One to five days

Marrakech in 7 Days: The Complete City, Mountains, Desert & Coast Tour

Seven days is enough to stop choosing between Morocco's landscapes and simply have all of them. This plan keeps one riad as home base and radiates out from it: the walled Medina and the modern boulevards of Gueliz first, then a mountain day in the High Atlas, a day at the Atlantic in Essaouira, and a desert overnight to finish before you fly home. It's a full week, but the pacing is deliberate — a big day is always followed by a soft one.

Length: Seven days / six nights
Pace: Full week, with two dedicated excursion days
Best for: A complete first trip, a proper week away
Budget: About 65–120 EUR / 700–1,300 MAD per person per day

Marrakech in 7 Days: The Complete City, Mountains, Desert & Coast Tour

Before you start

The logic of this trip is one base, four landscapes. Rather than packing a suitcase every night, you keep the same Medina riad for the whole week and take day trips and one overnight out from it — into the mountains, out to the coast, and into the desert — coming home to the same bed each time except for the last night.

Days 1–3 are the city itself: the Medina's palaces, tombs and souks, then the gardens and galleries of Gueliz and Majorelle, with a hammam folded in to reset before the active days. Day 4 climbs into the High Atlas, Day 5 crosses to the Atlantic ramparts of Essaouira, and Days 6–7 are the trip's finale: a transfer to a desert camp, a night of drums and stars, and a soft last morning before your flight.

This is a lot of ground, but none of it feels rushed if you keep the order roughly as below — mountains before the desert crossing, and the coast day as a genuine rest day with your feet in the sand rather than on cobbles.

At a glance

Keep one Medina riad for the whole week; only the desert night is elsewhere.
Front-load the city (Days 1–3) before the three excursion days.
Essaouira is a long but very doable day trip — about 2.5 hours each way.
Save the desert overnight for last so the trip ends on its high point.
Leave Day 7 morning soft; you'll be driving back from camp before your flight.

The plan, in order

35 stops, timed morning to night — follow it top to bottom.

Day 1 — Arrival and a first taste of the Medina

Afternoon and evening

Settle in, get your bearings, and ease into the city with a first Jemaa el-Fnaa evening.

1

15:00

Check in and a rooftop mint tea

Arrive at your riad, unpack, and take a first pot of mint tea on the terrace while the muezzin calls sound across the rooftops.
2

16:30

Orientation walk to Koutoubia

A gentle walk to the Koutoubia minaret and its rose gardens — the city's clearest landmark and the easiest way to get your bearings for the week.
Marrakech's landmark attractions
3

18:00

First sunset over Jemaa el-Fnaa

Watch the square change gear as the food stalls roll in and the lanterns come on — the single best introduction to the city there is.
4

19:30

Dinner at the night-market stalls

Grilled meats, harira and sweet mint tea among the smoke and drums of the night market. Sit where the queues are longest.
Food-focused Marrakech experiences
5

21:00

An early night

Resist the urge to do everything on night one — a full week starts tomorrow, and jet lag is real.

Day 2 — Palaces, tombs and the souks

Full day, on foot

The historic core of the Medina, walked at an easy pace to beat the heat.

6

9:00

Jemaa el-Fnaa, morning edition

A quieter lap of the square with fresh orange juice, then south toward the Kasbah quarter.
City landmarks
7

10:00

Saadian Tombs

The exquisitely tiled 16th-century royal necropolis, rediscovered in 1917 — small, busy, and worth the queue.
8

11:15

Bahia Palace

Painted cedar ceilings and cool courtyards at the Bahia Palace, the single most rewarding interior in the old city.
Guided Medina & palace tours
9

13:00

Lunch off Riad Zitoun

A terrace tagine and a rest through the hottest hour of the day.
10

14:30

Ben Youssef Medersa

Carved stucco, cedar and a still central pool at the restored Qur'anic college — the Medina's photographic showpiece.
Historic monuments
11

16:00

Souks and a rooftop sunset

Lose an hour in Souk Semmarine and the trade lanes, then climb to a rooftop for the day's second sunset.
Souk & sunset experiences

Day 3 — Majorelle, Gueliz and a hammam reset

Full day, taxi + spa

Cross to the modern city for gardens, galleries and a proper reset before the active days ahead.

12

9:00

Jardin Majorelle and the YSL Museum

The electric-blue Jardin Majorelle, restored by Yves Saint Laurent, with the excellent museum alongside.

Tip: Book the first entry slot online — by 11:00 the paths are shoulder-to-shoulder.
Gardens & museums
13

11:30

Gueliz boulevards and coffee

Wander Gueliz, Marrakech's Art-Deco-meets-modern quarter — concept stores, galleries and third-wave coffee.
Modern Marrakech tours
14

13:00

Long lunch

A leisurely modern-Moroccan lunch — the pace is deliberately gentle today.
15

15:00

Hammam and spa ritual

A traditional steam-and-scrub, or a spa afternoon — the reset you'll want before three excursion days in a row.
Hammam & spa experiences
16

18:00

Menara sunset

Golden hour at the Menara pavilion, its still pool mirroring the Atlas peaks beyond the olive groves.
City gardens & pavilions

Day 4 — High Atlas: villages, valleys and a waterfall

Full day, driver or small group

The trip's mountain day — Berber villages, an argan co-op and a waterfall walk.

