters more than anything. The nearest commercial airport is still a couple of hours from the dunes.
Whichever you choose, plan on the drive taking a full day. That was the biggest lesson from our trip.
How this guide is put together: “we” and “I” describe our November 2018 trip, when we traveled to Marrakech for a conference and joined the excursion to a Merzouga desert camp. The other options are researched, not experienced. I haven’t taken the bus, hired a private driver, driven it myself or flown in. Facts come from the camp’s own getting-there page, UNESCO, the UK government’s Morocco travel advice and the Supratours site, and I say so where it matters. Timetables, prices and flight schedules change, so I’ve left them out and told you where to check.
The five ways to get from Marrakech to Merzouga
| Option and best for | What to know | Did we? |
|---|---|---|
| Guided tour Least planning |
Vehicle, stops, nights and camp are decided for you. Check exactly what is included. | Yes, a group excursion by van |
| Private driver or 4×4 with driver Control over timing and stops |
The camp says most guests arrive by 4×4 with a driver and suggests leaving Marrakech early. | No |
| Supratours bus Budget, flexible schedules |
Merzouga is a listed station on the Supratours site. Check the timetable and journey time, and plan the transfer to your camp. | No |
| Self-drive Independence, experienced drivers |
Licence, permit and insurance rules apply, night and mountain driving are the risks, and the desert stretch needs a 4×4 with a driver. | No |
| Flight Short on time |
Nearest commercial airport is Errachidia, about two hours from the camp. Flights are limited, so check the current schedule. | No |
There is no train to Merzouga. Morocco’s national railway, ONCF, runs its own coach service, Supratours, which serves destinations beyond the rail network.
What our drive was really like
The excursion came with the ticket to the travel conference we were attending, so we didn’t book the transport ourselves. We were about ten people, most of us bloggers and creators from the conference, in a tall high-top van with a driver and a guide. It wasn’t a coach. It was a van you could stand up in, and it had more seats than people.
I had read the tour description and expected a six to eight hour ride. It took around twelve to thirteen hours, as I remember it, and none of us saw that coming. I think I misread the description, and I don’t think I was the only one. We stopped for lunch, snacks and bathroom breaks, so the day was broken up, but it was still very long.
The road was the other surprise. You don’t think of mountains when you think of Morocco, but we drove up through the Atlas Mountains on windy roads and through small towns, and the scenery was worth the trip on its own.
The last stretch, by 4×4
The van couldn’t take us all the way. For the final leg across the desert we switched to 4x4s, because there aren’t roads to the camp. We arrived after dark, so we didn’t see the dunes until the next morning. That’s worth knowing if you’re picturing an arrival at sunset; ours was dinner in the mess tent soon after we arrived. The camp’s own getting-there page says you’ll want to reach it near sunset if you can, which tells you how much the start time matters.
The way back
We stayed two nights, which meant two long days on the road for one whole day in the desert. On the way out of the desert we left before sunrise. We stopped at Aït Benhaddou, a ksar (a group of earthen buildings inside high walls) that UNESCO added to its World Heritage List in 1987, somewhere around the halfway point as I remember it. We walked up through it and thought it was beautiful. It was raining on the way back, and in a tall van on mountain roads that was a little frightening.
What to check before you book a tour
These questions come from what surprised us, and from the camp’s own advice. They’re my checklist, not an official one:
- How long is the drive, really? Ask for the realistic door-to-door time, including stops. The camp says the drive is about nine hours; our day was longer.
- One day or two? The camp’s ideal itinerary is a night at a kasbah on the way, if you have the time. Some tours split the drive that way and some, like ours, do it in one go.
- What vehicle? A tall van, a minibus and a 4×4 feel very different on mountain roads.
- Where do you get picked up? Cars can’t get into the lanes of the medina, so find out where the meeting point is.
- How do you reach the camp? Ask whether the 4×4 leg is included, and what time you’re expected to arrive.
- How many nights? With two nights you spend two days driving for one full day in the desert. That ratio is worth thinking about.
