From Ouarzazate: 2 Days - 1 night Zagora Desert back to Marrakech

Excellent experience but there are some things you should know going in. There were no reviews when I purchased this, but I had looked up the tour operator and confirmed they were legit and had great reviews on other tours. This is a tour that starts by picking up travelers in Marrakesh, then picks you up in Ouarzazate. The description says you’ll return to Marrakesh, but you can return to Ouarzazate if you prefer — just let your driver know. The tour starts with a walk to Ait-Ben-Haddou. You’re crossing a small stream walking on rocks, so wear good shoes. There’s also a lot of stair climbing, and it’s sometimes steep — so be prepared to sweat a bit. The view from the top is stunning and worth it. Afterwards we went for lunch. It’s a fixed-price menu with many options, but be aware that these are tourist prices and not Moroccan prices, so you are paying about $13 USD for the meal and $2.50 for a large bottle of water (if desired). This is true for lunch the next day as well. This is not an issue, just something to be aware of so you can bring enough cash, since most places do not accept credit cards. I didn’t anticipate the cost and was out of cash by the time we finished. They also accept Euros. After lunch, our guide for Ait-Ben-Haddou stated that his services were complete and demanded that we each pay him 30 dirhams (about $3). This was a surprise to many in our group and several commented on how they found it rude. He was good at keeping us together and making sure no one was left behind, but the request did seem a little demanding and abrupt since tipping is typically optional. We were taken to a tourist store where they demonstrated the head wrap and offered to sell them for 150 dirhams ($15 USD). Be aware that you can buy them in Ouarzazate for 30 dh. Next we drove about 2 hours to Zagora. When it was time to get on the camel, I was surprised to learn that our luggage would not be brought to camp and we could only bring a small bag with what we needed for the night. There was some scrambling while a few of us slightly repacked our day bags to fit what we could take on the camel. Not an issue but it would have helped to know in advance. Our desert guide, Brahim, was super helpful with the camels, helping us feel welcome and letting us know what to expect at the camp. It’s a one-hour ride to camp on the camel, and 15 minutes back the next morning via take a shortcut. Be aware that it’s bumpy and if you struggle with motion sickness you may want to be prepared for that. There’s also some chafing that can occur. Don’t worry about taking pictures while on the camel — Brahim will make sure get some at the end — because there’s a very real risk you could drop your phone. (I dropped my power bank, so make sure everything is secure.) We got off in the desert and climbed a dune to watch the sunset. The view was absolutely stunning. I purchased the luxury camping experience and it’s worth it for your own private bed and bathroom. Amazing to me that there is electricity (solar power) and toilets in the desert. Human ingenuity never ceases to surprise. Dinner was delicious — many choices of food, so if you are vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, everything can be accommodated. Foods are not touching and are served separately buffet style. I have a gluten allergy and was concerned about that, but everyone was knowledgeable about allergies and I had no issue. Everyone was so welcoming and friendly. The guides entertained us with drums, singing and a fire after dinner. The next morning we climbed the dunes for a beautiful sunset, had breakfast and started the long journey back to Marrakesh. I want to give kudos to our driver, Charaf, who was helpful and honest and spoke multiple languages. He kept track of everyone and made sure we arrived everywhere safely and on time.