2 Days 1 Night To Zagora Desert From Marrakech
Overview
the 2 days trip to the zagora desert is ideal especially for tourists who stay in Marrakech for a short time, it will allow you to discover an authentic and diverse Morocco rich in culture and geography totally contradictory from your departure from Marrakech to your arrival in the desert of Zagora, while admiring the magic and height of the high Atlas mountains and the only one in its kind such as anti Atlas and the splendor of the oasis of DRAA.
Inclusions
- Overnight accommodation in a Tent in the desert
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Transport by air-conditioned minivan
- 30-40 minute camel ride from the Bus to the Camp (1 st day at the sunset)
- Accommodation included: 1 night
- 1x Dinner
- 1x Breakfast
What to expect
Itinerary
Day 1: Marrakech to Zagora
Stop At: Jemaa el-Fnaa, 38 Jemaa el-Fna, Rue El Ksour, Marrakech Morocco
we start our trip from the famouse place Jemaa Lefna in center of Marrakech, Crossed the highest Atlas Through pass (Tizi N Tichka) from an altitude of 2260 m.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou, Ait Ben Haddou 45122 Morocco
so we will visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site
Ait Benhaddou /
Official name Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou is located in south of Morocco, It is an ighrem (fortified village in English) (ksar in Arabic), along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech in present-day Morocco. Most citizens attracted by the tourist trade live in more modern dwellings in a village on the other side of the river, although there are four families still living in the ancient village. Inside the walls of the ksar are half a dozen (Kasbahs) or merchants houses and other individual dwellings, and is a great example of Moroccan earthen clay architecture.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Pass By: Anti-Atlas Mountains, Agadir Morocco
Pass trough the Ait Saouen Col in anti atlas
Pass By: Draa Valley, Zagora 45600 Morocco
Crossed by the Draa valley, where there is more than 2 million palms along the draa river which stretches for a length to Senegal to the south.
Meals included:
•
Accommodation included: Overnight in a tent in the desert
Day 2: Zagora to Marrakech
Stop At: Kasbah Zitoune, Ouarzazate 45000, Morocco
optional visit of the old district of Ouarzazat located behind the kasbah of Taourirt
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Meals included:
•
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 1: Marrakech to Zagora
Stop At: Jemaa el-Fnaa, 38 Jemaa el-Fna, Rue El Ksour, Marrakech Morocco
we start our trip from the famouse place Jemaa Lefna in center of Marrakech, Crossed the highest Atlas Through pass (Tizi N Tichka) from an altitude of 2260 m.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou, Ait Ben Haddou 45122 Morocco
so we will visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site
Ait Benhaddou /
Official name Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou is located in south of Morocco, It is an ighrem (fortified village in English) (ksar in Arabic), along the former caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech in present-day Morocco. Most citizens attracted by the tourist trade live in more modern dwellings in a village on the other side of the river, although there are four families still living in the ancient village. Inside the walls of the ksar are half a dozen (Kasbahs) or merchants houses and other individual dwellings, and is a great example of Moroccan earthen clay architecture.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Pass By: Anti-Atlas Mountains, Agadir Morocco
Pass trough the Ait Saouen Col in anti atlas
Pass By: Draa Valley, Zagora 45600 Morocco
Crossed by the Draa valley, where there is more than 2 million palms along the draa river which stretches for a length to Senegal to the south.
Meals included:
•
Accommodation included: Overnight in a tent in the desert
Day 2: Zagora to Marrakech
Stop At: Kasbah Zitoune, Ouarzazate 45000, Morocco
optional visit of the old district of Ouarzazat located behind the kasbah of Taourirt
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Meals included:
•
No accommodation included on this day.
Additional information
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Infant seats available
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Stroller accessible
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if the meteorological conditions do not allow it
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 17 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
AlexanderDecommere
September 2019
I must say that I'm not very pleased with this organized trip, especially in the way it tries to trick and fool the unknowing tourist. First of all, the trip looks NOTHING like the advertised photo above. Yes, you're on a dromedary (the saddle severely damaged my poor behind), but the landscape ...
