In a nutshell
- You’re on a city trip to Marrakech and want to discover more of Morocco? Great idea — there are some seriously incredible day trips from Marrakech waiting for you.
- We’ll show you the 8 best excursions and day tours from Marrakech — all personally tried and truly worth your time.
- Our absolute top pick is a 3-day trip into the Sahara desert — absolutely unforgettable. For a mountain fix, head to Setti Fatma; for the coast, Essaouira is the one.
Overview of the Best Day Trips from Marrakech on a Map
First, we’ve pinned our 8 favorite day trip destinations from Marrakech on a map so you can get a quick overview of where each excursion takes you — and how far it is from the city.
These destinations are perfect if you’ve already ticked off the top sights in Marrakech and done one or two cool activities in Morocco.
Desert Trip to the Sahara from Marrakech
- Duration: 3 days or longer
- Cost: from 120 euros with a tour
A desert tour in Morocco from Marrakech is hands-down one of the most popular day trips from Marrakech — and an absolute highlight on any trip to Morocco.
We’re talking about heading deep into the Sahara, where endless orange dunes stretch out before you and you ride through them on the back of a camel. It’s a truly one-of-a-kind experience.
There are two destinations you can reach from Marrakech in the Sahara: Merzouga with the Erg Chebbi dune landscape and Zagora with the Erg Chegaga dune landscape.
If you’ve never spent a night in the Moroccan desert, we recommend the Erg Chebbi desert — the dunes here are the largest! The best way to do it is with a guided 3-day desert tour.
3-day desert tour from Marrakech to the Erg Chebbi desert
The tour costs around 120 euros per person, which is seriously great value for Morocco. Everything is included except for lunch. Friends of ours have done the tour and were absolutely thrilled — and you’ll even be picked up at your riad in Marrakech.
Beyond the Sahara, the tour also takes you to Ait-Ben-Haddou (our day trip #6) and the impressive Todra Gorge in the Atlas Mountains.
Just be aware that it can sometimes feel like a sightseeing bus tour and you’ll spend a lot of time in the car. Marrakech to Merzouga alone is about 550 kilometers. But it’s truly worth it!
Our tip: Another highlight is riding a quad through the desert — you can usually book this as an add-on on-site. A real adrenaline rush!
In a dedicated article, we’ve put together all the details about the desert tour to the Erg Chebbi, including how to plan it independently — useful if you’re doing a road trip through Morocco.
Day Trip to the Agafay Desert
- Duration: 5 to 9 hours
- Cost: from 50 euros
We totally get it if the long drive to the Sahara doesn’t appeal to you (even though it’s really worth it). Or maybe you simply don’t have that much time. Either way, you don’t have to miss out on the desert experience.
You can take a day trip from Marrakech into the desert — specifically the Agafay desert, which is only about 40 minutes from the city by car. Super convenient!
The Agafay doesn’t have towering sand dunes — it’s more of a rocky, gravelly desert landscape. But you’ll absolutely get that desert atmosphere.
On your day trip into the Agafay, you can ride a camel, go quad biking, or simply relax. We recommend booking a guided tour — they’re really affordable and usually include a meal.
We really love these two options for excursions from Marrakech to the Agafay:
5-hour Agafay desert tour with quad biking, camel ride & dinner
8-hour quad tour in the Agafay desert with lunch
You can also pair the Agafay really nicely with a detour into the Atlas Mountains or even an overnight stay in the desert:
Full-day tour to the Agafay desert and the Atlas Mountains with camel ride
2-day tour to the Agafay desert with overnight stay and dinner
In a dedicated article, we share all the key tips and practical info for your day trip from Marrakech to the Agafay desert — including how to do it independently.
Day Trip from Marrakech to the Ouzoud Waterfalls
- Duration: about 10 hours
- Cost: from 25 euros with a tour
The Ouzoud Waterfalls are the tallest and most beautiful waterfalls in Morocco. The Oued Ouzoud river plunges a dramatic 110 meters down a red rock face — across multiple tiers.
That makes them one of the top highlights in Morocco and a wonderful destination for a day trip from Marrakech.
The falls are about 160 kilometers northeast of Marrakech, and you’ll need around three hours each way. For the journey, we recommend booking a tour. Once you’re there, you can decide on the spot whether you just want the transfer or also a guide.
On-site, you can hike through forests and olive groves, take a short boat trip, go swimming, and of course stand in awe of the falls themselves.
Our tip: The best view of the waterfalls is from the viewing platform. Go in the early afternoon for the best light — the falls are in shadow in the morning and evening, which makes photos trickier.
Day trip from Marrakech to the Ouzoud Waterfalls
Day Trip from Marrakech to Setti Fatma
- Duration: about 7 to 8 hours
- Cost: from 15 euros with a tour
Most tourists haven’t heard of Setti Fatma — but especially in summer, it’s a really lovely spot. You’ll find locals relaxing in the colorful café seating areas right along the river.
The small village is surrounded by high mountains, sitting in the heart of the Ourika Valley — less than two hours by car from Marrakech. Perfect for a day trip.
Our personal highlight in Setti Fatma is the hike to the waterfalls. They’re less dramatic than Ouzoud, but still really beautiful. Make sure you hike all the way up to the higher waterfalls — the views along the trail are stunning.
We think heading here independently is the better option. The waterfalls are still uncrowded in the morning, and you don’t need a guide for the hike. You will need a rental car and the confidence to drive in Morocco, though.
If you’d rather not deal with a car for just one day, you can of course book a guided tour. Just be prepared for the waterfalls to be a bit more crowded when you arrive.
