Big news for desert lovers: the Dakar Rally is coming back to Africa in 2027. After seven editions in Saudi Arabia, the organisers moved the 2027 race to Portugal and Morocco. It is the first time in about twenty years that the world’s toughest rally races on Moroccan soil, and the route includes a stage through the dunes of Merzouga. Saudi Arabia is due to host the 50th edition in 2028.
Dakar 2027 at a glance
- Dates: 9–23 January 2027 (still subject to final approval by the FIA)
- Start: Loulé/Faro in the Algarve, Portugal, then a ferry crossing to Nador in north-east Morocco
- Stages: a prologue and 12 stages, 11 of them in Morocco
- Rest day: Agadir, 17 January
- Finish: Marrakech, 23 January
- Distance: about 7,824 km in total, including about 4,341 km of timed special stages
The Dakar 2027 route, stage by stage
| Stage | Date | Route | Special stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prologue | 9 Jan | Loulé/Faro (Portugal) | 29 km |
| 1 | 10 Jan | Loulé/Faro → ferry to Nador | 100 km |
| – | 11 Jan | Transfer Nador → Bouarfa | – |
| 2 | 12 Jan | Bouarfa loop | 390 km |
| 3 | 13 Jan | Bouarfa loop | 410 km |
| 4 | 14 Jan | Bouarfa → Zagora (Merzouga dunes) | 490 km |
| 5 | 15 Jan | Zagora loop | 365 km |
| 6 | 16 Jan | Zagora → Agadir | 365 km |
| Rest | 17 Jan | Agadir | – |
| 7 | 18 Jan | Agadir → Smara | 500 km |
| 8 | 19 Jan | Smara → marathon bivouac | 355 km |
| 9 | 20 Jan | Marathon bivouac → Smara | 390 km |
| 10 | 21 Jan | Smara loop | 470 km |
| 11 | 22 Jan | Smara → Marrakech | 455 km |
| 12 | 23 Jan | Marrakech (finish) | 22 km |
Route as published by the organisers in late October 2026. Details can still change – always check the official Dakar website before you travel.
The Merzouga stage: 14 January 2027
Stage 4, from Bouarfa to Zagora on 14 January, is the only time the 2027 race crosses the dunes of Merzouga – the golden sand sea of Erg Chebbi where we live and work. Expect motorbikes, cars, trucks and side-by-sides tackling some of the most beautiful dunes in the Sahara, before the race heads west towards Zagora and the Draa Valley.
How to watch the Dakar in Morocco
- Merzouga (14 January): the best chance to see the race in the Erg Chebbi dunes. Exact timings and spectator zones are usually published shortly before the race.
- Agadir (17 January): the rest day is a good opportunity to see the bivouac atmosphere.
- Marrakech (22–23 January): the final days and the finish of the rally.
Stay safe: follow the instructions of the organisers and local authorities, keep well away from the racing line and never stand in the path of vehicles coming over a dune. A local guide who knows the area makes it much easier and safer.
Plan your trip: Dakar 2027 and the Sahara
January is a beautiful time in the desert: sunny days around 15–20°C, but cold nights close to 0°C – bring warm clothes for the camp. Hotels and camps around Merzouga will be in high demand during the race week, so book early.
We can organise a private trip around the rally – for example arriving in Merzouga a day or two before 14 January, a night in a desert camp, a camel ride at sunset and a 4×4 day in the dunes, then continuing to Marrakech for the finish. See our tours from Merzouga, tours from Marrakech or read how to get to Merzouga.
This is a private tour, so you travel only with your own group. Groups of friends, students and families get a discount – contact us on WhatsApp or by email for a quote.