Best Day Trips from Marrakech: Private Tours and Excursions

Day trips from Marrakech compared

Pick by how far you want to drive and what you want to see: mountain villages, waterfalls, the ocean, a kasbah or the desert at sunset.

Drive times are for one way, without stops. Full-day trips leave in the morning and are back in Marrakech in the late afternoon or early evening; the half-day trips fit around a day in the medina.

Atlas Mountains day trip: Imlil or the Ourika Valley?

Imlil if you want a real mountain walk below Mount Toubkal; the Ourika Valley for an easier day with villages, an argan cooperative and a short walk to a waterfall.

Both valleys are about 65 km from Marrakech, and both trips are a full day with a local guide for the walk.

The Imlil day trip drives through the Moulay Brahim gorge and Asni to Imlil, at 1,740 m the village where Toubkal treks begin. From there you walk for 2 to 3 hours through walnut orchards to the Amazigh village of Aroumd, at about 1,900 m, before lunch and the drive back. Choose it if you like walking and want the high mountains close up.

The Ourika Valley day trip follows the Ourika river past riverside villages, stops at an argan cooperative and a traditional earthen house, and ends at Setti Fatma, at about 1,500 m, where a guide takes you up to the waterfalls. The valley starts about an hour from Marrakech, so it is the easiest way to see the Atlas without a long drive.

To climb North Africa's highest peak instead, the Mount Toubkal trek takes 2 days from Marrakech with a night at the refuge.

Essaouira day trip from Marrakech

Worth it if you want the sea: 2.5 hours each way leaves you most of the afternoon in Essaouira.

The road crosses the argan forest west of Marrakech, about 190 km to the coast. In Essaouira you see the fishing port first, then have free time on the ramparts and in the walled medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a fish lunch by the harbour if you like. The Essaouira day trip is back in Marrakech at around 19:00.

The Atlantic is cooler than Marrakech, which makes this a good summer trip. If you would rather stay a night by the sea, Essaouira is also on several of our longer tours.

Ouzoud waterfalls day trip

A full day in the Middle Atlas to the 110 m Ouzoud falls, with a walk down to the pools, a boat ride and the Barbary macaques on the way back up.

The falls are about 160 km and 2.5 hours north-east of Marrakech. On the Ouzoud waterfalls day trip you walk down the cliff path to the basin, take a short boat ride below the falls and climb back through the trees where the macaques live. Wear comfortable shoes for the walk. You leave Marrakech at 08:00 and are back in Marrakech in the late afternoon.

Aït Benhaddou day trip: is it worth it?

Yes, if you are not taking a desert tour; it is a long day, with about 7 hours in the car over the High Atlas.

The Aït Benhaddou day trip crosses the Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 m, visits the Telouet Kasbah, the old palace of the Glaoui family, drives down the Ounila Valley and spends about 2 hours at the ksar of Aït Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a film set for many productions. We suggest an 08:00 pickup to arrive before the midday heat.

If you are going to the Sahara, skip it: every one of our desert tours from Marrakech stops at Aït Benhaddou on the way.

Half-day trips: Agafay, a balloon flight and the medina

Three trips fit into half a day: the Agafay desert at sunset, a balloon flight at sunrise and a guided walk through the medina.

The Agafay desert camel ride and sunset dinner leaves Marrakech at about 17:00 for the stone desert 45 minutes south of the city, with a camel ride at golden hour and dinner under the stars; you are back at night. Agafay is a rocky desert, not sand dunes; our guide to the Agafay desert explains the difference.

The sunrise hot air balloon picks you up between about 05:30 and 06:30, flies for an hour over the Jbilet hills with the High Atlas on the horizon, and ends with breakfast. The minimum age is 12. If the wind cancels the flight, you choose a full refund or another date.

The Marrakech city tour is a 4-hour walk with a guide licensed by the Ministry of Tourism: the Koutoubia, the Saadian Tombs, the Mellah, the Bahia Palace, the souks, the Ben Youssef Madrasa and Jemaa el-Fna. It starts where you are staying, at the time you choose.

Can you see the Sahara on a day trip from Marrakech?

No. The sand dunes of Merzouga are two days' drive away, so a Sahara trip from Marrakech takes at least three days.

For a desert evening in a day, go to Agafay. For a night in the dunes, see our Morocco desert tours from Marrakech and Fes: 2 days to Zagora, 3 days to the Erg Chebbi dunes at Merzouga, or 5 days to Erg Chigaga.

How much does a day trip from Marrakech cost?

From $50 for the guided city tour to $230 for the balloon flight, per person for two travellers sharing; full-day trips cost $70 to $125.

The price covers your private vehicle with fuel, the driver and, where the trip has a walk, the local guide. Lunch, drinks, entrance fees and tips are extra. Because the vehicle is most of the cost, the price per person falls quickly for bigger groups: on the full-day trips and the city tour, about 25% less each for 3 to 4 travellers and 40% less for 5 to 6. The balloon is priced per seat. Morocco tour prices compares all our trips.

Day trips from Fes

From Fes we run day trips to Chefchaouen and to Volubilis and Meknes, and a guided tour of the medina.

The Chefchaouen day trip from Fes from $95 is about 200 km and 3.5 to 4 hours each way, with around 5 hours in the blue town. The Volubilis and Meknes day trip from $80 visits the Roman city, Moulay Idriss and the imperial city of Meknes. The Fes city tour from $45 walks you through Fes el-Bali with a licensed guide. All of them are on tours from Fes.

When is the best time for day trips from Marrakech?

Spring and autumn suit every trip; in summer, go to the coast or the mountains, which are cooler than the city.

From March to May and September to November the days are warm and clear. In July and August Marrakech passes 38°C, so Essaouira and the Atlas valleys are the trips to take, with an early start. In winter Marrakech is mild by day, but the mountains are cold and snow is possible at Imlil, so bring warm clothes. See the best time to visit Morocco for month-by-month advice.