2-Day Zagora Desert Tour from Marrakech: Camel Ride & Camp
Two days in the desert, from mountain pass to sunrise over sand
A 2-day desert tour from Marrakech to Zagora takes you through the High Atlas Mountains, Ouarzazate, and the Draa Valley, ending with a camel ride across the desert landscape and a night at a traditional camp. The tour includes transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle, a professional English-speaking guide, dinner, breakfast, and the camel experience. You choose between shared group transport or private transportation, and both follow the same itinerary and stops.
Step-by-step itinerary
Day 1: Marrakech to Zagora via Atlas Mountains
- Pickup from Marrakech hotel or riad
- Travel through High Atlas Mountains
- Stop at Tizi n'Tichka Pass for views
- Explore Ouarzazate city
- Visit Taourirt Kasbah
- Drive through Agdez to Draa Valley
- Travel scenic Draa Valley route
- Arrive in Zagora and take a break
- Enjoy camel ride into desert
- Dinner and overnight at desert camp
Day 2: Zagora to Marrakech via Ait Ben Haddou
- Watch sunrise over Zagora Desert
- Breakfast at desert camp
- Drive through Draa Valley toward Marrakech
- Visit UNESCO Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou
- Cross High Atlas Mountains returning
- Private transfer back to Marrakech hotel
What’s included
- Transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle.
- professional English-speaking driver-guide.
- camel ride with sunset.
- one night at a desert camp in Zagora (choice of medium or luxury accommodation).
- dinner and breakfast.
- Moroccan mint tea and traditional music at the camp.
- Every day 07:00
Information
Two days crossing the High Atlas Mountains to the Zagora Desert with a camel ride at sunset, traditional camp overnight, and a guide included.
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The experience
The tour starts with pickup from your Marrakech hotel and heads south through traditional villages toward the High Atlas. You'll stop at the Tizi-n'Tichka Pass to take in panoramic views across the mountains, then continue to Ouarzazate, where you have time to explore the city's traditional architecture and the historic Taourirt Kasbah. From there the route follows the Draa Valley (a stretch of palm groves and ancient kasbahs) before arriving in Zagora in the late afternoon.
Once in Zagora, you mount a camel for a ride across the desert landscape as the sun drops toward the horizon. The camp sits in the open desert. You'll have Moroccan mint tea, a traditional dinner, live music, and a campfire under the stars before sleeping in either a medium camp with outdoor bathroom or a luxury camp with indoor facilities. Day two starts before sunrise so you can watch the light return to the desert, eat breakfast at the camp, then begin the return journey through the Draa Valley and back over the High Atlas. On the way, you'll stop at Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO-listed fortified village of earthen architecture, before the final drive back to Marrakech and drop-off at your hotel.
You choose between shared group transport with other travelers or private transportation exclusively for your group. Both options include the same guide, the same stops, the same camel ride and camp night, and the same meals. The difference is whether you travel with other people or just your party. The guide speaks English and French, and the vehicle is air-conditioned throughout both days.
Top questions
Can I be picked up at my hotel?
You can choose: pickup at your hotel, or go straight to the meeting point. When you book, you choose your hotel from 1,048 pickup locations; if yours isn’t listed, you can type in your address. Pickup is about 30 minutes before departure.
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English and French.
What's included in the 2-day Zagora tour from Marrakech?
The tour includes transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle, a professional English-speaking driver-guide, a camel ride with sunset, dinner and breakfast, and one night at a desert camp in Zagora. Lunches, drinks, entrance fees to monuments like Ait Ben Haddou and Taourirt Kasbah, and gratuities are not included.
Can I choose between shared and private transportation?
Yes. You can book the tour with shared group transport, traveling with other visitors, or select private transportation exclusively for your group. Both options follow the same two-day itinerary and include the same guide, camel ride, camp, and meals.
What happens on the first day of the tour?
Day one begins with hotel pickup in Marrakech and travels south through the High Atlas Mountains, stopping at the Tizi-n'Tichka Pass for views. You'll explore Ouarzazate and the Taourirt Kasbah, pass through the Draa Valley, and arrive in Zagora in the late afternoon. After a camel ride across the desert at sunset, you spend the night at a traditional desert camp with dinner and entertainment.
What are the camp accommodations like?
Two camp options are available: a medium camp with bathroom facilities outside the tent, or a luxury camp with bathroom inside. Both include dinner, breakfast, mint tea, and traditional music around a campfire.
How much time do I spend on the camel?
The camel ride takes place in the late afternoon as you travel across the desert landscape toward the camp, timed to reach the camp around sunset. The ride is part of the desert experience but the exact duration depends on the camp's distance from the departure point in Zagora.
What's the drive time from Marrakech to Zagora?
The journey from Marrakech to Zagora on day one takes most of the day, with stops at the High Atlas pass, Ouarzazate, and the Draa Valley. Day two is the return journey, also covering the same mountain and valley routes before arriving back in Marrakech.
Operated by Morocco Happiness Tours. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated 9 days ago
2-Day Zagora Desert Tour from Marrakech: Camel Ride & Camp
2d · EN · FR
from US$ 356 per person
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