I must say that I'm not very pleased with this organized trip, especially in the way it tries to trick and fool the unknowing tourist. First of all, the trip looks NOTHING like the advertised photo above. Yes, you're on a dromedary (the saddle severely damaged my poor behind), but the landscape is no sandy Sahara dunes AT ALL. It's more like a rough, flat, rocky terrain easily accessible by car and cornered by roads in the distance, so never you feel like you're in a desert. You can see the tent camp from miles away. Sure, you're surrounded by mountains at the horizon and sand (and dromedary poop and plastic pollution) and as soon as it's dark, everything looks 'deserted', but there's always this notion of 'civilization is right there'. So that was a disappointment. Second, the (long) drive to the desert and back is interrupted several times by intermediate stops at places where the trip organizer has 'a deal' with the locals to rip off tourists for their money. One particular stop had the guide 'included' and this man showed us around in a rural village where everything was muddy and under construction, just to visit the local pharmacist, who sells all the same spices and creams and oils you can find way cheaper in any Marrakech marketplace. "Does anybody want to buy something?" None of our group did. Next, this guide took us to an 'original' Berber house where the women make carpets from cactus or dromedary fur. Of course, such a handmade work of labour is beautiful and very expensive (between € 120 and € 320) so again, nobody buys a carpet. We were told by our driver that after this guide tour, we would drive another hour to a place to have lunch. But after both visits with this guide where nobody bought anything, all of a sudden we get the news there's a 'problem' with our van and we need to eat around the corner — in a restaurant where a chicken tagine costs 90 dirham. We paid € 35 dirham for the same meal in Marrakech center! So just because we're tourists and we don't buy anything on this 'included' guide through construction and mud, we are forced to have an expensive lunch. My girl was stubborn (and wise) enough to not accept the lunch and we had cookies and coke outside the restaurant instead. The others did have the lunch and they all complained the food wasn't tasty at all, that we were the smart ones to have bailed on the forced lunch. Good for us, but come on. Not cool at all. When we confronted the driver about his van's 'problem', he first asked "What problem?" and then realised the scam and he played along quickly, mentioning something about his van that had to be replaced or something. He didn't look us in the eye, that's for sure. Not cool. So these stops are pretty exhausting and boring and just made to rip you off. Third, the dromedary guides are clearly not very happy with their jobs - or with the tourists. Well, all they do is just literally put you on the dromedary, walk you to the tent camp through some rough terrain (and a lot of empty plastic bottles), take some photos on the way (that's nice), get you off the dromedary, put you in tents and then offer you an exquisite included tagine dinner - all while either being on their phones or just ignoring us completely. Then they play some music for us and invite everyone to dance along. It's all very forced, they *have* to do it. They're not enjoying it much and we are also kind of feeling weird about it. It would be nicer to just socialize in a natural way, but everything feels just 'programmed'. Of course they want big tips in the end ("You can now tip me 100 or 200 dirham"), but what for exactly? For taking our photo? We got no information on the area we were staying in, no tips or do's and don'ts on the dromedary ride or animal treatment, no warnings about possible lethal scorpions (which we found at our tent entrance — they killed it for us) and overall no friendly attitude from any of the guides. But yes, we did see some spectacular starry skies and even a very long lasting shooting star burning up right in front of us (despite the clouds and the rain). That, we will never forget. And the scorpion. Did I mention the scorpion? What Morocco Desert Fun Trip should do is skip all the intermediate stops where they force you to spend your dirhams on expensive food, corrupted guides and the same old souvenir shops you find in Marrakech, and just get to the desert straight away, deeper into the desert, further away from civilization and get on the dromedary only there, to then go even deeper into a real desert. Maybe then it would really be a night in the desert — isn't that what we signed up and paid for? I give it 2/5 — For the sunset and sunrise, the beautiful landscapes, the great tagine dinner, the scorpion, the amazing shooting star and the severe pain in my butt for weeks to come. And to anyone who says that WE were the naive ones to believe that you can visit a real Moroccan desert in one night, I say, "Thanks, now we know. And hopefully everyone that comes after us will read this review, so they don't have to make this naive mistake like we did."Tecde
September 2019
just to ride camel for 30 min. travelled 12 hours with bus and 12 hours back. if you are young group its fine for fun other way just wasting time. in breakfast just bread butter & jam. nothing else. roads up down the mountains may make you sick too.
