Solo travel · Shared tours
Shared day trips from Marrakech for solo travellers
By Rachid — Owner and itinerary editor, Rachid Excursions
Travelling alone changes the maths of a day out of Marrakech. A private car costs the same whether one person sits in it or four, so a private day that is good value for a family is expensive for one. A shared trip turns that around: you pay for your own seat, get picked up from your hotel or riad, and leave the driving to someone else. This guide covers how that works in practice.
Shared or private when you are on your own
| Trip | Shared price (per person) | Private option | What one traveller pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas valleys | €18 (Ourika Valley) | €120 per car (Three Valleys or Imlil) | €18 shared or €120 private |
| Ouzoud waterfalls | €23 | €160 for two people | €23 shared; private for one by written quote |
| Essaouira coast | €20 | Private vehicle on request | €20 shared; private by written quote |
| Aït Ben Haddou & Ouarzazate | €30 | Private version on request | €30 shared; private by written quote |
Private still has its place for a solo traveller who wants a different start time, a slower pace or a route no shared trip covers — Imlil with a local mountain guide and a visit to a Berber family home, for example. Just compare it against the shared price knowing that a per-car price does not shrink for one person.
How pickup works
Pickup is included from all accessible Marrakech hotels and riads. For deep medina riads inaccessible by vehicle, the driver meets guests at the nearest vehicle drop-off point. Give the name and address of your riad when you book and ask for the exact meeting point in writing. Pickup times are fixed per trip: 09:45 for Ourika, 08:45 for Essaouira and Ouzoud, and 07:30 for Aït Ben Haddou.
What a long shared day is like
Shared trips follow a fixed itinerary and pickup time, and the group moves together. The longer days are genuinely long: Essaouira runs about 08:45–19:00, Ouzoud about 08:45–19:30 and Aït Ben Haddou about 07:30–19:30, with several hours in the vehicle. Ourika, at 09:45–17:30, is the gentlest introduction.
- Lunch is not included on these four trips; carry dirhams for it (about 80–150 MAD depending on the trip)
- Essaouira gives you around five hours of free time, which suits solo travellers who like to explore at their own pace
- Keep your phone charged and your accommodation's address saved offline for the drop-off
- Wear closed shoes with grip for Ourika and Ouzoud, where the paths have rocky or steeper sections
- Each shared departure is confirmed for your date in writing before payment, and the group maximum for that departure is confirmed in writing too
Going to the Sahara alone
The 3-day shared Merzouga tour has three tiers that share the route, transport, meals and camel ride; only the room and tent change. The Normal tier at €70 per person uses a shared hotel room in Dades and a shared tent at the desert camp, and solo travellers are welcome on it. Standard (€95, private room and tent) and Luxury (€120, private air-conditioned tent with en-suite bathroom) are for two or more travellers. Pickup is at 07:30 from your hotel or riad, and you can end in Fes instead of Marrakech for +€25.
Travelling as a solo woman
If you are a woman travelling alone and want advice specific to that — how to choose between shared and private, and what to expect at pickup — our separate guide covers it rather than repeating it here. For current safety and local-law guidance, check your government's travel advice for Morocco before you go.
Sources and verification
These sources support destination, heritage, climate, health or travel-advice context. Prices and supplier details are confirmed in writing for each booking.
- Morocco travel advice
UK Government
Current travel, safety, entry and local-law guidance.
- Morocco official tourism portal
Moroccan National Tourism Office
Official destination context for Marrakech, desert, coast and Atlas travel.
Frequently asked
Tours mentioned above
Ourika Valley — Day Trip
Full day · Berber villages · Ourika waterfalls · Riverside lunch
A relaxed full-day escape from Marrakech into the lush Ourika Valley — just 1h15 from the medina. Follow the river deep into the High Atlas, stop in traditional Berber villages, then hike with a local guide to the Ourika waterfalls at Setti Fatma before a slow lunch at a riverside restaurant with your feet almost in the water. Back in Marrakech in time for a hammam and sunset drinks.
Essaouira Coast Day Trip
Atlantic Medina & Argan Cooperatives
Head west from Marrakech to the wind-city of Essaouira on the Atlantic coast. Departure at 08:45 with a stop on the way at a women's argan oil cooperative, where you'll see how local Berber women press argan for cooking and cosmetics. Arrive in Essaouira for around five hours of free time to explore the UNESCO medina, walk the Skala de la Kasbah sea ramparts, wander the fishing port, relax on the beach or try a camel or horse ride, before returning to Marrakech by 19:00.
Ouzoud Waterfalls — Shared Day Trip
Shared full day · 110m falls · Boat ride paid on site · Barbary macaques
A full day of green landscapes, spray and monkeys — the perfect contrast to the medina. Leave Marrakech at 08:45 and drive ~150 km north-east through the Middle Atlas and small Berber villages to the Ouzoud waterfalls, Morocco's tallest at 110 m. Walk the shaded path down to the base, take a small wooden boat under the mist of the falls, meet the wild Barbary macaques, and stop for a slow tagine lunch on a terrace overlooking the cascades before heading back to Marrakech for around 19:30.
Ouarzazate & Aït Ben Haddou — Day Trip
Full day · UNESCO kasbah · Tizi n'Tichka pass · Local guide
A cinematic full-day crossing of the High Atlas from Marrakech to the ochre pre-Saharan south. Leave at 07:30 and climb the Tizi n'Tichka pass (2,260 m) with panoramic Berber-village stops, then spend the morning inside Aït Ben Haddou — the UNESCO-listed earthen ksar famous from Gladiator and Game of Thrones — with a local guide. Continue to Ouarzazate to visit the Kasbah Taourirt, share a group lunch on site and drive back through the mountains to Marrakech, arriving around 19:30.
Merzouga 3 Days — Shared
3 Days · 2 Nights · Normal / Standard / Luxury
A shared 3-day / 2-night desert tour from Marrakech to the Erg Chebbi dunes at Merzouga, from €70 per person (Standard €95, Luxury €120), leaving at 07:30. The price covers transport, a hotel night in Dades and a night in a desert camp, 2 breakfasts, 2 dinners and a 1-hour camel ride; lunches are extra. The route: cross the High Atlas via Tizi n'Tichka to the UNESCO kasbah of Aït Ben Haddou and Kasbah Taourirt, then the Rose Valley and Dades. Day 2 drive to Merzouga for a camel ride at sunset and a Berber desert camp with drumming and dinner. Day 3 sunrise over the dunes, then return to Marrakech — or continue to Fes for +€25.
Imlil — Private Tour
Full-day private · Guided hike · Berber home visit
A private day in the High Atlas at the foot of Mount Toubkal — Morocco's highest peak. Your driver picks you up in Marrakech in a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle and takes you south to the mountain village of Imlil. There, a local Berber guide leads you on a gentle hike through walnut orchards, terraced fields and stone villages, sharing stories about mountain life. The day ends with a warm welcome inside a Berber family home for mint tea and, if you wish, a traditional home-cooked lunch (paid on the spot).