Merzouga vs M'hamid - which is better?
This guide compares Merzouga and M’hamid - Morocco’s two main gateways to the Sahara. Both offer desert experiences, but each has a distinct character. Here we explore what sets them apart and why many travellers seeking silence, space and authenticity choose to begin their journey in M’hamid.
Two paths into the Sahara
Most people searching for a desert experience in Morocco end up in Merzouga. It’s the name that appears on travel blogs, tour packages and Instagram posts, and it’s the place most travellers hear about first.
But there’s another gateway to the Sahara – quieter, wilder and far more authentic – and that’s M’hamid El Ghizlane. If you’re trying to decide between the two, it helps to understand what makes each place what it is.
Why is Merzouga more popular?
Merzouga’s popularity is driven by convenience and visibility. It sits on a paved road with hotels right at the edge of the dunes, and it has been marketed heavily for years. You can reach Merzouga from Marrakech or Fes in a single long day, which makes it easy for big tour companies to package and sell.
Over time, Merzouga has grown into a hub for mass tourism. Large camps line the dunes, quad bikes and dune buggies buzz across the sand, and long camel caravans move in steady lines towards sunset viewpoints. It’s a version of the desert designed to be accessible and familiar – a place where you can have a desert experience without ever being too far from a hotel, a generator or a crowd.
None of this makes Merzouga a bad choice. It simply means it offers a particular kind of desert: convenient, commercial and predictable.
Why choose M'hamid?
M’hamid is the opposite of Merzouga in all the right ways. It’s the place where the road ends and the Sahara truly begins. From here, you travel into Erg Chegaga – a vast, untouched dune system that feels worlds away from the noise and movement of Merzouga.
Importantly, M’hamid is just as reachable from Marrakech as Merzouga. Both journeys take around eight hours on a good day. The difference isn’t the distance – it’s the experience waiting at the end of the road.
There are no hotels on the dunes, no engines in the background, no camel traffic jams. Instead, you find silence, space and a sense of remoteness that’s hard to describe until you’re standing in it.
The experience in M’hamid is shaped by the people who live there. Many families have deep roots in the desert, and the guides, cooks and camel handlers you meet are part of that tradition. The hospitality feels personal rather than packaged, and the rhythm of the journey is slower, more human and more connected to the landscape.
M’hamid is also the better choice if you want to travel at camel pace. Merzouga is ideal for a quick sunset ride, but M’hamid is where you go if you want to walk – to feel the desert unfold step by step, to disconnect properly and to experience the Sahara as a place rather than a backdrop.
Erg Chegaga itself is a revelation. While Erg Chebbi in Merzouga is famous, Chegaga is unforgettable: higher dunes, more varied shapes and a sense of vastness that comes from being far from the main tourist routes. Sunrise and sunset here feel like something out of another world..
How this fits with our treks
If you’re curious about what a M’hamid‑based trek actually looks like, our tours give a clear sense of the different ways to experience the desert:
Sahara for Beginners – a gentle introduction to the deep desert, ideal if you want a taste of M’hamid without committing to a longer trek.
Sahara Plus – a deeper journey into Erg Chegaga, with more time to walk, explore and settle into the rhythm of the dunes.
Sahara Pro – our most immersive trek, designed for travellers who want to go further, disconnect fully and experience the Sahara at its most remote.
If you’re still at the planning stage, see our guide on what to wear and what to pack for a trip into the desert.
So which one should you choose?
If you’re looking for convenience, easy access and a quick taste of the desert, Merzouga does the job. But if you’re looking for silence, space, proper camel trekking and a desert experience that feels real rather than staged, M’hamid is the better choice by a long way. It’s the Sahara as people imagine it before they’ve seen it – raw, peaceful and unspoilt.
You can find out more about our approach to desert travel, our values and our treks on the Ultimate Sahara homepage.
