Quad biking in the Agafay desert starts with a drive of 30 to 45 minutes from your hotel in Marrakech. Agafay is a stony desert of dirt tracks, rocky stretches and hills, and the ride follows those tracks with stops for photos along the way.

On arrival you get a safety briefing and your equipment: a helmet and goggles. A guide then leads the group, kept small, on a 2-hour quad ride across the desert. During the ride you stop in a desert bivouac for a traditional Moroccan mint tea. With the transfers, plan on about 4 hours in total.

No driving licence is needed and beginners are welcome: you get full instructions before you start, and the guide adapts the route to the group. The minimum age to drive is 16. Younger children can ride as passengers with an adult.

There are two ways to ride. With your own quad, the price is per person. If two of you share one quad, you pay one price for the quad. Round-trip transfers from your hotel are included; a 100 MAD supplement applies if your hotel is more than 10 km from the city centre. Payment is made on site on the day.

Wear closed shoes and comfortable clothes, and bring sunglasses and sun protection. Tours run daily, and the late afternoon, towards sunset, is a good time to ride.

Agafay or the Palm Grove: which to choose? Both rides last 2 hours with a guide and a mint tea break. Agafay is further out (30 to 45 minutes away) and the ride is on open, stony desert tracks with wide views. The Palm Grove is just outside the city, so the outing is shorter and the price is lower, and the tracks run between palm trees and small villages. If you want desert scenery, choose Agafay; if you have less time, look at quad biking in the Palm Grove of Marrakech.