Zagora Desert Tour: Camel Riding & Overnight Camp

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/19

Duration2d

GroupUp to 17

LanguagesEN · FR +1

Mobile ticketAccepted

Cross two mountain ranges and sleep under stars in a desert camp after an hour on camel.

This 2-day guided tour from Marrakech takes you through the High Atlas mountains, past the fortified Kasbah of Aït Ben Haddou, and into the Zagora Desert, where you ride camels to a camp for the night. The itinerary includes an air-conditioned vehicle with a driver who speaks English, Spanish or French; overnight accommodation with dinner and breakfast; and a one-hour camel ride to the camp. On day two, you visit the Kasbah of Taourirt in Ouarzazate before returning to Marrakech by 6pm. Lunches and drinks are not included, and you can arrange a local guide at each kasbah for a small additional fee.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Marrakech to Zagora via Ait Ben Haddou

Depart Marrakech at 7:30am
Cross High Atlas mountains via Tizi N'Tichka pass
Stop for breaks and photos
Visit Kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou
Have lunch at Ait Ben Haddou
Drive through Anti Atlas and Draa valley
Arrive Zagora around 5pm
Ride camels one hour into desert camp
Dinner at desert camp
Enjoy drums party around campfire

Day 2 — Zagora to Marrakech via Ouarzazate

Breakfast at desert camp
Drive to Ouarzazate
Visit Kasbah of Taourirt
Drive through Atlas Mountains and Berber villages
Lunch in Ouarzazate or Agouim
Return to Marrakech by 6pm

The Experience

The tour leaves Marrakech at 7:30am and climbs into the High Atlas via the Tizi N'Tichka pass, a drive that takes about four hours with several stops for photographs and short breaks. You'll pass through Berber villages and see the landscape shift as you descend toward Aït Ben Haddou, a fortified village that has been a UNESCO heritage site since 1989. After exploring the Kasbah—the old castle at its center—and having lunch, you continue south through the Anti Atlas mountains and the Draa valley toward Zagora.

You arrive in Zagora around 5pm and mount a camel for a one-hour ride into the desert to reach the camp where you'll spend the night. Dinner is served at the camp, and if weather permits, the local staff hold a drums party around a campfire. The overnight stay includes a standard or superior camp option depending on which version you book. Breakfast is served the next morning before you begin the return journey.

Day two takes you back to Marrakech via Ouarzazate, where you can visit the Kasbah of Taourirt, one of Morocco's most significant historical sites. The route passes through more Berber villages and the Atlas range again. Lunch can be taken in Ouarzazate or in the village of Agouim, and you arrive back in Marrakech around 6pm. The vehicle is air-conditioned throughout, and hotel pickup and drop-off are included if your accommodation is outside the Medina.

What’s included

Air-conditioned vehicle with an English, Spanish or French-speaking driver.
overnight stay with dinner and breakfast at the desert camp.
one-hour camel ride for each adult (children share with a parent).
hotel pickup and drop-off if your hotel is outside the Medina.

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditions

Operated by Maroc Expedition Travel

Is this one for you?Book the shared tour if you're comfortable meeting other travelers and want to keep costs down; choose the private option if you prefer your own vehicle and guide for the two days. Either way, the fixed itinerary and included transport mean you're not arranging logistics between stops—you're moving through the mountains and desert on a set schedule that gets you back to Marrakech by evening on day two.