Day trips from Marrakech

Seven ways to leave the city.

Private vehicle, private driver, your own departure time. Adil plans the day around what you actually want to see, and tells you honestly which trips are worth the drive and which are not.

See the multi-day tours

The seven day trips, one by one.

Before choosing, two articles may help: Agafay or Merzouga and what to do in Marrakech in three days.

Coming in July or August? An article covers how to handle Marrakech in the heat.

A lone camel train crossing the Agafay desert, the snow-capped Atlas behindPrivate tour
Day trip from Marrakech

Agafay Desert

5,0Tripadvisor

A stone desert of pale hills half an hour from the city, with the Atlas on the horizon. The classic late-afternoon escape: camel or quad, dinner under a tent, then the sky.

Distance~30 km · 40 min
FormatHalf day or evening
OptionsQuad, buggy, camel, pool day pass
See the itinerary
  1. Leave Marrakech by private car, south-west towards the Agafay plateau.
  2. Camel ride, quad or buggy across the stone desert, depending on what you choose.
  3. Sunset over the hills, with the Atlas behind.
  4. Moroccan dinner under a tent, often with music.
  5. Back to your riad in the evening.
A Berber village in the High Atlas above its terraced fieldsPrivate tour
Day trip from Marrakech

Atlas Mountains & the Three Valleys

5,0Tripadvisor

Berber villages, terraced fields and mountain passes, an hour and a half from the red walls. The day that shows you the other Morocco.

Distance60 to 80 km · 1 h 30
FormatFull day
WalkingEasy to moderate
See the itinerary
  1. Drive out through the Haouz plain towards the foothills.
  2. Stops in Berber villages, with tea in a family home when it can be arranged.
  3. The three valleys: Asni, Oukaïmeden and Ourika, or the variation that suits the season.
  4. Lunch by the river or on a terrace facing the mountains.
  5. Return to Marrakech in the late afternoon.
The Ourika river at Setti Fatma, its willows and its riverside tablesPrivate tour
Day trip from Marrakech

Ourika Valley

5,0Tripadvisor

A river valley that climbs into the High Atlas, ending at the seven waterfalls of Setti Fatma. The closest green escape to Marrakech.

Distance~35 km · 1 h
FormatHalf or full day
WalkingRocky path to the falls
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  1. Drive south through the argan and olive country.
  2. A Berber house, and how a mountain family actually lives.
  3. Setti Fatma and the walk up towards the waterfalls.
  4. Lunch on a terrace over the river.
  5. Back in Marrakech for the end of the afternoon.
The ramparts of Essaouira and its white medina above the AtlanticPrivate tour
Day trip from Marrakech

Essaouira

5,0Tripadvisor

The Atlantic port with its ramparts, its blue boats and its UNESCO medina. Two and a half hours of argan country, then the wind.

Distance~175 km · 2 h 30
FormatFull day
Good forFamilies, slow pace
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  1. Leave early, west across the argan forest.
  2. A women’s argan cooperative on the way.
  3. The ramparts, the Skala and the fishing port.
  4. Free time in the medina, and grilled fish on the quay.
  5. Back to Marrakech in the evening.
The earthen ksar of Aït Ben Haddou rising above the palm treesPrivate tour
Day trip from Marrakech

Aït Ben Haddou & Ouarzazate

5,0Tripadvisor

Over the Tichka pass at 2,260 m, down to the earthen ksar that half of cinema has filmed. The long day, and the one people remember.

Distance~190 km · 4 h
FormatLong day, early start
UNESCOAït Ben Haddou ksar
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  1. The climb to the Tichka pass, with stops for the view.
  2. The ksar of Aït Ben Haddou, a UNESCO site, and the walk up to the granary.
  3. Lunch facing the kasbah.
  4. Ouarzazate, its film studios and the Taourirt kasbah.
  5. Return over the pass, back in Marrakech at night.
The Ouzoud waterfalls seen from below, with the footbridge and the poolPrivate tour
Day trip from Marrakech

Ouzoud Waterfalls

5,0Tripadvisor

A hundred and ten metres of water falling through red rock, with wild macaques in the olive trees and small boats at the bottom.

Distance~150 km · 2 h 30
FormatFull day
WalkingSteps down and back up
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  1. Drive north-east towards the Middle Atlas.
  2. The path down through the olive groves, past the macaques.
  3. The foot of the falls, and the boat that takes you under the spray.
  4. Lunch on a terrace facing the water.
  5. Back to Marrakech in the evening.
A stone village below the snow-capped peaks of Toubkal, at ImlilPrivate tour
Day trip from Marrakech

Imlil & the Toubkal Valley

5,0Tripadvisor

The village at the foot of Toubkal, North Africa’s highest peak. Walnut trees, mule paths and the air of 1,700 metres.

Distance~65 km · 1 h 30
FormatFull day
WalkingReal walking shoes
See the itinerary
  1. Drive through Asni and its Saturday market when the day falls right.
  2. Imlil, and the walk up through the walnut trees.
  3. A mule for the climb if you would rather not carry yourself.
  4. Lunch in a village house, with the valley below.
  5. Back down and return to Marrakech.

Why go with Adil

A day out, not a coach tour.

Your group only

One vehicle for you. No pick-up round of four hotels, no waiting for people you have never met.

You set the clock

Leave at six for the light, or at nine because the children slept badly. Stop when a view deserves it.

A price agreed first

You get the figure before you commit, and it does not move on the day.

Honest advice

If a trip is not worth it in your season, or too long for your children, Adil will tell you before you book it.

Are these excursions private?

Yes. The vehicle and the driver are for your group alone, and the departure time is yours to choose.

Does Adil come along?

He can, and he will tell you when it adds something. On some days out a driver and a local guide on site make more sense, and he will say so.

What does it cost?

It depends on the destination, the size of your group and the options you pick. Send your dates on WhatsApp and you get a price before you commit to anything.

What is included?

The quote states it line by line: transport, driver, guide, entrance fees, meals and activities. Nothing is left vague and nothing is added on the day.

Can two excursions be combined?

Often, yes. Ourika and the Atlas go together well, and Agafay works as an evening after a day in the medina.

Morocco toursMarrakech to Merzouga and Fès, in 3, 4 or 5 days. Marrakech walking toursHeritage, museums, food and the souks, on foot in the medina. Guide AdilThe certified local guide behind every one of these days.

Ready to walk Marrakech with Adil?

Send your dates on WhatsApp. You get an answer the same day, and a price before you commit to anything.

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