best excursions from Marrakech

Marrakech is a whole world to explore, but don’t settle for just seeing the city. There are plenty of interesting places to do excursions from Marrakech. You will get to know better the Moroccan landscapes and traditions. Read on to discover the 12 best excursions from Marrakech to discover some of the most beautiful places in Morocco!

BEST EXCURSIONS FROM MARRAKECH

Ouzoud waterfalls, to cool off from the hustle and bustle of the medina

One of the natural wonders of Morocco are these waterfalls of 110 meters high, the highest in North Africa. It takes a couple of hours to get there from Marrakech. The trip is worth it to see the impressive waterfalls. The more daring can bathe at the base of the waterfalls, although the water is quite cool.

Those who do not think too much about taking a dip are the monkeys that live around the waterfalls of Ouzoud. Another place of interest in the area are the caves with mills that convert water power into energy. It is a perfect excursion for the warmer months of the year. We tell you about the weather in Morocco month by month so you can decide which is the best time to travel. Marrakech desert trips

Ouarzazate, one of the best excursions from Marrakech

Ouarzazate is known as the African Hollywood because many movies have been filmed there. There are several kasbahs (fortified towns with traditional adobe and mud buildings) very cinematic. You can even visit the Atlas film studios.

A few kilometers from Ouarzazate, the fortified city of Aït Ben Haddou is the most famous in the area. It has been the scene of films such as Gladiator, The Mummy or Lawrence of Arabia. Almost nothing! 😉 A few families still live in this very special kasbah. We recommend you to climb up to the highest part for beautiful views.

It takes about 4 hours by car to get to Ouarzazate from Marrakech. But this long journey is worth it, the kasbahs of Ouarzazate are truly magical. In addition, the landscapes you will see along the way are not to be missed.

Merzouga Desert, the queen of excursions from Marrakech

This is one of the most popular excursions from Marrakech. Nobody wants to leave Morocco without having set foot in the desert. You will need at least three days to go to the Merzouga desert because it is more than 500 kilometers from Marrakech. That means that the trip there has to be divided into two days. But don’t worry, because along the way there are real wonders 😉.

If you plan to visit Fez, there is the option to finish the tour there after visiting the Moroccan desert. For us, passing through the desert is the best form of transportation between Marrakech and Fez. You will have the opportunity to sleep surrounded only by dunes. For us, one of the best experiences we take away from Morocco. By the way, if you have any doubts about safety in Morocco, you can rest assured. Viajes a Marrakech

Three-day trip to the desert of Merzouga

This tour is the most popular because of the amount of places you can see in just three days. The first day you will visit Ouarzazate, Aït Ben Haddou and the impressive Dades Gorges, where you will sleep. The second day you will finally arrive in Merzouga. You have to get on a camel to go to the bivouac, lost in the dunes. Watching the sunset and having dinner in such a peaceful environment is spectacular. The next morning you will be woken up at dawn so you can enjoy the peace that transmits that moment. And then it will only be back to Marrakech through a palm grove and the beautiful village of Rissani.

Four-day excursion to the desert of Merzouga

The route during the first two days is the same as with the three-day excursion. But once you have slept in the desert you will not return directly to Marrakech, but you will have more time to visit the palm grove of Tafilalet and the village of Rissani. You will also pass through Tazarine, a very important Berber village. On the last day you can visit the film studios of Ouarzazate before returning to Marrakech. 3 days tour from Marrakech to Merzouga

Five day trip to the Merzouga desert

With the longest trip to Merzouga you can visit the Kasbah of Aït Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate, several Berber villages and sections of tracks that are used during the Dakar rally. On the third day you will see Erg Chebbi, the highest dunes of the whole country, before reaching your bivouac in the middle of the desert. On the fourth day you will pass through Rissani and the impressive Dades and Todra Gorges. The last day you will pass through Skoura, known as the city of a thousand kasbahs, before returning to Marrakech.

 Agafay desert, if you only have one day to see the desert.

If you want to see the desert but you only have one day, here are a couple of excursions from Marrakech that might interest you 😉 The Agafay desert is only 40 kilometers from the city, so it is very easy to go and come back in the same day. Don’t expect sand dunes like in Merzouga, the Agafay desert is rocky. But it can be a good excursion from Marrakech if you don’t have much time.

There you will find several Berber camps and villages. It is also very close to the large artificial lake Takerkoust, which supplies water to an area as dry as this one. The most fun way to get to know the Agafay desert is with a quad tour.

