Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Morocco: Marrakech, the High Atlas and Essaouira
9 days from Marrakech: two nights in the High Atlas Imlil valley with gentle Berber village walks, three nights on the Atlantic in Essaouira, and the Marrakech medina at both ends.
9 days · Round trip from Marrakech · up to 12 guests
Jemaa el-Fnaa at dusk, Marrakech Photo: Forbes Johnston from Winchester, UK, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2026_(365_Challenge)_-_Day_187_-_Jemaa_el-fnaa_square_with_evening_market,_Marrakech,_Morocco_2010_-_Flickr_-_ambabheg.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 9 days, 8 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Marrakech
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
City days of 3 to 4 hours on foot in the Marrakech and Essaouira medinas, a 2-hour walk on arrival in Imlil, and one mountain walking day: about 10 km with roughly 550 m of ascent and descent on rough mule paths, topping out near 2,280 m. On that day an easier valley walk of about an hour and a half replaces the pass if you prefer.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 3 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 315 (estimated price)
- Season
- March to June and September to November
Highlights
Why this trip
- Jardin Majorelle at the first entry of the day, before the coaches arrive
- The Marrakech medina on foot with a licensed local guide and no commission shops
- Two nights in the Imlil valley below Jebel Toubkal, walking to Berber villages and a pass at about 2,280 m
- Lunch cooked by a family in a High Atlas village house
- Three nights in Essaouira: the fishing port in the morning, the medina and the sea ramparts at sunset
- A market visit and cooking class, then an afternoon on the beach
- Sunset from a rooftop above Jemaa el-Fnaa on the last night
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 315 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Marrakech
Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK) to your riad in the Marrakech medina
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Marrakech
- Drive about 18 min
Fly into Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK), about 6 km from the old city, and a driver meets you in the arrivals hall whatever time you land. Cars cannot reach most riad doors in the medina, so a porter wheels your bags the last few hundred metres while you walk behind.
Afternoon
Plan to land by mid-afternoon if you can: the group meets at about 6 pm in the riad, where your See Sight Tours guide runs through the week, from what to wear in the mountain villages to how bargaining works in the souks and what a fair price for a lantern looks like. As the light goes we walk together to Jemaa el-Fnaa, the great square at the heart of the medina, while the food stalls are being set up and the musicians and storytellers gather.
Evening
The welcome dinner is at a restaurant a short walk away. If you land late, you are still collected and we catch you up at breakfast.
Included
- Pick-up at Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK)
- Welcome briefing with your guide, including a souk and bargaining briefing
- Dusk walk to Jemaa el-Fnaa
- Welcome dinner in the medina
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Majorelle at opening, then the medina on foot
Jardin Majorelle, then the Marrakech medina on foot
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Marrakech
- Drive about 18 min
We start early to be at the Jardin Majorelle for the first entry of the day.
Morning
The garden, laid out by the painter Jacques Majorelle from the 1920s and later restored by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, is small and crowded by late morning; at opening the cobalt-blue studio and the cactus beds are quiet. From there it is a short drive to the medina, listed by UNESCO in 1985, where a licensed local guide joins us on foot: the Koutoubia minaret from its gardens, the painted rooms and courtyards of the 19th-century Bahia Palace, the spice stalls of the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, then north through the souks of dyers, metalworkers and leather-sellers. There are no commission shops on this walk; if you want to buy, your guide helps you bargain.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in a medina restaurant. The afternoon is free: rest at the riad, book a hammam, or go back into the souks on your own.
Included
- Jardin Majorelle at the first entry of the day, entry included
- Medina walk with a licensed local guide: the Koutoubia gardens, Bahia Palace (entry included), the Mellah and the northern souks
- Sit-down lunch in the medina
Optional experiences
- Hammam and massage
- Ben Youssef Madrasa
- Yves Saint Laurent Museum, next to the Jardin Majorelle
Easier option: Leave the walk after Bahia Palace and go back to the riad with the guide for a rest before lunch.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 3 to 4 hours on foot on flat, busy lanes; motorbikes share the alleys, so keep to the side.
Up into the High Atlas
Marrakech to Asni, then up the valley to Imlil
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Imlil
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
After breakfast, at about 9 am, we leave Marrakech and drive south across the Haouz plain towards the wall of the High Atlas, about an hour and a half and 65 km. The road climbs through Asni, a market village, then follows the river up to Imlil, at about 1,740 m, the last village reached by road below Jebel Toubkal, which at 4,167 m is the highest peak in North Africa. This valley was hit by the September 2023 Al Haouz earthquake and rebuilding continues; visitors are a large part of how it earns its living.
