2-day Zagora desert tour from Marrakech: Camel caravan at sunset

Ride a camel into the desert, watch the sunrise from the dunes, and return to Marrakech the next day

A 2-day desert tour from Marrakech that crosses the Atlas Mountains, stops at the UNESCO-listed Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou, passes through the Draa Valley, and ends with a camel caravan ride to a desert bivouac in Zagora. You spend the night under canvas, eat dinner around a fire with traditional music, witness the sunrise over the dunes, then return to Marrakech with a stop at the Atlas Film Studios in Ouarzazate. Private transportation, breakfast and dinner are included; guides, monument entries and lunch are separate.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Marrakech to Zagora via Ait Benhaddou

• Depart Marrakech at 7:00
• Pass through Tichka Pass
• Visit Ait Benhaddou Kasbah
• Drive through Draa Valley
• Arrive Zagora and meet camel caravan
• Camel ride to desert bivouac
• Walk at sunset
• Dinner by campfire with music
• Overnight in desert tent

Day 2 — Zagora to Marrakech via Ouarzazate

• Watch sunrise in dunes
• Breakfast at bivouac
• Short break
• Visit Ouarzazate movie studios
• Return to Marrakech

The Experience

The tour leaves your hotel or riad in Marrakech around 7am and heads south through the Tichka Pass, which sits at 2,260m above sea level. The road opens onto the Draa Valley, where millions of palm trees and dozens of kasbahs line the route. Before reaching Zagora, you stop at Ait Benhaddou, a UNESCO-listed kasbah built into the hillside, where you can walk through the earthen fortress and see how people lived in these clay structures for centuries.

In Zagora, a camel caravan waits to carry you into the dunes as the sun sets. You ride at a walking pace across the sand to your bivouac—a camp of tents pitched in the open desert. Dinner happens around a fire under the stars, with traditional Moroccan music playing. You sleep in a tent that night, waking to the sunrise over the dunes the next morning. After breakfast, the drive back to Marrakech includes a stop at the Atlas Film Studios in Ouarzazate, where you can see sets and learn about films shot in the region.

An air-conditioned vehicle handles all the driving, and your guide speaks English, Spanish or French depending on your preference. Children from age 5 can join, and infants can travel in a car seat. Lunches and entries to the monuments are not included in the price, so you'll arrange those separately or skip them depending on your interests.

What’s included

• Private air-conditioned vehicle for both days.
• hotel or riad pickup in Marrakech.
• camel caravan ride into the Zagora dunes.
• one night in a desert tent bivouac.
• dinner around a fire with traditional music.
• breakfast the next morning.
• live guide in English, Spanish or French.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcome

Operated by Experience Amazing Morocco

Is this one for you?Choose this two-day trip if you need to fit a full desert overnight into a single trip from Marrakech—you'll cross the mountains, visit Ait Benhaddou, ride camels at sunset, and sleep in the dunes before returning the next evening.

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Top questions

What exactly happens when I arrive in Zagora on the first day?

A camel caravan meets you in Zagora and carries you across the dunes to your bivouac camp as the sun sets. You ride at a walking pace, then settle in for dinner around a fire with traditional music before sleeping in a tent.

Is the camel ride difficult, or can anyone do it?

The camel caravan moves at a walking pace across the sand, and the tour is suitable for all fitness levels. Children from age 5 can ride; younger children travel in the vehicle instead.

What's included in the price and what do I pay for separately?

The tour includes private transportation, one night in a desert tent, dinner, and breakfast. Guides, entries to monuments like Ait Benhaddou and the Atlas Film Studios, and lunch are not included and cost extra.

How long is the drive from Marrakech to Zagora?

The full route from Marrakech to Zagora takes most of the first day, with stops at the Tichka Pass and Ait Benhaddou. You arrive in Zagora in the late afternoon, in time for the camel caravan at sunset.

What language does the guide speak?

Your guide speaks English, Spanish, or French—you choose which when you book.

Do I need to bring anything special for sleeping in the desert tent?

The bivouac provides the tent and basic bedding. Bring warm layers for the night, as desert temperatures drop after sunset, and sun protection for the daytime.