Quad biking in Marrakech

Palmeraie or Agafay

The Palmeraie is a large palm grove just north of the city. The tracks are mostly flat earth, winding between palms and small settlements, and the transfer from a medina riad is short. It's the cheaper, quicker option and the one most listings mean when they say 'quad biking in Marrakech'.

Agafay is a stony desert 35 km south-west of the city, around 45–60 min by road. The ground is hillier and rougher, and on a clear day you look across to the Atlas. You pay for that with more time on the road, and Agafay sessions are often sold together with a camel ride, a dinner or a night in a camp.

Neither place has sand dunes. If dunes are the point of your trip, read which desert actually has them before booking anything.

How long it takes

Plan on half a day for the Palmeraie: pickup, a safety briefing, kit, the ride and the drive back. Riding time is typically one to two hours. The listing gives the exact figure, and that's the number to compare between tours, not the total time away from your hotel.

Agafay adds the road in both directions, so it fills most of an afternoon. Late-afternoon slots are popular for the softer light and the lower heat, which matters in summer: Marrakech averages 38 °C in July.

What to wear and bring

Dust is the main thing to prepare for. A line of quads throws up a lot of it, and whoever rides at the back gets most.

• Closed shoes or trainers, not sandals
• Long trousers and a top you don't mind ruining
• A scarf or buff for nose and mouth; some operators lend a cheche, the local head wrap
• Sunglasses or goggles
• Empty pockets: phones and keys fall out on bumpy tracks

Licence, passengers and safety checks

Guided quad tours around Marrakech don't usually ask for a driving licence, because you ride in a group behind a guide, off public roads. Minimum ages and who may drive vary by operator, so read the conditions on the listing rather than assuming.

Most tours offer a passenger seat behind the driver, which is the option for children or for anyone who would rather not drive. Check the minimum age for passengers too.

Before you set off, look at what you're given: a helmet that fits and fastens, a machine that brakes properly on the practice lap, and a clear answer on whether insurance is included and what it covers. If any of that is vague, ask, or choose another tour.

Combining it with something else

Quad and camel combinations are common and save a second transfer. In Agafay, a quad session before a camp dinner makes a full afternoon and evening; the Agafay desert page covers the camps.

If you also want a camel ride, compare a combined tour with booking the camel ride separately. Combined tours are cheaper, but each part tends to be shorter.