Agafay Desert Camel Ride and Dinner

Agafay is a plateau of bare, rolling hills about 35 km south-west of Marrakech, reached in 40 minutes to an hour by road. The ground is packed earth and stone in shades of cream, ochre and grey, cut by dry gullies, with almost nothing growing. In the evening light it looks like a sea of frozen waves, and on clear days the High Atlas stands behind it, white with snow from roughly December to March.

It is sold everywhere as "the desert near Marrakech", and that phrase needs some care.

Agafay is not the Sahara

There are no sand dunes here. If you picture the orange ridges of Erg Chebbi, you are thinking of Merzouga, about 560 km away on the far side of the Atlas. That is nine or ten hours of driving over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, which is why real dune trips from Marrakech take two or three days. Our Atlas Mountains day trip guide covers the mountain side of that route.

So the honest comparison runs like this. Agafay gives you open space, a big sky, silence after the city and a sunset evening without losing a day. The Sahara gives you dunes, a night far from any road and a much longer journey. If you have only three or four days in Marrakech, Agafay is the sensible choice. If the dunes are what you came to Morocco for, skip Agafay and save the time for Merzouga.

How the evening runs

The standard trip leaves the city in the middle of the afternoon. You arrive at a camp, drink mint tea, then ride out for about an hour, timed so you are out on the hills as the sun goes down. Camels walk slowly in a line led by a handler, which suits most people. Quad bikes and buggies cover more ground and are louder, and some packages combine the two.

Dinner follows in the camp: salads, a tagine or couscous, fruit, then music around a fire, often a Gnawa or Amazigh group with drums. Camps range from simple tents with shared tables to smart lodges with pools and set menus. On a clear night, away from the glow of the city, the stars are the part many people remember most.

Who it suits

Families, couples and anyone who needs an evening out of the medina. It works well on a short trip. It suits people less when they expect dunes, dislike group entertainment, or would rather spend a whole day walking in the real mountains.

Most trips are sold as a package with return transport from your riad or hotel, the ride, dinner and the show. When you compare, look at:

• Group size and camp size. Large camps can seat hundreds on a Saturday in high season. Smaller camps cost more and feel very different.
• What the ride includes: camel, quad or both, and how long you spend on it rather than waiting your turn.
• Pickup point. Cars can't enter most of the medina, so you may be met at a landmark nearby.
• The camels. Choose operators that talk about how their animals are kept. At the camp, look before you get on. The animal welfare charity SPANA advises checking for a healthy body shape with no prominent hip or backbone, no wounds around the mouth, saddle or legs, no patchy bald skin (a sign of mange) and no limping. A camel should carry no more than about 150 kg. If a camel looks unwell, say so and don't ride it.

Booking a day or two ahead is enough most of the year; for weekends from October to April, book earlier. Many operators offer free cancellation up to a day before. Staying the night in a camp is possible, but most visitors come back after dinner. See our where to stay guide for the camps and lodges as a base.

• Pack a warm layer. The desert loses its heat fast after sunset. Winter nights drop to a few degrees above freezing, and even in spring and autumn a fleece or jacket is welcome by dinner.
• Wear closed shoes and long trousers for the camel. A scarf helps against dust on a quad.
• Go on a weekday in high season. The same camp can be half empty on a Tuesday and packed on a Saturday.
• Avoid midsummer afternoons. In July and August the heat is fierce until late, so a later start or a spring or autumn date is kinder to you and the animals. See our best time to visit guide.
• Bring cash in dirhams for tips and extra drinks.
• Check the moon. Around the new moon the stars are at their brightest.