Jemaa el-Fna and the souks
The main square wakes up properly at dusk with food stalls, musicians and storytellers. The souks behind it run north into the medina: leather, lanterns, rugs, spices and metalwork.
Central Morocco · Gateway to the High Atlas
Marrakech
The red city where almost every Sahara journey begins.
Why travellers come
Visiting Marrakech
Marrakech is the starting point of most of our desert journeys, and the easiest city in Morocco to fly into. It sits at the foot of the High Atlas, roughly four hours from Ait Ben Haddou and a long, spectacular day from the dunes of Erg Chebbi.
Give the city at least a full day before you leave for the desert. The medina, the gardens and the food are a different Morocco from the south, and travellers who rush straight to the Sahara usually wish they had stayed one night longer.
Marrakech combines a walkable historic medina, serious food, craft souks and easy road access to the Atlas passes and the desert south — which is why it is the most common departure city for Sahara tours.
Travel information
- Airport
- Marrakech Menara (RAK), 15 minutes from the medina
- To Ait Ben Haddou
- Around 4 hours by road over Tizi n'Tichka
- To Merzouga
- Around 9 to 10 hours with stops — usually split over 2 days
- Best months
- March to May and September to November
Main attractions
What to see in Marrakech
The places worth your time, and roughly how they fit into a day on the road.
Koutoubia Mosque
The 12th-century minaret is the landmark of the city and the easiest orientation point in the medina. The gardens and reflecting pool beside it are at their best in the last hour of daylight.
Gardens and palaces
Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, the Majorelle garden and the quieter Menara olive grove give you shade and calm between the busier parts of the medina.
The Atlas foothills
The Ourika Valley, Imlil and the Agafay stony desert are all within an easy drive if you have a spare day before your Sahara departure.
Best experiences
- A slow evening in Jemaa el-Fna with fresh juice and grilled food
- A guided medina walk with a local driver-guide before departure
- A rooftop dinner with the Koutoubia and the Atlas on the horizon
- An early departure over the Tizi n'Tichka pass towards the desert
Tours that go there
Private tours including Marrakech
Each route below is private, flexible and led by our own driver-guides.
