An Active New Year's Eve in the Agafay Desert
Adding quad biking to a New Year's Eve evening in the Agafay Desert near Marrakech — what's realistic, and how to plan it.
A standard desert NYE evening in Agafay follows a fairly relaxed arc: arrive, camel ride at sunset, dinner, fire show, midnight. That works well for most people, but if you'd rather burn off some energy before sitting down to dinner — especially if your group is younger, active, or just wants more out of the afternoon than a slow arrival — quad biking across the Agafay plateau is worth adding to the day.
[!NOTE] Fast-Facts & Direct Answer Summary
The Agafay Desert is a rocky stone desert (hammada) located just 40–45 minutes (35 km) southwest of Marrakech. It offers sunset dinners, quad biking, and glamping without the 10-hour drive to the Sahara.
- Distance & Transit: 45 minutes by private taxi or 4x4 from central Marrakech
- Terrain Reality: Barren rolling stony hills with High Atlas mountain backdrop (no sand dunes)
- Average Costs: Quad biking ~400–600 MAD; Sunset dinner & campfire show ~500–900 MAD
- Best For: Short trips (1–2 days in Marrakech), romantic sunset dinners, and quick adventure day trips
- Erg Chebbi vs Agafay: If you want authentic 150m-high golden sand dunes, visit Merzouga (Erg Chebbi).
What this actually looks like
Agafay's rocky, open terrain is genuinely good quad-biking ground — wide, mostly flat with rolling sections, and free of the traffic or obstacles you'd deal with elsewhere. A typical session runs a few hours in the afternoon with a guide, helmet and safety gear included, before you head back to camp to clean up, change, and settle in for the evening's dinner and entertainment. It's a way to spend the golden-hour light actively rather than just watching it from a camel, and by the time dinner starts you've already had a memorable few hours rather than just arrived.
Quad biking is a real optional add-on to our standard Agafay tours rather than a separate fixed "adventure package" — so treat this as a way to build an active afternoon into either of our Agafay evenings, not a distinct branded product with its own set schedule and pricing tier. Minimum age and safety requirements apply (generally 16+ to ride solo, with tandem options for younger riders depending on the operator), and long trousers and closed shoes are required regardless of what else you're wearing that evening — bring a change of clothes for dinner, since you will get dusty.
Who this suits
This works well for groups of friends or couples who want an active day rather than a slow one, and less well for anyone with back, neck, or joint issues, given the vibration and jolting involved, or for young children who can't safely ride. If your group includes people who want the activity and others who'd rather relax, quad biking is easy to make optional within the same booking — not everyone needs to ride for the day to work.
What we offer
Quad biking can be added to either our evening sunset dinner and camel ride or our overnight glamping tour — mention it when you book so we can confirm timing and availability for December 31st specifically, since capacity for optional activities can be tighter on the busiest night of the year.
Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +212675203319 / +212668534981
Related reading
MerzougaWay Team
We are a passionate team of local guides dedicated to sharing the beauty and culture of our home, Morocco. Our journey began with a simple desire to offer authentic, memorable experiences that go beyond the typical tourist trails.
