2-Day Zagora Desert Tour from Marrakech

Recommended by 92% of travelers

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Marrakech, Morocco

Great choice

5+ bookings last month.

2 days (approx.)
Pickup offered
Offered in: English

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From Marrakech: Zagora 2-Day Desert Safari with Camel, and Camp

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From Marrakech: Zagora 2-Day Desert Safari with Camel, and Camp

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Overview

Venture deep into the Moroccan countryside during this rugged excursion, with pickup from Marrakesh. You’ll visit spectacular locations in the Atlas Mountains, without skimping on comfort. Hop a camel to reach your Berber campsite, and sleep under the stars. Your guide will be on-hand to guarantee an insider’s view of life in the mountains, from traditional dinners to picturesque castles. You’ll also have time to visit local handicraft shops. Plus, you can upgrade to luxury camps if desired.

A multi-day adventure deep into Morocco’s Atlas Mountains
Sleep in a Berber campsite off-limits to vehicles—accessible by camelback
Discover indigenous traditions with traditional meals and village visits
Travel in a climate-controlled minivan, with pickup from Marrakesh

What's Included

Hotel pick up and drop-off
Overnight accommodation in berber camp (Zagora desert Camp or Similar)
1 Breakfast
1 Dinner
Camel ride in the sunset and sunrise in Zagora
Transport by air-conditioned minivan
Entertainment around a campfire with traditional Berber music
Access to shower and toilet
Bilingual driver

Lunch
Bottled water
Entrance to Aït Ben Haddou Kasbah (€3) – payable locally

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

If your are staying in : - New Town : Free Hotel Pick-up in Marrakech . - Old Medina : Pick-up location will be the nearest accessible place to your riad by Minibus . - Please provide the name and address of your hotel or Riad in special request .

Operating hours
.7:20 am

Itinerary

Experience Morocco’s Zagora Desert and sleep under the stars—all without transport hassles—on this 2-day small-group adventure from Marrakech.

After morning pickup at your hotel or a nearby location in Marrakech, head southward by air-conditioned minibus.

Pass Berber villages, traverse mountain passes, and stop for photos on route through the spectacular High Atlas. Descend through the foothills to Ait-Ben-Haddou, where a local guide shows you its UNESCO-listed kasbah, a historical fortified village featured in the movie “Gladiator.”

Next comes Ouarzazate, the gateway to Morocco’s deserts. Explore the vintage movie sets at its Atlas Studios and opt to visit its stunning, 19th-century Kasbah of Taourirte.

Trace the kasbah-dotted Draa valley to Zagora, where a sunset camel ride brings you to a Berber-style camp near the dunes. After a magical dinner under the stars, sleep in a tent, and early the next morning, enjoy a delicious breakfast before another camel ride—this time during a beautiful sunrise.

Rejoin your minivan in Zagora and enjoy the scenery again as you return to the original starting point in Marrakech.

If you’ve upgraded to the luxury Zagora 2-day trip, you’ll stay in a luxe desert camp, with an ensuite tent and other amenities.

High Atlas

25 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Ksar Of Ait-Ben-Haddou

1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included

Zagora

14 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Ouarzazate

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Tizi n Tichka

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible

Infants must sit on laps
Infant seats available
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 100 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.6

based on 733 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

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Driss, our driver, was...

Sadie_K, Apr 2026

Driss, our driver, was friendly and helpful. The guide at Ait Ben Haddoubwas great. The team that lead the camels and camp were also amazing. The only downside is that you will eat lunch at restaurants set up by the tour and do not really have a choice about it. The cultural events are also a meaning to sell souvenirs. Otherwise, I would recommend. But it is a long trip so expect many hours on the bus.

Our driver Driss was...

Ella_K, Mar 2026

Our driver Driss was wonderful and made the experience truly inviting! The tour was fun and we made stops along the way for lunch, snacks, and the restroom. The desert camp itself was stunning and accommodating.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you so much for your lovely review! 😊 We’re very happy to hear that you had a great experience with Driss. He will be delighted to know that his kindness and professionalism made your trip even more enjoyable. It’s wonderful that you enjoyed the journey, the stops along the way, and especially the desert camp. We always try to make the experience comfortable, fun, and memorable for our guests. We hope to welcome you again in Morocco for another adventure!

