Most reviewedDay trip to Agadir
Back to Marrakech the same day
- Length
- 12 hours to 1 day
- Rating
- 4.70
- Price
- from $36
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Guide · Getting there
How far is Agadir from Marrakech, and how to get there
How far is Agadir from Marrakech? About 200 km in a straight line, and a few hours in a van. Here is what the trips list, the slow route through the Sahara, and how to fit in the dunes.
Check availabilityfrom $36 · cancellation is free
Editorial team, sandboardingmorocco.comUpdated October 26, 20266 min read28 sources
Quick answer
- 01Distance
- About 200 km in a straight line, by our calculation.1
- 02Drive
- A day trip lists 2.83 hours in the van each way.
- 03Day trip
- 12 hours to a full day, from $36.
- 04Slow route
- A 3-day desert tour that ends in Agadir.
How far is Agadir from Marrakech, really?
As the crow flies, about 200 km.1 We calculated that ourselves from the official coordinates of the World Meteorological Organization weather stations at Marrakech and Agadir Inezgane, and it is the honest starting point for any plan.1 The road is longer than the straight line, as it has to cross the western end of the High Atlas on the way to the coast.
What matters more is time. A full-day trip from Marrakech to Agadir lists 2.83 hours in the van each way, and warns that road works can make the trip longer than planned. Treat that as a guide to the drive at a tour's pace, with stops, rather than a promise. Your own time will depend on traffic, the season and where in each city you start.
The two cities feel worlds apart. Marrakech stands at 464 m on a farmed inland plain, while the Agadir station sits at 23 m by the Atlantic.45 Agadir lies 10 km north of the mouth of the Sous valley and is linked by road with Safi and Marrakech; it also has an international airport.67
The day trip
Marrakech to Agadir and back in a day
-
Morning
Leave Marrakech
2.83 hours by van to the coast.
-
First stop
Crocoparc
1 hour at the crocodile park near the city.
-
Midday
Agadir Oufella
45 minutes on the hill above the port.
-
Afternoon
Marina Agadir
3 hours for lunch and free time.
-
Evening
Back to Marrakech
2.83 hours by van to your hotel.
A day trip from Marrakech to Agadir
The most reviewed way to see Agadir from Marrakech without changing hotels is a full-day trip. Its listing has 1,588 reviews, a 4.70 rating and starts from $36. It runs 12 hours to a full day, with a driver who speaks English, French and Spanish, and a private group is available.
Its stops are the classic first look at Agadir: 1 hour at Crocoparc, 45 minutes at Agadir Oufella, the hill above the port, and 3 hours at the marina for lunch and free time, before 2.83 hours back to Marrakech. There is no sandboarding on this trip; it is a city and beach day.
That makes it useful for scouting, not for the dunes. If you want to board, plan to stay at least a night on the coast. The quad and sandboarding outing recommended on this site picks up from Agadir hotels and spends 2 hours at Sidi Toual Beach; it would not fit inside a day trip from Marrakech.
Three ways to do it
Day trip, desert route or a coast stay
Most reviewed
Slow route
For the dunesDecision helper
How should you get to Agadir?
Choose by time and what you want to see
Day trip
Crocoparc, Agadir Oufella and the marina in one day.
Sahara to Agadir
3 days, with sandboarding, ending in Agadir.
Stay a night or more
The quad and board outing needs a hotel in Agadir.
Skip the desert route
Its listing warns of long driving hours.
In 1960 the city was virtually destroyed by two earthquakes, a tidal wave, and fire, which killed about 12,000 people. A new central city was built to the south of the old town.
The slow route: through the Sahara to the coast
There is a longer and much more interesting way to make the journey. A 3-day desert tour from Marrakech crosses to the Sahara and ends in Agadir. It includes the camel ride, sandboarding, meals and a 4x4 transfer to camp, with standard or luxury tents.
Departure is at 7:00 AM and the third day finishes around 8:30 PM; at Ouarzazate the Agadir passengers split from the group and ride on by taxi. It has 799 reviews, a 4.75 rating and starts from $212. Expect long hours in the vehicle: the listing flags them as hard on anyone with back trouble or prone to car sickness.