Our tip: If you’re there by car, drive all the way along the river road through the village and then head up to the mountain at the end. The view from up there is absolutely stunning!
Our restaurant tip: The colorful seating areas are great for a photo with a Moroccan tea, but we wouldn’t eat here. Instead, head to the family-run Restaurant Azilal — the whole family is incredibly warm, the food is delicious, and the prices are very reasonable.
Day trip from Marrakech to Setti Fatma
Day Trip from Marrakech to Essaouira
- Duration: 1 to 2 days
- Cost: 15 to 65 euros on your own, depending on transportation; from 15 euros with a tour
Craving a beach day during your city trip to Marrakech? Easy — just take a day trip from Marrakech to Essaouira.
Essaouira is honestly one of the most beautiful cities in Morocco. Compared to Marrakech, the pace is so much more relaxed. The souks are lively, but far less hectic.
We love the traditional fishing harbor and the impressive fortress complex. A few scenes from Game of Thrones were even filmed here — how cool is that!
Another standout is the massive beach, which ranks among the most beautiful beaches in Morocco. Here, sunbathers and surfers stroll alongside camels. It’s a pretty awesome sight.
Getting there from Marrakech is really easy to do independently. On the 12Go website, you can book a bus, minivan, or private transfer. The journey takes about two to three hours each way.
Day trip from Marrakech to Essaouira
Our restaurant tips: For a great lunch snack, head to Chez Ahmed — the café au lait there is especially good. For the evening, we recommend Restaurant Adwak: really cozy atmosphere and the fish is absolutely delicious.
Our tip: Essaouira is wonderful enough to spend 1 to 2 nights there, which makes the whole trip much more relaxed. There are also some really beautiful riads in Essaouira to choose from.
Our hotel recommendations:
In a dedicated article, we cover everything you need to know for your trip to Essaouira.
Day Trip from Marrakech to Ait-Ben-Haddou
- Duration: 1 to 2 days
- Cost: from 25 euros with a tour
Ait-Ben-Haddou might look familiar. This Moroccan desert town is one of the most recognizable film locations in the world.
Scenes from Gladiator, The Mummy, Lawrence of Arabia, The Bible, and the TV series Game of Thrones were all shot here. Pretty amazing, right?
The real draw is the ksar — the fortified town. It’s one of the most atmospheric places in Morocco, and the vibe is incredibly magical.
Most visitors see Ait-Ben-Haddou as part of a road trip, but you can absolutely make it a day trip from Marrakech too.
Just be ready for a long drive. Ait-Ben-Haddou is 200 kilometers from Marrakech, right in the Atlas Mountains, and takes about three hours to reach. The scenery along the way is genuinely interesting — the landscape changes constantly.
Rather than a single day trip, we’d suggest planning two days — ideally independently with a rental car, so you can also comfortably visit Ouarzazate (day trip #7).
Guided day tours are of course available if you’d rather not drive yourself or are short on time. Worth knowing: many desert tours already include a stop in Ait-Ben-Haddou anyway.
Our tip: Plan your visit so you arrive in Ait-Ben-Haddou no earlier than 3 PM. Before that, the tourist buses are in full force and the town gets really overrun.
Day trip from Marrakech to Ait-Ben-Haddou and Ouarzazate
In a dedicated article, we’ve put together all the info and our best advice for your visit to Ait-Ben-Haddou.
Day Trip from Marrakech to Ouarzazate
- Duration: 1 to 2 days
- Cost: from 25 euros with a tour + 8 euros for the film studios
Honestly, we only went to Ouarzazate to spend the night there — it’s perfect as a stopover on the way from Marrakech to the desert.
But once we were there, Ouarzazate genuinely surprised us. One standout is the Taourirt Kasbah fortress — seriously stunning from the outside. We can’t tell you what it’s like inside, as it was being restored when we visited.
Above all, movie fans will love this place. Many films with a desert or Oriental setting were shot at the Atlas Studios here — one of the largest film studios in the world.
That includes the films we mentioned in the Ait-Ben-Haddou section, plus Asterix & Obelix, Cleopatra, Ben Hur, and the TV series Prison Break. You can tour the studios and sets yourself.
A trip from Marrakech to Ouarzazate on its own isn’t really worth the drive, though. The best approach is to combine it with Ait-Ben-Haddou and an overnight stay — or book a guided tour that covers both.
Our tip: A must for horror fans: between Ait-Ben-Haddou and Ouarzazate, you’ll find the original film set of the Gas Haven from The Hills Have Eyes. A detour is worth it. We were there just before sunset, and it was already pretty creepy.
Day trip from Marrakech to Ait-Ben-Haddou and Ouarzazate
Day Trip from Marrakech to the Anima Garden
- Duration: 4 hours
- Cost: 14 euros admission
Want a quick half-day outing from Marrakech without a long drive? The Anima Garden is the perfect pick.
It’s only 30 kilometers from the city center and absolutely worth a visit. The three-hectare grounds were created by renowned multimedia artist André Heller.
The TV channel Arte called it the most beautiful and imaginative garden in the world in a documentary — and honestly, the place really does have something magical about it.
Behind this small, colorfully blooming paradise, the Atlas Mountains rise with their snow-capped peaks. Your ticket includes a shuttle bus from Marrakech to the garden.
You do need to reserve the bus in advance (it’s free to book). It departs behind the Koutoubia Mosque, right in the Medina — the best area to stay in Marrakech. The ride takes about 45 minutes.
