Sahara Stargazer: 2-Day Zagora Desert Odyssey from Marrakech

Good aside from the fact that it’s not door to door as advertised but the workers in the desert were amazing

This tour was difficult to rate, because there were two parts: the drivers and everything at the desert itself. CONS: The first driver who picked me up from my Riad to bring me to the main van, was rude and not helpful at all and started my experience off horribly. The second driver, who turned out to be our main driver for the entire trip back-and-forth, was pleasant for most of the trip, however, the entire van of 18 people talked about how we were left in the dark because the driver did not speak any of our languages, and we never knew what was going on. My biggest complaint about the driver was that he dropped me off a far distance from my Riad, but told me that it was right there. It was not right there at all. Not only was it a 10 minute walk down seven twists and turns of tiny streets with all of my stuff, my GPS did not work in that area and I got lost. Then I got harassed and extorted by some locals who showed me the way. All because my driver did not care where he dropped me off. Also, yes, the van has A/C, but everyone complained and all three vans in both directions that we were hot and sweating on the bus because they did not keep the air-conditioning on, most of the time it was off or on low. It’s a very long drive, and with minimal AC made for an unpleasant drive. PROS: Ben Haddou and the lunch there were AMAZING! And literally everything from the time that the driver takes you to the desert. The Berber people met us with the camels and walked us to the camp. I had a private tent, and it was absolutely perfect. We were greeted with Moroccan, mint tea, and fruits and nuts upon our arrival. After we got a little settled, they had prepared the most delicious Morrocan dinner for us, including several tangine dishes. Afterward we sat around the fire with the music, and it was a great experience. In the morning we got up early to watch the sun rise in the desert. Followed by a full breakfast and a ride back to the fans by Camel. THE BERBERS AND LITERAL EVERY SINGLE PERSON AT THR CAMP Made this one of the best experiences of my entire vacation!

Transport services only stop/rest at friends pit stops so to push sales. Camel ride too long must be cut back to 30min its too long for the discomfort. The luxury camp we had no shower water, it was dripping rather. And day 2 mornings are too rushed… and too much shouting

Not sure it was with this provider - but I suspect they're all the same. We took a 2 day trip from Marrakech leaving at around 7.30am from our Riad in the Medina. We stopped at various points to take pictures, get coffee, go to the loo and we had lovely views in the Atlas mounatins. In the afternoon we visited Ait ben haddou which was well worth it. At Zagora we then rode camels for 1.5h to get to the Berber camp, where we had a lovely tajine and a wonderful evening experience. However, trying to sleep in the tents (at least without the door open) was nigh impossible because it was so hot. After a camel ride back (30 mins or so) we then drove to Ouarzazate for a visit and ultimately got back to Marrakech around 7pm. The driver was superb and the overall experience amazing. Walking on sand dunes in the Sahara on a camel is a once in a lifetime experience! The only annoying thing with all of these trips is that they take you to places where locals do a hard sell on you to buy stuff...

I know… this will read as ‘a Karen story’ but… just wanted to warn you!! Take the trip, it is worth it, but… First advice: make sure you upgrade to the tent with private bathrooms! These tents are in a separate group and you get a bigger variation of food, drinks are included, bigger tents etc… Second advice: if the driver of the van tells you ‘no airco, open Windows’ : don’t believe him! He has airco, but they typically do not like to use it, which results in him being comfortable because he has a ventilator in front and the passengers being overheated because the wind is just hot… ours made us sit in the overheated van for the entire trip, and after we realised the airco was working, he turned it on for the last hour or so… it made all of us really mad…. The stay in itself was what I was expecting, nice people at the tents, great food, good accommodation Third advice: the drive takes 10 hours, not 6! Be prepared for that. It will make you less frustrated… i am sure! There is a lot of construction work going on on the roads, which slows down traffic. Our driver tried to make up for the lost time and drove like crazy!! He nearly got us killed, at least 5 times. People got sick in the bus due to his driving style. People got upset and started crying… not the best experience… Final advice: go for it! Make sure to force yourself up the dune in the morning to see the sun rise! It is calming and beautiful! But, this view is only possible if you book with viator (normal tents and luxury tents). If you book ‘on the streets of Marrakesh’ you will be placed in the tents on the other side of the street (no dunes in sight, no bathroom facilities, no water etc…) so pay the 5€ extra for the normal tent with viator of you want to do this… And upgrade to the better tents if you do not want to share a bathroom. Overall: the journey was terrible, but the stay at the tent was as they promised and really nice!

Great fun and the tour guide Abdul Wahab made the tour fun and super informative. Best tour guide I’ve had in Marrakesh

It's a must do !! The whole team involved is amazing Younes, Rachid, Abdul plus the camp crew. The camels and the tent are on a different level. If you can upgrade the tent will enhance your experience, if not still very good. It worth every single penny. Going to the desert and ride a camel , you have to have it in your bucket list.

It was one of the most beautiful experiences in Morroco. The trip was really well organized from the pick up till the return , the driver was excellent helpful along the way his minibus was clean and confortable , we saw amazing landscapes and views also a berbers villages lifestyle. The camel ride was very exciting to assist the wonderful sunset ,the beds are super comfortable and all was super clean , food was good, traditional music and good times around a campfire far from the world and close to the sky. The people were very nice and welcoming. Thank you for making our wish coming true

It was amazing to go through the Atlas Mountains to the desert The tour was good, driver was friendly, camp was lovely, we enjoyed this experience and we recommended this guys very well to all friends and new customers We did experience more than excursion, we are satisfied Thank you

We booked a night in the desert as it was amongst the main attraictions for us in Morocco. It wasn’t very expensive, and the offered services were way above any expectations. The only “downs” were the very long rides by car from Marrakech to Zagora. But despite the fact that we were travelling by car for about 8-9 hrs, by the time you arrive to Zagora desert, everything changes and you forget about that. Our driver introduced us to our “desert guide and then, Hassan, the guide introduced us to the... CAMELS! It was a 45 minutes rides with the camels, with the sunset in front of us. So beautiful! Once arrived to the camp, Hassan gave us some cookies and a cup of traditional moroccan mint tea, served by the book. The private tent was very big and clean and the bed was aswell, big and very comfortable. We had dinner ( traditional soup, tajin and fruits) and then, they organized a fire in the middle of the camp and they sang berber music. It was amazing, everything from the weather outside to the joy they brought to us. The next day, we had breakfast (a lot of traditional food, and coffee, milk, tea) and then we left (sadly) after the sun rise, that was also stunning, seen from between the mountains. After another 7-8 hours in the car, we arrived back in Marrakech. All in all, it was a very beautiful experience that we warmly recommend!