7 Days in Marrakech: A Relaxed Itinerary With Day Trips

How to use this plan

Every day below gives you a main activity, a way to fill the rest of the day and a note on pace. The day trips are the ones we run, and the city days are things you can do with a guide or on your own. Swap days freely, but try to keep the long days apart, because the Atlas and the coast each take most of a day.

Two rules help. First, put outdoor activities in the morning or the evening from May to September, and keep the middle of the day for the riad, the pool or a hammam. Second, do not book the balloon, the long day trips or the desert evening on your arrival or departure day. Travel tiredness is real.

Day 1: Arrival, riad and a first walk

Arrive, settle in and keep the plan very light. Most riads are in the medina, where cars cannot enter, so someone will meet you at the nearest square or gate. Take a mint tea on the roof terrace and let the sounds of the city settle.

In the late afternoon, walk to Jemaa el-Fna. The square changes at sunset, when food stalls open, musicians and storytellers gather and the air fills with smoke and spice. You do not have to do anything. Sit at a rooftop café, watch for an hour and go back to your riad for dinner.

Day 2: The medina with a guide

The medina is the heart of Marrakech, and a good guide is the easiest way to understand it. Our city tour with lunch lasts about seven hours. It crosses the medina from the north to the south, through the souks, the madrasa and the palaces, and includes a lunch in a riad. Entry to the Bahia Palace and the madrasa is optional and can be added when you book. If you prefer a shorter day, the half-day history tour lasts about three and a half hours and tells the story of the Almoravid, Almohad and Saadian dynasties, with the Koutoubia, the Bahia Palace and the small Tiskiwin museum.

Plan the afternoon around rest. After a busy morning in the medina, go back to the riad, take a shower and sleep for an hour. A hammam in the late afternoon is a lovely way to finish the day.

What you will see

• The Ben Youssef Madrasa, a former religious school with carved cedar and tiles.
• The dyers' souk and the old leather tanneries.
• The ruins and rooftop terraces of the El Badi Palace, then the Bahia Palace and the Mellah.
• Lunch in a traditional riad, and a finish at sunset on Jemaa el Fna.
• Hidden courtyards and quiet streets away from the main routes.

Day 3: Gardens and a slow day

After a full day in the medina, a gentle morning in the gardens gives the city a different face. Our gardens tour visits the Majorelle Garden and a secret garden in the medina, with hotel pickup at 8:30 and about four hours in total. The Majorelle Garden is known for its blue villa and its cacti, and was created by the painter Jacques Majorelle and later saved by Yves Saint Laurent. Le Jardin Secret is a restored palace garden in the medina, with a tower that gives a view over the rooftops. Garden entry tickets are not included in the price.

Leave the afternoon free. This is the day for the pool, a book, a long lunch or a second look at a shop you liked. If you want a gentle, rewarding afternoon, book the hammam with a massage in a riad. It lasts about two hours, with a steam bath, a scrub, a rhassoul clay wrap, an argan oil massage and mint tea.

Day 4: The Agafay or the Palmeraie

Day 4 is for the countryside near the city. Choose the type of day you prefer.

• Active: a quad or a buggy ride in the Agafay or the Palmeraie, in the morning or the afternoon.
• Gentle: a camel ride in the Palmeraie, in the morning, afternoon or at sunset.
• Atmospheric: the Agafay dinner and show, which starts around five in the afternoon and finishes around ten in the evening.

If you take an evening tour, keep the morning free. If you take a morning tour, the afternoon is for rest. The Agafay is explained in detail in our guide to the Agafay Desert, and the camel ride in our camel ride guide.

Day 5: A day in the mountains

The High Atlas is only an hour from the city, and there are several ways to see it. Choose by how much time and energy you have.

• Ourika Valley: a day of about eight hours, with river views and waterfalls. It is the easiest mountain day, and a good escape in summer.
• Atlas Mountains 4x4 with Berber lunch: about eight hours, with a drive into the villages and a home-cooked lunch.
• Ouzoud Waterfalls: about ten hours, with a hike and a boat ride at the base of the falls. Spring is the best season.
• Road of the Kasbahs: the long day, about twelve hours, over the Tizi n'Tichka pass to Telouet and Aït Benhaddou. It is the most spectacular, and the most tiring.

Read our guide to Atlas Mountains day trips to compare them in more detail. Whichever you choose, wear layers, because the mountains are cooler than the city.

Day 6: Essaouira, or a free day

Essaouira is a white and blue port town on the Atlantic coast, about two and a half to three hours from Marrakech. Our day trip lasts about eleven hours, with a morning pickup at 8:00. The air is fresh, the medina is calmer than Marrakech, and the fish grills at the harbour are an event. If you love sea air and slow walks, this is the best day of the week.

If you prefer to stay in the city, make this the free day. Return to the shop you liked, take a second look at a museum or a palace, or simply enjoy the riad. Marrakech rewards a second visit to the same places. Read our Essaouira guide to decide.

