An evening in the Agafay desert, in practice, looks like this: you leave Marrakech around 4 pm, drive for about 45 minutes, ride a camel while the sun drops behind the hills, have dinner in a large tent or under the open sky, listen to some music, and are back at your hotel between 9:30 and 10:30 pm. It is the outing we organise most often, and also the one where expectations are most often off. Here is what you should know before booking, without the gloss.
What Agafay actually looks like
Agafay is not the Sahara. There are no sand dunes: it is a plateau of stony hills, beige and ochre, almost lunar, with the Atlas range facing you. People who arrive expecting the big dunes of Merzouga are sometimes disappointed for the first five minutes; those who know what to expect find it beautiful, especially in the last hour of light when the ridges turn pink. If dunes are your absolute priority, read our comparison Agafay or Merzouga first.
How the evening runs, hour by hour
Timings follow the sunset, which moves by almost two hours between December and June. As an example, in April:
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 4:00 pm | Pick-up at your hotel or your riad’s meeting point |
| 4:45 pm | Arrival at the camp, mint tea, settling in |
| 5:30 pm | Camel ride (30 to 45 minutes) |
| 6:45 pm | Sunset from a ridge or the camp terrace |
| 7:30 pm | Dinner: Moroccan salads, tagine or couscous, fruit, pastries |
| 8:30 pm | Music by the fire, starry sky |
| 9:30 pm | Drive back to Marrakech |
In December everything moves about an hour earlier; in June and July departure is closer to 5:30 pm.
How to choose a camp
There are now dozens of camps in Agafay, from basic to very upmarket. What really makes the difference, from what we see every week:
- Size. Some camps host groups of a hundred people at night, with an amplified show. Others take no more than twenty guests. For a dinner for two, ask for a small camp.
- Orientation. The best camps face the Atlas and the sunset. It sounds obvious; it is not the case everywhere.
- The food. A tagine slow-cooked on site and a reheated buffet are two very different evenings. Recent reviews of the dinner are more useful than photos of the pool.
- What is included. Camel ride, drinks, music, transport: check that the quoted price covers everything you care about.
Our sunset camel ride and Berber dinner uses camps we know and revisit regularly, precisely to avoid bad surprises.
Adding an afternoon activity
If you have the whole day, it is easy to leave earlier and combine:
- two hours of quad biking or buggy in the hills before sunset (quad biking in Agafay);
- lunch and a swim at Lalla Takerkoust lake, fifteen minutes from the desert, then dinner at the camp (Lalla Takerkoust lake and Agafay);
- an afternoon at the pool of a camp that offers day packages, especially pleasant in May, June and September.
Is it worth staying overnight?
Yes, if you like silence and stars. Staying the night lets you see the sky once the dinner crowds have left, and wake up to the morning light on the Atlas. Most camps offer tents with a bed, bathroom and electricity; prices vary enormously. In that case we drop you off in the afternoon and pick you up the next morning whenever suits you.
With children
It is a very good family outing: short drive, camels, space to run around, simple food. Two remarks all the same. Camels sometimes scare the youngest, who can ride with a parent or simply walk alongside. And the late return is tiring: with children under six, ask for a camp close to the main road to shorten the track back.
Questions we get before people book
Do I need to book far in advance? The day before is often enough. Between March and May, during French school holidays and on New Year’s Eve, allow about a week.
What if it is windy or raining? Sandy wind is rare but possible in spring; camps have closed tents. If there is heavy rain, which happens a few days a year, we will offer to move your evening.
Can you drink alcohol at the camp? It depends on the camp: some are licensed and serve wine and beer, others are not. If it matters to you, say so when booking and we will choose a camp accordingly.
Is it too touristy? Some camps clearly are. That is why choosing the camp matters more than choosing the agency.
If you are combining Agafay with other outings, our guide to the best day trips from Marrakech will help you spread the days. And to place the desert in relation to the city, the Agafay desert page gives the key facts.
