Glamping Under the Stars in the Sahara Desert, Morocco

Kam Kam Dunes near Merzouga are waiting to show you warm hospitality – and a night under the stars to remember
Kam Kam Dunes near Merzouga are waiting to show you warm hospitality – and a night under the stars to remember | Courtesy of Kam Kam Dunes / Expedia
Julia Hammond

Sleep amid the sand dunes under the Milky Way in Merzouga. A luxury desert camp awaits on your next trip to Morocco, primed for stargazing and Saharan camel rides. And you can book your stay with Culture Trip.

Why not join TRIPS by Culture Trip’s epic 13-day small-group adventure – and embark on a journey that takes you from ancient cities to the Sahara, and from Casablanca to Marrakech.

Glamping in the Sahara Desert is one of those once-in-a-lifetime adventures. While temperatures soar to 40C during the day, at night the mercury drops, revealing clear night skies. The world’s largest desert is equivalent in size to the United States, but a world away from the city lights. Out here, you can expect an unobstructed view of the Milky Way and beyond.

The good news is you don’t need to trek for days to reach this desert idyll. The well-connected town of Merzouga is the gateway to Erg Chebbi, home to some of the largest and most impressive sand dunes in Morocco. Local legend has it that God sent them to cover fertile land as a punishment when a tired traveller was denied hospitality, but it’s hard to see anything other than beauty.

Kam Kam Dunes tents in the desert at Merzouga

Camping out under the stars gives travellers the chance to understand how local Berbers live. These native tribes traditionally lived in desert tents. Kam Kam Dunes provides just that – with a hint of luxury. Located 10km outside of Merzouga, these large tents are made from camel leather and are equipped with hot water showers, private WC and comfortable beds. Electricity is provided by solar power. It’s a true escape from the raucous streets of Fes and Marrakech.

It’s camping but not as you know it

But the real charm of this stylish tented camp lies in its hospitality. After a dinner of Moroccan tagine, colourful cushions heaped on hand-woven Berber rugs will tempt you to lounge and chat over a glass of mint tea. Evenings are spent around the campfire, where local musicians provide an authentic soundtrack – dancing is very much encouraged.

Enjoy a mint tea on the diwan

Things to do in Merzouga

You can’t visit the Sahara without taking a camel ride through the terracotta dunes. In the past, dromedaries were used to carry salt, cotton and gold across the desert. Today, you can follow in their footsteps with camel treks typically lasting an hour or two.

You won’t want to miss a camel ride

If you’re keen to pick up the pace, book a 4×4 tour of the desert. Specialist all-terrain vehicles depart Merzouga to tear up and down the dunes with a competent local driver at the wheel. It’s a bumpy but exhilarating ride. Alternatively, try a sandboarding lesson – rather like snowboarding, but you ride down the 150m-high (450ft) Erg Chebbi dunes. It takes some effort to climb to the top, but strapping on a board and carving an elegant arc as you descend at speed is great fun.

Sandboarding looks fun

After dark, the clear skies of the Sahara desert attract stargazers. Far from light pollution, it’s common to see planets such as Saturn and Jupiter or the Milky Way. You might see a meteor or a passing satellite. Tour companies provide telescopes and knowledgeable guides to help you interpret what you are seeing. Alternatively, download an app like Sky Map, a handheld planetarium for your phone.

There’s hardly any light pollution in the desert, so prepare to have your senses assaulted by the naturally bright night sky

Best time to visit Merzouga

Many travellers prefer spring and autumn – strenuous activities are more comfortable outside the extreme heat of summer. Spring brings sporadic sandstorms, though operators are well-equipped to deal with them. Warm summer nights might seem ideal but the reality is it’s just too hot. In fact, many operators shut down in July and August altogether. In winter, the lack of cloud cover in the desert means any daytime heat is soon lost after dusk. If you can cope with the chill, these trips can be pretty special.

Dining in the desert

Getting to Merzouga

The fastest way to travel to Merzouga is by private car – it’s about 7 hours from Fes and around 9 hours from Marrakech. However it’s cheaper to travel by bus. Supratours, affiliated to national rail operator ONCF, offers a direct overnight bus service from Fes to Merzouga. It arrives before 8am and the journey time is about 11 hours. Alternatively, daytime and overnight CTM buses from Fes travel to Rissani. Journey time is approximately 9-10 hours. From Rissani, you’ll need a shared or private taxi transfer (45 minutes). Getting to Merzouga from Marrakech requires a change of bus in either Fes or Meknes.

Before your epic trip into the desert, make sure you read our essential guide to camping in the Sahara.

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Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

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