1-hour camel ride in Agafay

A camel ride is the slowest way to cross the Agafay, and that is the point of it. Where a quad covers ground, a camel gives you an hour at walking pace to look at it. The animals are led, not driven: you are a passenger throughout.

Nobody drives a camel

The handler has the camel kneel, helps you into the saddle, and leads the animal on foot for the whole ride. There is no steering, no braking and nothing to learn, which is why no experience is asked for. A short safety briefing comes before you mount, in English, French or Spanish, and the handler helps you down again at the end.

Getting on and off is the part first-timers remember: a camel rises back legs first, so you lean back as it stands. The handler says so before it happens.

The hour, and the pace

The camels walk in single file along stony tracks at a steady pace, with the hills opening onto views of the Atlas range. An hour is the ride itself, mounting and dismounting included; add about fifteen minutes on arrival for the welcome and the briefing.

Who it suits, and who should think twice

Children take part accompanied by a responsible adult at all times — tell us their age when you book and we confirm before the day. A guide stays with the group throughout.

The ride is not advised for pregnant women or for anyone with back problems. A camel’s walk moves you constantly, and an hour of it is more demanding on the back than it looks from the ground. We would rather say so here than at the base.

What to bring, and when to arrive

Closed shoes, sunglasses, and something to cover your head — there is little shade in the Agafay and the saddle sits high. Arrive fifteen minutes before your departure time. The base is in the Agafay desert, 45 minutes by road from central Marrakech, and the meeting point is mapped on this page.

What the price covers

The hour-long ride with the animals led by a handler on foot, the safety briefing before mounting, and the guide with the group. Third-party liability cover is included; wider personal cover is at your own expense.

Not included: food and drinks, tips, photographs and video taken on site, and transfer from Marrakech, which can be arranged for a supplement when you book.

Booking and cancellation

Departures are at 10 am, noon and 4 pm (5 pm from 1 April to 20 September). You can book without paying anything online and pay at the base, in cash (dirhams or foreign currency), before departure, or pay online with PayPal: a 30% deposit or the full amount. Cards are not accepted at the base. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure, and anything you paid online is refunded. After that, the 30% deposit is kept and anything paid on top of it is refunded; contact us and we will look for a new date before anything else.