Merzouga 4x4 Desert Excursion: Khamlia, Nomads & Fossils

This full-day 4x4 excursion is for travellers staying in Merzouga for more than one night who want to understand the people and landscapes around the dunes, not just see them from a camel. It works well for families, photographers and anyone curious about desert life.

A loop around Erg Chebbi

We pick you up at your accommodation in Merzouga around 9:00 in one of our 4x4 vehicles, driven by someone who grew up here. The loop starts on the stony hamada south of the dunes, where nomad families still keep camels and goats. When a family is camped near our route, we stop for tea in their tent. There is no show here: you see how they cook, collect water and live, and they are paid for their hospitality.

Khamlia and its Gnawa musicians

Khamlia is a small village about 7 km south of Merzouga, home to families of Gnawa heritage whose ancestors came from West Africa. In the music house, musicians play the guembri (a three-string bass lute) and the qraqeb (iron castanets) while you drink tea. It is a relaxed, genuine performance, and a donation at the end is customary.

Mines, fossils and Rissani

We continue to the abandoned lead mines near Mifis, where you can look into old shafts and see how miners lived, and then to a fossil workshop where craftsmen cut and polish the ammonites and orthoceras found in the local rock. When the winter rains have filled it, we also visit Dayet Srji, a seasonal lake that sometimes attracts flamingos. Lunch is in Rissani, where we recommend madfouna, the stuffed flatbread known locally as Berber pizza. If it is Sunday, Tuesday or Thursday, we walk through the big market with its donkey park, spice stalls and date sellers.

Back in time for sunset

We return to Merzouga around 16:00, which leaves time to rest before sunset. The tour pairs perfectly with our sunset camel trek and overnight camp the same evening. In summer we start earlier and include a longer break in the middle of the day, as temperatures can go above 40°C.