Erg Chigaga is the main reason people make the long journey to M'Hamid. The dune field begins about 50 kilometres west of town across a gravel desert (hammada) and a track that requires a 4WD or an experienced local driver. The dunes themselves rise to around 300 metres — high enough to be genuinely impressive — and the colour shifts through the day from gold at sunrise to deep orange at dusk.
The standard visit is an overnight camel trip: you ride out to a camp in the dunes in the late afternoon, spend the night in a traditional Berber tent, and return the following morning. Several local operators in M'Hamid offer this, with prices varying based on group size and tent quality. It is also possible to drive to Chigaga and camp independently if you have the equipment and navigation skills.