Marrakech to Zagora · 2 days · 1 night
A private two-day Morocco tour package from Marrakech to the Draa Valley and the desert of Zagora, with a driver, a local guide and a night in a desert camp. A shorter drive than Merzouga.
Duration
2 days, 1 night
Route
Marrakech - Ait Ben Haddou - Ouarzazate - Draa Valley - Zagora
Guides speak
English and Spanish
Price
On request, free quote with no obligation
Tour overview
The 2-day Marrakech to Zagora desert tour is a private Morocco tour package by Highlights Morocco Tours. You cross the High Atlas, visit Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate, follow the palm groves of the Draa Valley to Zagora, spend one night in a desert camp and return to Marrakech on day 2. Zagora is closer than Merzouga, about 350 km from Marrakech, so the drive is shorter. It includes hotel pick-up and drop-off in Marrakech, an air-conditioned vehicle, an experienced driver and local guide, a camel ride, and a night in a private tent in a desert camp with dinner and breakfast. Lunches, drinks and monument entrances are not included. The price is on request, with a free quote and no obligation.
Zagora is the gateway to the desert of the Draa Valley, the longest river valley in Morocco. It is about 350 km from Marrakech, much closer than Merzouga, so a 2-day trip here is less tiring and leaves more time to enjoy the road, the palm groves and the evening in the desert.
The landscape is different from the tall dunes of Erg Chebbi: expect oases, kasbahs, rocky desert and smaller dunes. If you want the big golden dunes, look at our 3-day Merzouga tour. If you are comparing both, read our guide Merzouga or Zagora.
Photos
Highlights
Itinerary
About 350 km
About 350 km
Route map
The route crosses the High Atlas and follows the Draa Valley to Zagora, at the edge of the desert.
Marrakech
Start and end of the tour, with your private driver and local guide.
Tizi n'Tichka pass
The High Atlas road, with sweeping views.
Ait Ben Haddou
UNESCO-listed ksar of red-earth towers, once a stop on the caravan routes.
Ouarzazate
The gateway to the Sahara, known for its kasbahs and film studios.
Agdz
The start of the palm groves of the Draa Valley.
Zagora
The desert camp, the sunset over the dunes and the sign to Timbuktu.
Caravan routes and kasbahs
For centuries, caravans crossed the Atlas Mountains between the Sahara and Marrakech. The ksour and kasbahs you pass on this tour, such as Ait Ben Haddou, grew along these trade routes, and a caravanserai was the roadside inn where caravans and their camels could rest.
Today you follow the same road by private car with a local guide, and finish at the edge of the desert, in the Draa Valley, where the caravans once set out towards Timbuktu.
Morocco tour package
Zagora or Merzouga
Both are reached from Marrakech. The right choice depends on your days and the landscape you want.
| Destination | Distance from Marrakech | Landscape | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zagora (Draa Valley) | About 350 km | Palm groves, oases, rocky desert and smaller dunes | A shorter, easier 2-day trip |
| Merzouga (Erg Chebbi) | About 560 km | Tall golden dunes | Your first Sahara trip, in 3 or 4 days |
Your quote
The final details are confirmed in your free quote. Tell us what you prefer.
Good to know
Tour guide
The 2-day Marrakech to Zagora desert tour is a private trip with a driver and a local guide who speaks English or Spanish. You cross the High Atlas, visit Ait Ben Haddou, follow the Draa Valley palm groves to Zagora and sleep in a desert camp. Zagora is closer than Merzouga, so the drive is shorter. Here are the route, timing, packing and booking.
The 2-day Marrakech to Zagora desert tour is a private Morocco tour package operated by Highlights Morocco Tours. A driver and a local guide who speaks English or Spanish stay with you from the hotel pick-up in Marrakech to the drop-off on day 2, in an air-conditioned vehicle. The route goes over the High Atlas, through Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate and along the Draa Valley to Zagora, about 350 km each way. You also get a camel ride and a night in a private tent in a desert camp.
Day 1: Leave Marrakech in the morning with your private driver and local guide and cross the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass, with photo stops on the way. Day 1 continues with Ait Ben Haddou, the UNESCO-listed ksar, and a stop in Ouarzazate, then the road follows the Draa Valley towards Zagora. Day 1 ends with the sunset over the dunes, dinner and a night in the camp. Day 2: Wake up to the sunrise over the desert, have breakfast at camp and stop at the famous sign to Timbuktu in Zagora. Day 2 then takes the Draa Valley and the High Atlas back to Marrakech, where you arrive in the evening at the agreed point.
