Trip overview
Two days by private car from Marrakech to the Draa Valley: Aït Ben Haddou, palm groves, a sunset camel ride and a night at a camp by the Zagora dunes, which are small.
- Duration2 days / 1 night
- Starts inMarrakech
- GroupPrivate · 1–16 people
- DifficultyEasy
- LanguageEspañol
- DeparturesDaily departures all year round
Highlights
- Tizi n'Tichka pass in the High Atlas
- Walk through the ksar of Aït Ben Haddou
- The Draa Valley and its riverside palm grove
- Sunset camel ride to the camp
- Night in a tent with dinner and a fire
- Sunrise from a dune
- Private car with a Spanish-speaking driver
- Duration
- 2 days, 1 night
- Driving
- ≈ 15 h in total
- Accommodation
- Tent in a fixed camp
- Camel
- Out and back
What the Zagora dunes are like
They're small. Around the town it's mostly stony plain, with palm groves and sand mounds a few dozen metres high. Zagora makes sense if you only have two days and want to sleep in a tent and ride a camel, or if the Draa Valley is what draws you. With three days or more, choose Merzouga; we explain why in Merzouga or Zagora.
Driving hours and the night
About 360 kilometres each way, always over the Tizi n'Tichka.
Marrakech – Zagora
The Tichka, an hour at the ksar of Aït Ben Haddou and almost 100 kilometres alongside the palm grove from Agdz. Camel ride at sunset to the camp.
Zagora – Marrakech
Sunrise on the dune, breakfast and back along the same road. You arrive between 18:30 and 19:30.
When to go
- October – AprilGood timePleasant days; a good time for the camel ride and the camp.
- December – JanuaryMixedVery cold nights, though the tents have thick blankets.
- June – AugustBest avoidedOver 40 °C in the afternoon in the Draa Valley.
Before you book
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Marrakech – Tizi n'Tichka – Aït Ben Haddou – Draa Valley – Zagora
We leave your riad or hotel in Marrakech at around 7:00 and climb into the High Atlas, stopping once for coffee and again at the Tizi n'Tichka pass. By mid-morning we reach Aït Ben Haddou, where you have an hour to cross the river and walk up through the ksar to the granary.
We have lunch in Ouarzazate or on the way and carry on towards Agdz. From there the road runs right alongside the Draa palm grove, with mud-brick kasbahs on both sides. We reach Zagora at around 17:00. You leave your suitcase in the car, get on a camel and in about 40 minutes you're at the camp. Dinner, tea by the fire and a night in a tent. In winter the night is cold, so pack an extra layer in your backpack.
Day 2: Sunrise in the dunes – Agdz – Ouarzazate – Marrakech
If you want to see the sun come up, climb the nearest dune before breakfast; the camp will tell you what time. Then you ride the camel back to the car, where the driver is waiting.
We head north up the Draa Valley. In Agdz we stop at a viewpoint over the palm grove, or at a kasbah if we didn't get to it the day before. We have lunch in Ouarzazate and cross the Tichka again; from this side the climb is gentler, but the descent towards Marrakech has lots of bends. We get to your accommodation between 18:30 and 19:30, depending on stops and the traffic coming into the city. It's almost a full day in the car.
What's included
Included (6)
- Pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation in Marrakech
- Private air-conditioned car with a Spanish-speaking driver
- Fuel
- Camel ride to and from the camp
- Night at the camp with dinner and breakfast
- Bottled water in the car
Not included (5)
- Lunches
- Drinks at the camp
- Local guide in Aït Ben Haddou (optional, paid there)
- Tips (optional)
- Travel insurance
Important information (5)
- The Zagora dunes are small; if you're after big dunes, choose Merzouga with at least three days.
- It's about 15 hours in the car over the two days.
- Pack a backpack with what you need for the night; large luggage doesn't go on the camel and waits in the car.
- From November to February the nights are very cold, and in summer the afternoon heat is intense.
- Phone signal at the camp is patchy and there isn't always a socket in the tent; charge your phone beforehand.
Prices per person
The vehicle and driver are paid per day and shared between the travellers, so the price per person goes down the more of you there are. Accommodation is charged per person per night (1 night).
| Travellers | Standard | Superior |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | €420 | €465 |
| 2 people | €230 | €275 |
| 3 people | €167 | €212 |
| 4 people | €135 | €180 |
| 5 people | €116 | €161 |
| 6 people | €103 | €148 |
- Standard: Comfortable hotels and riads, standard desert camp
- Superior: More characterful accommodation and a superior desert camp
- Children aged 3 to 11: 3% less than an adult.
- Groups of more than 7 people travel in two vehicles. The booking calculator takes this into account.
Payment and cancellation
You pay a 15% deposit when you book. The rest is paid on the first day of the trip, in cash or by bank transfer. You can also pay it by PayPal or card, with a 5% surcharge.
Private: free up to 48 hours before the start. If you cancel in time, we refund the full deposit.
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Leave a reviewFrequently asked questions
Are the Zagora dunes like the ones in Merzouga?
No. Around Zagora the landscape is mostly stony plain, with palm groves and patches of low dunes. They're fine for the camel ride, sunset photos and a quiet night in a tent, but they don't have the height or the extent of the Erg Chebbi. If what matters to you is the picture of big dunes, Merzouga is the better choice, with a minimum of three days.
Why can't you go to Merzouga in two days?
Merzouga is about 550 kilometres from Marrakech, 9 to 10 hours on the road. Going there and back in two days would mean spending almost all your time in the car and reaching the dunes after dark. Zagora is closer, about 360 kilometres, and it's the desert with dunes that you can do in two days with some breathing room.
Can you do it with children?
Yes, but think about the hours in the car: about 8 on the first day and 7 on the second. We stop often, and children usually like the camel and the camp. If yours get tired of the car quickly, an afternoon in the Agafay desert, less than an hour from Marrakech, might suit you better.
What is the camp like?
It's a fixed camp of tents at the foot of the dunes, a few kilometres from Zagora. In Standard the tent has proper beds and the bathrooms with showers are shared. In Superior and Luxury each tent has its own bathroom. All three have dinner, tea and a fire at night if the weather allows. If you ask, we'll send you photos before you book.
When is the best time to go to Zagora?
From October to April daytime temperatures are pleasant. In December and January the nights are cold, although the camps provide thick blankets. From June to August the Draa Valley often goes over 40 °C in the afternoon and the camel ride is far less enjoyable; if you go in summer, we set off even earlier.
