The Agafay desert camps are 45 minutes to an hour from Marrakech, but the last few minutes are on unlit dirt tracks with almost no signs. That is where things get tricky: petits taxis do not leave the city, many grand taxis refuse the tracks or charge a lot for the empty return, and a vague GPS pin can have you driving round in the dark for half an hour. Here is how to reach your camp without stress, there and back, whether you are staying the night or just coming for dinner.
Why GPS is not always enough
Agafay is not a village. It is a wide plateau of hills where dozens of camps are scattered over several kilometres, linked by a network of tracks that all look alike. Navigation apps know the tarmac road, much less the tracks. As a result, every week travellers in hire cars call their camp at nightfall to ask someone to come and find them.
Our drivers know the way into the main camps; for the others, we ask the camp for its exact location before setting off. It is a small detail, but it makes all the difference at 9 pm in pitch darkness.
Your options for getting there
| Option | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Camp shuttle | Simple, sometimes included | Fixed time, often early, sometimes paid |
| Grand taxi | Easy to find in town | Price to negotiate, may refuse tracks, hard to get back |
| Hire car | Freedom | Tracks at night, no wine with dinner for the driver |
| Private transfer | Your own timing, a driver who knows the way | More than the shuttle for a solo traveller |
The camp shuttle
Many camps run a shuttle from a meeting point in Marrakech at a fixed time, often mid-afternoon. It is handy if the time suits you. Check three things: whether it is included in your booking, exactly where it leaves from, and what time it heads back in the evening if you are not staying overnight.
A private transfer
The driver collects you from your riad, your hotel or straight from the airport, and drops you in front of your tent. You choose the time: arrive at 4 pm to enjoy the pool, or at 5.30 pm just for the sunset. The price depends on where the camp is: send us its name or location and we will give you a fixed price per vehicle before you book.
Straight from the airport
We are often asked whether you can go from Marrakech airport to the camp without going through the city. Yes, and it makes sense, since both the airport and Agafay are southwest of Marrakech. The driver waits in the arrivals hall with a sign, just as for a standard airport transfer, and you are at the camp less than an hour later.
Two tips if you land late in the day:
- Tell the camp your arrival time so that dinner waits for you.
- Withdraw dirhams at the airport: camps often take cards, but not always for extras and tips.
Coming just for the evening
If you are staying in Marrakech and only coming for sunset and dinner, the most comfortable option is a return trip with the same driver, who waits on site or comes back for you. The return is usually between 9.30 and 10.30 pm. That is exactly how our Agafay desert trip with camel ride and dinner works, with transport included; our Agafay dinner guide describes the evening.
Luggage
Camps are set up for suitcases: vehicles usually park a few metres from the tents. If you are going on from Agafay to Essaouira, the Atlas or the airport, the same driver can pick you up the next morning with all your bags. Just remember to leave in Marrakech anything you will not need, if your riad is happy to store a suitcase.
Weather and tracks
- In winter, evenings are cold, sometimes close to 0°C. Camps provide blankets, but bring a proper warm layer for the drive back.
- After rain, which is rare but sometimes heavy, some tracks get muddy. Low saloon cars struggle; our vehicles get through, but the journey may take a little longer.
- In summer, it is still over 35°C at 6 pm; arriving just before sunset is nicer than mid-afternoon, unless your camp has a pool.
How much time to allow
| Journey | Usual time |
|---|---|
| Marrakech medina to camp | 45 min to 1 hour |
| Marrakech airport to camp | 40 to 50 min |
| Palmeraie to camp | 1 hour to 1 hour 15 |
| Camp to Lalla Takerkoust | 15 to 25 min |
These times vary with where the camp sits on the plateau: some are five minutes from the tarmac, others twenty minutes down a track.
To combine your night in Agafay with a day at the lake, our article on Lalla Takerkoust lake has some good ideas.
In short
- 45 minutes to an hour from Marrakech, the last part on unlit tracks.
- Petits taxis do not go to Agafay; a grand taxi back is hard to find.
- The camp shuttle if the time suits you, a private transfer for freedom.
- From the airport you can go straight to the camp in under an hour.
