After a few days in Marrakeshthe bustle of the souks and the narrowness of the alleyways, the desire often arises to see a little more of the country and explore the surroundings, experience nature and give your eyes a little rest.
Morocco has an incredible variety of landscapes and cities to offer, but it is also very large. You can get a small insight into the diversity of the kingdom on a day trip around Marrakesh .
Whether it’s a trip to the Atlantic or to the Berber villages of the High Atlas, the variety of day trips on offer may seem confusing at first.
To help you plan your trip and perhaps arouse your curiosity about one or two experiences, we present the most popular excursion destinations in the vicinity of Marrakesh here.
One thing in advance: the sand dunes of the Sahara cannot be seen on a day trip from Marrakesh. You will need at least 2 days, preferably 3 or 4, and spend a lot of time in the car — on bad roads!
But the area around Marrakesh also has a rocky desert, picturesque mountain villages and old coastal towns as well as the occasional adventure to keep everyone entertained on their vacation.
- Which day trips are recommended?
- How and where should I book an excursion?
- The best excursions in the surroundings of Marrakesh
- 1. Agafay Desert
- 2. Ourika Valley
- 3. Essaouira
- 4. Aït Ben Haddou
- 5. The Berber villages in the High Atlas
- 6. Ouzoud Waterfals
- 7. Balloon ride at sunrise
- 8. The Palmeraie
- 9. An afternoon by the pool
- 10. Cooking Class
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Which day trips are recommended?
Of course, this depends on your individual interests. From Marrakesh, you can explore original villages in the mountains, hike to a waterfall or eat fresh fish on the beach in Essaouira.
We always advise our guests to plan 2–3 days for the city itself. If you stay longer, you will have enough time to go on an excursion and get to know the surrounding area.
Most day trips start after an early breakfast and you are back in the city in time for dinner. Some activities, such as a dinner in the Agafay or a balloon ride, only require half a day.
So if you have little time, you should think carefully about where your priorities lie and how you want to spend your time.
We hope that this list will help you make the right decision and make your time in Marrakesh as eventful as possible.
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How and where should I book an excursion?
The first port of call is certainly your accommodation. Many hotels work with local agencies to offer their guests an enjoyable and safe experience. However, the day trips can usually only be booked on site, as the providers require a deposit. The hotel staff will then help with the pick-up and you don’t have to worry about anything yourself and have a contact person if things don’t go as planned.
In the city itself, there is an agency on every corner selling day trips and tours lasting several days. For some excursions, such as a camel ride in the Palmeraie, I would have no qualms about booking there. However, we keep hearing from guests that the services on excursions to Agafay or the Ourika Valley were not as originally advertised. So if you want to book an excursion spontaneously, you should check whether you can find current reviews for the agency in question on Google or Tripadvisor to avoid falling for empty promises.
It is important to note that the sales outlets in the souk do not organize the excursions themselves, but only offer the day trips of larger agencies, which are usually located in the new town. So if you buy an offer as it is offered — everything is fine.
However, this convoluted system makes it difficult to find out anything in advance via reviews on Google or Tripadvisor, because if agency A has no more space, they will book with agency B without you noticing. And then it can happen that you are dumped in the 2‑star barbecue restaurant on the street instead of the luxury camp offered in Agafay. It’s all happened before…
As soon as you have individual special requests, you can be almost certain that these will fall by the wayside somewhere in the communication between the seller, provider and tour guide. The hotel with a private driver is usually the better way to organize a day trip, as you have the opportunity to intervene during the excursion if things don’t go as planned.
If you like to plan ahead and want to be on the safe side, GetYourGuide* is a good place to start. Local agencies offer their excursions there and you can usually find out whether the quality and service are right based on the reviews.
There is also the question of whether you would like to go on a group excursion or a private excursion with your own chauffeur. Group excursions are of course cheaper, but on a private tour the guide can better cater to your wishes.
Some excursions are perfectly adequate as a group tour, while on other excursions it is nicer to have your own driver. The drivers usually speak English and French, other languages are rather rare.
If you don’t want to book a private tour, you may be lucky and book an excursion for the next day in the souk. If you are spending more than 3 days in Marrakesh, you can confidently book the excursions on arrival. However, if you have very specific ideas and are not flexible in terms of time, it is better to plan ahead.
The best excursions in the surroundings of Marrakesh
1. Agafay Desert
The Agafay stone desert is only 45 minutes away from Marrakesh and is therefore ideal for a half-day excursion.
There are many camps in the wasteland at the foot of the High Atlas which, in addition to camel riding and quad biking, also have a pool which guests can use in conjunction with a lunch.
The Agafay excursions with lunch* start at around 10 a.m. in Marrakesh and last until around 3 p.m., depending on the provider.
In the evenings, the camps offer camel riding and quad biking, a dinner in a Berber tent and, depending on the camp, an impressive show with music and fire-eaters around the campfire.