just to ride camel for 30 min. travelled 12 hours with bus and 12 hours back. if you are young group its fine for fun other way just wasting time. in breakfast just bread butter & jam. nothing else. roads up down the mountains may make you sick too.putikdamarafina
September 2019
Overall good, nice experience. But the stops during car ride were kinda boring and unnecessary. One guide was very rude to my mom. But the music and camel ride were pretty good
Overall good, nice experience. But the stops during car ride were kinda boring and unnecessary. One guide was very rude to my mom. But the music and camel ride were pretty goodZaraH1011
August 2019
Absolutely amazing experience! We actually cant fault it, everyone was friendly, camel ride was amazing, food was amazing, Tents we stayed in were comfortable, entertainment was really good. Only thing i can say for a little tip for anyone who does this trip, make sure you bring enough money, as ...
Absolutely amazing experience! We actually cant fault it, everyone was friendly, camel ride was amazing, food was amazing, Tents we stayed in were comfortable, entertainment was really good. Only thing i can say for a little tip for anyone who does this trip, make sure you bring enough money, as on toilets breaks they charge like 5dh or 10dh to use the toilets, the tour you do on the way to zagora, is really good but costs 30dh each plus you are required to leave them a tip (the money goes towards the village) the tour is about 45 mins long, then you have lunch. Food was spot on! Honestly if you are having second thoughts about doing this trip, DO IT!!! riding on a camel during sunset and sunrise is just wow! Then sitting under the stars in the middle of a desert is again just WOW!! Make sure you bring comfortable clothing & plenty of fluids and maybe some snacks! But please do this trip!!Y7629CPannac
February 2020
It was amazing to go through the Atlas Mountains to the desert The tour was good, driver was friendly, camp was lovely, we enjoyed this experience and we recommended this guys very well to all friends and new customers We did experience more than excursion, we are satisfied Thank you
It was amazing to go through the Atlas Mountains to the desert The tour was good, driver was friendly, camp was lovely, we enjoyed this experience and we recommended this guys very well to all friends and new customers We did experience more than excursion, we are satisfied Thank youOctavian V
February 2020
We booked a night in the desert as it was amongst the main attraictions for us in Morocco. It wasn’t very expensive, and the offered services were way above any expectations. The only “downs” were the very long rides by car from Marrakech to Zagora. But despite the fact that we were travelling ...
We booked a night in the desert as it was amongst the main attraictions for us in Morocco. It wasn’t very expensive, and the offered services were way above any expectations. The only “downs” were the very long rides by car from Marrakech to Zagora. But despite the fact that we were travelling by car for about 8-9 hrs, by the time you arrive to Zagora desert, everything changes and you forget about that. Our driver introduced us to our “desert guide and then, Hassan, the guide introduced us to the... CAMELS! It was a 45 minutes rides with the camels, with the sunset in front of us. So beautiful! Once arrived to the camp, Hassan gave us some cookies and a cup of traditional moroccan mint tea, served by the book. The private tent was very big and clean and the bed was aswell, big and very comfortable. We had dinner ( traditional soup, tajin and fruits) and then, they organized a fire in the middle of the camp and they sang berber music. It was amazing, everything from the weather outside to the joy they brought to us. The next day, we had breakfast (a lot of traditional food, and coffee, milk, tea) and then we left (sadly) after the sun rise, that was also stunning, seen from between the mountains. After another 7-8 hours in the car, we arrived back in Marrakech. All in all, it was a very beautiful experience that we warmly recommend!