Self-Launched: Marrakech, the High Atlas & Agafay Desert

Fly into Marrakech Menara (RAK). Skip the private transfer and take a petit taxi from the airport rank to your riad in the medina or Hivernage — around 70–100 MAD (£6–8), agree the price first or insist on the meter. Check in, then ease in with a wander through the souks and a mint tea. If you're hungry, the Amal Women's Training Center in Gueliz (a social enterprise training local women as chefs) is a great, affordable first lunch. In the evening, head to Jemaa el-Fna for the food stalls and street performers, or book a rooftop table for your first tagine.

🚌Petit taxi from RAK airport to the medina, ~£6–8

🛏Riad or budget hotel in the medina / Hivernage (£20–30)

• →Airport petit taxi transfer
• →Evening wander through Jemaa el-Fna
• →Optional: lunch at Amal Women's Training Center

Book a small-group medina walking tour on GetYourGuide or Klook (roughly £18–25 for 3–4 hours) or hire a licensed local guide at the Bahia Palace entrance (£15–20). Cover the Bahia Palace's mosaic courtyards and the Saadian Tombs' Hall of Twelve Columns — buy combo or individual tickets at the gate (Bahia ~70 MAD, Saadian Tombs ~70 MAD). Break for lunch in the medina (a tagine or kefta sandwich is £4–6). In the afternoon, explore the souks, the Ben Youssef Madrasa, or rest at a hammam. In the evening, look for a traditional dance or Gnawa music performance — many riads and cafés around Jemaa el-Fna host cheap or free shows; Chez Ali is the ticketed big-production option (~£25).

🚌On foot; petit taxi across town ~£2–3

🛏Riad or budget hotel in the medina (£20–30)

• →Guided medina walking tour (GetYourGuide/local guide)
• →Bahia Palace entry
• →Saadian Tombs entry
• →Evening traditional dance or Gnawa music

Pre-book timed tickets for the Jardin Majorelle and the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech directly on their official sites (garden ~150 MAD / £12, museum ~120 MAD / £10 — book online to dodge the queue). Get there at opening (9am) to beat the crowds. Optional early-morning hot-air balloon flight over the desert fringe can be booked via GetYourGuide or Klook (~£150–180 including transfer) — skip it if you're keeping costs lean. Afternoon free: wander Gueliz's cafés and galleries, or shop in the souks. In the evening, take a petit taxi to Jemaa el-Fna and eat on a rooftop terrace overlooking the square (£8–12 for dinner).

🚌On foot plus petit taxis ~£3

🛏Riad or budget hotel in the medina (£20–30)

• →Jardin Majorelle entry
• →Musée Yves Saint Laurent entry
• →Optional hot-air balloon flight
• →Rooftop dinner over Jemaa el-Fna

Take a shared grand taxi from Marrakech's Bab Doukkala or Bab er-Rob grand taxi stand to Tahanaout (~30–40 MAD / £3, about 40 min) — Tuesday is the big weekly souk day if you can time it. From Tahanaout or Asni, catch a shared taxi or local minibus up to Imlil (~40–60 MAD / £4–5, 45 min on winding mountain roads); alternatively arrange a private grand taxi for the whole Marrakech–Imlil run for around £35–45 to split. In Imlil, check into a family-run guesthouse with valley views. In the afternoon, either relax on the terrace or take a short self-guided acclimatisation walk up toward Armed along the mule paths (1–2 hours, easy).

🚌Shared grand taxi Marrakech–Tahanaout ~£3, then shared taxi/minibus Tahanaout–Imlil ~£5

🛏Family-run guesthouse in Imlil, e.g. Dar Imlil or Riad Atlas 4 Seasons equivalent (£18–28)

• →Tahanaout weekly souk (Tuesday)
• →Short acclimatisation walk from Imlil
• →Guesthouse dinner

Hire a local Amazigh mountain guide in Imlil village the day before or on the morning (official guides are licensed through the local bureau; expect 300–400 MAD / £25–32 per day for a group, or ~£20 if joining another pair). Follow the classic 7.5km route: Imlil → Imlil/Aroumd waterfall → Aroumd village, roughly 3–3.5 hours walking with terraced fields, walnut groves and traditional Amazigh homes en route. Pack a picnic (bread, cheese, olives and fruit from the village shop, £4–6) and eat it above Aroumd with valley views. Back in Imlil by late afternoon; dinner at the guesthouse. Bring layers — it's much cooler and can rain or snow at this altitude from November to March.

🚌On foot; no transport needed

🛏Family-run guesthouse in Imlil (£18–28)

• →Guided High Atlas hike to Imlil waterfall and Aroumd (~7.5km)
• →Picnic lunch in the mountains
• →Village wander

Arrange with your guesthouse or a local taxi for a lift down to Asni/Akrich (a grand taxi for the morning is around £35–45 total to split). The Akrich Community Tree Nursery, run by the High Atlas Foundation, welcomes visitors and small donations — email ahead via their website or ask locally to arrange a short walk-through of the olive, pomegranate and argan saplings. From Akrich on to Agafay, take a grand taxi to Marrakech's outskirts and onward to a camp near Lalla Takerkoust (~£30–40 combined, or book a camp that includes an Agafay pickup). Check into a mid-range glamping camp — there are dozens of options from £35–55/night half-board, several with pools. Dinner and sunset over the stony hills.

🚌Private grand taxi Imlil–Akrich–Agafay ~£30–40 total (split)

🛏Glamping camp in Agafay, e.g. MIA Camp or similar mid-range option (£35–55)

• →Akrich Community Tree Nursery visit
• →Sunset in the Agafay Desert
• →Camp dinner

Wake for sunrise over the stony hills — the light here is the main event and it's free. Spend the day by the camp pool, reading, or walking the surrounding desert tracks yourself (carry water; it's exposed and there are few marked trails). Optional add-ons bookable at camp or beforehand via GetYourGuide/Klook: a short camel ride (~£20), quad bike or buggy excursion (~£30–45), or an evening yoga session where offered. A second night at camp means no rush — plan a slow afternoon and a stargazing session after dinner.

🚌None needed — on foot around camp

🛏Glamping camp in Agafay (£35–55)

• →Desert sunrise
• →Pool time / self-guided desert walk
• →Optional camel ride, quad biking or yoga
• →Stargazing

Have breakfast at camp, then take the camp's transfer or a pre-booked local taxi back to Marrakech Menara Airport (~£35–45 by taxi, or split a shared transfer if your camp offers one, ~£12–18 per person). Allow a generous buffer: Moroccan airport exit formalities at RAK can take 2–3 hours, and printed boarding passes are strongly advised since mobile passes aren't widely accepted. Spend any remaining dirhams before the airport — the currency is closed and hard to exchange elsewhere.

🚌Shared or private taxi Agafay to RAK airport ~£12–45 depending on sharing

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Camp breakfast
• →Return transfer to Marrakech Menara Airport