In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Agafay is a stony plateau, not a sand desert, about 30 to 40 km south-west of Marrakech and 40 to 50 minutes by paved road. The standard evening is a 6 to 7 hour tour: pick-up between 14:00 and 16:00, a quad ride (usually two to a quad), a 15 to 20 minute camel ride, a Moroccan dinner and a fire show. GetYourGuide’s quad, camel and dinner show tourad (4.8 stars from 44,775 reviews) is from £15.67 (list £31.34), and the sunset quad, camel and dinner tourad (4.9 from 14,761 reviews) is from £20.18 (list £23.74). Alcohol and personal expenses are extra. Prices vary by option and date; the checkout shows the total (GetYourGuide).
The sunset tours compared
The listings differ in length, the quad time and who sells them, and the prices move with the date. The list price is the usual one; the “from” price is the cheapest date.
| Tour | Reviews | From (list) | What it includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quad and camel rides with dinner showad, 7 hours | 4.8 from 44,775 | £15.67 (£31.34) | 40-minute quad, 15-minute camel ride, dinner with water, argan cooperative, music, fire show |
| Sunset, camel riding and dinner showad | 4.6 from 39,581 | £13.85 (£19.78) | Sunset, camel riding and a dinner show, by the listing’s title |
| Quad biking with dinner showad | 4.7 from 25,758 | £14.80 (£17.41) | Quad biking and a dinner show, by the listing’s title |
| Sunset quad, camel and dinnerad, 6 hours | 4.9 from 14,761 | £20.18 (£23.74) | Quad, 20-minute camel ride, dinner, mint tea, fire show |
| Quad, camel, sunset dinner, fire showad | 4.8 from 2,734 | £7.91 (£15.83) | Quad, camel, dinner and a fire show, by the listing’s title |
The Agafay plateau of stone and bare hills, with the High Atlas on the horizon. Photo: Jakub Hałun, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
The tours
Agafay quad and camel rides with dinner show
4.8 stars from 44,775 reviews · 7 hours · from £15.67 (list £31.34)
A minibus from nine central pick-up points, an argan cooperative stop, then a desert camp. The tourad includes a 40-minute quad ride on a shared double quad, a 15-minute camel ride, a Moroccan dinner with water, live music and a fire show; vegetarian and gluten-free meals are available on request. Leave a WhatsApp number when you book: the operator uses it to confirm the pick-up.
Agafay sunset quad, camel and dinner
4.9 stars from 14,761 reviews · 6 hours · from £20.18 (list £23.74)
The tourad runs from 14:00 to 16:00 depending on sunset, with a short argan cooperative stop and a drive of about 46 minutes. Quads carry two riders, and one quad each costs 18 euros extra. The camel ride is 20 minutes at sunset. Dinner, mint tea and water are included, and alcohol and personal expenses are not. Helmets and safety equipment are supplied, and the guest signs an ATV rental agreement before riding. Some reviewers asked for clearer prices for extras such as scarves and drinks.
The evening
The evening runs in this order on the main listings.
- Pick-up, 14:00 to 16:00. The tour sets the time by the season and the sunset.
- The drive. 40 to 50 minutes on paved roads from Marrakech along the road towards Lalla Takerkoust. A 4x4 is not needed.
- The camp. Tents, low tables and cushions on bare stony ground, with the Atlas behind. The land has no gate, ticket office or opening hours: you pay the camp or tour.
- Quad, then camel. About 40 minutes on the quad and 15 to 20 minutes on the camel, timed for sunset.
- Dinner and the show. A tagine, couscous or both, then music, dancing and fire performers. The tours are 6 to 7 hours long, so expect to be back after dark.
- Heat. Midday heat in summer can pass 35°C, so most visitors go late. Bring a light jacket, since the evening cools, and closed shoes.
A canvas tent on the Agafay plateau, with the High Atlas hazy on the horizon. Photo: Jakub Hałun, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
Dinner shows
Dinner is the part you cannot skip: it is in every price. The camp serves Moroccan food at a low table, with soup, a chicken tagine and vegetable couscous the usual shape, and a dessert of oranges or fruit. After it come Gnawa music, dancers and fire-eaters. Alcohol is not in the price, and the camps sell it at the bar. Drinking alcohol anywhere but a licensed venue is illegal in Morocco, so buy it only at a licensed bar (Foreign Office).