Helpful Tips Before You Book

Emily_F, May 2025

Riding camels into the desert and sleeping at a desert camp was memorable, but there are a few practical things you should know in advance. First, bring plenty of water and your own snacks/meals. You're not given options on where to eat during the drive, including at Aït Benhaddou. If you want to tour the site, that costs extra. They will also push you to buy a traditional headscarf for the camel ride. It’s not required, no matter what they say, just part of the upsell. The camel ride is only 30 minutes, and you go during sunset/sunrise so not during the heat of the day. Also, everyone expects a tip. It’s understandable, they work in the tourism industry, but be aware and carry cash for the site tour and tipping. Food purchases can usually be made with a card. The camel ride is very uncomfortable. I didn’t mind, it felt like part of the experience, but some other travelers really struggled with it. Timing-wise, day one is long. You’ll wake up early for pickup and spend most of the day in the car, with a stop at Aït Benhaddou and more driving before arriving at the camels just before sunset. They do take lots of rest stops, which helps. On the way back, you'll be dropped off around 4 p.m. I went in spring, and the weather was mild and pleasant, though cold at night, so keep that in mind when packing (best to bring one small bag to camp on camels, leave large luggage in van). Overall, it’s a decent experience if you’re prepared, but don’t expect a luxury adventure.

A wonderful and unique...

Brian_S, May 2025

A wonderful and unique experience. The camel ride was certainly unusual and the camp was great. You could see the sunrise and sunset. An added retreat was a visit to the Kasbah where many well-known movies were filmed.

Its worth it but read reviews first so you can be prepared.

Rodolfo_M, Mar 2025

Long-short: we loved it and recommend it, but below please find some notes I consider important regarding our experience and the offered services (notes re-arranged in the order they happened to us): Type of Camp: Luxury Camp (maybe will not apply for other tours) Date: March 2025 Hotel pickup: Outside Medina. They say 7:20 a.m. but expect to be around 7:00 a.m. (the earlier you leave the better). This is the minivan you are driving the whole way up to Zagora, make sure to pick a nice spot (will go there at the end). Quick stop (NOT INCLUDED): store on the way for coffee/drinks, smoke and toilete. Stop at Aït Ben Haddou (TOUR NOT INCLUDED): Cost 30 MAD p/p. Beautiful Berber tribe World Heritage place. Famously known for their scenarios in movies. Lunch (NOT INCLUDED): Lunch on the way cost from 150 - 200 MAD per person including beverage (soda or water). Ours was a very good. Quick stop (NOT INCLUDED): get coffee/drinks, smoke and toilete. Camel ride in the sunset at Zagora (INCLUDED): you get to ride along witht your partner from the main road up to the camps (takes like 1.5 hrs). Our camel guide was Mr. Arigh and it made this tour worth every second. Snack with camel guide (INCLUDED): we stoped to see the sunset and had some datils, pitas and delicious snacks and sweets with Arigh (our camel guide). Arrive to the camp: You get a big tent with big bed, private bathroom, hot water shower and electricity. They provide you with towels, soap, toilet paper and tissues. Quick tea, snacks and sweets (INCLUDED): while dinner is ready, you go and sit in the tables with your camel guide, enjoy a delicious tea, sweets and seeds. 1 Dinner (INCLUDED): Lots of delicious food, bring your own water or beverages or buy from the staff (they DO NOT have change so make sure you bring plenty of 20 MAD) - coffee and tea for dinner have extra cost. Fire and sing (INCLUDED): get-together activity around the firepit to share with other visitors and camel guides. You end up heading to bed aroung 9:00 p.m. Overnight accommodation in berber camp (Tizi Camp or Similar) (INCLUDED). 1 Breakfast (INCLUDED): you get to have breakfast around 5:30 a.m. - 6:00 a.m. with delicious food, coffee and tea (all inclusive except water/sodas). Sunrise in Zagora (INCLUDED): you walk by your own to the top of the mountains (Less than 1 mile) to see sun rise which was expected at 6:30 a.m. Camel ride back to road to meet minivan (INCLUDED): after watching the sun rise, you go back to your tent and pick your staff to go back to road side on a camel ride. Quick stop (NOT INCLUDED): same place we took coffee for toilete, coffee/soda and snacks. Lunch (NOT INCLUDED): different restaurant on the road, decent food. Additional stops (INCLUDED): to see views or other points of interest. Hotel drop-off: Around 3:00 - 4:00 p.m., Medina hotels were dropped first. ADDITIONALS: - Keep comms with your tour operator via Viator and their WhatsApp. - Transport by air-conditioned minivan: 1) Eventhough operator tells you 7:20 a.m. pickup, try being earlier around 7:00 a.m. as they might probably be around and early pick up is better. 2) This will be your ride from the hotel up to the desert, make sure you get a nice comfy spot. 3) Around 6 - 7 hours ride, consider seats are not the most comfy ones, specially for tall guys like me. Reconsider if you have back problems, overweighted or others. 4) Minivan has A/C but its turned on only on certain tracks which for us loving A/C is hard to accomodate and you easily get car sick. 5) Driver is super responsible, speed limit driving and very friendly. Ours was Ibrahim. - Bottled water: camel back will do, and bring as many 20 MAD as you can so you won't get in trouble with change. - Most places accept CC nowadays but better be prepared. In short, it is a wonderful experience, all staff is super friendly but if you want to enjoy, get into their culture, if not, then don't waste time nor money. Just relax and enjoy!

