Marrakech is Morocco's most theatrical city — a red-walled medina, a huge palm grove, an active night square, and a modern outskirts of galleries and gardens. It rewards travellers who slow down and stay somewhere central, and it can overwhelm those who try to see it as a museum.
How long to stay
Three to four nights is the right minimum. Less and you're rushed between the medina, the Palmeraie and the newer neighbourhoods; more, and you have room for day trips into the Atlas or the Ourika Valley.
Book a riad inside the medina if you want atmosphere; a Palmeraie villa or an outskirts hotel if you want space and pool.
What we recommend seeing
Bahia Palace before it opens to the public, Ben Youssef Madrasa in the golden hour, the Majorelle and Yves Saint Laurent museums together, and the artisans of the Mellah and Sidi Ghanem industrial district for real craft rather than souvenirs.
Skip Jemaa el-Fna in the daytime; go at dusk, when the food stalls arrive.
