Casablanca

The 21 Best Day Trips from Marrakech

what to do in Marrakech Marrakech Day Trips The 21 Best Day Trips from Marrakech What are the best day trips from Marrakech?  Walking in the Atlas Mountains, admiring the dunes in a hot air balloon, marveling at the architecture and prehistoric ruins, or even strolling in the colorful and lively souks, the day trips from Marrakech are multiple and impressive. Best of all? For most of these tours, you can leave Marrakech in the morning and come back the same day! Read on, choose your favorite destination and have a wonderful experience! 1- Essaouira Let yourself be transported through the narrow and fortified streets of the Essaouria medina, with slight European influences (but the majority of which is North African in style). This trip to Essaouira also gives you the opportunity to discover the beautiful Moroccan coast. On this tour, you will see how the modern world blends harmoniously with ancient architecture and history. It is also important to note that Essaouira is considered a World Heritage Site! Essaouira Day Trip From Marrakech start from 45 Euro 2 – Ouzoud waterfalls Explore the bustling streets of Marrakech and immerse yourself in the depths of nature. At Ouzoud Falls, you can marvel at how the stunning waterfall, nestled between layers of flora, falls over a massive rock face. Close to the sparkling waterfalls you will find the Al Abid River, where you can cool off. Don’t forget to watch out for the monkeys swinging from tree to tree! Immersing yourself in nature against a backdrop of spectacular images of flora and fauna makes for an unparalleled day trip from Marrakech. Waterfalls Day Trip From Marrakech start from 45 Euro 3 – Palm grove Located just outside Marrakech, the Palmeraie is the easiest opportunity to leave the noisy and bustling city for a pleasant camel ride. The local guides are known to be welcoming, and they will do their best to provide an authentic perspective on Moroccan culture: a tea break is always included! Palm grove Day Trip From Marrakech start from 35 Euro 4 – Merzouga Desert Let yourself be enveloped by the calm and inexplicable beauty of the Merzouga desert. Whether it’s riding a camel through the smooth dunes of Erg Chebbi, watching the sun emerge from the depths of the sand, camping under the hundreds of stars of a Bedouin encampment or trekking the High Atlas Mountains , it’s safe to say that this magical, peaceful and thrilling three-day desert tour from Marrakech will leave a clear picture in your mind for years to come. Merzouga Desert Day Tours From Marrakech 5 – Agadir Fancy a luxurious but quiet getaway? The lines of palm trees, the white and sandy coasts and the beach bars of Agadir are calling to you. Agadir, although seaside and touristy, offers a range of activities. The day trip from Marrakech will introduce you to Agadir’s collection of great sites, such as the fish market, Agadir beach, the medina, and more. You may be able to choose your destinations depending on your visit! Agadir Day Tours From Marrakech 6 – Ouarzazate This day trip from Marrakech will introduce you to “African Hollywood”. Ouarzazate may be the largest city in Morocco, but its architecture and stunning beauty will distract you from the many tourists who stroll around the area. En route to Ouarzazate, you will stop at the UNESCO heritage site, Ait Benhaddou. And this site has attracted filmmakers for many years! Ouarzazate has a few interesting destinations including the Taourirt Kasbah, which gives you a glimpse into the lavish lifestyles of the past. Ouarzazate Day Tours From Marrakech 7 – Mount Toubkal Escape the desert, the cities and climb to the top of North Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Toubkal. The snow-capped peaks of the summit will bring you a different vision of Morocco. En route to the top of Jebel Toubkal, you will discover the village of Imil and hike near the sanctuary of Sidi Chamharouch. During this trek, you will discover incredible landscapes and cross varied terrain. Allow time, as the entire trip will take three days. Toubkal trekking Tours From Marrakech 8 – Casablanca Most of you may know Casablanca from the iconic 1945 film of the same name, but the city also offers a plethora of beautiful historical sites to visit. The day trip from Marrakech to the Atlantic coast will allow you to discover the main sites of the Moroccan city: eat seafood at the central market, admire the intricate design of the royal palace and patrol the Habous district, built in France. Toubkal trekking Tours From Marrakech 9 – Asni and Imlil Most of you may know Casablanca from the iconic 1945 film of the same name, but the city also offers a plethora of beautiful historical sites to visit. The day trip from Marrakech to the Atlantic coast will allow you to discover the main sites of the Moroccan city: eat seafood at the central market, admire the intricate design of the royal palace and patrol the Habous district, built in France. Asni and Imlil day Tours From Marrakech 10 – Atlas Mountains Escape to the ever-vast Atlas Mountains for a breath of fresh air and a glimpse into Moroccan culture. This eye-opening excursion will take you to Imlil where you can sip mint tea, dine with a Berber family, and learn a wealth of facts about the history of the region. Besides the cultural experience, the terraced fields, bordered by walnut and cherry trees, will undoubtedly provide you with many images that will amaze you for many years to come. Atlas Mountains day Tours From Marrakech 11 – Desert of Zagora Vous avez quelques jours de libre ? Si oui, le désert de Zagora vous attend ! Cette excursion de deux jours vous transportera de la ville colorée et animée de Marrakech au calme et sublime désert de Zagora, où vous monterez à dos de chameau pour assister au lever et au coucher du soleil. Et