Affiliate note: this is an affiliate link. If you book through it, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. If you’d like to compare what’s included, you can browse Marrakech to Merzouga desert tours on GetYourGuide. Check the vehicle, the number of nights and what’s included before you pick one.
If you’d rather take the bus, hire a driver or drive
By bus
Supratours is the coach service of ONCF, Morocco’s national railway, and its booking site lists Merzouga among its stations. I haven’t taken this bus, so I can’t tell you what the ride is like. Look up the current timetable and journey time on the Supratours site, buy from an official counter or site, and plan how you’ll get from the station to your camp, since camps are out in the dunes.
With a private driver
The camp we stayed at says most guests take a 4×4 with a driver, partly because it’s more relaxing and partly because the camp is hard to find and the desert driving is technical. Its page also suggests leaving Marrakech early, around 6:00 if you’re going straight there. A driver also lets you decide when to stop, which is the main advantage over a set tour.
Driving yourself
We didn’t drive in Morocco, so this comes from official advice. The UK government says you need the 1968 version of the international driving permit alongside your licence, that Morocco no longer accepts the 1949 version, and that you must carry proof of the minimum insurance. It also warns that poor lighting makes night driving dangerous and that mountain roads can be especially hazardous in poor weather. Check what applies to your own licence before you go, and don’t plan to arrive after dark. The camp says you can drive as far as Erfoud and rent a 4×4 with a driver from there, and that a self-drive to the camp itself needs a guide from Erfoud or Merzouga.
By plane
The camp says the nearest commercial airport is Errachidia, about two hours from the camp, with a further option through Ouarzazate, about five hours away. It lists the flight frequencies as of its own page, which is exactly the kind of detail that changes, so check the airline for the current schedule. Flying saves the long haul but not the last stretch.
Where to stay in Marrakech before an early start
An early departure is easier from a hotel you don’t have to hunt for. We stayed at a hotel outside the medina at first and then in a riad inside it, which was lovely but hard to find, because the medina’s lanes are for walking. If you have an early pickup, ask exactly where it is.
Affiliate note: this is an affiliate link. If you book through it, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can compare hotels in Marrakech.
Where this fits with the rest of our Morocco posts
This guide covers the journey only. For what the camp itself is like, with the tents, the food and the day in the dunes, read my review of the Merzouga desert camp. For a full route with days before and after, see my 7-day Morocco itinerary, and for planning basics such as entry, money and safety, my Morocco travel guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a train from Marrakech to Merzouga?
No. Morocco’s national railway doesn’t run to Merzouga. Its coach service, Supratours, lists a Merzouga station, so the choices are road or air.
How long does it take to get from Marrakech to Merzouga?
The camp we stayed at says about nine hours of driving. Our group’s day took around twelve to thirteen hours with lunch and other stops, so plan on a full day either way.
Do I need a 4×4?
For the final stretch across the desert to a camp, yes, and a driver who knows the way. We switched from our van to 4x4s for that leg, and the camp says its own drive is technical.
Should I break the drive with a night on the way?
The camp’s own suggestion is a night at a kasbah on the way if you have the time. We did the drive in one day each way, and it was long. If you have the time, splitting it is worth considering.
Can I drive myself?
You can, with the right licence, permit and insurance, but the UK government warns about night driving and mountain roads in poor weather, and the camp recommends a 4×4 with a driver for the desert leg. We didn’t drive ourselves.
What time should I leave Marrakech?
The camp suggests about 6:00 if you’re going straight there, so you arrive around sunset rather than after dark as we did.
Final thoughts
I still recommend the Moroccan Sahara if you have a few extra days, and I loved the camp. But the length of the drive was a surprise to all of us, and that’s the reason I wrote this guide. Whichever way you go, give the journey a full day, start early and don’t plan to arrive after dark. If you want the trip to feel less like an endurance test, consider splitting it.
Read next: My Experience Glamping at a Morocco Desert Camp and Morocco Itinerary: A 7-Day Route from Marrakech to the Sahara.
Affiliate note: this is an affiliate link. If you sign up through it, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Long road days are part of this trip, so get travel insurance for your Morocco trip with SafetyWing before you go.
