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Attractions & day tripsBy Clever Tourists · Published
The High Atlas valleys of Imlil and Ourika are the best day trips from Marrakech, followed by Essaouira on the coast. Both valleys are about 60 km away, an hour to an hour and a half by road, and swap the medina's heat for mountain villages and walks. Essaouira is about 3 hours each way, long for a day but worth it. Ouzoud Falls and the Agafay desert are easy add-ons; Aït Benhaddou and the Sahara are not day trips at all, whatever the tour sellers say. We spent 6 days in Marrakech in September 2022, a night on 9 September after 2 nights in Essaouira, then 5 more (14 to 19 September) after crossing the High Atlas to Ouarzazate, the Draa Valley and the dunes of Erg Chigaga. Here is how the options rank by payoff against time in the car.
• Imlil and the Toubkal valleys: about 1.5 hours. Berber villages and mountain walks. Full day.
• Ourika Valley and Setti Fatma: about 1 to 1.5 hours. Riverside villages and waterfalls. Full day.
• Agafay desert: about 45 minutes. Stony desert with Atlas views. Half a day or a sunset.
• Essaouira: about 3 hours. The walled port on the Atlantic. Long day, better overnight.
• Ouzoud Falls: about 2.5 to 3 hours. Morocco's highest waterfalls. Full day.
• Aït Benhaddou: about 4 hours each way. Overnight in Ouarzazate instead.
Marrakech itself needs 2 to 3 days for the medina, the souks, the palaces and Jemaa el-Fnaa; see how many days in Marrakech.
Imlil is a mountain village about 60 km south of Marrakech, in the foothills of Jebel Toubkal, North Africa's highest peak. From here, walks lead up through walnut groves and terraced fields to villages such as Aroumd, with views of the snow-capped peaks for much of the year.
Getting there: about 1.5 hours by car via Asni. Without a driver, take a grand taxi to Asni and a shared taxi or minibus on to Imlil.
How long: a full day. Suits: walkers of all levels. Tip: hire a local guide for the day walk. The region was badly hit by the September 2023 earthquake, and a local guide knows which paths and villages are open, and spends your money where it helps. Climbing Toubkal itself takes two days and, since 2018, requires a licensed mountain guide.
The Ourika Valley is the green river valley about 60 km south-east of Marrakech, lined with Berber villages, riverside cafés and orchards. At its head, Setti Fatma is the starting point for a scramble up to a series of waterfalls.
Getting there: about 1 to 1.5 hours by car. On your own, grand taxis and local buses run from Marrakech up the valley to Setti Fatma.
How long: a full day. Suits: families and anyone who wants mountain air without a real hike. Tip: tours often add stops at argan cooperatives and carpet shops; with a private driver, say upfront if you want to skip them. The waterfall path involves rocks and river crossings, so wear proper shoes.
Agafay is a stony desert of bare hills about 45 minutes south-west of Marrakech, with the High Atlas on the horizon. It is not the sand-dune Sahara, but it is the closest desert landscape to the city, with camps offering camel rides, quad bikes, dinner and overnight stays.
How long: a half day or a sunset and dinner. Suits: anyone short of time who wants a taste of the desert. Tip: if you want real dunes, see our Erg Chigaga vs Merzouga guide: it takes at least 3 days.
Essaouira is a walled 18th-century port town on the Atlantic, with a whitewashed medina, the Skala ramparts and their cannons, a working fishing harbor where you can eat grilled fish from the stalls, and a long windy beach. It is cooler and slower than Marrakech.
Getting there: about 3 hours each way by road; Supratours and CTM buses run several times a day.
How long: a long full day, which leaves about 5 hours in town. Suits: anyone who needs a break from the medina's intensity. Tip: make it a night if you can. We spent 2 nights in Essaouira just before Marrakech; a night lets you see the harbor at sunset and the medina after the day-trippers have gone. See our Essaouira guide and how many days in Essaouira.
The Cascades d'Ouzoud drop about 110 meters into the El-Abid river gorge, about 150 km north-east of Marrakech, among the highest falls in Morocco. Paths lead down past olive trees and café terraces to the bottom, where boats run out to the spray, and Barbary macaques live in the trees around the top.
Getting there: about 2.5 to 3 hours each way by road, usually by tour or private driver.
How long: a full day. Suits: families and nature lovers. Tip: the falls are at their fullest in spring after the snowmelt; by late summer they are thinner. Do not feed the monkeys.
Aït Benhaddou is the UNESCO-listed ksar, a fortified earthen village on a hill above the Ounila river, near Ouarzazate. Tours sell it as a day trip from Marrakech, but that is about 4 hours each way over the Tizi n'Tichka pass for a couple of hours at the ksar.
We crossed the High Atlas and stayed in Ouarzazate instead, which is what we recommend: you see the ksar early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when the light is best and the Marrakech tour buses are elsewhere. There is no entry fee. Our Aït Benhaddou guide has the details, and our 7-day Morocco itinerary shows how it fits with the Draa Valley and a night in the dunes.
• Private driver or tour: shared tours to Ourika, Imlil, Ouzoud and Essaouira are cheap; a private driver costs more but lets you set the stops. Agree on the price, route and shop stops in writing. Our Morocco driver tipping guide covers the tip at the end.
• Cash: bring dirhams for village cafés, guides and entry fees; our Moroccan dirham guide explains the closed currency.
• Safety: the main scams on day trips are unofficial guides and shop detours; see is Morocco safe.
• Season: the Atlas valleys are cool even in summer, while Agafay and Ouzoud are hot from June to September. For the medina itself and where Marrakech fits in a longer trip, see our Marrakech and the Sahara guide and our 24-day Morocco itinerary.
The High Atlas: Imlil for walks below Toubkal, about 1.5 hours away, or the Ourika Valley for riverside villages and the Setti Fatma waterfalls, about 1 to 1.5 hours away.
Yes, but it is about 3 hours each way, which leaves about 5 hours in town. A night is better; we spent 2 nights in Essaouira before Marrakech.
Tours sell it, but it is about 4 hours each way over the Tizi n'Tichka pass. Staying in Ouarzazate, as we did, lets you see the ksar in the early or late light.
No. The nearest dunes, at Erg Chigaga and Merzouga, need at least 3 days and 2 nights. Agafay, 45 minutes away, is a stony desert, not sand dunes.
The region was badly hit by the September 2023 earthquake. Go with a local guide, who will know which paths and villages are open.
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