Fes, Morocco· Concierge · Mon–Sat · 09:00–18:00 GMT+1
Erg Chigaga · Photo: Angela Stefanoni, CC BY 3.0
M'Hamid el Ghizlane, the 'plain of the gazelles', is the oasis at the end of the N9 tarmac, where the Draa river disappears into the sand. Beyond it only a 4x4 piste leads to Erg Chigaga, the remotest dune field in Morocco. It belongs to the Draa desert run out of Marrakech; plan two nights minimum.
M'Hamid belongs to the Draa-valley desert run out of Marrakech rather than the Fes-side approach to Merzouga. M'Hamid el Ghizlane (Arabic: مَحَامِيد الغِزْلان, 'plain of the gazelles') is a small oasis settlement of roughly 3,000 at the end of the N9 tarmac road, about 98 km south of Zagora and 550 km south-east of Marrakech. It sits at the threshold of the Sahara where the Draa river — Morocco's longest at 1,100 km — finally disappears into the sand. Beyond the town, no paved road continues: access to Erg Chigaga, the grandest and remotest dune field in Morocco, requires a 45 km 4x4 piste through open hammada. M'Hamid is a genuine frontier settlement of Saharan Berber and Arab nomadic communities, with a modest Monday souk and the Draa palm groves fading into nothing at its southern edge. For travellers who have experienced Erg Chebbi near Merzouga, M'Hamid is the natural next step — further, harder to reach, and dramatically less visited.
Erg Chigaga is a 40 km-long dune field rising to approximately 100 m above the surrounding hammada, accessible only by 4x4 from M'Hamid — there is no tarmac and no mass tourism infrastructure. It receives a fraction of the visitors of Erg Chebbi (Merzouga) and offers a correspondingly quieter, more remote experience: fewer camps, more space, and the genuine sense of a desert expedition rather than a packaged excursion.
The Draa river valley south of Zagora narrows to its final date-palm groves around M'Hamid before the river sinks beneath the sand. Nomadic Berber and Arab communities still camp with their herds along the valley's edge in winter; a walk through the last surviving palm corridors and a visit to a nomadic family camp are the reasons to come this far south.
Held each March at M'Hamid, the Festival International des Nomades brings together Saharan nomadic communities, musicians, storytellers and desert heritage practitioners for three days of cultural exchange in the open desert. It is one of Morocco's most genuine cultural festivals, primarily attended by Moroccan participants rather than foreign tourists.
A long-distance 4x4 piste runs west from M'Hamid across open hammada and minor dune fields to Foum Zguid — a full-day traverse through one of the emptiest landscapes in Morocco, suited to experienced off-road drivers or guided 4x4 expeditions. The route passes the ruins of Ksar Tissint and crosses the Anti-Atlas foothills before reaching tarmac.
Trips we build around M'Hamid el Ghizlane. Tell us which one fits and we'll write the days and quote them for your group.
5 days
Private 4x4 expedition south through the Draa Valley to M'Hamid and on to the remote Erg Chigaga dunes, with three nights under canvas and Berber hosts.
3 days
A private three-day route from Ouarzazate: Draa Valley, Zagora, M'Hamid and one night camped on the edge of Erg Chigaga.
Getting there. 98 km (2h drive) south of Zagora on the N9; 4h from Ouarzazate; 8h from Marrakech — we always split the journey over 2 days
4x4 required. The 45 km piste to Erg Chigaga requires a high-clearance 4x4 and an experienced desert driver — we arrange vehicle and guide
Connectivity. Mobile signal in M'Hamid town; none at Erg Chigaga — camps are intentionally off-grid
Best combined with. Zagora (98 km north) and the full Draa Valley corridor from Ouarzazate
Read next. Is Volubilis Worth Visiting, and How Do You Do a Meknes & Volubilis Day Trip from Fes?; Can You See Wild Monkeys Near Fes, and Is the Ifrane & Azrou Cedar Forest Day Trip Worth It?; Is the Fes Medina Overwhelming, and How Do You Avoid Getting Lost?.
The places closest to M'Hamid el Ghizlane, easy to join on one private route.
Read these before you add M'Hamid el Ghizlane to a trip.
