2-hour quad, camel and sunset dinner

Is it worth it, and who is it for?

It is worth it if you want the whole evening in one place: a quad ride, a camel ride and a Moroccan dinner on the same site, with no transfer between them. Agafay is a stony desert of pale hills, not a desert of sand dunes, 45 minutes by road from central Marrakech, with the Atlas range in view.

It suits first-timers, since no driving licence and no experience are needed; families with children aged 6 or over, since a child rides the quad as a passenger behind an adult from that age; and anyone who wants a ride, a slow walk on camelback and a seated dinner in one outing. The whole outing is open from 6, camel ride and dinner included: with a child aged 3 to 5, choose the camel ride and dinner instead. If riding is what you want most, the two-hour quad ride on its own has no camel ride and no dinner.

The departure is the same as that of the 1-hour quad, camel and Moroccan meal, the shorter version: it has one hour of quad and lasts four hours, where this outing has two hours of quad and lasts five. The camel ride always follows the quad, and dinner is served in the evening. The guide to quad and camel in one outing compares all the combined outings.

The five hours, in order

The meeting time at the base is the start time: 4 pm, or 5 pm from 1 April to 20 September. From there:

• The first half hour: welcome, paperwork, helmet fitting, safety briefing and a practice loop.
• About two hours of quad, starting half an hour after the start time.
• About an hour on camelback, starting two and a half hours after the start time, the camels led in a train by a handler on foot.
• Dinner under the tents, from about three and a half hours after the start time: soup, salads, a main dish and fruit, with mint tea and water.
• The end of the evening, about five hours after the start time, when the groups board the vehicles.

Where does the camel ride fall against the sunset?

The start time is fixed and does not follow the sun, so the answer depends on the month. The camel ride lasts about an hour, not a few minutes for a photograph, and it begins about two and a half hours after the start: about 6:30 pm on a 4 pm start, about 7:30 pm on a 5 pm start. Set against the sunset times of the 15th of each month in Agafay at sunset, which match Marrakech weather month by month, it begins within about twenty minutes of sunset in February, March and from May to August, and between half an hour and an hour after sunset in April and from September to January. If the light matters most to you, check the month of your date, and ask us when you book.

Two hours of quad, then an hour led on foot

One machine per rider, helmet handed out and adjusted at the base, and a briefing covering the controls, braking and spacing on the track, in English, French or Spanish. A practice loop comes first. No driving licence is required and no experience is expected. Drivers must be 16 or over; a child rides as a passenger behind an adult from the age of 6.

The camels then walk in a train led by a handler on foot. Nothing to steer, nothing to learn: the handler has the animal kneel, helps you up, and helps you down at the end. A guide stays with the group throughout, and children take part accompanied by a responsible adult at all times. The quad ride and the camel ride are not advised for pregnant women or people with back problems.

Dinner after dark

Under the tents, at low tables: soup, salads, a main dish and fruit, served once the sun is down, with mint tea and water at the table. Drinks other than tea and water are not included. Tell us about a special diet when you book, not on the night: vegetarian and allergy requests go to the kitchen and we confirm what can be prepared before the day.

Dust first, then a real drop in temperature

Closed shoes and sunglasses for the ride: the tracks are dusty and the dust travels. Then a warm layer: you finish the evening sitting still, outdoors, well after the sun has gone, and the Agafay loses its heat fast. What to wear for quad biking in Agafay goes through the kit piece by piece.

Getting there, what is included, paying and cancelling

The meeting point is Laarissa El Mokhtar, Agafay Desert, 45 minutes by road from central Marrakech. A return transfer from your hotel or riad can be added when you book, for a fee; it is never included in the price, and the pickup is one hour before the start.

Included: one quad per rider with helmet, the briefing and practice loop, the camel ride with animals led on foot, the Moroccan dinner, mint tea and water at the table, the guide with the group, and third-party liability cover.

Not included: drinks other than tea and water, tips, photographs and video taken on site, personal accident cover, and transfer from Marrakech.

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.