- Tanjia at the Mechoui Alley grills near Jemaa el-Fnaa: beef slow-cooked in ashes.
- Harira and chebakia to break the fast, sold everywhere at Ramadan (and good all year).
- Msemen and mint tea for breakfast in the souks.
- The Jemaa el-Fnaa food stalls (numbered grills 1 to 31 and beyond) for grilled meats after dark.
Marrakech City Guide
The Koutoubia minaret, Marrakech. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Marrakech is the city Morocco is famous for: the Red City of rose-pink walls, the great square of Jemaa el-Fnaa, and souks that have sold the same crafts for centuries. Founded in 1070, it has been an imperial capital, a caravan terminus, and now the country's most visited city.
The essentials: Jemaa el-Fnaa at dusk, the Koutoubia minaret, the Ben Youssef Madrasa, the Majorelle Garden, and a full afternoon lost in the souks. Stay in a riad in the medina if you can; the courtyard plunge pool earns its keep.
What to do in Marrakech
The medina
- 1
Jemaa el-Fnaa The square of storytellers, Gnawa drummers and grill smoke; the food stalls set up at dusk. - 2
Koutoubia Mosque The 77-metre Almohad minaret, completed 1199; non-Muslims view it from outside. - 3
Ben Youssef Madrasa The 16th-century Saadian school: zellige, cedar and stucco at their finest. - 4The souks Covered markets for metalwork, carpets, leather, lamps and spices; bargaining is expected.
- 5
Bahia Palace The grand vizier's 19th-century palace, 150 rooms of painted cedar. - 6
Saadian Tombs The 16th-century royal necropolis, hidden for centuries behind a wall. - 7
El Badi Palace The ruined Saadian palace; storks nest on its walls.
Outside the walls
- 1
Majorelle Garden The cobalt-blue villa and garden of Jacques Majorelle, restored by Yves Saint Laurent. - 2
Le Jardin Secret The restored 19th-century riad garden in the medina, opened 2016. - 3
Palmeraie The palm grove: quad bikes, camel rides and resort pools.
Marrakech Hotel Guide
How to choose the best places to stay in Marrakech. Verified properties below; for the full list, search live availability on Booking.com.
Luxury
La Mamounia
The 1923 palace hotel Winston Churchill called 'the most lovely spot in the whole world'.
View on Booking.comLuxury
Royal Mansour Marrakech
The king's own hotel: private riads around courtyards, opened 2010.
View on Booking.com
Luxury
Riad El Fenn
The celebrated boutique riad on the edge of the medina, five courtyards and a rooftop.
View on Booking.comWhere to eat
Getting there and around
Marrakech Menara (RAK) is about 6 km southwest; bus 19 and petits taxis run to the medina. The ONCF station links Marrakech with Casablanca, Rabat, Fès and Tangier. Calèches (horse carriages) circle the medina.
Eating in Marrakech
Fledge Food has a full guide to how Marrakech eats: its defining dishes and how to order them, street food decoded, the markets, and the neighborhoods to eat in.