Travel tips
Picnic Spots Around Marrakech
For all its souk intensity, Marrakech is ringed by green and open places made for eating outdoors — historic garden pavilions, palm groves, and the river valleys and foothills of the Atlas within an easy drive. A market picnic is one of the cheapest and most pleasant ways to eat here, and Moroccans themselves love a weekend outing with food. This guide covers where to go and what to pack.
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- Updated
- 20 July 2026
At a glance
- The Menara gardens and Palmeraie are green escapes close to the city.
- The Ourika valley and Atlas foothills offer riverside picnics within an easy drive.
- Market food — bread, olives, cheese, fruit, dates — makes an easy picnic.
- Moroccans picnic in numbers on weekends and holidays, especially by water.
Close to the city
You don't have to go far. The Menara gardens, an olive grove around a large reflecting basin with a photogenic pavilion and the Atlas behind, is a classic spot on the city's edge. The Palmeraie, the palm grove north of the centre, offers shade and a rural feel a short drive out. Both are easy, green places to escape the medina and eat a packed lunch, and both are popular with local families for exactly that.
Into the mountains and valleys
For a proper day out, the Atlas is close. The Ourika valley, an hour or so south, follows a river up toward the mountains and is dotted with riverside spots where Moroccans set up cushions and tables in the shallows in summer; Setti Fatma at its head has waterfalls and cafés. The foothills around Asni and the road toward the Toubkal region offer cooler air and mountain views for a picnic.
- Menara gardens: olive grove and pavilion on the city edge.
- Palmeraie: palm-grove shade a short drive north.
- Ourika valley: riverside picnics an hour south.
- Atlas foothills (Asni, Imlil road): cool air and mountain views.
What to pack
A Moroccan picnic assembles itself from the market: fresh round khobz, a tub of olives, a wedge of cheese, ripe tomatoes, seasonal fruit, a bag of dates and nuts, and maybe some prepared salads or msemen. Add a flask of mint tea or bottles of water and juice. It is cheap, needs no cooking, and tastes best eaten outdoors — see our produce guide and food souks guide for shopping it.
Doing it well
Go early to beat the heat in summer, bring shade and water, and take your rubbish away — the popular valley spots suffer from litter. Weekends and holidays see local families out in force, especially by rivers, which is part of the fun but means the best shady spots go early. For the broader idea and other regions, see outdoor eating and picnics in Morocco.
Frequently asked questions
Where can you picnic near Marrakech?
Close to the city, the Menara gardens and the Palmeraie palm grove are easy green escapes. For a fuller day out, the Ourika valley an hour south offers riverside picnics, and the Atlas foothills around Asni give cooler air and mountain views. All are popular with local families.
What do you pack for a Moroccan picnic?
Market food that needs no cooking: fresh khobz bread, olives, cheese, tomatoes, seasonal fruit, dates and nuts, and perhaps prepared salads or msemen. Add a flask of mint tea and bottles of water and juice. It is cheap, easy and tastes best outdoors.
Is the Ourika valley good for a picnic?
Yes, it is a favourite. About an hour south of Marrakech, it follows a river toward the Atlas, and in summer Moroccans set up cushions and tables in the shallows. Setti Fatma at the head has waterfalls and cafés. Go early on weekends, as the shady riverside spots fill fast.
Do Moroccans picnic?
Very much so. Weekend and holiday outings with food, especially beside rivers and in green valleys like the Ourika, are a well-loved tradition. Families bring cushions, tea and elaborate spreads, so joining in with a market picnic is a genuinely local thing to do.