2-day desert tour from Marrakech: Zagora and Ait Benhaddou

A camel ride at sunset ends your first day in the Zagora desert, then sunrise comes before the ride back.

A 2-day private tour from Marrakech crosses the High Atlas to Zagora, where you spend the night in a Berber bivouac and ride a camel toward the desert camp at sunset. The second day brings a sunrise ride back, a stop at the Atlas cinema studio in Ouarzazate, and time to walk the 11th-century kasbah of Ait Benhaddou before returning to Marrakech. Hotel pickup, a night's accommodation, dinner, breakfast, the camel ride and Berber music are included. Lunch and studio entry are separate.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Marrakech to Zagora desert camp

• Pickup from Marrakech hotel
• Stop at Tizi n'Tichka pass
• Brief coffee break in mountains
• Visit Kasbah of Taourirt in Ouarzazate
• Lunch at Kasbah of Taourirt
• Drive through Draa valley palm grove
• Arrive in Zagora desert camp
• One-hour camel ride at sunset
• Enjoy traditional dinner
• Overnight in desert bivouac

Day 2: Zagora to Marrakech via cinema studio

• Watch sunrise in desert
• Breakfast at desert camp
• Camel ride to transport
• Return drive to Ouarzazate
• Visit Atlas Cinema Studio
• Visit Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou
• Lunch at Ait Benhaddou
• Explore Ait Benhaddou kasbah
• Drive back to Marrakech
• Transfer to hotel in Marrakech

The experience

Day one starts with hotel pickup and a drive south through the High Atlas, climbing to the Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 meters before a coffee stop in the mountain peaks. The route continues through successive villages toward Ouarzazate, where you stop at the Taourirt Kasbah (a 19th-century UNESCO site built by the El Glaoui tribe) for lunch and a walk through the compound. Then the road drops into the Draa valley's palm groves toward Zagora, and as the light softens you mount a camel for a one-hour ride to the desert camp, watching the sun sink across the dunes. Dinner and Berber music happen at the bivouac under the open sky.

The second day begins before dawn. You ride the camel back to the waiting transport, then have time to watch the desert sunrise and eat a traditional breakfast before heading north. On the return to Marrakech, a stop at the Atlas cinema studio in Ouarzazate, the world's largest film studio, lets you see where The Mummy, Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia and Game of Thrones were shot. The final stop is Ait Benhaddou, an 11th-century kasbah and UNESCO site where you walk the narrow streets and earthen buildings before lunch and the drive back to your hotel.

What’s included

• Private transportation throughout the two days.
• hotel pickup and drop-off in Marrakech.
• one night in a Berber bivouac in the desert.
• a one-hour camel ride to the camp at sunset and another back at sunrise.
• traditional dinner at the camp and breakfast the next morning.
• Berber music and shows in the evening.

Information

Lasts 2d, runs every day with no fixed time, from US$ 110 per person, with live guides in 5 languages, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery day

GroupPrivate11 group tours ›

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and ItalianOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcomeNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by LynxTrip

Is this one for you?Your guide speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French or a fifth language. Choose the one you're comfortable with when you book, so the commentary and the route make sense as you travel.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian.

What is the Taourirt Kasbah in Ouarzazate?

Taourirt Kasbah is a 19th-century UNESCO World Heritage Site built by the El Glaoui tribe. You stop there on day one for lunch and a guided walk through the compound before continuing toward the desert.

How does the camel ride work on this tour?

You ride for one hour toward the desert camp in Zagora on day one at sunset, and another hour back to the transport on day two at sunrise. Both rides are included in the price.

What happens at Ait Benhaddou?

Ait Benhaddou is an 11th-century kasbah and UNESCO site where you walk the historic streets and buildings. It has been used for filming The Mummy, Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia and Game of Thrones. You have time to explore before lunch on day two.

Where do you sleep on this tour?

You spend the night in a Berber bivouac in the Zagora desert after the camel ride on day one. Dinner and traditional breakfast are included.

Does the tour include lunch?

Lunch is not included in the tour price. You eat at the Taourirt Kasbah on day one and at Ait Benhaddou on day two, but you pay separately for both meals.