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Day Trips from Marrakech with a Private Driver
The most popular day trips from Marrakech go to the High Atlas villages around Imlil and the Ourika Valley, about an hour away, to the Ouzoud waterfalls or the coast at Essaouira, about three hours away, and over the mountains to Aït Benhaddou. All our day trips from Marrakech are private, with pickup at your riad or hotel at the time you choose.
11 day trips and city tours
Back at your riad by evening.
Tours in Marrakech
Half days and evenings in the medina, the gardens and Jemaa el-Fnaa, with a licensed guide.
- Marrakech
Marrakech Walking Tour of the Medina with a Licensed Guide
Half day · Marrakech medina
This Marrakech walking tour gives you four hours on foot in the medina with a licensed local guide: the Koutoubia, the Bahia Palace, the old Jewish quarter of the Mellah, the souks and Jemaa el-Fnaa.
- Marrakech
Majorelle Garden Tour with the Bahia Palace and Le Jardin Secret, Half Day
Half day · Marrakech, by car and on foot
This Majorelle Garden tour is a morning in Marrakech with a car, a driver and a licensed guide.
- Marrakech
Marrakech Food Tour of Jemaa el-Fnaa by Night
Evening, about 3 hours · Marrakech medina
This Marrakech food tour spends three hours of the evening with a local guide, from the Koutoubia at sunset into Jemaa el-Fnaa as the food stalls light up.
- Marrakech
Marrakech Private Tour, the City in a Day with a Guide and a Car
Full day · Marrakech, by car and on foot
This Marrakech private tour is a full day for travellers with only a day or two in the city, with a licensed guide and a car.
Atlas Mountains Day Trips from Marrakech
Berber villages, valleys and waterfalls about an hour away, plus a night at a mountain lodge and the climb of Toubkal.
- High Atlas
Atlas Mountains Day Trip from Marrakech to Imlil
1 day · Marrakech, round trip
Our Atlas Mountains day trip from Marrakech drives you up the Asni valley to Imlil, about an hour and a half away, for a walk with a local guide to the Berber village of Aroumd.
- High Atlas
Ourika Valley Day Trip from Marrakech to the Setti Fatma Waterfalls
1 day · Marrakech, round trip
The Ourika Valley from Marrakech is about an hour’s drive into the foothills of the High Atlas, the nearest green valley to the city.
- High Atlas
Lalla Takerkoust Lake and Three Atlas Valleys, Day Trip from Marrakech
1 day · Marrakech, round trip
Lalla Takerkoust is a reservoir lake about 40 km south-west of Marrakech, below the first ridges of the High Atlas.
- High Atlas
Oukaimeden Day Trip from Marrakech, Ski Station and Rock Carvings
1 day · Marrakech, round trip
Oukaimeden is a high plateau in the High Atlas, about 75 km from Marrakech, with Morocco’s main ski station at around 2,600 metres.
- High Atlas
Atlas Mountains Overnight from Marrakech, 2 Days at a Lodge near Imlil
2 days / 1 night · Marrakech, round trip
This Atlas Mountains overnight from Marrakech takes you an hour and a half up to Imlil for two days of walks and a night at a mountain lodge facing Toubkal.
- High Atlas
Toubkal Trek from Marrakech, 3 Days to the Summit of Mount Toubkal
3 days / 2 nights · Marrakech, round trip
Our 3-day Toubkal trek takes you from Marrakech to the summit of Mount Toubkal, at 4,167 metres the highest point in North Africa, with a qualified mountain guide.
Further Afield: Ouzoud, Essaouira and Aït Benhaddou
Long days, about three to four hours each way.
- High Atlas
Ouzoud Waterfalls Day Trip from Marrakech
1 day · Marrakech, round trip
A day trip to the Ouzoud waterfalls from Marrakech means about three hours’ drive each way into the foothills of the Middle Atlas, where the falls drop about 110 metres in several steps into a gorge.
- Atlantic Coast
Essaouira Day Trip from Marrakech
1 day · Marrakech, round trip
An Essaouira day trip from Marrakech gives you around five hours in a walled port town on the Atlantic, about three hours west of the city.
- Ouarzazate
Aït Benhaddou Day Trip from Marrakech over the Tizi n'Tichka Pass
1 day · Marrakech, round trip
Aït Benhaddou from Marrakech is a long day over the High Atlas, about four hours each way by the Tizi n’Tichka pass.
A Night Out of the City
A luxury camp in the Agafay desert, 40 km from Marrakech, back by late morning.
- Agafay Desert
Agafay Luxury Camp, a Night in the Agafay Desert from Marrakech
1 night · Marrakech, round trip
An Agafay luxury camp is the closest desert night to Marrakech, about 40 km from the city on a plateau of bare, stony hills.
How far is each day trip from Marrakech?
Approximate distances and driving times each way, without stops.
| Place | Distance | Driving time |
|---|---|---|
| Agafay desert | about 40 km | 45 minutes to 1 hour |
| Lalla Takerkoust | about 40 km | about 45 minutes |
| Ourika Valley (Setti Fatma) | about 65 km | about 1 hour 15 |
| Imlil | about 65 km | about 1 hour 30 |
| Oukaimeden | about 75 km | about 1 hour 30 |
| Ouzoud waterfalls | about 150 km | about 3 hours |
| Essaouira | about 190 km | about 3 hours |
| Aït Benhaddou | about 190 km | about 4 hours |
Which Marrakech excursion should you choose?
With children
The Ourika Valley is the shortest drive, with a riverside lunch and an easy first waterfall. Ouzoud has the raft ride and the monkeys, but three hours in the car each way.
For walkers
Imlil and the walk to Aroumd, or a night at a lodge near Imlil for two days of walks. Fit walkers can climb Toubkal in three days.
On a first visit
A day with a guide in Marrakech first, then one day out: Essaouira for the sea, Aït Benhaddou for the kasbahs or Imlil for the mountains.
In the summer heat
Head up. The Atlas valleys and Oukaimeden are much cooler than Marrakech in July and August, and the coast at Essaouira is fresh and windy.
Questions about day trips from Marrakech
Can I visit the Sahara on a day trip from Marrakech?
Not the dunes, which are at least seven hours away. Spend a night: our desert tours from Marrakech start at two days. For an evening in a desert close to the city, try a night at an Agafay luxury camp.
What time do day trips leave?
When you like. Most full-day trips leave between 8 and 9 in the morning; for Ouzoud, Essaouira and Aït Benhaddou an earlier start gives you more time there.
Are lunch and entrance fees included?
No. Day trips include the private car, the driver, pickup and drop-off, fuel and parking. Lunch, drinks, entrance fees and local guides at the sites are paid on the day unless the tour page says otherwise.
Can we combine two places in one day?
Some fit together, such as Lalla Takerkoust, Asni and the Ourika Valley on our three valleys loop. Others are too far apart for one day; ask us and we suggest what works.
Can we take a day trip on the day we arrive?
Yes, if your flight lands early. Short trips such as the Ourika Valley or Lalla Takerkoust fit into an afternoon.
Do day trips run all year?
Yes, except on the rare days when snow or floods close a mountain road. We tell you the day before if that happens.
Read more: Atlas Mountains and Ouzoud Falls.
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