Sunset over the bare hills near Agafay. Photo: Anual, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Quad biking
40 minutes shared, or 1 hour solo on the premium overnight options
The quad is shared by two unless you pay for your own. The Foreign Office says quad accidents involving British people frequently occur in resort areas, that safety standards vary considerably, and that some insurance policies will not cover quad biking. Wear the helmet, and check your travel insurance before you book. The Palmeraie, the palm grove north of the city, has its own quad tours that run for about 3 hours: GetYourGuide’s quad tour to the palm oasis and Jbilat Desertad (4.8 stars from 13,783 reviews) is from £10.10, and the quad excursion with teaad (5.0 from 2,025 reviews) from £10.29.
Camel rides
15 to 20 minutes at Agafay · Palmeraie rides about 2 hours
A camel ride is an animal’s working day, and the rides at the camps are short loops. The UK charity SPANA, which has a centre in Marrakech, gives this checklist for any animal ride. Choose a camel that looks fit, with no prominent hips or backbone and a comfortable walk. Avoid a camel with wounds around the mouth, saddle or harness, tight hobbles that have left scars on the legs, patchy or bald skin, or signs of diarrhoea. An adult camel should carry no more than 150 kg, the weight of two 12-stone adults; if in doubt, ask for one rider per camel (SPANA Holiday Hooves Guide). If a camel looks thin or sore, say no and ask for another or skip the ride. The Palmeraie camel rides are separate products, such as the camel ride in the Palmeraiead (4.6 stars from 5,491 reviews, from £15.04).
Overnight in a camp
From £42.97 to £52.23 · return transfer 10:30 next morning
Two listings sell an overnight with dinner, a show, a campfire and breakfast, and the price covers a tent or room. Agafay desert retreat with tent, dinner, show and poolad (4.8 stars from 6,830 reviews, from £42.97, list £70.43) offers a private tent or a bed in a shared tent, a harira, chicken tagine and couscous dinner, Gnawa music and a fire act, two pools and breakfast; alcohol and soda are extra. The overnight with quad, camel, dinner and showad (4.8 stars from 696 reviews, from £52.23, list £94.96) is at a camp it describes as officially classified, with a private air-conditioned tent, a private bathroom and a camp bar, and either a 30-minute shared quad and a 15-minute camel ride or a one-hour solo quad and a 30-minute camel ride. Neither suits children under 5.
Practical information
- Not the Sahara. The dunes are at Merzouga; see Sahara desert tours from Marrakech for the two- and three-day trips.
- On your own. Settle the return before you leave Marrakech: agree the price and the pick-up time with the camp or the driver.
- Dress. Closed shoes and a light jacket for the evening.
- The one thing that ruins the evening. Riding a camel that looks thin or sore, or an unchecked quad: say no.
Agafay is one of the day trips from Marrakech. Marrakech safety and scams covers animals and photos in the city, the best time to visit Marrakech covers the heat, and 3 days in Marrakech shows where an evening out fits. Where to stay in Marrakech compares the areas, and what to book before you go to Marrakech has the tickets that sell out first.
Common questions
Is the Agafay Desert real sand dunes?
No. It is a rocky plateau of bedrock and stones about 30 to 40 km south-west of Marrakech, 40 to 50 minutes by paved road, with the Atlas peaks behind it. The sand dunes are at Merzouga, a three-day tour away.
How long is an Agafay dinner show tour from Marrakech?
6 to 7 hours. Pick-up is between 14:00 and 16:00 depending on the season and sunset, and the tour includes the transfer, a quad ride, a camel ride, dinner and a fire show. The operators print no return time.
How much is an Agafay desert tour from Marrakech?
GetYourGuide's most-booked sunset tours with quad, camel and dinner run from about £8 to £20 a person, with listed prices up to about £31. Alcohol and personal expenses are extra, and one quad each instead of sharing costs 18 euros more on one of the main tours.
Is it safe to ride a quad in Agafay?
The Foreign Office says quad accidents involving British people frequently occur in resort areas, safety standards vary considerably, you should always wear a crash helmet, and some travel insurance policies do not cover quad biking. Check yours before you book.
