Is an Agafay Desert Day Trip Worth It? Honest Pros and Cons!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of these links, I may receive a small reward at no extra cost to you. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Just 25 km away from Marrakech, the Agafay Desert is a popular destination for a day trip with fun activities.

It’s not the Sahara, but it makes for an exciting afternoon without requiring a lot of travel.

Simon in Agafay Desert with the Atlas Mountains in the backdrop — Rocky, not sandy. Not that it mattered to me, but some people expect Lawrence of Arabia vibes and Agafay isn’t it.

And yes, it is totally worth it to go on a day trip to Agafay!

It is close, picturesque, and offers unique recreation like riding a camel and driving a quad bike, while also allowing you to experience Berber culture without a week-long commitment.

On the other hand, it’s touristy, lacks sand, and these camels may have you thinking long and hard about animal welfare.

Draw the line – should you go? I think so! Here’s what I experienced and my honest take on whether it’s worth booking an Agafay Desert tour.

TL;DR: Which Agafay tour to book

The complete tour (camel ride, quad bikes, dinner, fire show): High rating, lovely guides, cheaper than equivalent tours. This is the tour I booked.
More quad bike driving and NO camels: For those conscious of animal ethics.
Cheaper tour without quad bikes: If quad bikes are not your thing, you can easily save half the price by booking this tour, which has everything else.
Stay in Agafay Desert overnight: Also includes a 3-course dinner and 2 traditional shows.
Private tour (all included but not overnight): For those who don’t want others around.

What to expect on an Agafay Desert day trip

Agafay is one of the most popular day trips from Marrakech. It’s close and lets you experience a different side of Morocco in a short amount of time.

This proximity is also the reason why tour operators pack other activities to make an eventful afternoon.

Standard tours start in the afternoon, include a short stop at an argan oil women’s cooperative, a 20-minute camel ride, a 40-minute quad bike drive, dinner + live music, and everyone’s favourite, a fire show.

Pick-up

Pick-up time in central Marrakech depends on the season. Even though you may select an exact time when booking online, the tour operator will adjust it slightly to match the sunset time.

For example, our tour was scheduled to begin at 3 PM, but we got informed that pick-up would be at 2:20 PM because sunset is quite early in winter.

Similarly, in summer, you can expect pick-ups to be delayed a little.

Apart from that, it was prompt and the bus – easy to find.

Argan oil women’s cooperative

Nearly all organized tours in Morocco include a stop at an argan oil cooperative.

Women all over Morocco get together in cooperatives to produce argan oil.

My major concern with these was that they would be overly pushy in trying to sell you something.

But it was nothing like that.

A welcome tea, followed by a short lesson on argan oil production, and then a quick tasting session. It was actually educational, tasty, and required no commitment to buy.

Different condiments to taste with bread. — Tasting edible argan oil and other condiments.

However, I felt that the prices were quite steep compared to the city, and I suspect the cooperative will be a lot more commercially successful if it didn’t put such a huge markup.

Camel ride

It’s a caravan of about 15 ~~camels~~ dromedaries, all tied one behind another, with a single handler.

Honestly, the dromedaries (single hump; camels have 2) looked healthy, but one cannot shake the feeling that this is a bit weird.

These animals are well-suited to carry a load on their back (human or not), but animal ethics is a complex topic (read my take on the ethics of elephant sanctuaries in Thailand).

In an ideal world, the dromedaries would be fed well, allowed to roam freely during breaks, and regularly checked by a veterinarian. In reality… who knows? Maybe, maybe not.

A caravan of about 10 camels tied together. — Our camel caravan

If you feel strongly against riding a camel, just opt out of it. Here is a tour that replaces the camel ride with more time on the quad bikes.

Anyhow, the handler makes the caravan of camels all kneel, which they do in a very cute way, despite being tied together. One passenger (riders have agency, whereas you will have none) per camel, and off you go, being led by the handler for a 20-minute trek.

It could be a bit scary as the camels are high and you may feel unstable. Yulli did not have a good time at all. You have to hold on to the metal reins tight, especially when the dromedary gets up/kneels back down. Nobody fell, but I can imagine it happens once in a while.

All in all, it was a unique experience, though I am not sure we want to repeat.

Quad bike drive

One of the highlights of the tour!

It’s 2 people per bike, equipped with helmets (+ goggles in drier seasons) and a quick safety instruction.

