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Camel ride at golden hour
Forty minutes at walking pace across the Agafay plateau with a local handler, timed so the light is low. The quiet half of the day, after the engines stop.
- Price
- €15 per person
- Length
- About 40 minutes
- From age
- 4, with a parent
- Best time
- Last hour of light
Slow, on purpose
A camel walks at about 4 km/h. After an hour on a quad that feels like the desert has been switched from one setting to another — you hear the ground, the wind and the handler talking to his animals, and nothing else.
The route runs from the camp out along a low ridge and back, roughly two kilometres, so you are never far from where you started. Handlers lead on foot. They are from the villages on the plateau and they have done this walk several thousand times, which is why they know exactly where to stop for the photograph you actually want.
Most people book it after a quad or buggy ride and before dinner — that order is the whole reason the evening works.
How the forty minutes run
Mounting
The camel kneels, you sit and hold the front of the saddle, then it stands back legs first. Your handler counts you through it.
Out along the ridge
Twenty minutes out at walking pace, single file, with the Atlas ahead of you and the reservoir below.
The stop, then back
A pause at the turn for photographs, then back to the camp in time for tea or dinner.
Included
- Camel and handler for the full ride
- Head scarf if you want one
- Photo stop at the turn
- Mint tea back at the camp
Worth knowing
- Wear long trousers — the saddle is rougher than it looks
- Not suitable during pregnancy or with a back injury
- Maximum rider weight 100 kg per camel
- Transfer is included when you add this to a quad or buggy ride
Camel questions
Can children ride a camel?
From about 4 years old, sharing a camel with a parent or led on their own by a handler. Under 4 we'd rather they walked alongside — camels sway more than people expect.
Is it uncomfortable?
The saddle is padded and the pace is a walk. Getting on and off is the awkward part: the camel kneels, you sit, then it stands back to front, which tips you forward for a second. Your handler tells you when.
Can I book the camel ride on its own?
Yes, though most people add it to a quad or buggy ride. On its own it's €15 per person and takes about 40 minutes plus transfers.
Are the camels well treated?
They work short shifts with long rests, they're watered between rides, and they belong to the families who handle them. If a camel is off-colour it doesn't go out, which occasionally means we run fewer than booked and reshuffle groups.
Golden hour is short
Add a camel ride to any booking, or take it on its own. €15 per person, paid at the camp.