2 day desert safari in zagora
Live like a Berber on a 2-day, 1-night desert safari to Zagora and the Draa Valley from Marrakech. Ride a camel over shifting sand dunes, sleep under starry skies, and follow in the footsteps of Hollywood stars on a visit to the World Heritage-listed village of Ait Ben Haddou.
Day 1: Marrakech – Zagora (7 hours drive)
After an early morning pickup from your Marrakech hotel or riad, drive through the High Atlas Mountains to Ouarzazate and enjoy free time for lunch. Continue to the oasis of Agdz, cross the Draa Valley and admire the palms and palm trees. Also watch out for fortified reeds along the way. Join the camel caravan in Zagora and enjoy a 1-hour camel ride over the sand dunes. Watch the sunset over the desert dunes and disappear into the horizon. Reach your camp in the Sahara Desert as night falls. Settle into your own tent and enjoy some free time to explore the desert. Enjoy your dinner under the stars and let your nomadic hosts entertain you around the campfire to the perfect perfect beat.
Day 2: Zagora – Marrakech (7 hours drive)
Wake up early in the morning and enjoy the magic of the desert sunrise (if you wish). Then have breakfast and hop back on your camel to the main road. Then take your minibus and enjoy a scenic drive to Aït-ben-Haddou, a World Heritage listed village. Discover this place where many Hollywood epics have been filmed and explore this place which also serves as the backdrop for photo shoots by international agencies and magazines. Explore the Kasbah at your own pace, enjoy some free time for lunch, and set off on a scenic drive to Marrakech with a return flight scheduled around 6:00 PM.
highlights:
- Drive through the highest road of Tichka pass 2260 M
- Explore the world heritage Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou
- Meet the locals and discover their culture
- Experience a camel ride and enjoy a nigh in berber tent in desert camp
- Enjoy the beautiful sahara landscapes in zagora desert
- Enjoy beautiful landscapes of Draa palm groves
- Discover the film studios and Kasbah Taourirte in ouarzazate
- Explore the hidden berber villages in the high atlas mountains
What's included:
- Pick-up and drop-off at hotels in Marrakech
- Transport by air-conditioned minibus (17 passengers maximum) English and french speaking driver
- Camel ride on Zagora dunes at sunset and sunrise
- Standard accommodation in a Berber camp in the desert with hot showers and toilets outside your private tent
- Dinner and breakfast included at the camp
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The distance between Marrakech and Zagora is 355 Km (220 Miles). It takes about 7 hours to drive from Marrakech to Zagora via the High Atlas Mountains, Ouarzazate, and Agdz Village. It will take more time if you include sightseeing stops and lunch and coffee breaks.
There are barely any sand dunes in the Zagora Desert. Only next to the comfortable camp is there one small sand dune. Mainly Zagora is a flat rock desert.
Yes, tents in Zagora desert camp are private.
There are shared showers and toilets outside your tent in the comfortable camp.
We highly recommend bringing your shower condiments and towels for both nights.
Yes, you can; it will be kept safe in the van while camping. However, please prepare your small backpack to take on the camel ride to the zagora desert camp.
There will be electric outlets in your Zagora camp restaurant. However, they shut the electric generators around midnight.
If you opt for the comfortable desert camp, bathrooms are shared. However, if you choose to upgrade to the luxury camp, bathrooms are located inside your tent.
Unfortunately there is no quad biking operator in Zagora desert.
Your camel ride in the Zagora desert will consist of a one-hour sunset camel ride and roughly 40 minutes sunrise camel ride in the morning. Time depends on the season, sunset, and sunrise time.
Be sure to wear full and lose clothes on your camel ride specially in desert. If you want to wear shorts, long shorts are recommended. Hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and comfortable shoes are also advised to make your camel ride more comfortable.
Usually one adult and a child can ride a camel comfortably. BUT, in rare occasions, two adults can ride a camel at a time, depending on their gross weight. A normal adult camel can carry 150Kg (330lbs) comfortably.
Camels are social and usually do not attack humans. You can ride on it without any fear. But if you force it to do something then it can retaliate and can cause you harm.
Arabian camels can carry up to 120 kilos and travel up to 40 km a day without water or food.
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