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Marrakech city

The Famous Marrakech city Marrakech (in Arabic: مُرَاكُش, murrākuš; in Berber: ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ, Meṛṛakc), is a city located in central Morocco at the foot of the Atlas Mountains4. Marrakech is nicknamed “the red city” N 1 or the “ocher city” in reference to the red color of a large part of its buildings and houses5. Marrakech and its urban area have in 2020 a little more than one million inhabitants 2. By its population, the city is the third agglomeration of the country, on a par with its historical rival, Fez, and behind Casablanca. Imperial city, like Fez, Rabat and Meknes, Marrakech was the capital of Morocco for nearly 350 years, under the Almoravid (11th – 12th centuries), Almohad (12th – 13th centuries), Saadian (16th – 17th centuries) dynasties ), as well as during the reign of Mohammed ben Abdallah of the current Alawite dynasty (reigning from 1757 to 1790). Marrakech is home to a vast medina of 600 hectares, the most populous in North Africa, and classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Thanks to the vitality of its 900-year-old medina, its world-class hotel infrastructures, and its sunny climate, Marrakech has established itself as the undisputed capital of tourism in Morocco. Served by the country’s second airport in terms of traffic, Marrakech – Menara airport, the city welcomed nearly 3 million visitors in 2019. Origin of the Marrakech Before travel Several hypotheses coexist as to the origin of the name of the city. The most widespread among historians considers that the name of Marrakech is a contraction of the Berber Amur n’Akush. Amur means “country” and Akouch, or Yakouch means “God”, which gives “the land of God” 6. A less widespread alternative etymology proposes the interpretation of “land of the course” . Medieval Arabic-speaking sources have been numerous to offer fanciful Arabic origins in the name of Marrakech. Some of these etymologies have been taken up in contemporary works. For Louis Deroy and Marianne Mulon, for example, authors of the Dictionary of place names, the name comes from the Arabic Marruquch “la bien parée” 8 from رقش “to ornament, embellish”. Origin of the name Several hypotheses coexist as to the origin of the name of the city. The most widespread among historians considers that the name of Marrakech is a contraction of the Berber Amur n’Akush. Amur means “country” and Akouch, or Yakouch means “God”, which gives “the land of God” 6. A less widespread alternative etymology proposes the interpretation of “land of the course”. Medieval Arabic-speaking sources have been numerous to offer fanciful Arabic origins in the name of Marrakech. Some of these etymologies have been taken up in contemporary works. For Louis Deroy and Marianne Mulon, for example, authors of the Dictionary of place names, the name comes from the Arabic Marruquch “the well adorned” from رقش “to ornament, embellish”. Name influence The word “Morocco” and its equivalents in various European languages ​​are directly derived from the word “Marrakech”. From the 1130s, sixty years after the founding of the city, the name appears in Latin sources to designate the capital of the Almoravid empire6. In the fourteenth century, we identify the forms “Marroch” in Catalan (from which the French name derives), “Marruecos” in Castilian, “Morrocco” in Tuscan, and “Marrocos” in Portuguese, undoubtedly the oldest form, the ” ‘s final being hissed in Portuguese. In the fifteenth century, Portugal exerted strong military pressure on Morocco. The country is split in two, the Wattassids having Fez as their capital and reigning over the north of Morocco and the Hintata then the Saadian sheriffs reigning over Marrakech and the south of the country. European geographic literature then endorses the idea that the Maghreb al-Aqsa is made up of the kingdoms of Fez and Morocco. It is finally the name of the capital of the south ends up imposing itself on the whole country. In addition, until the twentieth century, Morocco was known in the East under the name of Marrakech (a name still relevant in Iran). During the Almohad period, Marrakech was famous for its leather craftsmanship. The tanning of the skins was already carried out there in the tanneries of Bab Debbagh in the east of the city. The leather accessories made in Marrakech were so famous that we began to speak in Castile of marroquinería to designate them. This term ended up spreading in other languages ​​such as French, the “leather goods” being used to designate the activity as well as the articles using as main material the leather. Histoire Capitale des empires almoravide et almohade Marrakech (Mourrakouch) was founded in the year 1071 (year 463 of the Hegira) by the Berber sovereign Sanhadjiens Almoravid Youssef ben Tachfine11 and his queen Zaynab Nefzaouia, also of Berber origin. Very quickly, in Marrakech, under the leadership of the Almoravids, pious warriors and austere scholars from the current Mauritanian desert, many mosques and madrasahs (Koranic theological schools) were built, as well as a shopping center draining traffic between the Western Maghreb and sub-Saharan Africa. Marrakech grew rapidly and established itself as an influential cultural and religious metropolis, supplanting Aghmat and Sijilmassa. Palaces were also built and decorated with the help of Andalusian craftsmen from Cordoba and Seville, who brought the Umayyad style characterized by chiseled cupolas and multi-lobed arches. This Andalusian influence merged with Saharan and West African elements and was synthesized in an original architecture totally adapted to the specific environment of Marrakech. The city became the capital of the Almoravid Emirate, a Eurafrican empire that stretched from the banks of the Senegal River to the center of the Iberian Peninsula and from the Moroccan Atlantic coast to Algiers. The city was then fortified by the son of Youssef Ibn Tachfin, Ali Ben Youssef, who built around 1122-1123 ramparts that are still visible. While Youssef Ben Tachfine led victorious campaigns in Al-Andalus, subduing the kinglets of the taifas and repelling the offensives of Castile and Aragon, his wife Zaynab Nefzaouia exercised in Marrakech an important power, with all the

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