4 days in Marrakech

The south of the medina. A tall minaret, the royal tombs, a ruined palace where storks nest, then the great square as the day cools. Everything is within about a kilometre, but the alleys are hot at midday, so go slowly.

1. Breakfast

   Mint tea and msemen

   Sweet mint tea with flaky square pancakes, honey, olive oil and soft cheese, on a rooftop.

   Local tip Breakfast is often included at a riad, and a rooftop is the best place to eat it.
2. 1
   MorningWorth a short stop

   Koutoubia Mosque

   The tallest landmark in the city, a twelfth-century mosque with a 77-metre minaret in red stone, standing in a park of gardens and orange trees. Non-Muslims cannot enter the mosque, but the grounds and the minaret are the point.

   Go when Morning or evening, when the red stone glows.

   Local tip Non-Muslims cannot go into the mosque, but the garden and the minaret can be seen from the park. The call to prayer from the tower is worth hearing.

   

   About 11 min walk0.9 km
3. 2
   MiddayWorth the time, go early

   Saadian Tombs

   The royal tombs of a sixteenth-century dynasty, sealed and forgotten until 1917, with carved cedar, marble columns and a garden of graves. A small place, which gets crowded, so go early.

   Go when Morning, before the queue.

   Local tip The main chamber is small and busy. Dress modestly, and look at the carved ceiling, the cedar and the marble.

   

   About 4 min walk0.3 km
4. 3
   AfternoonWorth the time

   El Badi Palace

   The ruins of a vast sixteenth-century palace, with a sunken garden, empty courtyards and storks nesting on the walls. A quiet place for a rest in the heat, with views of the red city from the top of the ramparts.

   Go when Afternoon, for the space and the storks.

   Local tip Climb the ramparts for the view over the old city. The storks nest on the walls from late winter, and the ground is uneven, so wear good shoes.

   

5. Lunch

   A tagine in the shade

   Lamb or chicken slow-cooked in a clay pot with preserved lemon and olives, or vegetables with prunes.

   Local tip Tagines take time, so order and sit back. Bread is the spoon.

   About 11 min walk0.9 km
6. 4
   EveningWorth the time, go at dusk

   Jemaa el-Fnaa

   The great square of the medina, a place of UNESCO-listed oral tradition, which fills at dusk with food stalls, musicians and storytellers. Eat at a busy stall, keep your valuables close and say no to animal acts.

   Go when Dusk, as the stalls light up.

   Local tip Eat at a stall with a crowd, and agree the price before you order. Keep your bag in front of you, and decline snake charmers and monkey handlers, whose animals are often badly treated.

   

7. Dinner

   Grilled meats at a night stall

   Skewers of lamb, sausage and grilled vegetables from a numbered stall in the square, with bread and salads.

   Local tip Pick a busy stall, agree the price, and eat what is served hot.

The heart of the medina. A decorated palace, the covered markets, the old Islamic college and a hidden garden. A day on foot through the alleys, with a rest in the middle of the day.

1. Breakfast

   Eggs, bread and olives

   Eggs with cumin and olive oil, warm bread, olives and fresh orange juice.

   Local tip Orange juice from a stall is pressed as you wait.
2. 1
   MorningWorth the time

   Bahia Palace

   A palace of the late nineteenth century, built for a grand vizier, with carved cedar ceilings, painted doors and shady courtyards of tile. Its name means brilliance. Go in the morning, before the groups.

   Go when Morning, when the light is soft and it is quiet.

   Local tip Walk slowly through the courtyards and look up at the painted ceilings. Check ahead on the opening times, since parts close for official use.

   

   About 11 min walk0.9 km
3. 2
   MiddayWorth the time

   The souks

   A maze of covered lanes north of the square, where dyers, metalworkers, leather sellers and spice merchants each have their own quarter. Let yourself get lost for an hour, then use your map to find the way out.

   Go when Late morning, when the lanes are full and the shade is deep.

   Local tip Bargain with a smile, start at about half the first price and walk away if you do not agree. Keep your bag closed, and step aside for the motorbikes that pass fast.

4. Lunch

   Chicken pastilla

   A flaky pie of spiced chicken with almonds, dusted with cinnamon and sugar, a sweet and savory classic.

   Local tip Pastilla is rich, so share one. The dusting of sugar surprises first-timers.

   About 6 min walk0.5 km
5. 3
   AfternoonWorth the time

   Ben Youssef Madrasa

   A fourteenth-century Islamic college, restored in the sixteenth century, with a calm courtyard of carved plaster, cedar and tile, and rows of tiny student rooms. Among the finest buildings in the city.

   Go when Afternoon, when the courtyard is calm.

   Local tip The carved plaster and cedar are the highlight. Check ahead, since it has been closed for repairs.

   

   About 5 min walk0.4 km
6. 4
   EveningWorth a short stop

   Le Jardin Secret

   A restored palace garden hidden in the medina, with a quiet courtyard of tile and a view from the tower. A calm rest at the end of the day, away from the noise of the souks.

   Go when Late afternoon, for a calm rest.

   Local tip A quiet garden in the middle of the souks, with a cafe and a tower for a view. Check ahead on the opening.

7. Dinner

   Couscous with seven vegetables

   Steamed semolina with lamb or chicken and a broth of carrots, pumpkin, turnips and chickpeas, a traditional Friday meal.

