Trips and Excursions from Marrakech

Trips and Excursions from Marrakech

This list of the best trips and excursions from Marrakech will help you make the most of your trip to one of the most beautiful cities in Morocco. Fascinating and sometimes exhausting, this red city revolves around its impressive Medina, perfect for getting lost in its narrow streets and haggling in its souks.

Marrakech Points of interest

Although in about two days you will have time to get to know most Marrakech points of interest, such as its main palaces, markets, gardens, and medersas, if you have more time, we recommend taking an excursion to discover some of the wonders that are more nearby such as the desert of Merzouga and Zagora, the beautiful Essaouira or the spectacular kasbah Ait Ben Haddou.

1. Merzouga Sahara Desert

Merzouga Sahara desert, located, is one of the best excursions from Marrakech that you can do. You can travel in 4 × 4 to enjoy the spectacular dunes of Morocco and spend the night in a Berber tent watching a starry night. It is advisable to avoid traveling between July and September when their maximum temperatures are reached and to always wear comfortable clothing, sunscreen, and a light jacket at night.

How to get to Merzouga desert!

To get to Merzouga desert from Marrakech, you can rent a car, keep in mind that the journey can exceed 9 hours, so you will need a minimum of 3 days to make this visit, considered the best excursion to the desert from Marrakech. If you go on your own, by bus or car, when you arrive in Merzouga, you will have to negotiate with a local agency the visit to the desert.

Private desert trip

Another more comfortable and safe option is to book an excursion with a private desert trip local agency, where you will be picked up directly at your hotel and taken by private transport to Merzouga. Once there, you will have your vehicle ready to tour the desert.

2. Excursion to Essaouira

Excursion to Essaouira, the pearl of the African Atlantic and one of the most beautiful places to see in Morocco, and one of the best excursions from Marrakech in one day trip. During your excursion to Essaouira, you learned that this coastal city was a perfect oasis of tranquility to disconnect from the stressful noisy city of Marrakech.

World Heritage Site

This city was declared a World Heritage Site with its white houses. Approaching the port to see the boats and the incredible city views or taste delicacies based on fish and seafood are just some of the many things you need to do & to see Essaouira.

How to get to Essaouira!

You can do it in just over 2 hours to get to Essaouira from Marrakech. You can book a comfortable excursion with a local agency, where you will be picked up directly at the hotel. For more information, you can check this post about the best things to do & to see in Essaouira.

3. Zagora Sahara Desert

If you have only two extra days and want to visit a desert, we recommend the Zagora Sahara desert. Although it does not have the dunes as spectacular as Merzouga, this stony-type dessert is also perfect for traveling in a 4 × 4 and spending the night in a Berber tent watching the stars in the middle of the desert.

How to get to the Zagora Sahara desert!

Zagora Sahara desert, located 360 kilometers south of Marrakech, is about 7 hours by car and two hours by bus. If you choose any of these two options, you’ll have to negotiate the price of the desert excursion with a local agency to arrive in Zagora.

4. Guided city tour of Marrakech

There are many things to do and to see in Marrakech. It is to do a guided city tour, especially inside the Medina, surrounded by an excellent clay wall with 10 entrance doors. A road through the interior of the Medina can start at the famous Jamaa el Fna Square. This square changes its appearance as night approaches and strolls through the endless souks and markets, completing this list of important places to visit in Marrakech.

Majorelle Gardens

And suppose you are a bit burdened with the Medina. In that case, you can wander off to relax in the pretty Majorelle Gardens or on the terrace of a riad sipping a delicious mint tea accompanied by Moroccan sweets. The best option to stay in the Medina is a Riad, an old palace with an interior patio where you will feel like in a story from “One Thousand and One Nights. “

5. Excursion to Ouarzazate

Do not miss an excursion to Ouarzazate, also known as the door of the desert, a city surrounded by impressive kasbahs. Although the city has the Kasbah of Taourirt, the one that is worth visiting is nearby :

Ait Ben Haddou

Ait Ben Haddou is an impressive clay and adobe town in the middle of an arid and rocky area that seems frozen in time. Also, in this kasbah, still inhabited and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, scenes from great films such as Gladiator or Lawrence of Arabia have been shot. Near Ouarzazate, you can also visit :

The Atlas film studios

The Atlas film studios, the Hollywood of the desert, where you can see the sets of some of the films that were shot there, such as Lawrence of Arabia, Alexander the Great, The Mummy, Star Wars, The Jewel of the Nile, Gladiator or The Kingdom of Heaven.