Afternoon
We settle into our guesthouse for two nights (if the guesthouse is above the road end, a mule carries the bags up the last stretch) and have lunch on the terrace. In the afternoon a licensed local mountain guide leads an easy walk of about two hours up through walnut and apple terraces to the village of Aroumd, then back down for mint tea as the light leaves the peaks.
Evening
Dinner is at the guesthouse.
Included
- Drive from Marrakech to Imlil with your guide
- Lunch and dinner at the guesthouse
- Afternoon walk to the village of Aroumd with a licensed mountain guide
Easier option: Skip the Aroumd walk and stay on the guesthouse terrace with the view of the valley.
Free time: Evening at the guesthouse
Activity: About 5 km there and back with roughly 200 m of climbing. Imlil is cool in the evening even in summer; bring a warm layer.
Berber villages and the Tamatert pass
Imlil to Tamatert and the Tizi n'Tamatert pass, then back the same way to Imlil
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Imlil
A walking day at the pace of the slowest walker, not a summit. We set off at about 9 am with our mountain guide on the mule path to the village of Tamatert, then on to the Tizi n'Tamatert pass, at about 2,280 m, for the view back over the Imlil valley to the Toubkal massif and across into the next valley. It is an out-and-back walk of about 5 km each way, with roughly 550 m of climbing over two to three hours and stops for breath and photographs.
Afternoon
We do not cross into the Imnane valley on the far side; we turn at the pass and walk back down to Tamatert, where lunch is in a Berber village house: a tagine cooked by the family, bread from their oven and tea. From there the mule path drops back to Imlil through walnut groves and terraced barley fields, with irrigation channels beside the trail, and we are back by mid-afternoon. The rest of the day is free on the terrace or in the village. In winter, when snow lies on the pass, the guide chooses a lower route along the valley instead.
Included
- Guided out-and-back walk with a licensed mountain guide to Tamatert and the Tizi n'Tamatert pass
- Lunch with a family in a village house
- Dinner at the guesthouse
Easier option: Skip the pass: walk the level valley path between the villages around Imlil for about an hour and a half, then join the group for lunch.
More active option: Walk up past Aroumd to the shrine of Sidi Chamharouch, at about 2,350 m on the Toubkal trail, with a second mountain guide: about 6 hours there and back.
Free time: Late afternoon free
Activity: About 10 km out and back (5 km each way) with roughly 550 m up and down on rough, stony mule paths. Wear walking shoes with grip and bring a sun hat, water and a warm layer.
From the mountains to the Atlantic
Imlil to the edge of Marrakech, then west to Essaouira
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Essaouira
- Drive about 4 h
Today is the one long drive of the trip, about 250 km and about 4 hours at the wheel, because no road from these mountains to the coast avoids Marrakech.
Afternoon
Three stops break it up: a coffee stop, a sit-down lunch and an argan cooperative. We leave Imlil at about 9 am, drop down to the plain, skirt the edge of the city and head west into argan country. The coffee stop comes in the first half and lunch is a sit-down meal on the way. In the early afternoon we stop at a women's argan cooperative near Essaouira to see the nuts cracked by hand and pressed into oil, with no pressure to buy. This argan forest is part of the Arganeraie, a UNESCO biosphere reserve since 1998. We do not stop for the goats posed in argan trees by the roadside, which are placed there for tips. We reach Essaouira by mid-afternoon and check into a riad inside the walls for three nights.
Evening
At sunset we walk the Skala de la Ville, the sea ramparts lined with old bronze cannons, as the wind comes in off the Atlantic.
Included
- Drive from Imlil to Essaouira with your guide, with a coffee stop
- Sit-down lunch on the way
- Visit to a women's argan cooperative
- Sunset walk on the Skala de la Ville ramparts
Free time: Evening free in Essaouira
Activity: The longest drive of the trip, at the 4-hour cap; it is the price of going from the mountains to the sea. The next two days have no driving.
Essaouira: the port and the medina
On foot in Essaouira, from the harbour to the medina
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Essaouira
Morning
Morning is the time for the port: the fishing boats come in, blue wooden boats crowd the harbour, and the gulls circle while the catch is sold on the quay. We walk out to the Skala du Port, the fortified harbour bastion, and past the boatyard where wooden fishing boats are still built by hand. Then a licensed local guide leads us through the medina, laid out from the 1760s for Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah by the French engineer Théodore Cornut and listed by UNESCO in 2001 as the Medina of Essaouira (formerly Mogador). We see the Mellah, the thuya-wood workshops where boxes are inlaid with lemonwood, and the spice and fish souks.
Afternoon
Lunch is grilled fish at the port, picked from the stalls and cooked while you wait, with meat and vegetable dishes for those who prefer them.
Evening
The afternoon and evening are free. Essaouira is calmer than Marrakech, with far less hassle, so it is an easy place to wander on your own.