   Local tip Couscous is the Friday dish, and many places serve it best then.

North and west of the old city. A garden painted a famous blue, the museum beside it, an olive grove with a view of the mountains, then a palm grove at the edge of town. A slower, greener day, best started early before the heat.

1. Breakfast

   Orange juice and pastries

   Fresh orange juice and warm pastries with jam, taken to go.

   Local tip The bakeries open early, and a few sell almond pastries for the day.
2. 1
   MorningWorth the time, go early

   Majorelle Garden

   A garden of cactus, bamboo and fountains around a villa in an intense cobalt blue, created by the painter Jacques Majorelle and later saved by Yves Saint Laurent. Go at opening time, because it fills quickly.

   Go when Morning, at opening, before the heat and the crowds.

   Local tip Entry is timed and limited, so book ahead. The path is narrow, so go slowly and look at the blue, the cactus and the bamboo.

   

   About 2 min walkunder 0.1 km
3. 2
   MiddayWorth the time

   Yves Saint Laurent Museum

   A museum beside the garden about the designer's life and work, with clothes, sketches and a view of the way he used the colours of Morocco. A cool, modern stop in the heat.

   Go when Midday, in the cool of the galleries.

   Local tip A small, tidy museum beside the garden. A combined entry may be offered, so check ahead.

   

4. Lunch

   A garden lunch

   Moroccan salads of tomato, eggplant and carrot, with grilled fish or chicken, in a shaded courtyard.

   Local tip Salads come in many small dishes, so order a selection.

   About 12 min by car or transit3.7 km
5. 3
   AfternoonA slow afternoon

   Menara Gardens

   A huge olive grove with a large basin and a green-roofed pavilion, with the Atlas mountains behind it. Locals come to walk and picnic in the evening, and the light is best late in the day.

   Go when Late afternoon, when the light is soft.

   Local tip Walk to the basin and look back at the pavilion with the mountains behind. Locals picnic here in the evening.

   

   About 22 min by car or transit8.9 km
6. 4
   EveningWorth a short stop

   Palmeraie

   A palm grove of hundreds of thousands of trees on the northern edge of the city. A calm place to end the day, by car or on a camel or a bicycle, though the camel rides are for tourists. Take care in the dusk.

   Go when Evening, when the heat has gone.

   Local tip Go by car, or on a bike. Camel rides here are aimed at visitors, and the animals work hard, so choose with care.

7. Dinner

   Lamb with prunes and almonds

   Slow-braised lamb with prunes, almonds and honey, a sweet and savory tagine, with warm bread.

   Local tip The sweet and savory mix is traditional, and is best shared.

A day trip south into the foothills of the Atlas, about an hour each way by road. A green river valley with Berber villages, a village at the head of the road and its waterfalls, then back in the old Jewish quarter in the evening.

1. Drive from PalmeraieAbout 49 min by car40.3 km

   Where Day 3 ended.
2. Breakfast

   Bread, jam and strong coffee

   A simple breakfast of bread, jam and coffee, before the drive south.

   Local tip Carry water for the road, since the valley is dry and sunny.
3. 1
   MorningWorth the time

   Ourika Valley

   A green river valley in the Atlas foothills, with terraced fields, red-earth villages and cafes on the river. Cooler than the city, and a favorite day out for Marrakech families.

   Go when Morning, before the heat builds in the plain.

   Local tip Go with a driver or on a tour. The valley road is narrow and winding, and the river rises fast in heavy rain, so check the forecast.

   

   About 31 min by car or transit15.0 km
4. 2
   MiddayA half day on foot

   Setti Fatma

   A village at the head of the valley where seven small waterfalls lead up the hillside. The path is rocky and wet, and the river can rise suddenly after rain upstream, so check the weather and keep off the rocks.

   Go when Midday, with plenty of time.

   Local tip The path to the waterfalls is rocky and slick, so wear shoes with grip, and use a local guide if you are unsure. Do not cross the river in spate.

   

5. Lunch

   A tagine by the river

   A tagine and grilled kefta on a terrace over the river, in the shade of walnut trees.

   Local tip Cafes by the river are simple and cheerful. Wash your hands before you eat.

   About 1 h by car53.9 km
6. 3
   AfternoonWorth a short stop

   Almoravid Koubba

   A small domed building of the twelfth century, one of the few surviving pieces of the first city, with carved stone inside. A quiet stop in the old city on the way home.

   Go when Afternoon, as a short pause in the old city.

   Local tip A small and quiet building that is easy to miss. Check ahead on the opening, since it is sometimes closed.

   

   About 16 min walk1.3 km
7. 4
   EveningWorth the time, with care

   Mellah

   The old Jewish quarter next to the royal palace, with narrow lanes, a spice market and a historic synagogue and cemetery. The Jewish community of Marrakech was once large, and the quarter keeps its memory.

   Go when Evening, as the old lanes quieten.

   Local tip Walk the narrow lanes and the spice market, and visit the synagogue and the old cemetery if they are open. Be respectful, because they are places of memory.

   

8. Dinner

   Harira soup and dates

   A thick tomato and lentil soup with dates, eaten at the end of the day, the traditional way to break the fast in Ramadan.

   Local tip Harira is filling, so you may not need a main course.