Excursions & Experiences
The Ourika Valley, the Marrakech medina, the Agafay Desert, and evenings here at the riad.
Day trips and evenings, without the planning
Tell us which day suits you and we take care of the rest. Every trip starts and ends at the riad, so you can spend the day exploring and come home to the quiet of the countryside.
Ourika Valley
Under an hour from the riad, the road climbs into the High Atlas and the valley opens up: terraced fields, Berber villages built into the hillside and a cold, quick river running down from the mountains. It is the easiest way to see the Atlas in a day without it feeling like a long drive.
The day
- Leave the riad
We set off at around 10:30 and take the scenic road through the foothills, past Berber villages with the mountains in view.
- A Berber village and cooperative
The first stop is usually a women’s argan oil cooperative, where you can watch the oil being made the traditional way and try the products. On a Monday we can often add the village market or a visit to a local home. There is a stop for tea or coffee too.
- Lunch by the river
Time for a traditional lunch at one of the riverside cafes: tagine, couscous, salads. Most people end up with their feet in the water and nowhere they would rather be.
- Free time
Wander the riverbank, browse the small craft stalls, stop for mint tea or a short cultural visit, and take your photos.
- Back to the riad
We head home in the early evening, between 16:00 and 17:00, stopping for the terraces and panoramic views if you would like.
Included: the trip from and back to the riad, and a tea or coffee stop.
Not included: lunch, which is optional.
The Marrakech Medina
The old city is at its best when someone else is doing the driving. Your private chauffeur takes you from one landmark to the next, drops you at the door and waits nearby or comes back at a time you agree, so every stop goes at your pace.
The day
- Leave the riad
Your chauffeur collects you at around 10:30. Free time is built into every stop.
- Bahia Palace
The first drop-off: elegant courtyards, lush gardens and some of the finest traditional Moroccan craftsmanship in the city.
- El Badi, the Saadian Tombs and the Koutoubia
Next come El Badi Palace and the Saadian Tombs, a remarkable royal necropolis, then the Koutoubia Mosque, Marrakech’s best-known landmark, which is seen from outside.
- Jemaa el-Fna and the souks
You are dropped at Jemaa el-Fna, the lively heart of the city, with its street performers and stalls. If you prefer, you can start at the entrance to the souks and explore on foot: spices, leather, lamps, carpets and handicrafts.
- Menara Gardens
Afterwards you are driven to the Menara Gardens for a calmer hour: the pavilion, the olive groves and, on a clear day, the Atlas on the horizon.
- Back to the riad
We head back between 16:00 and 17:00, in good time to rest before dinner.
Included: a private chauffeur for the day, with drop-off and pick-up at every stop.
Not included: lunch at a traditional restaurant, which is optional.
Agafay Desert
Agafay is not a sea of dunes like the Sahara. It is a stony desert of pale, rolling hills with the Atlas on the skyline, and close enough to reach without a long journey. Spend the day with lunch in a desert camp, or go later for sunset and stay on for dinner under the stars.
Choose your time
Day Experience
10:00 to 17:00- Leave the riad
Around 10:00, with a scenic drive out to the desert.
- Quad biking
A thrilling ride across the open desert.
- Camel ride
A slow, peaceful ride through the golden landscape.
- Lunch in a desert camp
A traditional Moroccan lunch.
- Back to the riad
Arriving around 17:00.
Sunset Experience
14:00 to 21:00- Leave the riad
Around 14:00, with a scenic drive out to the desert.
- Quad biking
A thrilling ride across the open desert.
- Camel ride at sunset
Watch the desert turn gold as the day fades.
- Dinner in a desert camp
A traditional dinner under the stars, and time to enjoy the quiet of the evening.
- Back to the riad
Arriving around 21:00.
Included: quad biking, the camel ride and your meal in the desert camp, lunch or dinner depending on the experience.
Private Dinner Party
For a birthday, a celebration or simply a night you want to remember, we turn the riad into your own Moroccan dinner party: a menu cooked by our chef, live musicians, lanterns lit around the courtyard, and the whole evening yours.
The evening
Dinner
- A traditional Moroccan menu prepared by our chef
- Birthday or celebration decorations, if you would like them
Music
- Live Gnawa or Andalusian musicians
- Music through dinner and after
- Optional folklore performance or belly dancer
Extras
- Optional fire show
- Photography available
Photo credits
- “Ourika Valley in autumn (11278186523)” by Mzximvs VdB from Brussels, belgium, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized.
- “Ourika 2016” by Progskynet, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized.
- “Ourika - Setti Fatma - Maroc 26” by Abbas9, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized.
- “Jemaa el-Fnaa Marrakech at sunset” by Herokk, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized.
- “Bahia Palace large court” by Val Traveler, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized.
- “Mosquée de la Koutoubia - marakesh” by Baca12, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized.
- “Dromedaries in the Agafay Desert, Morocco, 20250125 1751 7271” by Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized.
- “Agafay Desert, Morocco, 20250125 1848 7298” by Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized.
- “Gnawa Band” by Monaam Ben Fredj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized.
- Courtyard and dinner photographs: Daba Village.
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