Incredible experience

Tina_C, Feb 2025

My daughter and I had an incredible 2 day trip with this tour company. Laarbi our driver was super kind with WONDERFUL English. Be warned that motion sickness can be troubling for some on the journey through the mountains. Just take precautions and sit in the front. Laarbi was kind and supportive through our struggles. We absolutely loved the overnight with the Berbers, especially Ibrahim! The camel ride was an adventure but our favorite was dancing around the campfire to the Berber music serenade. Highly recommend!

Amazing driver Abdel

Kate_B, Feb 2025

I would definitely recommend this trip to everyone coming to Marrakesh. One of the highlights was our driver Abdel and the hospitality we received upon arriving to camp.

Driver Named Damou is Amazing!

Henry_G, Feb 2025

This was an amazing experience. Damou was an amazing driver and took very good care of us. He communicated well and was very personable. I distinctly remember him also letting my friends and I connect to the aux of the van and allowed us to play our music! This was a great experience and Damou enhanced every second!

The diver and the tour...

Sam_C, Feb 2025

The diver and the tour guide is so nice and knowledgeable. This trip is more than I expected! Love it.

Zagora desert tour

Rod_M, Jan 2025

Worth the trip, be aware communication isn't great regarding pick ups, organisation on picking everyone up is quite unorganised. Took far too long to actually get out of Marrakech which seemed to be info given to driver from booking co....I presume, most people were quite confused on what was happening with their pick up, including us. The late departure out of Marrakech made our visit to Berber village a bit rushed. Double confirm there is vegetarian food provided when it is asked for. A few people had requested this for dinner and none provided. They just had what we had less the chicken. Staff generally helpful. Make sure you take water and a head gear so you're not overcharged along the way. They insist you wear one on the camels.

Camel treck intensive

Lucas_S, Jan 2025

Great first dip into Sahara camel riding. It comes with visiting great places such as the Kasba used in 31 films. And Bedouins type encampment for the night. Excellent organisation, Omar an excellent driver, but you have to be prepared to spend 6+hours each daiy in minibus for 2x camel trek of less than an hr at the edge of the desert. Plus fab sunset and sunrise watching in that open space, warning :we were 2 x 70 yr olds who now have very sore bums due to chafing on the flat saddles.

Not a vast stretch of...

Ashok_K, Jan 2025

Not a vast stretch of sand dunes.But the scenes on the way from Marrakes is amazing.Mt.Atlus with snow clad peaks were seen many times.