An evening in the Agafay* begins at around 3 p.m. in Marrakesh and ends shortly before midnight with the return to the city, depending on the time of year and the time of sunset.
The Agafay is the most popular excursion from Marrakesh for many guests, which is also ideal for a short stay in the city. Especially those who have no desert experience will love the special atmosphere of the Agafay. There are countless providers and many camps, which is why we have written a separate blog article about the Agafay desert.
The Agafay is best visited as part of a group tour, as it involves round-trip transportation and a stay in a camp, and having your own driver doesn’t really add any value to the experience.
2. Ourika Valley
After just 45 minutes driving from Marrakesh, you reach the foothills of the High Atlas.
The Ourika Valley impresses with a lively river, cozy barbecue restaurants right on the water and a short hike to the waterfall.
On the way, you can stop at a small carpet museum and ask a guide to explain the knotting techniques. Usually a mint tea is served and of course you can also buy a carpet.
Depending on the day of the week, there is the opportunity to visit a local market or a watermill.
The small Ecomusée Berbère de l’Ourika is also very informative and can be visited with a guide. Unfortunately, it was damaged in the severe earthquake in 2023, so if you are interested, just ask your guide about it, perhaps it will be open again.
You have to scramble to the waterfall for about 30 minutes on a fairly bad path. Guides are waiting at the parking lot to help with the more difficult parts if someone is not good on their feet. However, the excursion is also nice if you don’t walk all the way to the waterfall.
Afterwards, you can eat freshly grilled lamb or tagine in the restaurants right by the water. In summer, you can dangle your legs in the cool water, which is wonderful when the thermometer in Marrakesh climbs to 45°C!
A day trip to the Ourika Valley* is the most popular excursion for our guests and a great experience if you want to see something of the countryside during a city trip to Marrakesh.
I would prefer the excursion to the Ourika Valley with a private driver*, as there is a lot to see on the way there and back and you can adapt the day to your own interests.
André Heller’s Anima Garden is also located on the way to the Ourika Valley. Some agencies offer a visit to the garden, which takes no more than an hour, in combination with an excursion to Ourika: Combined tour Anima Garden and Ourika Valley*.
3. Essaouira
Essaouira, the old Portuguese fortress on the Atlantic, is just under a 3‑hour drive from Marrakech.
The harbor with its photogenic blue fishing boats is particularly worth seeing in the morning, when the goods are sold directly from the boat.
You can have your fresh catch prepared in the barbecue stalls at the harbor. Essaouira is a paradise for gourmets who love fresh fish and seafood!
The cozy old town with its white houses invites you to stroll around. There is a souk that has a very different vibe to Marrakech and some excellent restaurants with views of the ocean. Large parts of the old Portuguese city wall are impressively well preserved.
You can swim on the beach in the summer months or ride horses or camels all year round.
On the way to Essaouira, you will usually stop at an argan oil cooperative, as the unique argan trees only grow in this area. You are also sure to see the famous goats that climb trees here.
For the excursion to Essaouira* you don’t necessarily need a private tour, as the excursion mainly consists of the outward and return journey and you can explore everything on foot in Essaouira.
There are also guided tours to Essaouira* if you don’t want to explore the city on your own.
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4. Aït Ben Haddou
The impressive clay kasbah in the south of the High Atlas is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is definitely worth a visit.
However, it takes a good 3.5 hours to drive from Marrakech. The winding road takes you over the High Atlas Mountains and back again at the end of the day.
Although the fortified village with its unique architecture is really worth seeing, you have to realize that you will be spending most of the day in the car on this excursion.
Aït Ben Haddou is also a good stopover on the way to the Erg Chebbi sand dunes if you have a few extra days.
Usually the trips to Aït Ben Haddou are offered in combination with a visit to the film studios in Ouarzazate*. Incidentally, parts of Game of Thrones and Gladiator were filmed in Aït Ben Haddou and the entrance gate that was built for GoT still stands.
Those who are not interested in the film studios can take an excursionvia the picturesque Telouet Valley*. There are original Berber villages and wild landscapes to discover here before arriving in Aït Ben Haddou.
5. The Berber villages in the High Atlas
In addition to the valley of Ourika with its waterfall, there are several other valleys that can easily be visited in one day on a round trip from Marrakesh.
The route varies depending on the provider and sometimes the tour is called the 3 Valleys Tour or a visit to Imlil, but on all of them you will see the impressive landscape of the High Atlas and the original Berber villages.
The Ourika Valley is usually visited, then the journey continues to Asni, Imlil or Moulay Brahim. Along the way you will see Berber villages, more or less green valleys depending on the season and the rugged slopes of Mount Toubkal, the highest mountain in Morocco.
At lunchtime you can enjoy tagine and mint tea in a typical Moroccan restaurant and on the way back you may pass the Lalla Takerkoust reservoir, which supplies Marrakech with drinking water and looks bizarre in the dry landscape.