Included
- The fishing port and the Skala du Port in the morning
- Medina walk with a licensed local guide: the Mellah, the thuya-wood workshops and the souks
- Grilled fish lunch at the port
Optional experiences
- Hammam
- Gnaoua music in a medina cafe in the evening
Easier option: Skip the medina walk after the port and rest at the riad or in a cafe on Place Moulay Hassan until lunch.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 3 hours on foot on flat lanes and harbour paving.
Market, cooking class and the beach
Essaouira market and medina kitchen, then the beach towards Diabat
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Essaouira
Morning
A slower morning.
Afternoon
At about 10 am we go to the market with a local cook to buy vegetables, olives, spices and fish, then cook lunch together in a kitchen in the medina: a tagine, a salad of grilled peppers and tomatoes, and bread, which you eat when it is ready. The afternoon belongs to the coast. Essaouira's beach runs south from the town for several kilometres, and the steady trade wind that makes it a kitesurfing centre also keeps the town mild when inland Morocco is hot. Walk the sand for a few kilometres towards the village of Diabat and the old ruined fort near the river mouth, or sit with a book in a beach cafe. Your guide can book a horse or camel ride along the beach, or a surf or kitesurf lesson, if you want something more active; these are paid on the spot.
Evening
Dinner tonight is your own choice, and your guide has a short list of good places in the medina.
Included
- Market visit with a local cook
- Cooking class in the medina, with the lunch you cook
Optional experiences
- Horse or camel ride along the beach to Diabat
- Surf or kitesurf lesson
- Hammam
Easier option: Stay in town after lunch: a beach cafe or the riad roof terrace instead of the beach walk.
More active option: Walk the beach to Diabat and back, a few kilometres each way, or take a surf lesson.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Back to Marrakech for a rooftop sunset
Essaouira to Marrakech
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Marrakech
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
A free morning in Essaouira: a last walk on the ramparts, a coffee on Place Moulay Hassan, or a hammam.
Afternoon
After an early sit-down lunch in the medina we drive back to Marrakech, about 190 km and three hours, through the argan country and across the Chichaoua plain, with one stop on the way.
Evening
We reach Marrakech by late afternoon and check into a riad or hotel in or near the medina for the last night, close to the airport road. Before dinner we climb to a rooftop terrace above Jemaa el-Fnaa to watch the square fill and the smoke rise from the food stalls as the call to prayer sounds from the Koutoubia. The farewell dinner is at a restaurant in the medina, with the whole group and your guide. If you want one more look at the city, the El Badi Palace and the Saadian Tombs are a short walk from the square and easy to see on your own tomorrow morning.
Included
- Sit-down lunch in Essaouira
- Drive from Essaouira to Marrakech with your guide
- Sunset from a rooftop terrace above Jemaa el-Fnaa
- Farewell dinner in the medina
Free time: Morning free in Essaouira
Depart Marrakech
Your riad to Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK)
- Breakfast
- Drive about 18 min
Morning
Breakfast at the riad, then the morning is yours until your transfer.
Afternoon
If your flight leaves after midday there is time to walk to the El Badi Palace, the ruined 16th-century Saadian palace whose walls are now home to storks, or to the Saadian Tombs nearby, or simply to sit over a last mint tea. The riad keeps your bags if checkout comes before your transfer. Marrakech Menara Airport is about 20 minutes away by road, and we drop you there whatever your flight time; allow two to three hours before an international departure, as the security queues can be slow. If you are travelling on in Morocco rather than flying home, the train to Casablanca and Rabat leaves from Marrakech station, and your guide can drop you there instead. Book a flight leaving after about 1 pm if you want the morning in the city.
Included
- Drop-off at Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK) or Marrakech railway station
Optional experiences
- El Badi Palace
- Saadian Tombs
Free time: Morning free until your transfer
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 1 pm to use the morning.
- Marrakech2 nights
- Imlil2 nights
- Essaouira3 nights
- Marrakech1 night
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Spring and autumn are mild in all three places. Marrakech is very hot in July and August, while Essaouira stays cool and windy all summer. Winter brings snow to the High Atlas passes and cold nights in Imlil.
Want this plan in your inbox?
Get the day-by-day itinerary by email, or ask us anything about this trip. A trip planner replies the same or next business day.
Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want Morocco at a slower pace, with time to walk and to stop
- Walkers who enjoy mountain villages but do not want a summit
- A first trip to Morocco that mixes city, mountains and sea
- Travellers adding a gentler week before or after a desert trip
Not for you if you want
- Travellers who want the Sahara dunes: our Imperial Cities and Sahara or Grand Loop trips cover them
- A Toubkal summit climb
- Step-free access: medina lanes, riad stairs and stony mountain paths
- A beach resort holiday: Essaouira is windy and the Atlantic is cool
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
8 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Marrakech2 nights
- Imlil2 nights
- Essaouira3 nights
- Marrakech1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 8 nights: a riad in the Marrakech medina (2), a mountain guesthouse in the Imlil valley (2), a riad inside the Essaouira medina walls (3) and a riad or hotel in or near the Marrakech medina (1)
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
- Each hotel named when we confirm your dates
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK) whatever your flight time
- An air-conditioned van and driver for the group for the whole trip
- Porters for bags in the medinas and a mule for luggage in Imlil if the guesthouse is above the road end
- Bottled water in the vehicle
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip
- Licensed local guides in Marrakech and Essaouira
- A licensed mountain guide on every Imlil walk, and a second one for the Sidi Chamharouch option
Activities
- Jardin Majorelle at the first entry of the day (Marrakech)
- Medina walk with Bahia Palace entry (Marrakech)
- Dusk walk to Jemaa el-Fnaa (Marrakech)
- Walk to Aroumd (Imlil)
- Day walk to the Tizi n'Tamatert pass with lunch in a village house (Imlil)
- Women's argan cooperative visit (near Essaouira)
- Fishing port, Skala du Port and medina walk with a local guide (Essaouira)
- Sunset on the Skala de la Ville ramparts (Essaouira)
- Market visit and cooking class (Essaouira)
- Rooftop sunset above Jemaa el-Fnaa (Marrakech)
Meals
- 8 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 4 dinners
- Sit-down lunches on every touring day, including both long drive days
- Welcome and farewell dinners in Marrakech, and dinners at the Imlil guesthouse
Not included
- International flights to and from Marrakech
- Visa, if your passport needs one
- Travel insurance
- Dinners on days 2, 5, 6 and 7
- Drinks other than water in the vehicle
- Tips for your guide, driver and local guides
- Optional activities, such as a hammam, the Ben Youssef Madrasa, the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, beach rides and surf lessons
- Personal expenses and shopping
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 315 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Eight nights in riads and a mountain guesthouse, 8 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 4 dinners, airport transfers both ways, a van and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, licensed local and mountain guides, and every visit in the day plan, including the Jardin Majorelle and Bahia Palace entries, the Imlil walks, a village-house lunch, the argan cooperative and the Essaouira cooking class.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests in one vehicle, so the group fits on a mountain path behind one guide, around one table at lunch and through the narrow medina lanes without losing anyone.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the first evening to the airport. Licensed local guides join for the medina walks in Marrakech and Essaouira, and a licensed mountain guide leads every walk in the Imlil valley. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
How fit do I need to be? Do we climb Toubkal?
No summit. Day 4 is the hardest: about 10 km with roughly 550 m up and down on rough mule paths to a pass near 2,280 m. If that is too much, an easier valley walk of about an hour and a half replaces it. The other days are easy city walking.
I am travelling solo. Is there a single supplement?
Yes, and it is shown up front: a room of your own costs from CAD 315 more. Solo travellers book the same trip as everyone else, with no surprise charge at checkout. If you would rather share, tell us when you request to book and we will try to pair you with another solo traveller.
When is the best time to go?
March to June and September to November are best, with mild days in Marrakech and clear mountain views. In July and August Marrakech passes 40 C, though Essaouira stays cool and windy. In winter snow can close the Tamatert pass, so the mountain walk moves to the valley.
How does booking work?
Choose a start date and send a request to book. We check availability and confirm your trip within 24 hours. No payment is taken when you request; prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes, from CAD 1,860 for the small group.
Can I travel privately or on my own dates?
Yes. The trip also runs as a private trip for your party only on a date you choose, from CAD 3,350 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same riads, drivers and local guides.
Do I need a visa for Morocco?
Canadian, US, UK and EU passport holders do not need a visa for a tourist stay of up to 90 days. Your passport should be valid for at least six months after arrival. Other nationalities should check before booking, and we can tell you what applies.
Does this trip go to the Sahara?
No, on purpose. This is the mountains-and-sea Morocco, with short drives and three nights on the coast. If you want the dunes, our Imperial Cities and Sahara trip and our Morocco Grand Loop both include a desert night, and either pairs well with this one.
Will we be taken to rug shops?
No. There are no commission shops or shopping stops on this trip. Your guide briefs you on fair prices on the first evening and helps you bargain wherever you choose to buy. The argan cooperative visit is to see the work, with no pressure to buy.
Is Imlil safe to visit after the 2023 earthquake?
The valley is receiving visitors, and tourism is a large part of its recovery. Rebuilding continues in some villages, so we confirm trail, road and guesthouse conditions before each departure and adjust or move the walks if needed.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
Book your Tour
Get in Touch
- Toll Free1-888-961-6584
- Local1-289-271-9767
© 2026 See Sight Tours. All rights reserved.