Best Day Trips from Marrakech: 8 Excursions Worth Taking

At a glance

How to choose

Most visitors have one or two free days for excursions. Pick by what you want to see rather than by distance alone: desert (Agafay, or Merzouga if you have three days), mountains (Imlil, Ourika), sea (Essaouira) or waterfalls (Ouzoud, Ourika). Shared tours are the cheapest; private tours let you choose the start time and stops.

1. Agafay desert: the closest desert

A stone desert of bare hills 40 minutes from the medina, with the High Atlas on the horizon. Best at sunset with a camel ride and dinner at a camp. Ideal if you only have an afternoon free.

Agafay desert tour from £45 →

2. Ourika valley: rivers and waterfalls

A green valley in the Atlas foothills with riverside cafés, Berber villages and the Setti Fatma waterfalls. Easy, varied and cooler than the city in summer.

Ourika valley day trip from £25 →

3. Imlil and the Atlas Mountains: the best walking

The village at the foot of Mount Toubkal. A local guide leads a 2–3 hour walk through walnut groves and stone villages, with lunch on a family terrace. The best choice if you like hiking and big views.

Atlas Mountains day trip from £29 →

4. Essaouira: the Atlantic coast

A relaxed fishing port with a UNESCO-listed medina, blue boats and fresh grilled fish. It is a long day, but the sea air and slower pace are a complete change from Marrakech.

Essaouira day trip from £25 →

5. Ouzoud waterfalls

The highest waterfalls in North Africa, about 110 metres, with Barbary macaques in the olive trees around them. Allow a long day; the walk down to the base and back up is steep in places.

Ouzoud waterfalls day trip from £29 →

6. Aït Benhaddou and Ouarzazate

The fortified mud-brick village used in many films, reached over the Tizi n’Tichka pass. It can be done in one very long day, but it is more comfortable as the first stop of a 3-day Sahara tour.

7. Lalla Takerkoust lake

A reservoir 45 minutes south of the city with mountain views, lakeside restaurants and kayaking. A quiet half day, often combined with Agafay.

8. The Sahara at Merzouga

The tall orange dunes of Erg Chebbi are too far for a day trip. Three days lets you cross the Atlas, see Aït Benhaddou and the Todra gorge, and sleep in a desert camp.

3-day Sahara tour from £129 →

Shared or private?

Shared tours use a minibus with other travellers and fixed times. They cost the least. Private tours give you a car and driver for your group, so you can leave when you like, stop for photos and skip what does not interest you. For families or groups of four or more, private often costs only a little more per person.

Frequently asked questions