The Best Day Trips From Marrakech: Ultimate Guide

Cazzy Magennis
Written By:
Cazzy Magennis
Last Updated:
April 2, 2020
Looking for the best day trips from Marrakech for your next adventure? Then look no further! We have you covered. Keep reading to get some inspiration..
day trips from Marrakech

Marrakech is a wonderful city that’s bursting with amazing things to do and see, but if you’re spending a few days in Marrakech, then you’re going to want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and explore the amazing surroundings that Marrakech has to offer. Well, to help inspire you, I’ve put together a guide on the best day trips from Marrakech! 

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Lunch in the Agafay Desert

The Agafay Desert is a very cool place located just outside Marrakech. Sure, it’s not as amazing as the Sahara Desert, I’m sure, but you can reach it in 30 minutes from Marrakech city centre, so it’s a perfect day trip. 

One of the relay cool things to do in the Agafay desert is to have a traditional Moroccan lunch in the middle of the desert. Brad and I did this tour with Musement and it truly was awesome from start to finish. We drove into the desert and had lunch in the middle of nowhere. The spot we visited even had a swimming pool in the middle of the desert! 

The food was plentiful and crazy delicious and what I liked about this tour is that it started at around 11 and finished around 3, so you didn’t feel “worn out” afterwards, which you can do with some long day trips from Marrakech. 

This tour is also suitable for everyone. It’s a perfect option if you are travelling as a couple, as you can make it romantic, but it’s also great for families and friends too. 

You can book the exact tour we took right here. 

desert day trip

Buggy Tour in the Agafay Desert 

If you love adrenaline and want thrills, then the best way to see the Agafay desert is 100% driving through it in your own buggy or quad bike. This was one of the most fun tours I’ve done ever (not just in Marrakech!) Brad and I did this tour with Dunes & Deserts, and it truly was a lot of fun. I thought I’d be nervous driving the buggy, but I adjusted verrry well (Brad might say too well, he told me to slow down a couple of times :p). 

This style of tour immerses you in the Agafay Desert as you’re driving through the unique landscape. We also stopped at a traditional Berber village for a traditional Berber breakfast and mint tea and the whole experience was amazing. 

You can book our exact tour here, and you can get 10% off when you use the code DBTF10. Yay! 

dunes and desert buggy tour

Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride 

This experience was without doubt one of the most magical of all my travels. We went on an epic sunrise hot air balloon ride in Marrakech with Klook. 

It was an early start (but not too early since we went in the winter season when the sun rises later), but it was totally worth it. The whole experience was magical and I saw some of the most beautiful views ever. Afterwards we even got treated to a traditional Berber breakfast and this is one of the best day trips from Marrakech that you HAVE to do. 

Actually, if you can only achieve one day trip from Marrakech on your adventures, then make this the number one choice. 

You can check out the exact tour we did here. 

Of course this tour is a little pricey, but it’s worth every penny for this bucket list experience. 

hot air balloon ride in marrakech

Stay overnight in a luxury desert camp 

This is another of the great day trips from Marrakech and Brad and I did “half of this”. Basically we visited a luxury desert camp for lunch, got to chill by the pool etc, and didn’t even realise that staying out there was an option. The host showed us the rooms and they’re amazing. 

The whole atmosphere and luxury was awesome and if you’ve got at least one night to spare then I 100% you spend a night camping in the desert. Light pollution is nil here and the views of the stars are amazing! 

This is the luxury desert camp (Inara Camp) we visited and you can book to stay there online. 

cazzy at desert day trip

Other practical information 

When is the best time to visit Marrakech? 

The great thing about visiting Marrakech is that it’s truly an all year round destination. Most people visit during the months of May/June as the temperatures are in the 30s, but not the extreme heat of the summer (which can hit 60!). But, Bradley and I visited in the winter season in January and I found the weather to be perfect. We actually had highs of 27 degrees C and this was perfect! 

Of course if you visit in winter too, you’ll have cheaper prices on both flights, accommodation and most likely activities. 

marrakech desert tour

How long should you spend in Marrakech? 

Marrakech city centre itself has lots of great things to do, but it can become a bit “stuffy” after a few days. However, that’s why it’s best to take all these awesome day trips from Marrakech, so you get a taste of Morocco in general. So, if you include sightseeing the city and partaking in these 4 awesome day trips from Marrakech, then I suggest you spend 1 week in Marrakech. 

hot air balloon

Other day trips from Marrakech 

There are a couple of other day trips in Marrakech you can undertake that we didn’t do, (although wish we did) and these include: 

  • Day trip to the seaside town of Essaouira: This is where Game Of Thrones was filmed and honestly A LOT of people recommend we go there. We ran out of time. But it’s super cheap to do a day tour there (check this tour out), or you can get the train from Marrakech city centre too.
  • Sahara Desert visit: okay this requires 3 extra days and a lot of effort. It takes about 10-12 hours to get to the Sarah desert from Marrakech, and that’s assuming you’re only spending one night there. So whilst it’s an awesome activity, it’s an expensive and time consuming one. If you do decide to do it, you can book tours online, like this one. 

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post on the best day trips from Marrakech, and hopefully you’ve started planning your amazing adventures. If you’ve got anymore questions or comments, then simply drop a comment below and I’ll get back to you. 

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Some images courtesy of Deposit Photos.
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