How to get to Ait Ben Haddou!

To get to Ait Ben Haddou, located less than 200 kilometers from Marrakech, you can do it by rental car, taxi, or bus. However, you must consider that you must cross the Atlas Mountains, and there are many curves, so the journey can easily take about 5 hours.

6. Excursion to Ouzoud waterfalls

The Ouzoud Waterfalls, located 150 kilometers from Marrakech, are the most spectacular in North Africa and another one of the best excursions from Marrakech on one day trip. These waterfalls have a waterfall of about 110 meters high and are born from the Ouzoud River. In addition, to bathe at the base and enjoy a privileged environment full of flora and fauna, you can eat in one of its restaurants with views of waterfalls.

7. Marrakech Palm Groves

A natural park with more than 100,000 palm trees located 10 kilometers north of the city, this area originates, according to a legend, in the 12th century when the Almoravid dynasty arrived in the town and their soldiers camped here. These men carried many dates to eat, which caused the seeds that fell on the ground to form this excellent palm forest over the years.

Marrakech and its Oasis Palm Trees

Today the palm grove has become a luxury area where large hotel complexes have been built, which unfortunately have caused the deforestation of almost 30% of the surface. Despite this, it is still worth enjoying Marrakech oasis palm trees surrounded by an arid landscape for a walk or a quad bike ride.

How to get to Marrakech Palm Groves!

Although you can get to the Palmeral with the typical horse-drawn buggy, during these fun day trips that pass through a part of the Palm Groves and the desert of Marrakech, you will visit several Berber villages where you can have delicious tea.

8. Imperial Cities

Knowing the four Imperial cities of Morocco, which have been the country’s capital at some point in history, this multi-day route will take you to discover, in addition to Marrakech, the cities of Fes, Meknes, and Rabat, all of them with their own identity and numerous tourist attractions.

Fes

There are many things to see, do & see in Fes, our favorite city in the country, in which it is a must to get lost in the narrow streets of the Medina until you find the smelly Chouwara Tannery, haggle in its souks and enter the interior courtyards of the beautiful medersas.

Meknes

Meknes is the smallest of the four Imperial Cities. However, it is no less attractive since it has a spectacular historical center with many points of interest, such as defensive walls with impressive access gates, charming squares such as El-Hedim, madrassas such as Bou Inania, and elegant souks.

Rabat

While Rabat, the current capital of Morocco, in addition to being the administrative and political center of the country, has several places that will make you fall in love, such as the blue alleys of the Kasbah des Oudaias, the Hassan Tower, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V and the entire Old Medina.

9. Hammam & SPA

One of the best things to do in Marrakech after a day of shopping and visiting the Medina is to take a relaxing bath and massage in a traditional Hammam & spa, which offers intense steam baths to help exfoliate your skin in which only natural products are used. You must also bring all the necessary products for the bath, such as black soap, a Kessa glove, a towel, and flip-flops, and pay extra if you want a professional massage.

Hammams for tourists

While in tourists Hammams, although they are more expensive, you don’t need to take anything; they include massages and exfoliation, and many of them are mixed among the most recommended and with better quality.

10. Ourika Valley

The Ourika Valley, one of the most beautiful and best preserved in Morocco, is another one of the best excursions from Marrakech in one day.

Berbere Villages

This valley, located in the heart of the Berber villages, is on the hills’ flanks, with several waterfalls and the rocky landscapes of the Atlas Mountains.

Moroccan Gastronomy

During the road to the valley, you can explore Moroccan Gastronomy by visiting traditional markets, such as Ourika and Aghbalou, have a mint tea in a typical Berber house, get to know the village of Setti Fatma and above all, feel the roar of The Ourika Waterfalls.