What are the best day trips from Marrakech?

Marrakech's greatest strength is what surrounds it. The most popular day trip is into the High Atlas Mountains — the village of Imlil at the foot of Mount Toubkal is about 90 minutes away and offers cool air, Berber villages, mule treks and dramatic scenery. It is the single best way to see a completely different side of Morocco without committing a whole day to driving.

The Ourika Valley is the easy, green option: roughly an hour from the city, with a river, terraced gardens, Berber markets and the Setti Fatma waterfalls. It is a good choice in hot weather and for families who want nature without a strenuous hike. The Agafay "desert" — a rocky, lunar landscape with stylish camps — is even closer, about 40 minutes out, and is the practical substitute for those who cannot fit the real Sahara into their trip.

For the coast, Essaouira makes a fine long day trip at around two and a half hours each way, breaking up at an argan-oil women's cooperative en route. And if you want a true Sahara taste, the Zagora dunes are sometimes sold as a day trip, but honestly it is too rushed — the real desert deserves an overnight.

One trip I caution people about is Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate. The kasbah is spectacular, but it is around four hours each way over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, making for eight-plus hours in the car in a single day. It is far better experienced as a stop on a multi-day desert route. For a day trip, stick to the Atlas, Ourika, Agafay or Essaouira.