Can you do a side-by-side / buggy tour in the Marrakech palmeraie?

Yes, and the Marrakech palmeraie is the obvious and best place to do it — that belt of palm groves, dirt tracks, and scattered Berber hamlets on the edge of the city is practically purpose-made for off-road fun, and side-by-side buggies (the two-seater UTVs) are hugely popular there. Unlike a quad, where everyone drives solo, the side-by-side lets two people share one vehicle, so a nervous partner can ride alongside a confident driver, which makes it brilliant for couples and for anyone who'd rather not pilot their own machine. You bomb along the trails through the palms, past villages and the occasional camel, kicking up dust and grinning.

The tours are well set up for visitors of all levels. The easier palmeraie circuits need no prior experience — there's a briefing, the tracks are relatively gentle, and a guide leads the convoy and sets the pace — while operators can offer rougher, faster routes for the more adventurous, sometimes pushing out toward the rocky desert fringe beyond the groves. Most tours run somewhere between one and three hours and frequently include a stop at a Berber house for mint tea and a rest, which adds a nice human, cultural beat to the adrenaline and lets the dust settle, literally.

Let me be honest about the experience itself, because expectations matter. It is dusty — properly dusty — and bumpy, and on a hot day it's hot work. I tell travellers to wear old clothes they don't mind ruining, bring a scarf or buff to pull over the nose and mouth, and pack sunglasses or the goggles the operator provides, because the fine palmeraie dust gets everywhere. It's not a tranquil nature experience; it's a noisy, exhilarating, slightly grubby blast, and that's exactly why people love it. Closed shoes and sun cream too.

Practically, the palmeraie's proximity makes this an easy half-day from anywhere in Marrakech, and it pairs naturally with camel rides or quad biking, which the same operators usually offer, so groups with mixed appetites for thrill can mix and match. Go in the morning or late afternoon to dodge the worst heat, use an established operator with decent vehicles and a real safety briefing, and confirm whether it's truly a side-by-side or a quad when you book, since the terms get used loosely. For couples, families with teens, or a lively group, it's a genuinely fun couple of hours.