How far is the sahara desert from marrakech

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

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

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

From Marrakech, the closest sand dunes are about 520km away, from Erg Chegaga. The Erg Chegaga dunes are one of the tallest dunes in Africa and are located about 60km off the road from M’hamid.
Between Zagora and M’hamed (in the N9) there are also some small sand dunes.

Activities to do in the Sahara desert

Even though it’s in the middle of the desert, there are so many activities and comfortable 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 might think that the desert is just another empty place where you can only walk when it’s not so hot. But is not so. Many companies have invested in the desert tourism sector and have made a 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 fire
Surf the sand
Ride a quad bike

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