A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Merzouga vs. Olympos for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Merzouga or Olympos?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Merzouga or Olympos, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Where Should I go: Merzouga or Olympos?

Merzouga

Let's say you want to truly get away. I don't mean putting your ear buds in on some beach with a stronger on the next chair over. I mean really get away, and find yourself deserted. Merzouga, Morocco lets you do just that. This land of sand dune after sand dune is ideal for anyone yearning to ride a camel to the ends of civilization. And you'll find plenty of options to get here with a tour, or even on your own.

Olympos

Olympos was an ancient city in Lycia, situated in a river valley near the coast. Its ruins are located south of the modern town Cirali in the Kumluca district of Antalya Province, Turkey. An important Lycian city in the 2nd century BC, Olympos is more famous these days for being the beach resort of choice for backpackers. Staying in an Olympos 'tree house' at one of the dozen-or-so camps that line the path to the ruins and beach has long been the stuff of travel legend. The former hippy-trail hot-spot has been considerably renovated in past years and during summer can be pretty overcrowded. Olympos offers good value and an up-for-it party atmosphere in a lovely setting.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to Morocco, The Best Luxury Tours to Morocco, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Turkey, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Turkey.


Which place is cheaper, Olympos or Merzouga?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Merzouga is $17, while the average daily cost in Olympos is $95. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Merzouga and Olympos in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Merzouga $10
    Olympos $43
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Merzouga $20
    Olympos $86
Compare Hotels in Merzouga and Olympos

Looking for a hotel in Merzouga or Olympos? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Merzouga


Hotels in Olympos


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Merzouga Hotel Prices and Olympos Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Merzouga -
    Olympos $30

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Merzouga

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Merzouga:

  • 1 way transfer: $62

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Olympos

Also for Olympos, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Kemer Full Day Pirate Boat Trip with Lunch and Optional Transfer: $10
  • Kemer Pirate Boat Trip with transfer from Belek: $15
  • Kemer Pirate Boat Trip With Lunch & Free Hotel Transfer: $20
  • Suluada Boat Tour From Antalya (Maldives of Turkey) with Lunch & Hotel Transfer: $20
  • Kemer Mega Star Boat Trip With Hotel Transfer and Lunch : $20
  • Kemer Suluada Boat Tour (Maldives of Turkey) With Hotel Transfer: $20
  • Kemer to Antalya Ariport (AYT) - Departure Private Transfer: $22
  • Scuba Diving Tour in Kemer with Lunch and Transfer: $22
  • Kemer to Antalya Ariport (AYT) - Departure Private Transfer: $24
  • Kemer Horse Riding Experience with Transfer: $39
  • Kemer Jeep Safari With Free Hotel Transfer & Lunch: $40
  • Scuba Diving Tour in Kemer with Lunch and Transfer: $40

Is it cheaper to fly into Merzouga or Olympos?

Prices for flights to both Olympos and Merzouga change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Merzouga $5.92
    Olympos $30

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Merzouga

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Merzouga.

  • One Night in Private Camp in the Sahara Desert in Merzouga with Dinner: $65
  • Sunset With Dinner And Berber Music in Merzouga Desert With 4WD : $65
  • Merzouga Orange Dunes ATV Sandsurf Camels with 5 Stars Dinner: $85
  • Camel trek with 1 Night in Luxury camp with Dinner+ Sundbording: $87
  • Visit The Nomads, Gnawa Music, Rally In Dunes, Berber Pizza : $98
  • Magical Dinner and Camel Trek with 1 Night In Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp: $105
  • Overnight in Luxury Camp With camel Trek & Dinner: $107
  • From Fes: 2-Day Merzouga Desert Trip(Luxury Tent & Dinner): $124
  • From Fes: 2-Day Merzouga Desert Trip w/Luxury Tent & Dinner: $127
  • 2 Nights Private Camp in Merzouga with Dinner and Camel Ride: $200

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Olympos

For Olympos, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Olympos, Cirali, Chimera Night Tour with Dinner at Ulupinar : $33
  • Kemer Olympos & Yanartas Sunset Jeep Tour with Dinner: $35

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Merzouga -
    Olympos $29

Tours and Activities in Merzouga

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Merzouga are as follows:

  • Overnight in Desert Camp Berber Experience in Merzouga Desert & Camel Ride: $82
  • Private Adventure to Merzouga Risani from Erfoud : $142
  • Private Desert Tour and Visit to Nomadic Families: $98
  • 1 Hour Merzouga Desert Buggy Experience: $140
  • 1 Hour Merzouga Desert Quad Biking Tour & Sandboarding: $64
  • 1 Night Camel Trekking Tour in Merzouga Desert Camp : $60
  • 1/2 day 4x4 tour of Erg Chebbi: $82
  • 2 Hours Merzouga Desert Quad Bike Adventure: $113
  • 2 hours Merzouga Dunes ATV Rental - Desert Quad Biking Tour: $112
  • 2-Day Desert Tour with Return to Marrakech: $182
  • 3 Days Tour from Fes to Marrakech via Merzouga with Luxury Camp: $218
  • 3 Days Tour to Merzouga Dunes and Camel Trek: $87

Tours and Activities in Olympos

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Olympos.

  • Spa Experience in Kemer with Pickup: $18
  • Turkish Bath Experience in Kemer: $20
  • Goynuk Canyon Tour with Entrance Ticket: $25
  • 2-in-1 Canyoning and White Water Rafting Adventure with Lunch From Kemer: $25
  • Scuba Diving Tour in Kemer Turkey with Two Dives and Lunch: $26
  • Pirate Boat Tour on the Beautiful Bays of Kemer: $27
  • Kemer Scuba Diving Experience: $27
  • Kemer Scuba Diving Experience: Two Dives with Lunch : $30
  • Antalya Full-Day City Tour From Kemer With Cable Car : $30
  • Safari Adventure in the mountains from Kemer: $32
  • Full-day Boat Tour from Kemer with Lunch and Foam Party: $33
  • Demre Myra Tour with Kekova Sunken City Boat Trip From Kemer: $36

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Merzouga -
    Olympos $18


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Merzouga and Olympos, we can see that Olympos is more expensive. And not only is Merzouga much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Merzouga is in Africa and Olympos is in Europe, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Merzouga would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Merzouga and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Olympos would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Olympos than you might in Merzouga.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Merzouga Expensive? and Is Olympos Expensive?.