Zagora is the desert you can reach in a weekend from Marrakech: 360 km south through the Tizi n'Tichka pass and UNESCO-listed Aït Ben Haddou, down the Draa valley — Morocco's longest palm grove — to dunes and a first night under canvas. Our private 2-day tour costs from €300 per person.
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The desert you can touch in a weekend: the Tizi n'Tichka pass, Aït Ben Haddou, the longest palm grove in Morocco and a first night under canvas.
What to see and do
- Cross the Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260 m) and walk the ksar of Aït Ben Haddou en route
- The Draa valley: a million palms threaded with mudbrick kasbahs and villages
- Camel ride into the Zagora dunes at sunset, dinner and drums at the camp
- Tamegroute: the ancient Koranic library and the green-glaze potters' workshops
- Push on to M'Hamid and wild Erg Chigaga if you have 4 days — from €379 per person
Planning Zagora & the Draa Valley
- 360 km from Marrakech, ≈6 h with the mountain pass — leaving by 7 am makes the difference
- The classic format is 2 days / 1 night at a desert camp (€300 per person, private)
- Zagora's dunes are modest; for the giant erg choose Merzouga (4 days) or Chigaga
- October–April is the season; spring brings the Draa's palm grove to its greenest
- Bring cash for the few oasis cafés — cards are rare south of Ouarzazate
Tours that go there
Read before you go
Questions travellers ask about Zagora & the Draa Valley
Is the 2-day Zagora tour worth it?
Yes — if you judge it as a desert introduction, not a Sahara expedition. In 36 hours you cross the High Atlas, walk Aït Ben Haddou, descend the Draa valley and sleep at a camp after a sunset camel ride, for €300 per person, private.
How far is Zagora from Marrakech?
About 360 km — around 6 hours' driving including the Tizi n'Tichka pass. It is the closest true overnight-desert experience to Marrakech; anything shorter is the Agafay stone desert, 45 minutes from the city.
Can you continue past Zagora?
Yes — M'Hamid, where the tarmac ends, is 90 minutes further, and beyond it lies Erg Chigaga, Morocco's wildest great dune field, reached by 4×4. Our 4-day Chigaga circuit (from €379 per person) makes that push.
Plan a journey through Zagora & the Draa Valley →
Updated: September 2026
