1-hour quad biking from Marrakech, Agafay

This is the shorter of the two quad rides that Quad Marrakech runs in the Agafay desert, and the one most people book first: one hour of riding, ninety minutes at the base in all. For more distance, the 2-hour quad ride goes further into the valleys and adds a second stop. The quad biking and dinner evening adds a Moroccan dinner on the same site, and the page Quad biking in Marrakech compares every outing.

Who runs the ride, and where does it start?

Quad Marrakech runs the ride itself, with its own guides, and you book directly with us, with no reseller in between. The meeting point is Laarissa El Mokhtar, Agafay Desert, 45 minutes by road south-west of central Marrakech. Most visitors drive or take a taxi; the meeting point is mapped on this page and repeated in your confirmation email.

One hour of riding, ninety minutes at the base

The hour in the title is riding time. It is not how long you will be with us, and the difference is worth planning around: welcome and paperwork take about fifteen minutes, the briefing and the practice loop another fifteen, and handing the equipment back closes the session. Ninety minutes at the base in total. Both figures are published here because the gap between them is what makes people late for whatever they booked next.

The briefing, and the practice loop

Nobody is sent out cold. The briefing covers the controls, braking and the spacing to keep on the track, and it is given in English, French or Spanish. A practice loop follows, on flat ground beside the base, so that the first real corner is not the first corner you have ever taken. No previous experience is expected and no driving licence is required.

Who can ride: ages, licence and health

Drivers must be 16 or over. A passenger rides behind the driver rather than taking a machine of their own, from the age of 6, accompanied by a responsible adult throughout. Every booking must include at least one adult aged 18 or over, so two 16-year-olds cannot go out on their own. The ride is not advised for pregnant women or people with back problems. Helmets are handed out and adjusted at the base before the first start.

What the price covers, and the hotel transfer

One quad per rider with its helmet, the safety briefing and the practice loop, and the guide who stays with the group from start to finish. Third-party liability cover is included; wider personal accident cover is at your own expense.

Not included: meals and drinks, tips, photographs and video taken on site, and the transfer from Marrakech. The hotel transfer is an optional extra and is never included in the price. It is a separate line on your booking, for the return trip, and the pickup is one hour before the start; its fee is given on the page Quad biking in Marrakech.

Times, and what to wear

Departures are fixed: 10 am, noon and 4 pm, with the afternoon one at 5 pm from 1 April to 20 September. Moroccan time is GMT all year, and Ramadan does not change the times. Closed shoes and sunglasses: the tracks are dusty and the dust travels. There is little shade in the Agafay at any time of year, so a hat and sun protection earn the space they take.

Booking, paying and cancelling

You book directly with Quad Marrakech, so the price carries no agency commission. You can book without paying anything online and pay at the base, in cash (dirhams or foreign currency), before the start, 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 the start, and anything you paid online is refunded. Inside that, the 30% deposit is kept and anything paid on top of it is refunded; write to us and we will look at moving you to another departure before anything else.

A group that wants a buggy alongside the quads can have one, to order only: it is not offered in the online booking, so contact the team beforehand.