Enjoyable evening, trip fell short due to lack of information provided

Stephen_T, Jan 2025

The guides and hosts at the camp were amazing. Good experience overall. Drive was extremely long for just 1 night and some of the stops felt very rushed. It was a little bit disorganised in the morning when getting picked up and it wasn’t clear who was going to be driving us and why we were driving around in circles for 20 minutes. The transport was fine, long windy roads and the a/c was not working in the van so it was quite hot. There were no explanations given by the tour guides on the way which would have been helpful especially as we were leaving Marrakesh and passing through the mountains. We did however have a few stops in some touristy places where some movies had been shot. The guides didn’t speak great English so it was difficult to understand what they were saying. We were also taken to the typical tourist traps for food where you overpaid for mediocre food. When we finally arrived we were taken in camel for a 1 hour walk to the camp. It is a little bit of a stretch to call it a desert camp as it is a short walk from road and not altogether remote by any means. I was however very fortunate to have a lovely guide yusef who walked with us on foot, guiding our camels to the camp and he was really nice and friendly. The camp was wonderfully decorated and we were treated really well. The food was delicious, the hosts were so nice and they played lovely music for us and we danced by the fire. The stars were also amazing. The beds were comfy and it wasn’t cold as they gave us plenty of spare blankets. We also rose for sunrise and it was spectacular. Also forgot to Mention that there were showers although not up to much as water was neither hot and had zero to no pressure. The fact that there were toilets and running water was fantastic. Overall the trip was enjoyable, although it definitely fell short in a lot of areas. My recommendation to the company would be to give more detail about the trip beforehand and during the tour, tell guests whether they need cash as atms are not always readily available, give guests options for food so they are not at the behest of the driver’s friends restaurant. Ensure vans have working a/c as it gets hot, I can only imagine what it would be like in summer. In summary 3/5. A fun trip overall but fell short in a lot of areas. Not that authentic really for a well versed traveler. If you want to get a little taste of what the desert is like and don’t mind a long drive you should try if. The drive is worth the experience in my opinion as it was an enjoyable evening. I just think it’s a shame as the whole experience could be crafted a little better.

Great time with the Berber people in the desert, but the communication with Marrakech Travel could have been better.

TraciAnne_W, Jan 2025

The excursion was good, but would have been excellent with a better description and communication from Marrakech Travel. I asked questions regarding pickup points and duration that were never answered. I arrived at the last pickup point provided and it was incorrect. If the correct pickup point was more than 5 minute walk, could have been late. Made for stressful morning and start to trip. I had previously asked about return time and was told 19:30 to 20:00. I had 22:00 international flight which caused me great concern. Follow up questions regarding earlier arrival were not answered until day of the return. I had several days of angst that were not necessary as we returned at 16:45. The stop at the 11th century village was fun, but very rushed. No time to interact with the merchants at all. The guide provided no information about the civilization except the fact it was from 11th century. Having said that, once we arrived with the Berbers and the camels and made our way to the Berber camp, we had fabulous time. They were all wonderful people and the evening was very enjoyable with lots of interaction and information about the culture. We really enjoyed that. Finally, on the 2 day excursion, you will spend 14 hours driving. It would have been helpful to know that up front and how the days would unfold. A 3 day excursion may have alleviated the travel weariness.

Desert adventure

Nawied_Z, Nov 2024

The trip was amazing and Hamid Made the drive very comfortable with stops at the most beautiful sceneries along the way!

My Experience of Zagora

Laurence_E, Nov 2024

The pros: eating well-cooked food (with good portions) in a relaxed environment/meeting local guides over tea/hearing traditional music being played live at the end of the night under the night sky/comfortable bedding which exceeded expectations/being free to climb a nearby hill (of around 40m) to see the sunrise/meeting others and sharing stories/passing through large swathes of the country with different (and memorable) landscapes and different cultures/stopping in some of these (Aït Ben Haddou, for example)/good organisation overall. Cons: one of the camels was very distressed, and a fellow traveller assured me the camels were unhealthy in general/a slight delay meant we missed the sunset time, but the cloud cover made both the sunset and sunrise disappointing (this cannot be controlled, of course).

Fab driver Hamid and Excellent Experience

agaskell23, Nov 2024

A really enjoyable experience I would highly recommend to anyone! Hamid our driver was super knowledgeable, allowed me with my limited mobility to sit in front with him for extra leg room. He made sure we all knew we could ask if any extra stops needed and was fab at pointing out sights along the way. Experience in the camp and camels was fab and star gazing was amazing. Definitely recommend 'Marrakech travel services', excellent communication on pick up via WhatsApp and even provided fresh juices. It is a long 2 days driving but Hamid and our tour group kept us all energised,fed and happy . Thankyou for a lovely experience!

Nice trip

sne_B, Nov 2024

The driver Abdel made us feel very safe in a rather crasy trafick. Nice camp and staff, toalets and shower. A bed and your own glamping-tent.

I have NEVER had so much...

Taylor_J, Oct 2024

I have NEVER had so much fun on a trip. the coolest thing ever, like for real if anyone reads this you need to book this trip. Like actually please book it I have never left a review on something it was awesome and SO WORTH

Our guide was Mohammed...

