Agafay luxury camp and glamping: how to choose the right tent
A dozen camps on the plateau call themselves luxury. The word covers a wide range. Here is what separates one from another, and which questions to ask before you book.
There are more than a dozen camps on the Agafay plateau and nearly all of them use the word luxury. It covers everything from a canvas tent with a proper bathroom and air conditioning to a canvas tent with a bucket and a good view. The price does not always tell you which you are getting.
This is a guide to the questions that separate them, written by an agency that books the plateau rather than by a camp selling its own rooms.
What glamping means in Agafay
Glamping in Agafay means a fixed canvas tent on a platform, furnished like a room, with a bathroom inside it. It is not camping: you are not pitching anything, carrying anything or sharing anything. It is also not a hotel: the walls are fabric, the sound carries, and the ground outside is gravel.
That middle position is the appeal. You sleep in the middle of an empty plateau with a hot shower and a bed, which is a combination that did not exist here fifteen years ago.
The five questions that actually matter
1. Is the bathroom inside the tent, and is it yours?
This is the single biggest difference between camps, and the one most often glossed over. Some camps have a bathroom inside each tent. Others have a shared block a walk away across the site. Both get described as luxury.
At the camps we work with, every tent has a private bathroom with hot water, a walk-in shower and a private toilet. Ask the question directly of any camp you are considering: the answer is either yes or no, and a vague reply is an answer in itself.
2. Is there heating, and is there air conditioning?
Not a comfort question, a survival-of-the-night question. Winter nights on the plateau approach freezing, and a canvas tent without heating is a long night in January. Summer afternoons are the reverse.
Both are standard in the tents we book. Neither is standard across the plateau.
3. How far is the camp from the next one?
Some camps sit close enough together that you can hear the neighbours’ music. A few sit far enough out that you can see nothing else from your terrace, at the cost of twenty more minutes on a piste. Neither is better; they suit different trips.
4. Is there music, and on which nights?
Gnawa musicians play at many camps on some evenings, and a fire show follows dinner at a few. If you are here for a quiet anniversary, that is a problem. If you are three friends on a Saturday, it is the reason to come. Say which you want.
5. What is included, and what is billed on the night?
Rates are usually per tent and per night, with breakfast. Dinner is nearly always separate. Activities always are. A rate that looks lower than the others often stops at the tent.
What is in the tent
The tents we book have the following, in every category:
- Air conditioning and heating
- A private bathroom with hot water
- A minibar
- A coffee machine
- A safe
- A hairdryer
- Toiletries
That list is deliberately short. It is what we can confirm for every tent we sell. Anything a camp adds beyond it is a bonus rather than a promise, and we would rather under-promise than have you count the towels on arrival.
Choosing between the three categories
This is the part that confuses people, so here it is plainly: the three categories are the same tent. The floor area, the bathroom, the terrace and the view do not change. What changes is the beds and how many people sleep in them.
| Category | Sleeps | Beds | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | 1 | One bed | €200 per night, B&B |
| Double | 2 | One double bed | €239 per night, B&B |
| Triple | 3 | Double bed and a separate single | €299 per night, B&B |
The practical consequence is worth spelling out. A solo traveller in the single category gets the whole tent, not a smaller room, which is unusual: most places charge a single occupant nearly the full double rate for a shrunken space.
Each category has its own page with photographs and a full description, starting with the double tent, which is the one most guests book.
Which one for you
- Travelling alone: the single. The tent is the same size and the rate reflects one person
- A couple: the double. It is the category the camps furnish most carefully
- A couple who prefer separate beds: the triple, which has a double and a single
- A family of three: the triple. It is usually the only category on the plateau that genuinely sleeps three
- Four or more: two tents. It costs less than people expect and is far more comfortable than crowding one
Why we do not name the camps
A fair question, and the answer is not evasion. The right camp depends on your trip rather than on a page. Two couples travelling the same week can need two different camps: one wants music and company, the other wants to hear nothing at all.
So we ask who is travelling, the dates and what you want from the night, then hold the camp that fits and send photographs of the tents that are actually free. The camp is confirmed in writing before you pay anything.
What a luxury tent is not
Three honest limits, because knowing them in advance is what makes the night enjoyable.
- Sound insulation: the walls are canvas. A camp with music will be audible from your tent
- Wifi: it exists at most camps, it is slow, and it stops at the edge of the common area
- Total darkness inside: canvas lets light through, so an eye mask helps if you sleep late
None of these is a defect. They are the nature of sleeping in fabric on a plateau, and every camp on it shares them.
What a night actually costs
For two people in a double tent, with dinner: €239 for the tent with breakfast, plus €110 for dinner for two. Add a transfer from Marrakech and one activity if you want them. Nothing is charged online; you pay in cash on the day, to the driver.
The full picture of an overnight stay, from arrival to breakfast, is in our guide to spending a night in the desert.
Frequently asked questions
What is glamping in the Agafay Desert?
A fixed canvas tent on a platform, furnished like a room, with a private bathroom inside. You are not pitching or carrying anything, but the walls are fabric and the ground outside is gravel.
Do all Agafay luxury camps have private bathrooms?
No, and this is the biggest difference between them. Some have shared facilities across the site. Every tent we book has a private bathroom with hot water inside the tent.
Is there heating in Agafay tents?
In the tents we book, yes, along with air conditioning. It matters more than it sounds: winter nights on the plateau can approach freezing.
What is the difference between the single, double and triple tents?
They are the same tent. The space, the bathroom, the terrace and the view are identical. Only the beds and the number of people change.
Is there wifi in the tents?
Most camps have wifi, it is slow, and it does not usually reach beyond the common area. Mobile coverage on the plateau is patchy.
How much does a night in an Agafay luxury tent cost?
From €200 per night for the single, €239 for the double and €299 for the triple, per tent and with breakfast. Dinner is €55 per person on top.
Why do you not name the camps on the website?
Because the right camp depends on who is travelling and what you want from the night. We hold the one that fits, then send photographs of the tents that are free before you pay.
