5 Days in Morocco: Marrakech, Taghazout & Essaouira — Self-Launched

Fly into Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK) and take a petit taxi to your hostel in the medina or Gueliz — agree the fare before you get in, expect around MAD80–120 (roughly £6–9) from the airport. Drop your bags and head straight to Djemaa el-Fna square as the sun sets. The square transforms at dusk: henna artists, acrobats, storytellers and dozens of food stalls fill the space. Eat your way around the stalls — fresh orange juice for MAD4, a bowl of harira soup for MAD15, skewered meats and bastilla pastries for pennies. Hunt down one of the many rooftop terraces overlooking the square (Café des Épices or Le Jardin are popular free-entry options) for sunset views and mint tea.

🚌Petit taxi from Marrakech Airport (RAK) to medina/Gueliz — ~MAD80–120 (£6–9). Agree fare before boarding.

🛏Book a hostel in the medina or Gueliz district. Recommended options: Equity Point Marrakech (party-friendly, dorm from ~£10/night), Riad Slitine (budget riad, private room from ~£18/night), or search Hostelworld/Booking.com for well-rated medina hostels.

• →Explore Djemaa el-Fna square at sunset — free
• →Graze the street food stalls for dinner — budget ~£5–8
• →Visit a rooftop café overlooking the square for mint tea — ~£1–2
• →Wander the northern souks around Rue Souk Smarine — free

After breakfast at your hostel (often included) or a café near the medina, make your way to Marrakech's main bus station (Gare Routière de Marrakech, also known as Bab Doukkala). Take a CTM or Supratours bus towards Agadir (~3.5 hours, ~MAD90–120 / £7–9). From Agadir's bus station, hop in a shared grand taxi or local bus north to Taghazout (~30 mins, MAD20–30 / £1.50–2.50). Alternatively, book a direct minibus transfer via surf camps for a small premium. Arrive in Taghazout — a chilled fishing village turned surf mecca. Check into your surf camp (most offer dorm beds, communal kitchens and board hire). Spend the afternoon exploring the village, the famous Anchor Point viewpoint, and the beach. Ask locals or your camp for the best spot for fresh grilled fish at dinner.

🚌CTM/Supratours bus from Marrakech (Bab Doukkala station) to Agadir — ~3.5 hrs, MAD90–120 (£7–9). Book at station or online at ctm.ma. Then shared grand taxi Agadir → Taghazout — ~30 mins, MAD20–30 (£1.50–2.50).

🛏Book direct with a surf camp in Taghazout. Recommended: Surf Maroc, Taghazout Surf Camp, or Surf Berbere — dorm beds from ~£12–18/night including use of common areas. Book via their websites or Hostelworld.

• →Anchor Point viewpoint — free
• →Explore Taghazout village and beach — free
• →Fresh seafood dinner at a local beachside restaurant — ~£5–8

Rise early for a sunrise yoga session on the beach or at your surf camp — most Taghazout camps offer morning yoga included in the stay or for a small fee (MAD50–80 / ~£3–6). Then take a half-day beginner surf lesson with a local school. Lessons typically run 2.5–3 hours including board and wetsuit hire and are delivered by qualified local instructors. Book through your camp or walk the beach to find independent instructors. Surf Morocco, Surf Berbere and Ocean Riders all operate here and can be booked direct online or on arrival. Spend the afternoon at your choice of beach — Panorama Beach, Crocro Beach or Hash Point are all walkable. In the evening, watch the sunset over the Atlantic from the hilltop and share stories with fellow travellers at the camp.

🚌On foot within Taghazout village — everything is walkable.

🛏Surf camp (2nd night) — same as Day 2.

• →Morning beach or rooftop yoga session — ~£3–6 (MAD50–80), often included in surf camp stay
• →Half-day beginner surf lesson incl. board & wetsuit — book via GetYourGuide or direct with Surf Berbere/Ocean Riders, ~£25–35
• →Free surf/swim time at Panorama or Crocro Beach — free
• →Sunset at Hash Point viewpoint — free

Pack up early and travel north to Essaouira. The most common route is grand taxi or bus Taghazout → Agadir, then a CTM/Supratours bus Agadir → Essaouira (~3 hrs, MAD90–110 / £7–9). En route, ask to be dropped near an Argan oil cooperative — these female-run cooperatives line the Agadir–Essaouira road and welcome visitors for free demonstrations and tastings. Many are signposted from the main road. Arrive in Essaouira, a UNESCO-listed port town with Portuguese ramparts, blue boats and windswept beaches. Book a guided medina walking tour via GetYourGuide or directly with a local guide at the tourist office (~MAD150–200 / £11–15 for 2 hours) — these cover the Jewish mellah, the blue port, the skala sea walls and the souks. Finish the day with a self-guided street food crawl: try harira, msemen flatbread, Moroccan sweets and fresh sardines grilled at the port.

🚌Grand taxi Taghazout → Agadir (~MAD20–30), then CTM/Supratours bus Agadir → Essaouira (~3 hrs, MAD90–110 / £7–9). Total journey ~4 hrs.

🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel in the Essaouira medina. Recommended: Dar Liouba, Windy Kaouki, or search Hostelworld for medina-based options — from ~£12–20/night for a dorm or basic private room.

• →Stop at a roadside Argan oil women's cooperative for a free tour and tasting — free (tip welcome)
• →Self-guided walk of Essaouira medina, ramparts and blue port — free
• →Guided medina walking tour (optional, bookable via GetYourGuide or local tourist office) — ~£11–15
• →Street food crawl: harira, msemen, sweets, grilled sardines at the port — ~£5–8
• →Sunset on the beach or skala sea wall — free

Grab a final beachside coffee and take a morning wander through Essaouira's quieter side streets before catching a bus back to Marrakech. CTM and Supratours both run regular services (~3 hrs, MAD100–130 / £7–10). Arrive back in Marrakech with the afternoon free. If budget allows, treat yourself to a self-booked optional activity: a tagine cookery class in a local riad (bookable via GetYourGuide or Urban Adventures, from ~£30–40), a hammam experience (~MAD150–300 / £11–22), or a medina cycling tour (bookable via local rental shops or GetYourGuide from ~£15). Alternatively, spend your remaining dirhams at the souks, sipping café au lait in Gueliz or hunting for one last rooftop sunset over Djemaa el-Fna. Depart from Marrakech — allow time for airport transfer if flying.

🚌CTM/Supratours bus Essaouira → Marrakech (~3 hrs, MAD100–130 / £7–10). Book at Essaouira bus station. Petit taxi to airport on departure — ~£6–9.

🛏Not required (departure day) — if extending, budget medina hostels from ~£10–18/night.

• →Final morning wander through Essaouira medina — free
• →Optional: Tagine cookery class in Marrakech riad (book via GetYourGuide or urbanadventures.com) — ~£30–40
• →Optional: Traditional hammam experience — ~£11–22
• →Optional: Medina cycling tour (book via GetYourGuide) — ~£15–20
• →Browse Marrakech souks — free (budget for purchases separately)
• →Petit taxi to Marrakech Airport (RAK) — ~MAD80–120 (£6–9)