Agafay Desert.
A different pace.

What Is There To Do In The Agafay Desert Of Marrakech?

You are free to spend your hours here as you see fit and determine whether an inclination for adventure or relaxation (or fine dining) is what you are after, or perhaps a combination of the three. The following are the simplest options for a first time in the area:

• An active off-road outing on a quad
• A buggy tour to share the driving
• A camel ride to take in the landscape at a leisurely pace
• A sunset dinner with its attendant music and atmosphere
• A lunch by the pool for a comfortable afternoon
• Combination tours for those wishing to pack in a number of activities

Agafay’s operators put on everything from an hour’s activity to extended packages with meals and entertainment to boot. The range is there, but it can be hard to know which tour to pick. A six-hour package with dinner and a one-hour quad session are both put forward as desert experiences, but they amount to very different days.

Which Agafay Desert Experience Is Right For You?

It is better to let what you want to do dictate the choice of package than to go for the one with the most inclusions.

Action calls for a quad or buggy. For something more sedate, a camel is the answer. Book dinner if that is what you are after, or a combination package to have a bit of everything. Daytime relaxation is best enjoyed with a lunch-and-pool package. And for a sunset, opt for an evening camp or a camel.

Such an approach spares you from putting money down on things that hold no appeal. One might wonder what the point is of putting in a six-hour day for an adventure when an hour on a quad bike will do. On the other hand, with but a single free afternoon to make of it in Marrakech, you are better off having an activity to go with your dinner and the sunset.

Agafay Desert Camel Rides

This is likely the most unhurried means of getting about. There is no rush, leaving time for photographs and to appreciate the landscape as it changes. The softer light of a late afternoon makes for a popular time to be out.

Riding time is generally in the region of 30 to 60 minutes, though one would be well advised to check before booking, as present-day Agafay packages differ in this. It is also a favorite with families and couples who are not looking for anything too physical. Should you wish to add a meal to the ride, that is possible too.

Agafay Desert Quad Biking

For a more vigorous option, there is the quad. On a quad ride, a guide will show you the way over the desert tracks. One- and two-hour rides are on offer, the former being a short and popular activity from Marrakech. A guide comes in useful for someone new to the area.

He will see to the safety rules and controls, leaving no question as to which way to go. Then there is the matter of the terrain in Agafay: rugged dry plains and low hills where one might expect dunes, making for a proper off-road experience.

Buggy Tours For Couples And Friends

A buggy is a sensible alternative if you prefer to have someone beside you. For a couple or some friends, it is the perfect vehicle, as it will accommodate two in most cases. There are times when it has the feel of a small off-roader. Some of the current operators have packages that see you on a buggy and then a camel or at dinner. If there is someone in the party not keen on driving a quad on his own, the buggy is more comfortable.

Agafay Desert Tours From Marrakech

Proximity to the city is a big part of Agafay’s appeal. Your tour operator will come to collect you at the hotel or riad, or some convenient point close by. Those in the Medina may find that the vehicle cannot get to the door and have to take a short walk to an accessible spot.

The drive will take some 30 to 45 minutes, more or less, as the traffic and your point of departure will dictate. One can easily have an afternoon in the desert to be had and see the sun go down and have dinner before making the return to Marrakech later on. There is no need for days of traveling about or a hotel switch to do it.

How Long Should You Stay?

There are no hard-and-fast rules. There is no problem making a short activity work when you are limited to a few hours. A half-day itinerary can be put together with room for an hour on a quad or buggy, for instance. Put in more time if you have your mind on dinner; the evening is generally taken up with the transfer and some form of activity or sunset viewing at the camp, then dinner and entertainment before one makes the return trip.

Then there is the full-day visit, which is the way to do several things at once or to spend some time at a desert pool. You will find Agafay itineraries of all sorts, from four-hour half-days to six- or eight-hour affairs.

But do not be swayed by the headline duration when you are looking at tours. Six hours does not equate to six hours in the saddle; part of that is eating, waiting, getting ready, and being transported from one thing to the next.

Things To Do In Agafay Desert With Limited Time

A one-hour ride on a quad or buggy is as good as any for a short visit to the Agafay Desert; it is an easy way to have an activity without giving up the whole afternoon. Should your Marrakech plans be full already, make it simple.

