Private Draa Valley & Zagora tour from Ouarzazate with camel ride

Draa Valley's date palms, mud Kasbahs and a camel ride into the Sahara, all in one day

A private full-day tour from Ouarzazate through Draa Valley and into Zagora Desert, with a local guide, air-conditioned transport, and lunch cooked on an open fire at a Berber family home. The route covers the valley's 17th- and 18th-century Kasbahs, the village of Tamegroute with its green pottery workshops, and ends with a camel ride in the Tinfou dunes. Pickup from your hotel is included. The tour runs nine hours and suits travelers with moderate fitness.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Draa Valley and Zagora Desert

• Drive to Agdz village
• View Draa Valley and palm groves
• Visit Kasbah Tamnougalt with guide
• Drive to Zagora city
• Visit Tamegroute village with guide
• Enjoy Berber lunch with local family
• Camel ride in desert dunes
• Drive back over Anti Atlas Mountains

The experience

The drive starts in Agdz, a village whose name means "resting place" on the old caravan route from Marrakech to Timbuktu. From there the route follows the Draa Valley, Morocco's longest river at 1,100 kilometers, where traditional Berber villages and mud-built Kasbahs from the 17th and 18th centuries sit among date palm groves with views of the snowcapped Atlas Mountains beyond. Your guide leads you through Kasbah Tamnougalt to explain how these structures were built and what daily life looked like centuries ago.

The route continues south to Zagora, the administrative center of the region, then to Tamegroute, a village known for its green pottery and a subterranean Kasbah. A local guide walks you through the workshops and the old Koran library attached to the religious school. Lunch happens at a local family's home, cooked on an open fire the way Berber families prepare it, and gives you a chance to learn about nomadic life in Southern Morocco directly from the people who live it.

After lunch comes the camel ride: you walk with a camel across the nearby Tinfou dunes, seven kilometers from Tamegroute, climbing to the top of a sand dune for views across the Sahara. The drive back to Ouarzazate crosses the Anti Atlas Mountains in the afternoon, with air-conditioned comfort and bottled water on board throughout the day.

What’s included

• Private transportation and hotel pickup.
• air-conditioned vehicle with WiFi.
• local guide in English, Spanish or French.
• entrance fees to Kasbah Tamnougalt and Tamegroute.
• camel ride in the Tinfou dunes.
• lunch cooked on an open fire at a local Berber family home.
• bottled water, coffee and tea throughout the day.
• parking fees.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:00, 08:30 and 09:00

AgesAdult (13 to 90 years) · Child (5 to 12 years) · Infant (under 5)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 33 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortInfant seats availableNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Explore Morocco Travel SARL

Is this one for you?Your guide speaks English, Spanish, or French, so you choose the language when you book and follow the commentary comfortably throughout the nine-hour day. The private vehicle and guide are yours alone, which means the pace adjusts to your questions and interests, and you can linger at the Kasbahs or the pottery workshops without waiting for a group.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 12 years); Infant (under 5).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What's the Draa Valley actually like when you get there?

The Draa Valley stretches for 1,100 kilometers along Morocco's longest river, filled with traditional Berber villages, date palm groves, and mud-built Kasbahs from the 17th and 18th centuries. The snowcapped Atlas Mountains rise in the distance, and the valley is one of Morocco's top tourist attractions because of its combination of history, landscape and the way daily life has remained largely unchanged.

Do I need experience to ride a camel?

No experience is needed. The camel ride takes place in the Tinfou dunes seven kilometers from Tamegroute, and you walk with your camel at a desert pace to the top of a sand dune. The tour requires at least a moderate level of physical fitness, but the ride itself is designed for visitors of varying experience.

What does lunch include, and where does it happen?

Lunch is a typical Berber meal cooked on an open fire at a local family's home. It's included in the tour price, along with coffee and tea. Eating with the family gives you a chance to ask questions about nomadic life in Southern Morocco and see how people in the region actually live.

What's included in the price, and what should I bring?

The tour includes private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle, pickup from your hotel, entrance fees to the Kasbahs and museums, a camel ride, lunch, bottled water, WiFi on board, and coffee or tea. Bring sunscreen, a hat, comfortable walking shoes for the Kasbah visits, and a camera. Tips and alcoholic beverages are not included.