2 Days Marrakech Desert Tour to Zagora Desert

This isn’t just a quick escape from the city, it’s a Marrakech Desert Tour built to steal two days from your calendar and feel like a full break.

The desert you can actually fit into a weekend

Not everyone has three or four days to disappear. This Marrakech Desert Tour gets you over the High Atlas, through Ait Benhaddou and into the Zagora Desert in just one night away, with real camel trekking, a campfire and a sky full of stars, not just a quick photo stop.

Maximum scenery, minimum time

In 48 hours you tick off mountain passes, Berber villages, the palm-filled Draa Valley and the Zagora Desert without feeling like you’ve spent the entire time glued to a bus seat. The route is packed, but the pacing still leaves room for tea, photos and wandering.

A first taste of Sahara life

You get the essentials of a Marrakech Desert Tour: sunset and sunrise camel rides, a Berber-style camp, traditional dinner, drumming around the fire and that strange, addictive desert silence. It’s a perfect “first Sahara” if you’re not ready (or don’t have time) for the deeper dunes of Merzouga.

Short on days, not on experience

Because the Zagora Desert is closer to Marrakech, less time is spent reaching it and more time is spent actually being there. Two days later you’re back in the city with sand in your shoes, new photos, and the feeling you’ve squeezed a full adventure into a tiny window.

The ideal add-on to any Marrakech stay

This Marrakech Desert Tour plugs neatly into almost any itinerary, arrive in the city, do your souks and rooftop cafés, then vanish into the desert for a night and come back just in time for your next plan. No flights, no complex planning, just a clean, simple desert detour.

This 2-day Marrakech Desert Tour stitches together city chaos, mountain passes, palm valleys and the wide-open Zagora Desert into one tight loop.

Marrakech – where the escape starts

Your Marrakech Desert Tour kicks off in the red city: busy souks, rooftop cafés, honking scooters and lantern-lit alleys. Leaving Marrakech at sunrise and watching the noise fade in the rear-view mirror is the first hint you’re actually going somewhere completely different.

High Atlas Mountains & Tizi n’Tichka Pass

Once you roll out of town, the road starts climbing into the High Atlas Mountains, twisting past tiny Berber villages and terraced hillsides. The Tizi n’Tichka pass brings big views, photo stops and that “okay, this is not just a day trip” feeling, an essential chapter in any real Marrakech Desert Tour.

Ait Benhaddou – the mud-brick fortress

Next up is Ait Benhaddou, the UNESCO-listed ksar you’ve seen in more films and series than you realise. Mud-brick houses stacked on a hill, narrow alleys, and a ridge-top view that makes the climb worth it. It’s half movie set, half living village, and a classic stop on the way to the Zagora Desert.

Draa Valley – ribbon of palms in the south

South of Ouarzazate, the landscape softens into the Draa Valley, a long strip of palm groves, fields and old kasbahs hugging the river. Clay villages, date palms and distant mountains give this stretch a slower, almost timeless feel, and it’s here your Marrakech Desert Tour really starts to feel like the south.

Zagora Desert – first steps into the Sahara

Finally you reach the Zagora Desert, a rocky, open desert dotted with low dunes and big horizons. It’s not the towering sand seas of Merzouga, but it has its own quiet charm: sunset camel rides, warm evening light and nothing blocking your view of the sky. This is where you trade city noise for campfire drums, simple tents and a night under the stars – the heart of your short but very real Marrakech Desert Tour.

Reviews

Nicolas, France

Written 03/12/2025 12:00 am

Good organisation, no stress. They picked us up on time, plenty of breaks on the road, and we never felt rushed at the stops. The camp in the Zagora Desert is basic but has everything you need. For a quick desert experience, it’s perfect.

Julie, France

This was exactly what we wanted: out of the city for a short time, see the mountains and spend a night in the desert. Nothing luxury, but comfortable and genuine. Watching the sunrise from the camel the next morning was a really special moment.

Samantha, USA

Written 05/12/2025 12:00 am

I went on my own and never felt weird or unsafe. The group was small and friendly, and the guide always checked everyone was okay. It’s only two days but it feels like you’ve been on a proper adventure when you get back to Marrakech.

Harry, UK

Written 06/12/2025 12:00 am

Great little introduction to the desert. If you don’t have time for Merzouga, this is a good compromise. Ait Benhaddou was cooler than I expected and the Draa Valley is beautiful. It is a lot of driving, but you see loads on the way.

Chloe, UK

Written 07/12/2025 12:00 am

We only had one free weekend in Marrakech and this fit perfectly. The van was comfy, our driver was really chilled, and the camp was simple but clean. Loved sitting around the fire listening to music after dinner. Would happily do it again.

Diego, Spain

Written 09/12/2025 12:00 am

Two pretty full days but totally manageable. You spend a lot of time in the van, but they stop often and the views are worth it. For the price and the time we had, this Marrakech desert tour to Zagora was a great choice.

Lucia, Spain

Loved it. The drive through the Draa Valley is beautiful and the colours at sunset are crazy. The camp team were super kind and the dinner was actually very good. Just don’t expect hotel-level bathrooms and you’ll be happy.

Tom, UK

Written 10/12/2025 12:00 am

Honestly didn’t expect much from a 2-day tour, but it was brilliant. Long drive, yes, but the stops along the way and the night in the Zagora desert made it 100% worth it. The sunset on the camel and the stars at night were insane.

Brian, USA

Written 11/12/2025 12:00 am

Really solid tour for the price. Our guide kept us entertained the whole time and answered a ton of questions. The camel ride was a bit awkward at first but after a few minutes it was fun. Bring a hoodie – it gets colder than you think at night.

Emily, USA

Written 13/12/2025 12:00 am

I booked this last minute and it ended up being my favourite part of the trip. Everything was organised, pick up, stops, meals, I didn’t have to think about anything. Camp had proper beds, good food, and the quiet in the desert at night is unreal.