2-Day Zagora Desert Tour from Marrakech

The 2-Day Zagora Desert Tour from Marrakech is designed for travellers with limited time who still want a camel ride and a night under the desert stars, with Aït Benhaddou and the Draa Valley on the way. It includes hotel pickup, a desert camp night with dinner and breakfast and starts from €85 per person in a small group, or as a private tour.

The shortest real desert trip from Marrakech

Zagora lies about 360 km south-east of Marrakech, around seven hours' drive including stops, compared with around ten for Merzouga. That makes it possible to reach the desert, sleep in a camp and return in two days without an extra night on the road. The dunes here are smaller and scattered rather than a single towering erg, but the atmosphere of the camp, the silence and the night sky are very much the Sahara experience.

What you see on the way

• Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 m, crossing the High Atlas
• Aït Benhaddou, the UNESCO-listed earthen ksar used in Gladiator and Game of Thrones
• Ouarzazate, the gateway to the south
• Tizi n'Tinifift pass and the town of Agdz
• The Draa Valley, Morocco's longest river valley, lined with date palms and mud-brick kasbahs for more than 100 km

Camel ride and camp

In the late afternoon you swap the vehicle for a camel and ride for about one hour to the camp as the sun sets. The camp has Berber-style tents with beds and blankets, a dinner of soup, salads and tagine, and usually music around the fire. In the morning, you ride back after sunrise and have breakfast before the return drive.

Zagora or Merzouga?

Choose Zagora if you have only two days, travel with young children or prefer less time in the vehicle. Choose Merzouga if seeing the high Erg Chebbi dunes is your priority and you can give it three days. Our comparison of Zagora vs Merzouga sets out the differences, and the guide to the best time to visit the Sahara in Morocco helps you pick the right month.

Honest expectations

Two days means about 7 hours of driving each day, with regular stops for photos, coffee and lunch. The Zagora dunes are modest in height; the landscape's appeal lies in the palm groves, kasbahs and wide desert horizons. Autumn and spring are the most comfortable seasons, while desert nights between December and February can be close to freezing, so warm clothes are essential.