The Sahara Desert is located 561 km from Marrakech via N12 and 552 km via N10.

Today I got a question from a friend asking how far is the Sahara desert from Marrakech. I decided to answer this question in a very short post and make a new tag “questions and answers“, maybe there are other people who have the same question.

Marrakech is roughly 561 km from Merzouga, via the valley of Dades (N9 and N12) and 552 km through the valley of the Draa (via N9 and N10). The sand dunes are located near the town of Merzouga, this location is well known as Erg Chebbi.

marrakech to erg chebbi via the valley of dades

The route from Marrakech to Erg Chebbi through the valley of the Dades (via N9 and N10)

From Marrakech, the closest sand dunes are located approximately 520 km, from Erg Chegaga. Erg Chegaga dunes are one of the highest dunes in Africa and lie about 60 km off-road from M’hamid.
Between Zagora and M’hamed (in N9) ly as well a number of small sand dunes.

Activities to do in the Sahara desert

Even if it’s in the middle of the desert, there are many comfortable activities and things to do. There are many luxury desert camps where you can spend a night in a luxury tent with a bed and shower. People who have never had a desert experience may think that the desert is just another empty place where you can only walk when it’s not that hot. But this is not the case. Many companies have invested in the desert tourist sector and done development that meets the needs of their customers. There are even Europeans who have built their own guesthouses and integrated them into the Moroccan desert.

If you are traveling to the Sahara desert, I highly recommend the following activities:

  • Spend a night in a desert camp
  • Camel trekking
  • Sit by the campfire
  • Surf the sand
  • Ride a quad
  • Off-road driving test

Hope you enjoy your trip to the desert. If you have any questions or comments about how far the sand dunes are from Marrakech or where you can camp safely in the Sahara desert, please email us

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