An Evening in Agafay, a Morning in the Souks: Marrakech in a Day

Not every trip has room for three days in the desert. If you have a single day, or a single evening, there is still a great deal within reach of Marrakech. Here is what we would do with it, and what each outing really is.

An evening in the Agafay desert

Agafay is a desert of bare, rolling stone hills about forty minutes from Marrakech, with the High Atlas on the horizon. It is not the Sahara and has no sand dunes; we say so plainly, because it is often sold as if it were. What it does offer is open space, a long view and a fine sunset, close enough to be back in your riad the same night.

Our private Agafay evening includes a camel ride at sunset, an hour on a quad bike across the plateau and a Moroccan dinner.

A morning in the medina

The medina of Marrakech is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a working city, and on a first visit it is far easier with someone who knows it. Our medina walk takes about four hours with a local guide: the souks, the craft quarters, the tanneries, and a rooftop to finish.

If you like to learn a place through its food, the food and market walk starts in the spice square, tastes its way through the market stalls, and ends in a family kitchen where you cook a tagine and eat what you made.

A day by the sea

Essaouira, the walled port on the Atlantic, is a long but easy day from Marrakech and noticeably cooler in summer.

When you have more days

An evening in Agafay is a taste of open country, not a substitute for the dunes. If you can find three days, our three-day trip to Erg Chebbi gives you the real Sahara and a night among the dunes. And if the old cities appeal more, our five-day journey through the four imperial cities takes in Meknes, Fes and Rabat before bringing you back to Marrakech.