Where is the Zagora desert?

In the Draa Valley, where the oasis town of Zagora meets the desert. The road continues past Tamegroute to M'Hamid, the gateway to Erg Chigaga.

Is the Zagora desert worth visiting?

It is a good first taste of the desert edge, and it is the closest of our desert stops to our office. For larger dune fields, add Erg Chigaga or Erg Chebbi.

How far is Zagora from Marrakech?

It is most of a day by road, over the Tizi n'Tichka pass and through Ouarzazate. Our shortest desert tour, 2 days, goes there and back.

A village on the road between Zagora and M'Hamid, known for its pottery and an old library. Several of our tours stop there.

Zagora Tours

Where the Draa Valley meets the desert: a palm-grove oasis town, Tamegroute and the road on to M'Hamid, in the part of southern Morocco closest to our office.

Plan a trip here

Desert village and palm grove below barren hills in southern Morocco

Zagora is the main town at the southern end of the Draa Valley, where a long strip of palm groves runs between the Anti-Atlas mountains and the edge of the Sahara. Our office is in Tagounite, further along the same road, so this is the part of southern Morocco we know best.

Why stop here

Zagora was a departure point for caravans heading south, and a roadside sign still counts the days to Timbuktu by camel: 52. The town is low-key. The interest lies in the oasis around it: walking among the palms, the old Jewish quarter of Amzrou and, a short drive on, Tamegroute, with its Koranic library and an underground kasbah.

Beyond Zagora

The road continues to M’Hamid, the last town before the open dunes of Erg Chigaga. The camel treks into those dunes begin there. If you would rather start your trip in Zagora than in Marrakech, tell us on the Customized Trips page.

Tours