While Marrakech is a fabulous city to visit, it can be overwhelming after a few days in its heat, intensity, noise, scents, and crowds.
Luckily, it’s a perfect base for day trips to small towns and beautiful natural areas in the nearby region, including lakes, waterfalls, and traditional Berber villages.
Here are six of our favorite day trips from Marrakech!
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The Ourika Valley
The Ourika Valley is a long, winding valley that follows a cold, clear river. The valley is dotted with tiny towns and lush farm fields.
You can hike to a waterfall, enjoy lunch on the river banks, buy local crafts and delicious amlou (almond butter sweetened with honey), and hear Berber language spoken by most of the residents.
If you visit in the spring, you may get to see almond trees in bloom with their lovely pink and white flowers.
Since it is in the mountains, it can be cool even when Marrakech is warm, so be sure to bring a jacket in case.
How to Get There:
You can take a bus, grand taxi, drive yourself, or go with an organized tour. The cheapest options are the bus and taxi.
From the Jema el Fnaa main square it is a five minute walk to the taxi stop, in the opposite direction from the Medina. It’s best to ask your hotel manager or a shop owner for exact directions.
At the taxi stop, you’ll find men organizing trips to many different towns. Ask for the Ourika Valley and they will direct you.
Expect to pay between 30 and 50 dirham (about $3-5) per person each way.
Taxis and buses will bring you to a town called Setti Fatma, which has shops, restaurants, and cafes.
This is also the ideal starting point to hike to the waterfall.
Make sure you return to the town by 5pm in order to find a taxi or bus to bring you back – the last buses leave at 6pm.
The trip takes about 1 hour each way, and is not a particularly difficult drive.
If you don’t want to figure it out yourself, there are many good organized day trips that visit Ourika and other nearby attractions.
You can book through Viator.com, Expedia.com, or directly with a local tour operator once in Marrakech. Ask your hotel or hostel manager for a recommendation.
There are usually many tours available and you can often book just one day ahead.
Imlil
Imlil is a small town located in Toubkal National Park and the perfect day trip from Marrakech. The town itself is very small, and there’s not a lot to do there.
However, Imlil can be the starting point for climbing Mount Toubkal, and a great place from which to hike to other small villages.
It’s worthwhile to hire a guide to show you the way and tell you more about Berber culture.
Enjoy spectacular views of the mountains and valleys, pass orchards of apples, walnuts, and cherries, see terraced villages of mud brick houses, and breathe in the clean mountain air as you hike along winding paths.
How to Get There:
The easiest way to enjoy this remote region is as a part of organized trips.
Local tour operators know the area well, which can be difficult to navigate, and ensure that you see the best scenery and have opportunities to visit villages, have lunch, and buy souvenirs.
You can drive yourself as well, but make sure you know where you are going.It will take about 2 hours to get to Imlil from Marrakech.
Look at these tour companies for day trips and longer excursions that might fit with your plans: Trekking in Morocco or Atlas Treks:
Lake Lalla Takerkoust
This large lake and dam were created in the 1920’s so that a hydroelectric plant could supply power to Marrakech.
Fed by water from the Atlas Mountains, the lake is a popular day trip recreation destination for locals and offers activities like jet skiing and paddle boating.
There are several restaurants around the lake that serve a range of Moroccan and French cuisine; it’s also a perfect spot for picnics.
How to Get There:
The lake is just 30 minutes from Marrakech and is easy to get to if you have access to your own car.
You can also take an inexpensive shared taxi, or go with an organized day trip operator, such as Marrakech Travel Agency or Marrakech Travel Services.
Ouzoud Waterfall
Morocco boasts one of the largest waterfalls in Africa, located in the High Atlas Mountains not far from Marrakech. You can start at the top of the falls and wind your way down to enjoy the view from both angles.
For a closer view, take a boat ride on the lake below.
Have lunch or a cool drink at the restaurants perched on the hill across from the falls, and take pictures of the Barbary macaque monkeys that often wander near the paths at the top of the falls.
top of the falls and wind your way down to enjoy the view from both angles. For a closer view, take a boat ride on the lake below.
How to Get There:
The best way to visit the Ouzoud waterfalls is with an organized day trip leaving from Marrakech.
You can find tours for as little as $30 per person, which include round-trip transportation, a guide, and sometimes lunch.
You can also drive there yourself, or rent a grand taxi for the day.
There are no grand taxis that go directly to Ouzoud, though you can take a grand taxi from Marrakech to Azilal and a separate taxi from Azilal to Ouzoud.
Oukaimden
Oukaimden is a tiny village on Mount Toubkal, one of the highest mountains in Africa. In the winter, it’s cold enough that you can go skiing!
You can rent skis, poles, sleds, and other equipment there, and there is a lift to take you up the hill. In the summer, the snow melts and the area is popular for hikers.
The village itself is very small and doesn’t offer much in the way of lodging or food, so it is best to plan a day trip there and bring some snacks with you.
How to Get There:
Since it is more remote, Oukaimden is a little harder to get to. You can drive yourself by following the road to Setti Fatma in the Ourika Valley but taking the last exit before that town.
The road will bring you to the foot of the mountain.
You can also hire a grand taxi for the day, either paying the full price yourself or finding other passengers and agreeing on a return time.
Finally, you can find organized day trips that take you to Oukaimden for a day of skiing. These can cost up to $200 per person. Check viator.com.
Essaouira
If you love the ocean, take a day trip from Marrakech to Essaouira, a laid-back fishing town.
Stroll through the whitewashed medina, see the tiny fishing boats in the port, enjoy fresh seafood at one of the many fish restaurants, or windsurf at the famous beaches.
Essaouira is also home to the Gnawa World Music Festival, held each year in late June.
How to Get There:
Essaouira can be reached by bus, grand taxi, private vehicle, or with an organized tour. The cheapest will be by bus or grand taxi.
Bus companies including Supratours offer daily trips to Essaouira; it takes about 3 hours. CTM also offers Essaouira routes, but note that the CTM buses are located at the CTM station, not the main bus station.
Bus tickets usually cost between 75 and 100 dirhams ($8-10).
You might be able to purchase them at the bus station the day of your trip, but buy them a day or two before or online to be sure – direct buses fill quickly.
Shared taxis are about 80 dirham per person; ask your hotel manager where to find them. These usually take 1.5 to 2 hours.
You can also find some private tourist transport services that offer a higher level of service. Alternatively, join a day trip that stops in Essaouira and other interesting destinations.
The area around Marrakech is incredibly diverse, offering mountains, valleys, desert, ocean, and forest, not to mention the different cultures that occur across the region.
We hope you get a chance to take a day trip during your visit to Marrakech to see more of Morocco’s natural and cultural history!