The best things to see and do in Marrakech, from specialised souqs to colourful gardens
Expert guide to Marrakech
- Overview
Overview
- Hotels
Hotels
- Attractions
Attractions
- Restaurants
Restaurants
- Nightlife
Nightlife
- Itineraries
Itineraries
You haven't really been to Marrakech until you've got lost in the souqs, spent the night amid the storytellers of the Djemaa el-Fna and sipped mint tea while debating the merits of the Berber rug that you're contemplating purchasing. But tear yourself away from the souqs and the shopping and you'll also find some fascinating historical sites such as the long-hidden tombs of the Saadian sultans, Yves St Laurent's artful Jardin Majorelle and the decorative jewel that is the Ali Ben Youssef Medersa.
Take a walk-on part in the drama of the city's main square
Roll-up, roll-up for the greatest show on earth, which hits the Unesco-designated Djemaa el-Fna at a frenetic daily pace. Originally a place of public execution, the square's name means 'assembly of the dead' – but these days the Djemaa draws the crowds for pastimes such as storytelling, astrology, snake charming, acrobatics and toe-tapping Gnaoua troupes.
Insider tip: Although juice carts and henna artists are already in the square by mid-morning the show doesn't really kick off until sunset, when chefs light up their lantern-lit grills for one of the biggest communal barbecues in the world. Don't be shy, take a seat.
Opening times: Daily, 7am-2am
Price: ￡
? An insider's guide to Marrakech
Find inspiration at Marrakech's most stylish museum
The beautifully curated Musée Yves St Laurent is Marrakech's first serious contemporary museum. It celebrates the work of Algerian-born couturier Yves St Laurent, who drew inspiration for his groundbreaking collections from the Red City for over 40 years. Designed by Studio KO, the building is rendered in ochre-hued bricks from Tetouan and includes a gorgeous permanent exhibition of the couture collections alongside a temporary gallery displaying the work of up-and-coming Moroccan artists and designers.
Insider tip: Book an appointment to visit the hushed, oak-panelled library upstairs where you'll find an outstanding collection of books on Morocco, Berber culture, fashion, North African architecture, botany and desert landscaping. They're from Pierre Bergé's private collection.
Contact: 00 212 524 298 686; museeyslmarrakech.com
Opening times: Thu-Tue, 10am-6pm
Price: ￡￡
? Where to find the best nightlife in Marrakech
Get an education in Moroccan artistry at a 14th-century school
Once the largest Islamic study centre in North Africa, the 14th-century Ali Ben Youssef Quranic school is a masterpiece of Hispano-Moresque architecture. Above the entrance, an inscription reads, 'You who enter my door, may your highest hopes be exceeded,' and the jewel-like courtyard, decorated with intricately carved cedar wood, honeycomb stucco and iridescent zellij (mosaic) tiling, certainly lives up to the promise.
Insider tip: Visit in the late afternoon when the light is at its best and when most of the tour groups have vanished. The best views of the courtyard are from the rather spartan student dorms on the first floor.
Contact: 00 212 524 441 893; medersa-ben-youssef.com
Opening times: Daily, 9am-7pm (to 6pm in winter)
Price: ￡
? The best luxury hotels and riads in Marrakech
Seek out treasures in the ultimate urban labyrinth
Nowhere is Marrakech's medieval-modern vibe more evident than in the Medina's centuries-old shopping mall. Dive into Souq Sebbaghine (Dyers' Souk) where skeins of freshly dyed saffron wool are hung out to dry; or Souq Lebbadine where crowds congregate around woodwork and leather stalls. Souq Smata (Slipper Souk) and Souq Semmarine (Leather Souk) are at the heart of the action.
Insider tip: Go with the flow, enjoy the banter and never be too proud to bow out gracefully. Souk newbies can dip their toe into the experience at Souk Cherifa, a galleried foundouk where young designers sell their wares at fixed prices.
Opening times: Daily, 10am-7pm
Price: ￡
? The best restaurants in Marrakech
Visit a traditional bathhouse to feel squeaky clean
Keeping your skin looking good in the Sahara requires serious maintenance. Help is at hand in the form of Marrakech's extensive network of hammams (bathhouses). In their steam-filled interiors, a tebbaya (bath attendant) will take you in hand, coating you with savon noir (olive soap) before scrubbing off layers of dead skin and then slathering on a soothing mud mask.
Insider tip: Some guesthouses have in-house hammams; otherwise, book an appointment at Hammam de la Rose, the Farnatchi Spa or the deluxe Royal Mansour.
Opening times: Usually 9am-9pm or 10pm
Price: ￡￡-￡￡￡
? The best things to do in Lisbon
Strike a pose in a colourful garden full of rare desert flora
The eponymous Jardin Majorelle – a villa with a cobalt-blue exterior and delightful garden full of rare desert flora – is one of Morocco's most visited sites. It was originally the home of acclaimed landscape painter Jacques Majorelle, who used his artist's eye everywhere: fuchsia bougainvillea explode from lemon-yellow planters, deep-green palms slouche against pink pisé walls and burnished-orange goldfish flash through glassy-green reflecting pools.
Insider tip: Inside the villa, the Musée Berbère showcases a beautiful selection of indigenous tribal garments, jewellery and artefacts. Come here before visiting the new Yves St Laurent museum and you can see the startling creative crossover in St Laurent's designs.