The 2-day Marrakech to Zagora tour is a good choice for first-time visitors who want a Sahara night without the longest drive. At about 350 km each way, it asks for fewer hours on the road than a trip to Merzouga, although both days are still mostly spent travelling. Couples, friends and families with older children usually manage well. The mountain road over the Tizi n'Tichka has many bends, so anyone prone to car sickness should mention it to the driver. If you want more time in the desert itself, consider the 3-day Zagora version.
Spring and autumn are usually the most comfortable seasons for the 2-day Marrakech to Zagora tour, with warm days and cooler evenings at the camp. In summer, Zagora and the Draa Valley can be very hot, so the middle of the day is best spent in the shade or in the vehicle. In winter, desert nights are cold and a good jacket matters, and snow is possible on the High Atlas pass, which can slow the first morning. Marrakech and the coast have a different climate, so check the interior rather than the city forecast.
For the 2-day Marrakech to Zagora tour, bring light layers for the day and a warm jacket or fleece for the night in the desert camp. A scarf is useful against sun, wind and sand, together with sunglasses, sun cream and closed shoes for the dunes and the camel ride. The tour includes dinner, breakfast and mint tea at camp, but lunches, drinks, monument entrances and tips are not included, so keep cash with you. Free time is planned for lunch and coffee along the Draa Valley and Ouarzazate.
The price of the 2-day Marrakech to Zagora desert tour is on request. Highlights Morocco Tours offers a free quote with no obligation, and you can ask for it by the contact form on the tour page, by WhatsApp or by email. The price covers hotel pick-up and drop-off in Marrakech, the air-conditioned vehicle, fuel, your driver and local guide, the camel ride, and a night in a private tent with dinner and breakfast. Support is available before and during your trip, so questions about timing or special requests are welcome.
Why book with us
Local agency
Highlights Morocco Tours is a private tour operator based in Marrakech.
100% private
Only your group, with your own driver.
English and Spanish
Local guides who speak English or Spanish.
Tailor-made
Ask us to add a night, change a stop or adjust the pace.
WhatsApp support
Support before and during your trip.
Free quote
Send your dates and group size. No obligation.
FAQ
About the trip, how to book it and who we are.
Yes, if you have 2 days and prefer a shorter drive. Zagora is closer than Merzouga, so the trip is less tiring, with the Draa Valley palm groves and a night in the desert. If you want the tall dunes, the Merzouga tours are a better match.
Zagora is about 350 km from Marrakech. Allow roughly 6 hours of driving each day, plus stops, including the Tizi n'Tichka pass.
The usual route crosses the High Atlas by the Tizi n'Tichka pass and stops at Ait Ben Haddou, a UNESCO-listed ksar. It continues through Ouarzazate and Agdz along the palm groves of the Draa Valley to Zagora. We adapt the stops to your pace and interests.
You spend one night in a private tent in a desert camp near Zagora, with dinner and breakfast included.
Yes. A camel ride in the dunes is included in the tour, and we plan the timing around the sunset.
Zagora is closer to Marrakech and has oases, palm groves and smaller dunes. Merzouga is farther away and has the tall golden dunes of Erg Chebbi. Our guide Merzouga or Zagora explains the difference in more detail.
Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are usually the most comfortable seasons. Summer is very hot in the desert and winter nights can be cold, so pack accordingly.
Hotel pick-up and drop-off in Marrakech, a tour in an air-conditioned vehicle, an experienced driver and local guide, one night in a private tent in a desert camp with dinner and breakfast, a camel ride, Moroccan mint tea at the camp, fuel, and stops at interesting places and panoramic viewpoints on the way.
Lunches, drinks and the entrance fees to monuments, which are optional. We confirm every detail in your free quote.
Light layers and a warm jacket for the desert night, a scarf, sunglasses, sun cream, comfortable closed shoes, a small bag for the camp, a phone charger and some cash for drinks and tips.
Yes. We also organise the 2, 3 and 4-day Marrakech to Merzouga tours with more time in the desert, and we can tailor any route to your dates.
Send us your dates and number of travellers with the contact form, by WhatsApp or by email. We reply with a free, no-obligation quote and, once you are happy with it, we confirm the booking and the details of your trip.
The price depends on your dates, the number of travellers and the type of camp, so we quote on request. Quotes are free and come with no obligation.
The tour starts and ends in Marrakech. We agree the pick-up point and time with you when we confirm your booking.
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Based in
Marrakech, Morocco
Support
Available 24/7 while you travel
Why travellers trust us
8+ years
Organising private tours across Morocco for many years.
Local Berber team
Brothers and friends who grew up in the desert and know every road and camp.
100% private
Your own driver and guide. Never a big shared group.
Talk to us directly
No call centre and no middleman. Free quote, no obligation.