Before booking a desert tour, many travellers ask a concrete question, rarely covered in detail: what if the weather prevents departure, or the planned night at the desert camp in Erg Chebbi?
It is a legitimate worry, especially when the trip is organised around an international flight or a tight schedule. This guide explains the policy actually applied in bad weather before departure: sandstorm or impassable road to Merzouga.
What happens if my tour is cancelled before departure because of the weather?
In bad weather preventing departure or the night at the desert camp — sandstorm, impassable road to Merzouga — the operator first offers a reschedule to another date.
If you cannot reschedule, for travel constraints such as a return flight already fixed or a schedule with no margin, a full refund is applied.
This guide treats weather as a reason for cancellation before departure. To know how a sandstorm is managed once the excursion is already under way — immediate shelter, cheche tied over nose and mouth, the guide's instructions — see our guide on safety and health in the Merzouga desert, which covers this complementary angle.
How long before departure do you know whether the tour is going ahead?
There is no fixed contractual deadline announced in advance, of the "decision made 48 hours before departure" kind. Desert weather, especially the risk of sandstorm, can change quickly and is judged on the actual conditions observed, not on a theoretical schedule fixed in advance.
In practice, the decision to go ahead, reschedule or cancel the departure is usually taken the day before or on the day itself, based on what is actually observed on the ground at that precise moment.
This way of working avoids two opposite pitfalls: cancelling a tour too early that could in the end have run normally, or conversely going ahead with a departure when conditions have meanwhile deteriorated.
Are there cancellation fees in bad weather?
No deposit is asked at the time of booking at Excursion Merzouga: all bookings are confirmed directly on WhatsApp, and payment is made on site, on the day of departure, to the driver.
In practice, this means that in the event of a reschedule or refund linked to bad weather preventing departure, there is no sum already paid to get back: the refund, where it applies because rescheduling is not possible, is full.
How do you stay informed and what should you do in doubt before departure?
The WhatsApp contact stays directly reachable, not only at the time of the initial booking. If you are in doubt about conditions as the planned date approaches, you can check directly with the local team.
A direct contact handles quickly any question about an upcoming departure or any reported gap, in the same spirit as the commitment detailed on our page about what we guarantee our travellers: the package booked is the package delivered, and a contact stays reachable throughout the stay, not only before departure.
Practical tip
If your trip depends on a fixed return flight or a tight schedule, tell the local team when you book: in bad weather preventing departure, this information helps decide faster between rescheduling and refund.
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