This route lets you board the Sahara dunes and then the coast in a single trip. Think of it as the full Moroccan sandboarding circuit: the desert camp first, then a few days in Agadir or Taghazout with the Timlalin dunes above the ocean. Our Marrakech page compares it with the round trips that return to the city.
Map
Where the sandboarding dunes are in Morocco
First the whole country from the Atlantic to Erg Chebbi, then the coast north and south of Agadir, then the shore below Essaouira.
1Marrakech2Agadir3Essaouira4Timlalin dunes5Erg Chebbi
2Agadir6Inezgane7Taghazout8Tamraght9Imi Ouaddar10Aghroud11Tamri4Timlalin dunes12Sidi Toual13Tifnit
3Essaouira14Diabat15El Ghazoua16Sidi Kaouki
- 1Marrakech
The red city on the Haouz Plain, about 200 km from Agadir in a straight line; its medina is a World Heritage site since 1985.113
In Google Maps ↗ - 2Agadir
The Atlantic port 10 km north of the mouth of the Sous valley, rebuilt after the earthquakes of 1960.612
In Google Maps ↗ - 3Essaouira
A port founded in 1765, with sand dunes on its land side and an ocean breeze that brings windsurfers.141516
In Google Maps ↗ - 4Timlalin dunes
The dunes by the ocean north of Tamri, about 50 km from Agadir in a straight line; several half-day sandboarding trips stop here.17
In Google Maps ↗ - 5Erg Chebbi
The sand sea near Merzouga, with star dunes over 100 m high, about 385 km from Marrakech as the crow flies.1819
In Google Maps ↗ - 6Inezgane
Where the Agadir Inezgane weather station stands, 23 m above sea level; our climate tables are its normals.5
In Google Maps ↗ - 7Taghazout
The surf village about 27 km by straight line from the Timlalin dunes; one canyon and sandboarding trip picks up here.20
In Google Maps ↗ - 8Tamraght
One of four pickup points of the guided sandboarding trip with a canyon visit.
In Google Maps ↗ - 9Imi Ouaddar
The pickup point of the 5-hour trip to the Timlalin dunes, 70 minutes away by van.
In Google Maps ↗ - 10Aghroud
Several Timlalin trips stop 15 minutes at Plage Aghroud on the way north.
In Google Maps ↗ - 11Tamri
The village where one trip stops 40 minutes for tea and lunch after the dunes.
In Google Maps ↗ - 12Sidi Toual
The beach where the site's quad and sandboarding outing spends its 2 hours, 45 minutes by van from Agadir.
In Google Maps ↗ - 13Tifnit
One quad outing from Agadir and Taghazout rides here, 45 minutes from Agadir by van.
In Google Maps ↗ - 14Diabat
A village on the shore just south of Essaouira, on the side of town where the sand dunes begin.15
In Google Maps ↗ - 15El Ghazoua
A village inland from the Essaouira dunes, among the dunes and argan country behind the coast.15
In Google Maps ↗ - 16Sidi Kaouki
One of two pickup points of the Essaouira sandboarding outing with a sunset picnic.
In Google Maps ↗
Checklist
For the move to the coast
01
Before you leave
- Allow extra time for road works
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
- Book coast outings with hotel pickup
02
Pack
- Sunglasses for the wind and sand
- A layer for cooler coastal evenings
- Closed shoes for the dunes
Cost calculator
Price the trip to the coast for your group
How many of you are going? Four routes to Agadir's dunes, priced together.
People
Total from$71
per person from $36
Check availabilityfree cancellationYour group size multiplied by each GetYourGuide from-price, then converted with the ECB rate of the day; checkout has the exact total.
Video
A cheap road trip in Morocco from Marrakesh to Agadir
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Why the coast feels so different
Heat is the big difference. Marrakech's mean daily maximum is 37.7 °C in July and it averages 22.3 days a year at 40 °C or more.310 At Agadir Inezgane the July mean maximum is 26.7 °C, and even the warmest month, August, averages 27.0 °C.2 On a hot week, the coast is a relief.