Contact: 00 212 524 313 047; jardinmajorelle.com
Opening times: Daily, 8am-5.30pm
Price: ￡￡
? The best riad hotels in Marrakech
Discover vintage pictures of Marrakech
Don't miss Patrick Menac'h's and Hamid Mergani's fascinating Maison de la Photographie, housed in a charming riad. Both are avid collectors of vintage photography and have repatriated over 4,500 photos, 2,000 glass negatives and 80 documents relating to Morocco from 1870 to 1950. Exhibits are organised by region and theme, and are displayed over three floors, culminating in a pretty roof terrace where you can enjoy an agreeable coffee overlooking the fractured geography of the Medina.
Insider tip:Time your visit to the museum just prior to lunch and then finish on the rooftop terrace. It's one of the highest in the Medina and has fantastic 360-degree views, which you can enjoy over some excellent Moroccan dishes such as a home-cooked tagine.
Contact: 00 212 524 385 721; maisondelaphotographie.ma
Opening times: Daily, 9am-7pm
Price: ￡
? An insider's guide to Lisbon
Explore one of the largest gardens in the Medina
If you have ever wondered how this seething city can even exist on the edge of the Sahara, then pay a visit to Le Jardin Secret, one of the largest gardens in the Medina. Laid out into two distinct zones are two gardens: one a classic Persian-style garden planted with desert grasses and filled with trees such as pomegranate, olive, fig and citrus; while, the second, smaller garden nurtures an imaginative array of exotic plants from around the world.
Insider tip: Benches are scattered beneath the trees, where you can take a drink or light lunch, and at the furthest end is a watchtower which offers fabulous views over the garden layout.
Contact: 00 212 524 390 040; lejardinsecretmarrakech.com
Opening times: Daily, 9.30am-7.30pm (closes at 6.30pm in Feb, Mar and Oct and 5.30pm, Nov-Jan)
Price: ￡
? The best things to do in Cape Town
Visit a gorgeously gilded mausoleum
Saadian Sultan Ahmad al-Mansour el-Dhabi – the Victorious and Golden, no less – built himself this gorgeously gilded mausoleum with the proceeds of the lucrative sugar trade. His tomb sits centre stage at the Saadian Tombs beneath the dome while his sons are arrayed around him. Orbiting his magnificence, in the Chamber of 12 Pillars are various other princes and favoured members of the royal court; wives, alas, are relegated to the garden with 170-odd chancellors.
Insider tip: The entrance to the tombs is unmarked and hard to spot. You’ll find it at the southern end of the Kasbah Mosque, opposite the Kasbah Café. Come early or late to avoid the tour groups as the site is small and long queues are common.
Contact:tombeaux-saadiens.com
Opening times: Daily, 9am-5pm
Price: ￡￡
? The best things to see and do in Malaga
Sip on traditional tea in a fabulous marble courtyard
Drinking mint tea – green tea with lots of fresh spearmint – is an integral part of Moroccan hospitality and culture, every bit as nuanced and sophisticated as the famous tea rituals in Britain or Japan. One of the best places to experience it is in the marble courtyard of Royal Mansour, where the experience is elevated to an exceptional level and the tea is served with sweet pastries and msemen pancakes drenched in thyme honey.
Insider tip:While fresh spearmint is usually the most popular choice for flavouring mint tea, more sophisticated brews include other aromatic herbs such as sage, pennyroyal, lemon verbena and wild geranium.
Contact: 0529 808 282; royalmansour.com
Opening times: Daily, 3.30pm-6pm
Price: ￡￡￡
Wander through the grounds of a former palace
Built by Saadian Sultan Ahmed al-Mansour at the end of the 16th century to celebrate the victory of the Three Kings over the Portuguese, El Badi Palace was designed to impress. In its heyday, its 360 rooms, vast esplanade and sunken gardens were covered in turquoise tiles, marble and crystal, all of which was looted just 75 years later and carted off to build Ismail Ibn Sharif’s new capital at Meknes.
Insider tip: When visiting the palace don’t miss the Koutoubia’s original minbar (prayer pulpit), which was exquisitely fashioned by Cordoban artist, Aziz. His signature was revealed by the Metropolitan Museum of Art when the pulpit was restored in 1996.
Contact:palais-el-badi.com
Opening times: Daily, 9am-5pm
Price: ￡
? The best things to do in Marseille
Take a cooking class to learn all about local food
One of the best ways to get acquainted with Marrakech is through food. How people cook and what they eat reveals a lot about how society works and important rituals of sharing and socialising. One of the best classes in Marrakech can be found at Dar Les Cigognes, which has hosted the likes of Yotam Ottolenghi and Mourad Lahlou.
Insider tip:One of the best things about this cookery class is the morning shopping trip in the fascinating Mellah market. It’s a great way to experience a very local part of the souk and learn important local hacks such as how to spot fake saffron and how to roll your own couscous.
Contact: 0524 382 740; lescigognes.com
Opening times: By reservation
Price: ￡￡
? An insider guide to Cape Town
Glimpse the power of the final days of the Moroccan Empire
The one-time pleasure palace of slave-turned-vizier Abu 'Bou' Ahmed, 'La Bahia', the Beautiful, is aptly named. With four wives and 24 concubines to please, he spared no expense on the floor-to-ceiling decorations of Bahia Palace, with patios covered in intricate, star-like zellij tiling and vast cedarwood ceilings painted in natural pigments that run the gamut from mint-green to poppy red. Although only a portion of its 150 rooms and 8 hectares are open to visitors, it gives a glimpse of the power and sophistication of the final days of the Moroccan Empire.
Insider tip: Tour groups tend to visit the palace in the morning, so come in the afternoon to avoid the worst crowds. Allow plenty of time to enjoy the different spaces, the most impressive of which are the quarters of Bou Ahmed’s favourite concubine, Lalla Zineb.
Contact:0524 389 564; palais-bahia.com
Opening times: Daily, 9am-5pm
Price: ￡
