Planning
How many days do you need in Marrakech?
Three full days is the shortest stay that does not feel rushed: one for the Medina and the souks, one for gardens, palaces and a hammam,…
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The Marrakech Guide.
Practical answers about Marrakech, written by the concierge team that works in the city every day — when to come, where to stay, how to move around, and what is worth your time.
Planning
When is the best time to visit Marrakech?
March to May and September to November are the best months: warm days, cool evenings and comfortable conditions for walking the Medina. July and August are…
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Neighbourhoods
Where to stay in Marrakech: a neighbourhood guide
Stay in the Medina for riads and atmosphere, Gueliz for restaurants and easy walking, Hivernage for hotels and quiet close to the centre, and the Palmeraie…
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Practical
Getting from Marrakech airport to your riad or villa
Marrakech Menara airport (RAK) sits about six kilometres from the Medina, roughly fifteen to twenty-five minutes by car. A pre-arranged transfer is the least friction, especially…
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Practical
Is Marrakech safe? An honest answer
Marrakech is a safe city for visitors. Violent crime against tourists is rare; what you will meet is persistent commercial attention in the souks and around…
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Experiences
The best day trips from Marrakech
The four day trips worth your time are the Agafay stone desert (about forty minutes), the Ourika Valley (about an hour), the High Atlas around Imlil…
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Experiences
Hammam in Marrakech: what actually happens
A traditional hammam is a steam bath followed by a vigorous scrub. You sit in heat until you sweat, are washed with black olive soap, then…
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Villas
Renting a villa in Marrakech: what to check before you book
Before booking a villa in Marrakech, confirm four things in writing: who is on site and when, whether staff and meals are included or charged separately,…
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Food & Drink
What to eat in Marrakech
Marrakech's core dishes are tagine, couscous, tanjia, pastilla, harira and mechoui, with msemen and beghrir at breakfast and mint tea all day. Tagine is the everyday…
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Food & Drink
Where to eat in Marrakech, by neighbourhood
Marrakech divides by area, but the Medina is not one area: Mouassine and Dar el Bacha, the Kasbah and the Mellah each eat differently, and most…
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Experiences
Shopping the Marrakech souks: what to buy and how to haggle
The Marrakech souks are organised by trade. Leather, carpets and the apothecary stalls fill the lanes north of Jemaa el-Fna; the lantern and tinsmith workshops cluster…
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Planning
Marrakech with children: an honest guide
Marrakech works with children, but only if you build the trip around the pool and the cooler hours rather than around sights. The heat and the…
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Practical
Getting around Marrakech
Inside Marrakech you walk or take a beige petit taxi — agree the fare before you get in, because the meter is often ignored, and the…
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Practical
Money in Marrakech: cash, cards and tipping
The dirham is not freely convertible and Morocco caps what you may carry in or out at 2,000 dirhams in cash, so change the bulk of…
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Practical
What to wear in Marrakech
Dress modestly and practically: loose cotton or linen covering shoulders and knees in the Medina, closed flat shoes for the souks, a light scarf for sun…
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Experiences
Jemaa el-Fna: what actually happens on the square
Jemaa el-Fna is the main square of the Marrakech medina, and it changes character through the day: quiet mornings with the orange juice carts, a thinner…
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Experiences
Marrakech gardens and palaces: what is worth your time
Seven sites carry most trips: Bahia Palace, Dar El Bacha, Ben Youssef Madrasa, the Saadian Tombs, El Badi, Le Jardin Secret and Jardin Majorelle. Majorelle normally…
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Villas
Marrakech for a group: villas, logistics and what goes wrong
For 8-30 people in Marrakech, a private villa with staff works better than a block of hotel rooms, because the shared kitchen, pool and terrace are…
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Experiences
The Agafay desert: what to know before you go
Agafay is a stone desert about 40 minutes south-west of Marrakech - pale rocky hills, gravel and dry riverbeds, not sand dunes. Go in the late…
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Experiences
The Atlas Mountains from Marrakech
The High Atlas starts about an hour's drive south of Marrakech. The Ourika valley is the easy day out, Imlil at around ninety minutes is the…
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Transfers
Airport transfer in Marrakech: how it actually works
Marrakech Menara airport sits about six kilometres from the city, fifteen to twenty-five minutes by car depending on traffic. You can take a petit taxi from…
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Transfers
Hiring a private driver in Marrakech
A car with a driver is normally taken by the day or the half day, and it is the usual arrangement for anyone staying outside the…
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Transfers
Marrakech to Essaouira: the transfer, honestly
Essaouira is about 175 kilometres west of Marrakech, two and a half to three hours each way on a good road. It works as a day…
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Transfers
Transfers for groups in Marrakech
Above four people transport stops being a detail and becomes the thing that shapes the day. A minivan takes six to eight with luggage; beyond that…
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