Discover the breathtaking beauty of the desert and the majestic Atlas Mountains on this two-day Zagora adventure. Beginning in bustling Marrakech, a labyrinthine city brimming with market vendors, you’ll tour through the Zagora desert, stopping along the way to visit a UNESCO World Heritage site as well as a lush desert oasis. See the filming location of many blockbuster hits at Ouarzazate, a city nicknamed The Gateway to the Desert, before enjoying a sunset camel trek across the sands.
As night falls, dine on a traditional meal beneath the clear night sky (perfect for some star-gazing), before bedding down in your typical Berber camp. After an unforgettable night in the desert, you’ll journey by camel once more through the Atlas Mountains, before finally returning to Marrakech. It’s a desert adventure of a lifetime.
- Trek by camel across the vast sandy plains of the Zagora desert.
- Spend a night camped out under the desert stars at a traditional Berber camp.
- Enjoy stunning views of the rugged Atlas Mountains and the lush Draa Valley.
Your desert adventure begins before 8:00, in lively Marrakech. Travelling by superior air-conditioned vehicle, you’ll journey across the ruggedly beautiful Atlas Mountains before making your first stop, for a fascinating guided tour of the UNESCO listed Kasbah Ait Ben Haddou. This traditional pre-Saharan fortified village contains some fantastic examples of southern Moroccan architecture, with several merchant houses and earthen clay dwellings huddled together within the village walls. Some of the oldest buildings date back to around the 17th century!
After your tour, continue to The Gateway to the Desert, Ouarzazate. Situated south of the High Atlas Mountains, this city boasts some truly exotic backdrops of rugged mountains, deep gorges, and vast swathes of desert. If you’d like, take an optional extra tour of the Atlas film studios, the world’s largest film studio! Thanks to the area’s dramatic landscapes, the studios have been used in the filming of numerous films and TV shows including Game of Thrones, Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia, and The Jewel of the Nile. Many film sets remain in place, making the studio a popular destination with tourists. Take a tour of the deserted sets – in the desert!
Later, follow a winding road through the Draa Valley, to a lush oasis of palm groves, before proceeding to the desert town of Zagora. As the sun begins to set behind the far-off horizon, greet your new friends: the camels! Mount your steed, and continue to your traditional Berber desert camp in Zagora. Here, you’ll spend a memorable night beneath the desert stars, sleeping in typical Berber tents.
After breakfast at the desert camp, you’ll mount your camels once more for the return journey to Zagora. Travel through the verdant Draa Valley, passing again over the majestic Atlas Mountains to reach Ouarzazate. Your tour concludes back in Marrakech, at around 18:00 or 19:00.
