day trip from Marrakech
Ourika Valley
Berber villages along the river, a saffron farm, lunch by the water and the walk up to the Setti Fatma falls.
1 h 30 each way, 65 km. Pickup 09:00, back about 17:30.
Day trips from Marrakech
Your own driver from the riad door to the Atlas, the desert or the coast, and back by evening.
- places there and back in a day
- 9
- the farthest of them, by road
- 240km
Every road here starts in Marrakech and comes back by dinner.
Fixed written quote within 24h
Day trips and tours from Marrakech
Six days out and back by dinner, then two and three days to the desert, the gorges and Fes.
day trip from Marrakech
Imlil
The trekking village below Toubkal, North Africa's highest peak. You walk through walnut groves to the stone village of Aroumd.
1 h 30 each way, 65 km. Pickup 08:30, back about 17:00.
day trip from Marrakech
Ouzoud Falls
A 110 m waterfall in a red rock gorge, with Barbary macaques on the path down and lunch beside the pool.
2 h 45 each way, 155 km. Pickup 08:00, back about 18:00.
day trip from Marrakech
Essaouira
The walled port on the Atlantic: grilled sardines at the harbour, the white medina and the sea ramparts.
2 h 45 each way, 190 km. Pickup 08:30, back about 19:30.
day trip from Marrakech
Aït Ben Haddou
Over the Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 m to the earthen ksar of Aït Ben Haddou, then Ouarzazate. The longest day here.
3 h 45 each way, 190 km. Pickup 07:00, back about 19:30.
day trip from Marrakech
Agafay desert
Bare stone hills with the High Atlas behind them. You ride a camel at sunset and eat dinner at a desert camp.
45 min each way, 40 km. Pickup 15:30, back about 23:00.
2-day tour from Marrakech
Agafay night and the Atlas
A camp night in the stone desert, then a morning walk in the High Atlas.
2 days, 1 night. Private driver from your riad.
2-day desert tour from Marrakech
Zagora desert
Over the Atlas to the Draa Valley palms and a night at the Zagora dunes.
2 days, 1 night. Private driver from your riad.
3-day Sahara tour from Marrakech
Merzouga and Erg Chebbi
Kasbahs, the Dades and Todra gorges, and a night in the tall orange dunes.
3 days, 2 nights. Private driver from your riad.
3-day tour from Marrakech
Todra and Dades gorges tour
The kasbah road, the Valley of Roses and two of Morocco's deepest gorges.
3 days, 2 nights. Private driver from your riad.
3-day imperial cities tour
Marrakech to Fes by the desert
One way across the country: the Atlas, the dunes, then north to the medina of Fes.
3 days, 2 nights. Private driver from your riad.
11 here, more in the catalogue: Fes, Chefchaouen, the coast and the south.
See all toursWhere can you go from Marrakech?
The red roads are the six day trips. Every city on the map is a drive with your own driver, and the planner strings them into one route.
Build your own tour
- Tangier
- Chefchaouen7 h from Marrakech
- Rabat3 h 30 from Marrakech
- Fes6 h 30 from Marrakech
- Meknes
- Casablanca2 h 45 from Marrakech
- Marrakech
- Essaouira2 h 45 from Marrakech
- Ouarzazate4 h from Marrakech
- Merzouga8 h 30 from Marrakech
- Agadir3 h from Marrakech
- Dakhla
Private tours for couples, families and groups
Morocco trips for couples
Sunset in the stone desert, a private driver, and dinner under the stars for two.
Things to do in Marrakech
Pickup 05:00, back about 10:30
Hot-air balloon at sunrise
Up before dawn, an hour over the palm groves as the sun reaches the Atlas, then breakfast.
Morning or afternoon, about 3½ hours
Tagine cooking class in Marrakech
Shop the souk for spices with a cook, then make a tagine and bread in a riad kitchen.
Any afternoon, about 2 hours
Hammam afternoon in Marrakech
Steam, black soap and a scrub in a traditional hammam, then mint tea.
The restored Hammam Saffarin in Fes
Late afternoon, about 2½ hours
Camel ride in the Palmeraie
An hour by camel through the palm grove on the city's edge, with tea in a Berber house.
Pickup 09:00, back about 12:30
Quad biking
Palm groves and stony desert tracks with a guide, and a mint tea stop halfway.
The kind of track the quads ride, in the Agafay hills
Places to visit in Morocco
The squares, palaces, gardens and dunes our drivers take you to.
Book a private day trip from Marrakech
Tell us the trip, the day and how many of you. A fixed written quote comes back within 24h, and you pay nothing until you accept it.
Questions about day trips from Marrakech
What are the best day trips from Marrakech?
The classics are the Ourika Valley and Imlil in the High Atlas (each about 1 hour 30 minutes south), the Agafay desert (45 minutes, an easy half-day), Ouzoud Falls and Essaouira (each about 2 hours 45 minutes' drive) and Aït Ben Haddou over the Tizi n'Tichka pass (about 3 hours 45 minutes). Ourika and Agafay suit a first trip; the longer drives need an early start.
How far is the Sahara desert from Marrakech?
Further than most people expect. The big dunes at Merzouga are about 560 km and nine hours' drive each way, and Zagora is about 360 km and seven hours, so the real Sahara needs two or three days. In a single day, the closest desert is Agafay, a stone desert about 45 minutes from the medina.
How far are the Atlas Mountains from Marrakech?
Close enough for a day trip. The lower Ourika Valley villages are around 30 km from Marrakech and Setti Fatma about 65 km, roughly an hour and a half by road. Imlil, the trekking village below Jbel Toubkal, is also about 65 km and 1 hour 30 minutes away, and the Three Valleys loop climbs to the Oukaïmeden plateau at 2,600 m.
How many days do you need in Marrakech?
Three days works well for most travellers: one day for the medina and souks, a half-day in the Agafay desert and a full day in the Ourika Valley. Add a day for each longer trip you want, such as Essaouira, Ouzoud Falls or Aït Ben Haddou, since those involve close to three hours or more on the road each way.
Are these all one-day trips?
Yes. Every excursion on this page is a single-day trip: you leave in the morning and are back the same evening, and the Agafay sunset, balloon and quad trips are half days. No overnight stays and no luggage. The Sahara dunes are the exception, which is why they are not on this list.
Is hotel or riad pickup included?
Yes. Every day trip here includes private pickup and drop-off at your riad or hotel in Marrakech (or in Fes and Agadir for trips from those cities). If your riad is deep in the medina where cars cannot reach, your driver meets you at the nearest agreed point.
How do booking and payment work?
Send us your date, group size and the trip you like, and we send a written itinerary with a fixed quote within 24 hours. A 30% deposit confirms your booking; cancellation and refunds follow Serenity Morocco Tours' booking terms (https://www.serenitymoroccotours.com/booking-terms).
What should I bring on a day trip?
Comfortable shoes, sun protection, a warm layer for the mountains and some cash for lunch, tips and any entry fees that are not included. What each trip includes is listed on its own page.
About Morocco Day Trips
Operated by Serenity Morocco Tours, Morocco Day Trips runs private day trips from Marrakech to the Ourika Valley, Agafay desert, Ouzoud waterfalls, Essaouira, Imlil and Aït Ben Haddou, plus a few from Fes and Agadir. Each includes riad or hotel pickup, a driver-guide and a fixed price agreed in writing.
More tours from Marrakech
Private, with your own driver
Private day trips from Marrakech
Your date, how many of you: a fixed written quote within 24 hours.
