Things to do in and around Marrakech by car
Agafay, Ourika, Lalla Takerkoust, Ouzoud, Essaouira: easy day trips from Marrakech with a rental car.
Having your own car in Marrakech means freedom: leave when you like, stop wherever you want and still sleep in your riad at night. Here are our favourite trips, sorted by distance.
In Marrakech
The medina is best explored on foot: park in a guarded car park by one of its gates and leave the car while you wander. The car comes into its own for the Palmeraie, an early visit to the Majorelle Garden or dinner outside the city.
Under an hour away
- Agafay desert (about 40 km): a golden stone desert, magical at sunset.
- Lalla Takerkoust lake (about 40 km): lunch by the water with the Atlas Mountains as a backdrop.
Half-day trips
- Ourika valley (about 65 km): Berber villages, riverside restaurants and the Setti Fatma waterfalls.
- Imlil (about 65 km): the starting point for hikes at the foot of Mount Toubkal.
Day trips
- Ouzoud waterfalls (about 150 km): the highest falls in Morocco, with Barbary macaques as a bonus.
- Essaouira (about 190 km): the harbour, the ramparts and grilled fish by the Atlantic.
Our tips
- Leave early: the light is better and the roads are quieter.
- Fill up before heading into the mountains and keep some change for parking.
- For gravel tracks, choose the Dacia Duster and drive slowly.
Torn between two trips? Message us on WhatsApp and we will happily advise you. For the drive itself, read the most beautiful roads from Marrakech.