On Saturday 27 June 2026, we went on a day trip from Marrakech. First, we were introduced to an association selling local products, then we headed to the Agafay desert, some thirty kilometres by road south-west of the city. We spent the evening there: a camel ride, a quad bike tour facing the setting sun and dinner on site.
- Where
- Marrakech, Morocco
- When
- Visited in June 2026
- On the programme
- 8 stops
- Updated
- 7 October 2026
First, an association selling local products
During the trip, we were introduced to an association selling local products: honey, but also remedies and creams. Then, off to the Agafay desert.
Agafay, a stony desert
- Place
- Agafay desert · Open in Maps
Late in the day, we arrived in the Agafay desert. No dunes here: Agafay is a stony desert, with bare hills, ravines and clumps of shrubs.
On camelback
By 18:53, we were already on camelback. From the saddle, you mostly see the animal's head, the track and, in the distance, the hills in the haze.
Our shadows on the track
The sun was already low: on the stony ground, our shadows and those of the camels stretched out a long way. Ahead of us, the rest of the caravan was moving up the slope in single file.
The evening caravans
Other camel caravans were crossing the plain in the dust, at the foot of the hills; in another line, the riders wore chèches, the long desert headscarves.
By quad bike, facing the setting sun
An hour later, at around 20:00, we were riding a quad bike along a wide track, behind two other quads, facing the sinking sun.
Sunset over the hills
At the viewpoint, a tent and a pole with a red pennant stood at the edge of a flat clearing facing the hills. At around 20:25, we watched the sun go down towards the horizon, above the already dark hills.
Dinner on site
We spent the evening there, until dinner, served on site.
There is also a pool, but it's a daytime activity, offered at extra cost (about €10 to €15, from memory): we didn't do it. To make the most of it, we think you need to be there during the day.
A day trip from Marrakech and an evening in the Agafay desert, with a camel ride, a quad bike, a sunset and dinner on site. No sand dunes here, but a desert of stones and hills, 30 to 40 km by road from the city.
Our tips before you go
- Agafay is a stony desert, with no sand dunes; allow 30 to 40 km by road from Marrakech.
- At the end of June, the sun sets at around 20:40 in Marrakech: for Agafay, set off in the late afternoon.
- The pool is a daytime activity, at extra cost (about €10 to €15, from memory): to enjoy it, it's best to arrive during the day.
- If your phone stays on French time, your photos will be an hour ahead: Morocco was on UTC+1 in June 2026, France on UTC+2.
