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7 Days in Morocco: A First-Timer's Itinerary (Marrakech, the Sahara & Fes)
One week, three worlds: the medina of Marrakech, a night in the Sahara dunes and the old city of Fes — in an order that never wastes a day.
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Marrakech
Everything we've written about Marrakech, in one place. The medina, the squares, and the day trips worth the drive.
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Everything on Marrakech
Safety & InsuranceDo I Need Travel Insurance for Morocco? A Guide for Americans
Morocco does not ask for it at the border, but your US health plan may pay little there. What clinics expect, what a policy should cover and what to check before you buy.
Plan Your TripGetting Around Morocco: Trains, Buses, Grand Taxis or a Rental Car?
Trains for the big cities, buses for everywhere else, a driver for the desert — and the one situation where renting a car really pays off.
Tours & ExperiencesSahara Desert Tour from Marrakech: 2, 3 or 4 Days? How to Choose the Right One
Two days gets you to small dunes, three gets you to the tall dunes of Erg Chebbi. Here is how to pick the length, the camp and the operator — without spending the whole trip in a van.
Tours & ExperiencesOuzoud Waterfalls Day Trip from Marrakech: Worth the Drive?
Three hours of road each way for a 110-meter waterfall, about 300 steps down to the pools and a boat into the spray: how the day really goes, what it costs, and when the Ourika Valley is the better call.
Tours & ExperiencesEssaouira Day Trip from Marrakech: Four Hours by the Atlantic
Two and a half to three hours each way for about four hours in a walled Atlantic port: how to spend them, how to get there without a tour, and when a night in town beats the round trip.
Tours & ExperiencesDay Trips from Marrakech Compared: Which One Should You Choose?
Mountains an hour away, a stony desert at sunset, big waterfalls or the Atlantic coast: how far each day trip really is, who it suits and which to skip.
Tours & ExperiencesAtlas Mountains Day Trip from Marrakech: Ourika, Imlil or 3 Valleys?
Riverside cafés and waterfalls, a village below Toubkal, or a sampler with a camel ride: how far each Atlas day trip goes, how hard the walking is, and who should skip it.
Tours & ExperiencesAït Ben Haddou Day Trip from Marrakech: Is the Long Drive Worth It?
Three to four hours each way over the High Atlas for a UNESCO-listed earthen village: what the day really involves, what it costs, and who should skip it.
Tours & ExperiencesAgafay Desert Day Trip from Marrakech: Camels, Quads or a Camp Night?
A stony desert under an hour from the medina, at its best at sunset: which Agafay trip to book, who should skip the quads, and what it can't replace.
Where to StayWhere to Stay in Marrakech: Medina, Gueliz or Hivernage?
The one decision that shapes your whole stay in Marrakech — atmosphere or quiet, riad or hotel — made simple, neighborhood by neighborhood.