Visit Marrakech: practical guide, areas and day trips

Jemaa el-Fna square

Mornings bring orange juice and henna; evenings, musicians and food stalls. Agree to henna or a photo with the snakes and monkeys and you'll be asked for a lot of money afterwards.

Souks and the Koutoubia

Each street has its own trade. The Koutoubia is your landmark; non-Muslims can't go into the mosque, but they can walk in its gardens.

Bahia, Saadian Tombs and El Badi

The Bahia Palace and, next to the kasbah, the Saadian Tombs and El Badi Palace.

Ben Youssef Madrasa

A former Koranic school with a much-photographed courtyard.

Majorelle Garden

Next to the Yves Saint Laurent museum. It's the most crowded spot in town, so go first thing.

Quick visit

The medina, one palace, the madrasa and the square, but at a rush.

What we recommend

The city wears you out; keep one afternoon free at the riad.

With the Atlas or Essaouira

You add a day in the mountains or on the coast.

Desert and back

Getting to Merzouga and back takes at least three more days.

Mouassine and Bab Doukkala

Riad territory right by the souks, with the Mouassine fountain and woodworking shops. Quieter than the square and a ten to fifteen-minute walk from it.

• Good base for getting around on foot
• Narrow streets, no cars

Kasbah and Mellah

Around the Saadian Tombs and the old Jewish quarter. There are fewer tourist shops, and cars can get closer to some riads, which you'll appreciate with luggage.

Riad Zitoun streets

The two Riad Zitoun streets link the square with the Bahia Palace. They're lined with lamp and metalwork shops, and they're the most direct way to walk south.

New town

Avenue Mohammed V, art galleries, pavement cafés and supermarkets. If you need a big pharmacy or want to buy something without haggling, you come here by taxi.

Sidi Ghanem

An industrial estate north of the city with design, ceramics and textile workshops and shops. Prices are fixed and higher than in the souk, and you need a taxi to get there.

Menara and Agdal

Two large historic orchards with water basins. On clear days you can see the snowy Atlas behind the Menara pavilion. The Agdal opens on only a few days, so check before you go.

South medina and the square

The Bahia Palace at opening time, then about 15 minutes' walk to the Saadian Tombs and on to El Badi. Have lunch near the Mellah and, as evening falls, watch Jemaa el-Fna from a rooftop terrace.

North medina and Majorelle

Taxi to Majorelle first thing, about 15 minutes from the square. Back in the medina, the Ben Youssef Madrasa, the Marrakech Museum and, in the afternoon, the dyers' and blacksmiths' souks.

A day in the mountains

Imlil is an hour and a half away; you walk up to Aroumd and come back mid-afternoon. If you'd rather stay in town, a hammam in the morning and Le Jardin Secret, in Mouassine, in the afternoon.

Tour with an official guide

If you only have a morning, a licensed guide takes you round the Koutoubia, the Bahia, the Mellah and the souks without wasting time hunting for streets.

Agafay and dinner out of town

If you stay a fourth day, keep the morning free and leave mid-afternoon for Agafay, about 40 minutes away: sunset over the stony hills and dinner at a camp, back around 10 pm.

Marrakchi tanjia

Beef or lamb with preserved lemon, cumin and garlic, slow-cooked for hours in a clay jar in the embers of the neighbourhood hammam. In the mechoui lane next to the square they sell it by weight.

The square's numbered stalls

They set up as evening falls. Pick one full of Moroccans and ask the price before you sit down. Watch out for things you didn't order: bread or olives are sometimes charged separately.

Msemen and harcha

Flaky or semolina flatbreads with honey and fresh cheese, from the little stalls in the side streets. With a mint tea they cost a few dirhams.

Snails in broth

Served in bowls from the carts on the square, in a herb and spice broth that many Moroccans drink to help digestion. Next door, harira costs very little and fills you up.

Orange juice on the square

The juice stalls have the price written on the sign. If they hand you a mixed or bigger glass you didn't ask for, they'll charge you more, so say clearly what you want.

Neighbourhood canteens

Away from the square, in the streets heading towards Bab Doukkala, there are canteens with no menu where a tagine with bread and tea costs a lot less. A good sign: tables full at 1 pm.

Leather babouches

Stitched soles last longer than glued ones; bend the sole to check. A simple pair costs around 80–200 MAD.

• Check the stitching
• Try them on with socks

Berber rugs

Ask whether it's wool or a blend and whether the dye is natural. If they ship it home for you, ask for an invoice with the measurements and a description, and photograph it before it's packed.

Pierced metal lamps

Brass ones are heavy and dent in a suitcase; many shops take them apart and wrap them. Small ones start at about 150 MAD.

Spices and argan oil

Ras el hanout is blended on the spot, so smell it before you pay. Argan is best bought at a cooperative or a fixed-price shop.

Ensemble Artisanal

A crafts centre on Avenue Mohammed V, near the Koutoubia. Prices are marked and a bit higher; it's useful for finding out what something is worth before you bargain in the souk.

Rules of haggling

Decide beforehand how much you'd pay. Start at less than half the asking price and go up slowly. If you name a price and they accept it, that counts as a done deal.

The fake Berber festival

"There's a Berber market today" or "the tanneries are only open today" are excuses to take you to a shop or to Bab Debbagh and ask you for money at the end. Keep walking without getting into a conversation.

Meter switched off

If the driver won't turn the meter on, agree the fare before you get in or find another cab. Carry small notes: many say they have no change.

Scooters through the crowds

They zip through streets two metres wide. Walk to one side, don't stop in the middle of the street with your phone and wear your bag cross-body at the front.

GPS inside the medina

Phone maps fail among nameless alleys. Download the offline map and use the Koutoubia and the gates in the walls as reference points.

Boys who show you the way

"I'll take you to the square" usually ends with a demanded tip, sometimes 100 MAD or more. A firm "no, thank you" and carrying on walking is almost always enough.

Shop stops

A guide or driver who takes you to a shop may earn commission on what you buy. If you don't want shopping stops, say so when you book.

A riad in the medina

This is our preference: the monuments are within walking distance. Cars can't reach many doors, and someone from the riad comes out with a cart for your bags.

Gueliz and Hivernage

Conventional hotels and nightlife; for the medina, take a taxi.

La Palmeraie

This is where we usually put honeymoon couples and people travelling in luxury.

Marrakech Menara Airport

Very close to the medina.

Train

Trains also run from Rabat, Fez and Tangier.

Tizi n'Tichka pass

The way in from the south, with plenty of bends.

From Spain

Ways to cross, in our guide.

Ourika Valley and Imlil

Walks between Berber villages.

Ouzoud Falls

A long day in the car.

Essaouira

A coastal town with white walls.

Agafay Desert

Dinner or sunset outside the city.

Aït Ben Haddou

The country's most famous ksar; another long day.