Winter flips the picture slightly. Agadir's January mean maximum is 21.2 °C, warmer than Marrakech's 19.1 °C, and its mean January minimum is 8.4 °C.2321 Rain on the coast comes in winter: Agadir's wettest month is December, with 49.0 mm on average.22
And there is wind. The Agadir station records 174.6 days a year with wind of 10 m/s or more, the most of them in May and April.23 That breeze is part of what keeps the coastal dunes alive, and part of why sunglasses go in every beach bag on this coast.
Getting around once you arrive
Agadir is spread out along its bay, with hotels strung along the beach and the city behind them. You do not need a car for the dunes: the site's quad and sandboarding outing collects you at your hotel and brings you back, and several Timlalin trips list Agadir among their pickup points. If you stay in Taghazout or Tamraght instead, the dune trips collect you there too.
For the beach and the city, taxis and walking cover most needs. The seafront promenade is long and flat, Agadir Oufella sits on the hill above the port, and the marina is at the northern end of the bay. The day trip from Marrakech strings those three places together, which shows how compact the visitor's Agadir really is, and that a single night is enough to get a feel for it.
If you plan to explore further, to Essaouira about 127 km to the north in a straight line or to Taghazout and the surf points closer by, a rental car gives you freedom.24 Drive in daylight on the coast road, watch for animals and slow traffic, and leave the dune tracks to the guides who know them. A day in Essaouira also pairs well with its own dunes, covered on our Essaouira page.
Agadir in a few lines
Agadir is a young city with an old past. In 1960 it was almost destroyed by two earthquakes, a tidal wave and fire, which killed about 12,000 people, and a new center was built to the south of the old town.12 The center you arrive in today is the one built after the disaster, with wide avenues and a long seafront.
The setting is the Sous plain, enclosed between the High Atlas and the Anti-Atlas and open to the ocean. The Sous River runs 180 km from the mountains to the Atlantic just south of the city.25 Agadir lies inside the Arganeraie, a UNESCO biosphere reserve named in 1998.2627
For a sandboarder, Agadir is a base rather than a destination. The dunes are outside the city: Sidi Toual Beach about 15 km to the south-west, and the Timlalin dunes about 50 km to the north, both as straight-line distances from the Agadir station.2817
Planning a sandboarding stop in Agadir
A short stay on the coast is enough for one dune session and a beach day. Book the site's quad and sandboarding outing for your first full day: 45 minutes by van to Sidi Toual, 2 hours of quad riding, sandboarding and tea, and 45 minutes back, with hotel pickup. It starts from $23.
With a longer stay, add an afternoon at the Timlalin dunes. The most reviewed trip there spends 2.5 hours on the sand after 70 minutes in the van, and starts from $18. It picks up at Imi Ouaddar, north of Agadir; others pick up in Agadir itself.
Leave a gap between the drive from Marrakech and your first session. A long day on the road and an early pickup the next morning do not mix well. All of the outings mentioned here list free cancellation up to 24 hours before, which lets you shuffle them if your arrival slips.
Your dune outing
Quad, board and tea in 4 hours.
Pick a date, get collected at your Agadir hotel, and cancel free up to 24 hours ahead.
You ask,we answer.
How far is Agadir from Marrakech in km?
About 200 km in a straight line. Our own calculation from the WMO station coordinates; the road is longer as it crosses the Atlas.1
How long is the drive from Marrakech to Agadir?
About 2.83 hours on a tour. A full-day trip lists 2.83 hours in the van each way and warns of road works.
Can I visit Agadir as a day trip from Marrakech?
Yes, as a 12-hour day. The day trip visits Crocoparc, Agadir Oufella and the marina, then returns to Marrakech.
Is there sandboarding on the day trip to Agadir?
No. Its stops are Crocoparc, Agadir Oufella and the marina, with no dunes on the itinerary.
Can I travel from Marrakech to Agadir through the Sahara?
