Things to Do in Morocco: Desert, Mountains, Coast and Cities

Most of what people come to Morocco for sits within a day of Marrakech, and the rest within three. The desert, the High Atlas, the Atlantic coast and the kasbah road all start from the same city, which is unusual for a country this size. This page sorts them by what you actually want to do rather than by where they are on a map, and says honestly how long each one takes. Our guides run these routes every week, so the timings here are the real ones, travel included.

What You Want, and Where It Happens

The things to do in Morocco, in seven kinds of day, and what each one really costs you in time.

What you want	Where it happens, and how long
Sahara dunes	Merzouga, 3 days minimum. Zagora in 2, but the dunes are smaller
Desert without the distance	Agafay, 30 minutes from Marrakech. An evening, not a day
Mountains and villages	Imlil, Ourika, the three valleys. A full day, back by evening
Waterfalls and rivers	Ouzoud, a full day. Setti Fatma, half a day plus a walk
The Atlantic coast	Essaouira, a long day. Three hours of road each way
Kasbahs and film sets	Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate, a day over the Tizi n Tichka pass
Something in the air	A balloon at sunrise. Back in the city before breakfast

Seven Ways to Spend a Day in Morocco

The things to do in Morocco sorted by the kind of day you want, with what each one takes out of your week.

Erg Chebbi dunes at Merzouga, things to do in Morocco in the Sahara

1. The Sahara: Merzouga or Zagora

The real dunes are at Erg Chebbi near Merzouga, and they need three days: two on the road, one out there. Zagora is closer and fits into two, but it is stony desert with low dunes rather than the sea of sand people picture. Choose on how many days you have, not on the price.

We run the three day Merzouga circuit and the two day Zagora trip.

Things to do in Merzouga →

The stony Agafay desert half an hour from Marrakech

2. Agafay: The Desert Half an Hour Away

Agafay is a rocky desert thirty minutes from Marrakech, not a small Sahara. No dunes, no sand sea, but genuine silence and a horizon that empties completely at sunset. It works as an evening: dinner under canvas, a camel at dusk, back in the city by eleven.

We run dinner and a camel ride in Agafay and the version with a quad.

Things to do in Agafay →

A Berber village in the High Atlas mountains of Morocco

3. The High Atlas: Imlil, Ourika and the Valleys

An hour and a half from the city, the road climbs into villages built from the same earth as the hillside. Imlil is the walking one and sits highest. Ourika is the river one, with cafes on the water at Setti Fatma. The three valleys route covers more ground and stops less.

We run a day in Imlil and the three valleys route.

Things to do in Imlil →

4. Waterfalls: Ouzoud and Setti Fatma

Ouzoud drops a hundred metres in several stages and has resident monkeys who are not shy. It is a full day with three hours of road. Setti Fatma is closer, smaller and needs a scramble up the riverbed. Both run all year but look best from March to June.

We run a private day at Ouzoud and the shared version.

Things to do at Ouzoud →

The harbour and ramparts of Essaouira, Morocco

5. The Coast: Essaouira and the Atlantic

Three hours west and the temperature drops ten degrees. Essaouira is a walled fishing port with ramparts, a working harbour and wind that never stops, which is what makes it bearable in August. Long day, and worth leaving early.

We run a private day in Essaouira and the shared day trip.

Things to do in Essaouira →

The earthen ksar of Ait Ben Haddou in Morocco

6. Kasbahs and Film Sets: Ait Ben Haddou

The ksar at Ait Ben Haddou is an earthen village on the old caravan route, listed by UNESCO and used in more films than anywhere else in the country. Getting there means the Tizi n Tichka pass, which is half the point. Ouarzazate and its studios sit thirty minutes further.

We run a private day at the ksar and the budget version.

Things to do at Ait Ben Haddou →

A hot air balloon at sunrise over Marrakech

7. From the Air: Balloon over Marrakech

Pick-up is around five in the morning and you are back before most people have had breakfast. The flight lasts about 40 minutes over the palm groves and the Atlas foothills. It costs you a night of sleep and gives you the only view of Morocco nobody else on your trip will have.

We run the sunrise flight.

Morocco with Kids

What works with children, and what does not.

Marrakech at Night

The city changes completely once the heat goes.

Ouzoud, with the monkeysThe easiest win. Water, a walk that children manage, and animals that come close without being fed.
Agafay rather than the SaharaThirty minutes of road instead of ten hours. A camel, a dinner under canvas, and home the same night.
Ourika rather than ImlilShallower river, flatter walk, and cafes on the water where nobody minds a bit of noise.
Skip the long desert circuit under sixTwo days of driving is a lot for small children, whatever the camp at the end looks like.

Jemaa el-Fnaa after sunsetThe food stalls go up around six and the square becomes a different place entirely.
Dinner in AgafayThe horizon empties, the fire goes on, and the city is thirty minutes behind you.
A night in the desertOn any Merzouga or Zagora circuit, the sky out there is the part people remember.
Rooftops in the medinaThe call to prayer at dusk from above the souks, with mint tea and no particular plan.