The short answer
With three to four days, one or two. Give the medina, souks, Jemaa el-Fnaa and the palaces two unhurried days, then step out to the Atlas, Essaouira or Agafay. Two days leaves room for an Agafay evening at most. A week lets you add longer days like Aït Ben Haddou or Ouzoud, or an overnight in the Sahara.
In more detail
Day trips are tiring in a way the city is not. A long road day, followed by another, wears people out, so we suggest a city day between big trips.
Mix lengths. The balloon finishes by mid-morning and Agafay starts in late afternoon, so either can sit on a city day. The Atlas valleys take most of a day; Essaouira, Ouzoud and Aït Ben Haddou take all of it.
A simple four-day shape: two days in the city with an Agafay evening, one Atlas day, and one day for Essaouira or a slow medina day. A longer stay can add the kasbah road and a night or two in the desert.
Good to know
- Do the closest trip first while you get your bearings.
- Leave the last day free for shopping and packing.
- Ask us to plan the order around the weather and the balloon.