You will drive in a line behind the leader for about 20 minutes, then you can take a few pictures, switch who drives, and go back.

You are supposed to keep a safe distance, your speed in check, and not to overtake. For the most part, this is sound advice, but you do have some leeway towards the end.

The quad bikes are powerful, so be careful and don’t get overconfident.

You will likely get dusty and/or muddy, but it’s not a big deal. It’s a ton of fun!

Sunset!

The sunset will normally catch you on the bus driving towards the Berber camp. The driver will stop so you can get off to take a few pictures.

The High Atlas Mountains will be visible in the distance on a clear day. Look closely for Mount Toubkal, the highest peak.

It’s worth repeating that the Agafay Desert is not a sandy one. It’s more akin to the Moon’s surface (not that I’ve been there to compare) – rocky, grayish color, and hilly. No dunes!

Still, the backdrop makes for a beautiful sunset landscape!

Dinner

Dinner was alright – nothing extraordinary, but sufficient and tasty.

It was some Moroccan fresh salad, chicken tajine, bread, and water (soft drinks were purchasable additionally). No need to bring snacks from Marrakech, unless you are a glutton.

Berber musicians played for everyone at the camp, going from table to table, and inviting us to dance with them one by one. I am not much of a dancer, so I felt a bit uncomfortable with it, but I went along with the flow – you have to go out of your comfort zone once in a while, am I right?

Simon dancing with Berber musicians in a desert camp. — My dancing abilities were tested, and I don’t think I passed.

The party

Have you ever wanted to dance and sing with Berbers in the desert?

Well, I hadn’t, but let me tell you – it’s a lot of fun!

Simon, his mother, and Yulli warming their hands at an open fireplace. — The open fires guarantee you won’t be too cold in the desert at night, but also that you will have a faint smoky smell in your clothes for a day or two.

The music was a mix of old-school international classics, popular modern songs, and some Berber tunes.

Big up to the tour organizers for creating an upbeat atmosphere and keeping the party going, so the downtime between activities passed imperceptibly.

The fire show

This was everyone’s favorite!

A fire eater performs a 10-minute show with fireballs, sparks, and juggling. Keep your eyes peeled for his last trick (you will know when he asks for people to move a little to the side), which is absolutely outstanding!

The fire juggler's trick of spreading fire and sparks in an arc around himself. — The fire eater/juggler’s last trick was a sick move!

(Seasonal) Swimming pool

Some camps also have a swimming pool. I believe this will be a lovely option during the hot summer months, but I wouldn’t dare go for a swim in the colder quarter of the year.

I was there in December, and it temperatures hovered around 8-13 degrees, lower after sunset. Which reminds me to tell you that you probably want to bring a jacket, even in the summer, as after dark, the temperatures fall rapidly.

(Optional) Overnight stay in a Berber tent

If you want to sleep in the desert, this is, of course, possible!

More than that, the accommodations (Berber tents) are quite luxurious and add to the overall magic of the place.

I have slept in a desert before (in Wadi Rum, Jordan) and it was a fab experience.

This Agafay Desert overnight tour also includes a 3-course meal and a traditional Moroccan show in the evening.

Agafay Desert tour pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Easy to organize, even just a day in advance.	Not a sandy desert, but rocky. No dunes and less “WOW” factor.
Just 1 hour from Marrakech.	Very popular – everybody does it, so you will feel the effects of tourism.
Packed with activities.	Questionable animal ethics, especially if you are sensitive.
Amazing value for money – a half-day tour with all activities costs around 20-30 EUR.	The smoke from the open fires gets absorbed by your clothes.
An insight (albeit quick) into Berber culture.

Can you do the Agafay trip yourself?

I am all about doing trips by yourself without relying on organized tours. So yes, you can do it. Everything is possible, right?

But should you?

First, no public transport goes to Agafay, so you need to either rent a car or negotiate a taxi to take you there. With the former, you also need to consider the rocky roads in the desert – a 4×4 is required. Now that I think of it, this is a problem with the latter, too.

Second, good luck organizing a camel ride or a quad bike ride by yourself. Or joining in for the fire show. I can’t imagine the hassle.

Lastly, a DIY trip is just not worth it. You will pay more. The organized tour is already dirt cheap for what it offers.

If you want a personalized experience, a private Agafay Desert Tour is a better option.