Keely_R, Oct 2024

Our guide was Mohammed Ben Haddou and he was awesome. He took us to all the best places and got us back in time for our flight. This trip was the best trip of my life. I would recommend a million times over

Perfect

Aidan_K, Oct 2024

Coolest experience ever. Riding the camels was so fun the camp was so nice and the workers were so cool and nice. Couldn’t have asked for anything more!!

Awesome adventure, highly recommend.

Atam_S, Oct 2024

Hamid was an awesome driver, kept us updated on travels times from place to place. He also stopped at wonderful view sites. He was very accommodating, had phone chargers and made sure we were all happy. Both guides at the desert and Ait Benhaddou were also great.

Desert tour

Jan_R, Sep 2024

Laarbi our driver was very polite and on time. The tour itself was absolutely worth it, to spend a night in the desert was magical.

A night in the desert

Helen_C, Aug 2024

The drive through the Atlas Mountains was spectacular and the visit to the Kasbah at Ait El Haidou was really interesting, with an excellent guide. Once we arrived at the destination on the outskirts of the desert, the camel ride in the sunset was so memorable. We loved relaxing on soft cushions at the camp, being served tea and then, after a really delicious meal, being entertained with live music, dancing and singing round the camp fire. The tents were very comfortable and we all slept well. There were lovely showers to clean away the desert dust in the evening. A short climb up a hill to watch the sunrise was also well worthwhile. It is a long drive to Zagora - about 6 hours each way plus stops. Although there are regular stops for toilets and refreshments, it wasn't very pleasant to be sitting on a minibus for so long, especially as the temperature was approaching 40 degrees and the air conditioning only seemed to work at the front of the minibus. I would have liked to have been made aware of the distance on booking. Lunches en route we're good but, again, it's good to be aware that we are expected to have the set menu at the stops, about 130 dirham on each day for a 3 course meal that we didn't particularly feel like in the heat. That said, the food was always good- traditional Moroccan food.

No aircon in a 50°C day !

Daniela_S, Jul 2024

We were 6 hours in a bus without air conditioned and it was 50° Celsius that day They sell the tour saying that all the bus/van will have aircon and that's not true!

Great desert experience

Jules_P, Jul 2024

The long road trip is tiring, but it is worth it. The camel ride is exciting. The sunset and sunrise is breath-taking. Sand dunes are amazing. The camp hosts are very friendly, accommodating and flexible to addressing your needs. Toilets in the campsite are clean. Foods being served are nice. Side trips like the Kasbahs in Ouarzazate and Ait Ben Haddou are also mind-blowing. Just bring plenty of water, if possible, use flask bottles to store ice for a long time to keep yourself hydrated and cool from summer heat. My only issue would be, to provide ventilation at night in the campsite because my wife has skin condition and it worsens with hot environment. It was a little bit uncomfortable for her to sleep. Overall, this two-day excursion is so enjoying.

BEST TOUR!!

Grace_C, May 2024

Wow! We could not recommend this tour more! This was one of the most fun experiences we have had. Firstly, all the accomodations/ traveling are so nice and comfortable. Our driver, Hamid, was awesome! We had an incredible guide in the Berber village, and our guides Hassan and Lassan in Zegora were just so much fun. The food is incredible and there are so many opportunities to purchase keepsakes. Overall, it is very well planned and coordinated, and beyond everything, everyone we encourted was simply beyond kind and hospitable.

Best Tour I’ve Ever Booked!!

At_B, May 2024

This was the best tour I have ever taken, period. Please immediately book this tour to have the time of your life!!! Abdo our driver and Muhammad from camp made the experience for us! You get it all from traditional Moroccan food, to sleeping under the stars in the Sahara and dancing to Amazigh music. Drive 9 hours from Marrakech to Zagora and make several interesting stops along the way. Seriously this felt like something out of a movie it was so cool. Camel ride into the desert + sandboarding!! Thank you to everyone who made this possible!! More than worth it, please book now!!

Immaculate vibes

Bogdan_V, Apr 2024

Was an excellente time - the driver was v efficient and ensured we make it everywhere on time, there was a good amount of stops with different sights and photo-ops, and the camp in the desert is a vibe, very welcoming, very wholesome. Look out for a camel called Hatoush, he’s a bit of a menace but lovely nonetheless.

nice adventure

ROBERTO_R, Apr 2024

it was great trip. met wonderful people who also joined the trip. my girls loved it. the only thing is we wish we would have arrived at the camp a bit earlier to appreciate it a bit more