Day 7: Balloon or a last slow morning

The last day depends on your flight. If you have an evening or a late flight, a hot air balloon at sunrise is a magical finish, because it takes only the early hours and leaves the day free. Do not book it on the day of an early flight.

If your flight is early, spend the last evening on the roof terrace, pack the night before and leave the souvenirs for the previous day. If you fly in the afternoon, take a short walk in the medina in the morning, have a last mint tea and buy what you still need. Ask your riad to arrange the transfer in advance.

Pace, budget and seasons

The pace

The plan has three big days, which are the medina, the mountains and Essaouira, and the rest is lighter. If you travel with children or older relatives, drop one of the big days, or replace the long trip with the Ourika Valley.

The budget

Prices change, so check each tour page for the current price. The least expensive options are the camel ride, the history tour and the Ourika Valley. The balloon is the biggest single cost, and the long 4x4 day is the second. Most of the plan can be adapted to a budget by choosing the cheaper day trips and spending more time free in the city.

The seasons

Spring and autumn are the best seasons for the full plan. In summer, put everything outdoors early or late, and keep the middle of the day for the riad. In winter, bring warm clothes for the mountains and the desert evenings. Read our guide to the best time to visit Morocco for more.

Where to stay for this plan

A riad in the medina is the classic choice. It is atmospheric, close to the sights and quiet inside. The downside is that cars cannot reach the door, so luggage is carried by hand and you meet your transport at the nearest gate. For a week, that is a small price. If you prefer easier access, a hotel in Guéliz or near the Palmeraie is more comfortable for pickups and for families with strollers.

Whatever you choose, tell us the name of the riad and the nearest landmark when you book, so that the driver knows where to meet you. Many riads in the medina have names that are hard to find on a map, and the driver will wait at a known square.

A packing list for a week of day trips

• Layers: warm in the evening and the mountains, light in the daytime.
• Comfortable shoes with a good grip for the souks, the kasbahs and the waterfalls.
• A scarf, a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.
• A small day bag you can wear across your body.
• A power bank for the long days.
• Cash in dirham for tips, drinks and small purchases.

Read our packing guide for the full list and for tips on clothing in a Muslim country.

Small habits that make the week better

Drink water often, especially on day trips and in summer. Eat at a time that suits the day, and keep a small snack in your bag. Greet people in the street with a friendly salam, and ask before photographing anyone. Keep your small change for tips, because many people in tourism rely on them. And keep your evenings simple. Marrakech is a city that gives most to those who slow down.

At the end of the week, spend ten minutes writing down the three moments you want to remember. Most travellers pick something unexpected: a conversation in a shop, a quiet courtyard, a tea with a family. Those are the moments that no itinerary can promise, and they are the best reason to leave a free day in your plan.

If you only have four or five days

A shorter stay works well with the same logic. Keep one long day trip, one city day, one active or atmospheric day and one slow day. A good four day version is: day one for arrival and Jemaa el-Fna, day two for the medina with a guide, day three for the Agafay dinner or the Ourika Valley, and day four for the gardens and a hammam before you leave.

With five days, add the Atlas day or Essaouira. Choose the mountains if you love landscapes and cooler air, and Essaouira if you want the sea and a slower town. If you are not sure, read both guides and pick the one whose photographs make you want to go.

If you travel as a couple, a family or a group

As a couple

Keep one evening for the Agafay dinner and one morning for the balloon, and leave the afternoons free. The hammam and massage in a riad is a natural fit, and so is a private camel ride at sunset. Ask us about private options when you book.

With children

Choose shorter days. The camel ride, the Palmeraie buggy for older children, the Ourika Valley and the Agafay dinner are the easiest. Keep the long 4x4 day for teenagers, and always check the minimum age on each tour page. Most children need a free afternoon after a morning activity, so do not plan two big things in one day.

With older relatives

Choose gentle days: the gardens, the history tour, the dinner in the Agafay and a calm lunch in the medina. Avoid the longest drives and the tours with steps and uneven ground. The tour pages state which tours are not suitable for reduced mobility, and we are happy to advise by email.

As a group of friends

Shared buggies and quads, a long lunch and the desert evening make a good group day. A private vehicle for the mountains keeps the group together and lets you set the pace.

What not to do in a week

• Do not book two early starts in a row. The balloon and the long mountain trip each need a good night's sleep before and a quiet afternoon after.
• Do not plan a big day trip on the day you land. Flights are tiring and the first evening is best spent in the riad and the square.
• Do not try to see every souk. Choose one or two areas, take your time and let the guide show you the craftsmen.
• Do not leave your final day for everything you missed. Plan your last purchases the day before.
• Do not skip rest. A short break in the middle of the day, away from the heat and the noise, makes the rest of the day better.

A week in Marrakech should leave you rested and full of stories, not worn out. Keep the plan simple, keep one free day, and let the city do the rest.

Booking the plan

You do not need to book everything in advance, but the balloon, the Agafay dinner and the long day trips fill first in busy months. Write to us by email with your dates, and we will propose a day by day plan with the pickup times. You pay on the day, and you can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before each tour.

Frequently asked questions