Merzouga in September

September begins the slow return toward the desert season at Erg Chebbi. The worst of the summer heat starts to pass — daytime highs ease to around 36°C and keep falling through the month — though early September is still very hot and the same dawn-and-dusk discipline applies. The nights are warm rather than cool, and the great dunes remain magnificent under dry, brilliant skies, with the heat gradually loosening its grip as autumn approaches.

It is a transitional month: hot but improving. Camel trekking, dune walks and 4x4 trips are best kept to the cooler morning and late-afternoon hours, with shade and water through the midday, but by late September the conditions become noticeably more comfortable and the classic Sahara experience opens up again. The warm nights keep stargazing pleasant, and the near-total dryness means clear skies and reliable desert itineraries throughout.

September suits travellers who want to catch the desert season just as it reopens, with thinner crowds before the autumn peak. Early in the month, treat it like summer and plan carefully around the heat; later, it edges toward the comfortable prime conditions of October. As a desert climax reached overland through the southern valleys, September is a good, improving choice for those happy to time their dune activities around the lingering late-summer warmth.