Yes, on a 3-day tour. One desert tour ends in Agadir, continuing by taxi from Ouarzazate.
Sources
The sources for this guide
- 1World Meteorological Organization (Climate Normals 1991-2020, archived by the US National Centers for Environmental Information)Single station data sheet: MARRAKECH, WMO 60230↩
- 2World Meteorological Organization (Climate Normals 1991-2020, archived by the US National Centers for Environmental Information)Single station data sheet: AGADIR INEZGANNE, WMO 60250↩
- 3World Meteorological Organization (Climate Normals 1991-2020, archived by the US National Centers for Environmental Information)Single station data sheet: MARRAKECH, WMO 60230↩
- 4World Meteorological Organization (Climate Normals 1991-2020, archived by the US National Centers for Environmental Information)Single station data sheet: MARRAKECH, WMO 60230↩
- 5World Meteorological Organization (Climate Normals 1991-2020, archived by the US National Centers for Environmental Information)Single station data sheet: AGADIR INEZGANNE, WMO 60250↩
- 6Encyclopaedia BritannicaAgadir↩
- 7Encyclopaedia BritannicaAgadir↩
- 8World Meteorological Organization (Climate Normals 1991-2020, archived by the US National Centers for Environmental Information)Single station data sheet: ERRACHIDIA, WMO 60210↩
- 9World Meteorological Organization (Climate Normals 1991-2020, archived by the US National Centers for Environmental Information)Single station data sheet: ESSAOUIRA, WMO 60220↩
- 10World Meteorological Organization (Climate Normals 1991-2020, archived by the US National Centers for Environmental Information)Single station data sheet: MARRAKECH, WMO 60230↩
- 11World Meteorological Organization (Climate Normals 1991-2020, archived by the US National Centers for Environmental Information)Single station data sheet: AGADIR INEZGANNE, WMO 60250↩
- 12Encyclopaedia BritannicaAgadir↩
- 13Encyclopaedia BritannicaMarrakech↩
- 14Encyclopaedia BritannicaEssaouira↩
- 15Encyclopaedia BritannicaEssaouira↩
- 16Encyclopaedia BritannicaEssaouira↩
- 17World Meteorological Organization (Climate Normals 1991-2020, archived by the US National Centers for Environmental Information)Single station data sheet: AGADIR INEZGANNE, WMO 60250↩
- 18NASA Photojournal (NASA/JPL, Terra ASTER)Star Dunes, Morocco (PIA26287)↩
- 19World Meteorological Organization (Climate Normals 1991-2020, archived by the US National Centers for Environmental Information)Single station data sheet: MARRAKECH, WMO 60230↩
- 20World Meteorological Organization (Climate Normals 1991-2020, archived by the US National Centers for Environmental Information)Single station data sheet: AGADIR INEZGANNE, WMO 60250↩
- 21World Meteorological Organization (Climate Normals 1991-2020, archived by the US National Centers for Environmental Information)Single station data sheet: AGADIR INEZGANNE, WMO 60250↩
- 22World Meteorological Organization (Climate Normals 1991-2020, archived by the US National Centers for Environmental Information)Single station data sheet: AGADIR INEZGANNE, WMO 60250↩
- 23World Meteorological Organization (Climate Normals 1991-2020, archived by the US National Centers for Environmental Information)Single station data sheet: AGADIR INEZGANNE, WMO 60250↩
- 24World Meteorological Organization (Climate Normals 1991-2020, archived by the US National Centers for Environmental Information)Single station data sheet: AGADIR INEZGANNE, WMO 60250↩
- 25Encyclopaedia BritannicaSous River↩
- 26UNESCO Man and the Biosphere ProgrammeArganeraie Biosphere Reserve↩
- 27UNESCO Man and the Biosphere ProgrammeArganeraie Biosphere Reserve↩
- 28World Meteorological Organization (Climate Normals 1991-2020, archived by the US National Centers for Environmental Information)Single station data sheet: AGADIR INEZGANNE, WMO 60250↩
