Camel Trekking in Merzouga: What Actually Happens on a Desert Camp Night

Late afternoon: the ride out

Camel treks into the Erg Chebbi dunes almost always leave in the late afternoon, timed deliberately so the ride to camp coincides with sunset rather than arriving in the dark or the midday heat. It's roughly an hour on the back of a dromedary — the one-humped camel used throughout North Africa — riding single file, led by a guide on foot who knows the dune line by memory. It's steadier and less physically demanding than it looks from the ground, though your legs and lower back will feel it the next day if you're not used to riding.

Arrival at camp

Desert camps range from simple shared Berber tents to more comfortable private setups with real beds and en-suite tents, depending on which tour you've booked. Either way, expect a communal dinner cooked over an open fire, often with live drumming around it afterward, and properly dark skies once the sun's fully down — Merzouga sits far enough from any real light pollution that the Milky Way is visible to the naked eye on a clear night.

Overnight

It gets cold fast once the sun sets, faster than most people expect from a desert — see our packing guide for what to bring. Camps typically provide blankets, but layering your own clothing underneath rather than relying on the blanket alone makes a real difference to how well you actually sleep.

Sunrise, and the trip out

Most itineraries have you up well before dawn to climb the dunes directly above camp and watch the sunrise from the top — worth the early alarm entirely on its own, and one of the few moments on a trip like this that's genuinely quiet. Some routes include a second night and a 4x4 excursion the following day, like our 4-day Marrakech desert tour with its added off-road day and nomad family visit, rather than heading straight back after just one night in camp.