17

8:00

Drive into the mountains

An hour or so climbing the Ourika Valley road or heading for Imlil beneath Toubkal, depending on your operator's route.
Atlas Mountains day trips
18

10:00

Argan co-op and Berber tea

A village women's cooperative and mint tea with a local family.
19

12:00

Waterfall walk

A scramble up the Setti Fatma falls, or a gentler valley trail — either way, cool air and running water after the city heat.

Tip: Grippy shoes help on the wet rocks near the falls.
Mountain walks & activities
20

13:30

Riverside lunch

Tagine at a table over the river before the slow drive back down.
21

17:00

Return to Marrakech

Back in the city by evening for a relaxed dinner — tomorrow is the coast.

Day 5 — Essaouira: a day at the Atlantic

Full day, early departure

A long but rewarding day trip to the ramparts, port and beach of Essaouira.

22

8:00

Drive to the coast

About two and a half hours west to Essaouira, the wind-scoured port town of blue boats and white ramparts.
Essaouira day trips
23

10:30

Ramparts and medina walk

Walk the 18th-century sea walls and the tangled, gull-loud lanes of the small medina.
24

12:00

Port and seafood grills

Grilled sardines and fresh catch straight off the boats at the harbourside grills — as fresh as seafood gets.
25

14:00

Galleries and blue-and-white lanes

Browse the Gnaoua-quarter galleries and thuya-wood workshops, cooler and quieter than Marrakech's souks.
Coastal town tours
26

16:30

Beach time

An hour on the wide Atlantic beach — famously windy, so it's a kite-surfing and horse-riding coastline more than a sunbathing one.
27

18:00

Drive back to Marrakech

An easy evening drive home, arriving in time for a quiet dinner.

Day 6 — Desert transfer and a night under canvas

Afternoon departure, overnight

The trip's finale: a transfer to a desert camp, a sunset camel ride and dinner under the stars.

28

10:00

Slow morning and last souk shopping

A relaxed start — coffee, a final souk lap and any serious souvenir buys before you leave the city.
Things to do before you go
29

14:00

Transfer to the desert

For Agafay, a 40-minute drive to a tented camp in the rocky hills. For a Zagora-style crossing, allow much of the afternoon over the Tizi n'Tichka pass.
Desert tours & overnights
30

17:00

Sunset camel ride

A camel trek over the dunes or hills as the sun drops — the postcard moment of the whole week.
Desert night experiences
31

20:00

Dinner, drums and stars

A three-course dinner around the fire, Gnaoua drumming, and a genuinely astonishing night sky before bed in a well-appointed tent.
Dinner under the stars

Day 7 — Sunrise, return and departure

Morning to departure

Dawn over the desert, an easy drive back, and a soft last few hours before your flight.

32

6:30

Sunrise over the desert

Wake for first light — cool, silent and the best hour anywhere in the week.
33

9:00

Breakfast and the drive back

Camp breakfast, then the return drive to Marrakech.
34

12:30

Last hammam or a farewell lunch

A final steam to wash off the desert dust, or simply a leisurely rooftop lunch.
Spa & dining experiences
35

15:00

Final souk lap and airport transfer

One last pass through the souks for anything you missed, then the drive to the airport — seven days, four landscapes, one very full memory card.
Best of Marrakech, ranked

Practical tips

Book the Essaouira and desert days before you arrive — good drivers and camps fill up in high season.
Pack one set of warm layers for the desert night; camps get cold even after hot days.
Leave your main suitcase at the riad during the desert overnight — a small bag is all you need.
Space the three excursion days as below so you're never doing two long drives back to back.
Keep a completely unplanned two-hour window somewhere in the week — you will want it.

Make it your own

Trade the coast for more mountains

Not fussed about the Atlantic? Swap Day 5's Essaouira trip for a second, deeper Atlas day — an Imlil village trek or a longer Toubkal foothills walk.

Bigger desert, less city

If true Sahara dunes matter more than a full week in town, trim a city day and extend the desert leg to a two-night Merzouga or Zagora tour.

Slow the whole week down

Prefer fewer excursions and more downtime? Drop either Essaouira or the Atlas day and replace it with an unhurried day of hammams, courtyards and long lunches in the Medina.

Frequently asked questions

Is seven days enough to see the best of Morocco from Marrakech?

It's enough for a genuinely complete trip based from one city: the Medina and Gueliz, a mountain day, a coast day and a desert overnight. Seeing Fez or Chefchaouen as well would need a longer, multi-city trip.

Is the Essaouira day trip too long to do in a day?

It's a full day — about five hours of driving in total — but very doable, and most travellers find it worth it for the change of scenery and the seafood. An overnight in Essaouira is nicer if you can spare an extra day.

Should I book a private driver for the whole week?

It's the easiest way to run this itinerary — one driver for the Atlas, Essaouira and the desert transfer saves constant re-booking, though each leg can also be booked separately.

How much luggage do I need for the desert night?

Just a small overnight bag. Leave your main suitcase at your Marrakech riad — they're used to storing luggage for a night while guests are at camp.

What's the best order for the excursion days?

Mountains, then coast, then desert works well — it saves the trip's biggest experience for last and avoids stacking two long drives in a row.

Make it happen

Ready to turn the plan into a trip? Book the hands-on parts, find a food tour to fill an afternoon, or read up before you go.

Day trips Desert tours Activities Travel guides