Popular are Group tours to the High Atlas* because of the favorable price, but this excursion is also well suited as an individual tour to the Berber villages* with a private driver.
Are you looking for a hotel in Marrakesh?
Our charming Riad Selouane in the Medina offers the best ratings, breakfast on the roof terrace and first-class service!
6. Ouzoud Waterfals
3 hours (rather boring) drive east of Marrakech are the Ouzoud waterfalls.
The water plunges almost 110 m into the depths to collect in several pools. Lush greenery in the otherwise rocky landscape makes up a large part of the charm of Ouzoud.
You visit the waterfalls from above, i.e. you first have the beautiful view, then descend and can eat in one of the many restaurants along the lagoon and enjoy the view.
The highlight of the excursion to the Ouzoud waterfalls is the short raft ride to get up close to the waterfalls and feel the spray on your skin.
At the moment it is better to visit the Ouzoud waterfalls with a group tour* because private drivers have to park several kilometers before the actual falls and then you have to walk. Buses, on the other hand, are allowed to drive right up to the waterfalls. As the situation on site can change quickly, it is worth asking at the hotel or agency if you want to visit the Ouzoud waterfalls with a private driver*.
The waterfalls are particularly impressive in spring after snowy winters. You should therefore find out before visiting the waterfalls whether the river has enough water and whether the trip is worthwhile.
7. Balloon ride at sunrise
You have to set off 2 hours before sunrise to experience the first rays of sunshine over the High Atlas from the basket of a balloon.
But the early start is worth it, because the balloons rising at dusk create a magical atmosphere.
After the one-hour balloon ride, we have breakfast in the Berber tent before heading back to the city.
A Balloon ride at sunrise over the High Atlas* is a very special experience and is offered by many providers in Marrakesh.
We were so enthusiastic about our balloon flight that we wrote a whole blog article about it: Balloon flight over Marrakesh: Sunrise over the Atlas Mountains.
8. The Palmeraie
The so-called Palmeraie is located just outside Marrakesh. This palm oasis was the original reason for the founding of Marrakesh.
There is a wide variety of activities on offer here: Quad biking, horse riding or camel riding. Many of the large hotels with pools and golf courses are also located here.
For the adventurous Quad bike rides in the Palmeraie* or combined excursions with quad biking, camel riding and tea drinking in a Berber tent* are offered.
In addition to excursions with camel ride and tea in the palm oasis* you can also ride horses through the Palmeraie*.
Most tours in the Palmeraie are half-day activities, some are also offered at sunset. Here you can confidently fall back on the group tours, a private chauffeur hardly makes sense.
9. An afternoon by the pool
After a few days in the city, you may have had enough of the hustle and bustle and the narrowness of the souk.
There are some beautiful pool complexes in surroundings of Marrakesh where you can spend a relaxing afternoon and soothe your overstimulated senses.
The Beldi Country Club is one of these facilities and offers various pools, lunch under olive trees and a wellness center with hammam and massage.
Also very stylish is the fairly new R’Matt, which, depending on the season, is only open at weekends and is a little further out of town.
In the Agafay desert, for example, the great Inara-Camp* offers a day pass with lunch and pool.
Marrakesh even has a real water park to offer: Oasiria* scores particularly well with children with its great slides and other attractions.
Most of the pools are heated, so you can enjoy the water at any time of year. We love the pools, especially in summer when it’s too hot in the city to spend the whole day in the souk.
10. Cooking Class
Moroccan cuisine, with its spices and stews, is one of the best cuisines in the world. Traditional Moroccan cuisine has been passed down and celebrated for generations with family recipes.
So why not learn from the professionals directly on site?
You can plan half a day for a cooking course and there is a wide variety on offer.
Very popular is the Hassan and Ahmed’s cooking course in the Medina*. First you go shopping together at the local market, then you are introduced to the art of making tea. Afterwards, various tagines and Moroccan salads are prepared and eaten together at the end.
Some riads also offer cooking classes for their guests or know a riad in the neighborhood that offers cooking classes, so it’s worth asking.
Combining an excursion to the High Atlas with a cooking course in a Berber village* is also a wonderful experience. On this full-day excursion, you will learn how to prepare traditional dishes from a local family.
If you love Moroccan breakfast, you might be interested in the Cooking course for Moroccan pancakes*.
At Farm to Table Marrakech, just outside the city, the vegetables for the cooking course are grown in their own garden. The cooking course begins with harvesting the ingredients in the garden, then preparing the dishes in the fantastic outdoor kitchen and eating them together under the shady pergola.
A day trip from Marrakesh is a great way to see the country and its people and create unforgettable vacation memories!
Looking for more information about Marrakesh?
Visit our travel guide to learn more about the sights of Marrakesh and Morocco!