Or you could opt for a camel ride at sunset and have dinner after. It is a longer affair, but the two complement each other. If you have only a few hours in the day, resist the urge to put four or five activities in a package. Chances are, you will be moving between them more than you are having any fun. Better to do one thing well and at your own pace.

Agafay Desert Day Trip: Half-Day Or Full-Day?

One need not spend eight hours in the Agafay Desert on a day trip. A half-day is ample for an activity and still to see the sunset or have a meal. The full day is for those who want a pool, lunch, and more. For a couple, an afternoon on the buggies or camels and then dinner is enough of an evening. Families may prefer to come during the day, as the younger ones can wear out on a long evening excursion. In the end, the schedule you pick should allow for enjoyment, not for looking at your watch.

Is Agafay The Same As The Sahara?

One should be aware of this before making a booking, for it is not. The Agafay terrain is what it is: stony and rocky country, made up of open plateaus and arid hills. You will not find the sort of rolling dunes in Merzouga here. There is nothing wrong with that; it is what makes Agafay so convenient for those in Marrakech.

Presently, guides will tell you it is a rocky plateau, not a sand desert in the classic sense. So if you have visions of the Sahara’s vast dunes, this is not it. For a desert feel within easy reach of Marrakech, it is far more sensible.

Choosing An Agafay Desert Tour For Couples

You can have a full evening of it or keep it unadorned. A shared buggy is fine for something active to do as a pair. The camel is a slower proposition, affording time for conversation and photographs.

Some will combine a quad bike session with the camel and dinner for a more rounded experience; an hour of the former with the latter is common on combination tours. There is no call for the priciest package, just decide if you are after adventure or atmosphere.

Agafay Desert Activities For Families

Age restrictions are something to look into. On some of the more adventurous tours, children can be passengers with an adult, though the driving age is higher. A camel and dinner are perhaps less of a trial for families with young children. And for a group of mixed ages, a combination package can be had, provided the activities are right for all. One should ascertain whether the tour is to be a private affair or part of a group. There are differences among operators in this respect, and it has the potential to make for a quite different experience.

What To Wear And Bring

Safety equipment is provided by the operator. Closed shoes and something comfortable to wear for the quad or buggy. There is dust to be expected with a number of vehicles around. Put on some sunscreen before you depart Marrakech and take along sunglasses. A light jacket is in order if you are around for dinner; the desert has a way of cooling off once the sun is down.

Comfortable clothes are what matter for an evening tour. When one is to be on foot, strolling the camp or out in the open for some entertainment, it is wiser to have shoes suited to walking than anything of a merely decorative nature.

Before You Book: What To Look For

A good way to avoid disappointment as a traveler is to do your due diligence before paying for a tour. Make sure to verify such things as:

• The length of the activity
• If you are being picked up in Marrakech
• Private or shared transport and quad/buggy
• Any minimum age to drive
• Provision of safety gear
• What is covered in terms of meals (lunch or dinner) and drinks
• Entertainment on offer
• Your time of return to Marrakech

Then there is the matter of the word “tour,” which can mean quite different things from one package to the next: an hour on a quad in one case, a more abbreviated ride with your dinner in another. The title of the tour is not as telling as a close reading of the itinerary.

Agafay Desert Morocco: Why Go?

Convenience is the draw here, but of a kind that still allows you to put some distance between yourself and the city. One can be in Marrakech in the morning and by the afternoon be in the rocky desert for a camel or quad, to see how the light plays on the hills, and have an evening at dinner before heading back.

The landscape is nothing like the city with its traffic and the crowds and souks you find at every turn; in Agafay, there is open ground and dry hills with room to look around. A hard combination to pass up if one’s time in Morocco is short.

Making Plans For Agafay

It is better to consider what sort of experience is wanted than to go about checking off a list. An afternoon with a pool or on a camel will be less hurried. For adventure, a buggy or quad is the way to go. To make it a full experience, pair an activity with your meal. And a shorter package is no cause for regret when you are short on hours; being so near to Marrakech, Agafay affords a change of scene for part of the day, even in brief measure.

One is not to find the most rewarding of trips in those that are the busiest, as a rule. Rather, it is the kind of trip that affords the opportunity to absorb what one has made the journey for. In the final analysis, that is where the reward lies.

Frequently asked questions