5. Desert of Zagora, a good alternative to Merzouga

To finish with the desert excursions from Marrakech, you can go to the Zagora desert in two days. It’s great if you do not want to miss the opportunity to spend a night in the desert. It is closer than Merzouga desert, so you can arrive the same day you leave Marrakech. Marrakech desert tour 2 days to Zagora

On the way you can visit Ouarzazate and its kasbahs. After the experience of spending the night in a Berber haima and watching the sunrise over the dunes you will head back to Marrakech. A short but intense experience 😉.

6. Ourika Valley, the perfect combination of nature and tradition.

Another of the most popular excursions from Marrakech is the visit to the Ourika Valley. The landscape in the valley is very beautiful and characteristic. It is at the foot of the High Atlas Mountains, where several waterfalls are formed. In the Ourika valley you can visit up to seven waterfalls, although most have a somewhat complicated access and you will need a guide to get there. Although the area is increasingly open to tourism, there are still several villages that organize traditional markets. The village of Setti Fatma is the most popular because several hiking trails start from there.

Palm grove of Marrakech, one of the most famous excursions from Marrakech

About 10 kilometers from the center of Marrakech you will find a huge field with more than 120,000 palm trees. They were first planted in the 12th century. Legend has it that it was formed by accident, when a group of soldiers stopped to eat dates there and, with their seeds, the palm trees began to grow. Be that as it may, being surrounded by so many palm trees is a beautiful experience. The area is full of luxury hotels, ideal to treat yourself during your stay in Marrakech.

Dozens of people will try to convince you to take a camel ride, but we believe that the conditions in which these animals live are not suitable. So we advise against contributing to the continuation of this activity. Instead, you can take a fun quad tour through the palm grove and the rocky desert.

Dinner at Chez Ali, one of the most entertaining excursions from Marrakech.

In the palm grove of Marrakech you can spend a very lively evening. The restaurant Chez Ali is composed of several haimas with a large open-air stage in the middle. While you enjoy a dinner based on traditional Moroccan dishes, several musical groups, dancers and acrobats will keep you well entertained. After dinner comes the big show of the evening, starring horsemen.

It’s an experience designed for tourists, so don’t expect a 100% authentic atmosphere. But if you go with the idea of spending a different night and have a good time, it is one of the most fun excursions from Marrakech.

Essaouira, a beautiful seaside town

We change a little bit of atmosphere with respect to the rest of excursions from Marrakech and we go to the coast. Essaouira is a charming city known as “the pearl of the Atlantic”. It is worth spending a day to get lost in its labyrinthine medina full of white and blue buildings surrounded by the walls. If you are a fan of the series Game of Thrones you may be familiar with this scenario, since part of the third season was filmed in Essaouira. You can not leave without trying the local cuisine based on fresh fish and seafood. Tour del Marocco

Villages of the High Atlas, the most traditional face of Morocco

To reach the foot of the Atlas Mountains you have to cross a stretch of the Agafay desert. Then you will find the Kik plateau, a vast valley with a very arid landscape full of villages with a very traditional way of life. The main village in the area is Imlil, where you will see typical buildings. And in the middle of such a dry landscape is the impressive artificial lake Takerkoust to supply water to the whole region.

You will have the opportunity to drive a quad to move between several Berber villages in the area. It doesn’t matter if you have no experience, the quads are automatic and your guide in English will teach you how to ride them 🙂

Climbing Mount Toubkal, one of the excursions from Marrakech for sportsmen.

And in the heart of the Atlas Mountains is Mount Toubkal, the highest mountain in North Africa with its 4167 meters high. If you like challenges while traveling, you can crown this impressive mountain. You will need two days to reach its summit together with a guide. The excursion includes transportation from Marrakech, one night in the Toubkal refuge, the guide’s indications and all meals during those two days. The ascent is not particularly hard, it is enough to have an average level of fitness. But keep in mind that you may feel the lack of oxygen due to the altitude if you are not used to it.

Flying in a hot air balloon, a unique experience.

To end our list of the best excursions from Marrakech we propose a very relaxing plan. How does it sound to start the day flying over the surroundings of Marrakech? You will be picked up at your accommodation before sunrise to take you to the outskirts of the city. After soaring over breathtaking landscapes for an hour, there’s nothing better than a typical Moroccan mint tea before heading back to Marrakech mid-morning 🙂