Marrakech packs an extraordinary amount into one walled medina: a UNESCO-listed square, a maze of souks, grand palaces and tombs, famous gardens, legendary street food — with the Atlas Mountains and the Agafay desert within a short drive. Here are the best things to do in Marrakech, how long each takes, and how to see them with a local guide.
Top things to do in Marrakech at a glance
| Experience | Type | Time | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jemaa el-Fna square | Free / cultural | Any time | Free |
| Souks & medina walking tour | Guided walk | 2–3h | €25 |
| Monuments & palaces | Sightseeing | Half day | ~50–100 MAD each |
| Majorelle & Menara gardens | Gardens | 1–2h | Free–170 MAD |
| Street-food tour by night | Food | 2–3h | €47 |
| Agafay desert & camel ride | Desert | Half day | €25 |
| Day trips (Ourika, Essaouira…) | Excursion | Full day | €30 |
1. Experience Jemaa el-Fna square
The beating heart of the medina and a UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. By day: orange-juice stalls, henna artists and snake charmers. By night: a huge open-air kitchen of food stalls, Gnaoua musicians and storytellers. It is free, open every day, and the natural place to begin — read our complete Jemaa el-Fna guide first.
2. Get lost in the souks
North of the square, the souks unfold into a labyrinth of covered lanes, each specialising in a craft — lanterns, leather, carpets, slippers, spices and metalwork. It is the best place in Morocco to shop and watch artisans at work. A private walking tour means you see the best parts, understand what you are buying and avoid getting lost or overcharged.
3. Visit the monuments and palaces
Marrakech is full of historic monuments, most within the medina and walkable from the square: the Bahia Palace, the ruined El Badi Palace, the jewel-like Saadian Tombs, the restored Ben Youssef Madrasa and the landmark Koutoubia minaret. Entrance fees for the paid sites are typically 50–100 MAD. See fees, hours and locations for all of them in our guide to Marrakech monuments.
4. Escape to the gardens
When the souks get overwhelming, the gardens are a cool retreat. The Majorelle Garden — the cobalt-blue villa rescued by Yves Saint Laurent — is the most famous (book online; ~170 MAD). The Menara Gardens, with their vast reflecting basin and Atlas views, are free and a short taxi ride from the medina. Le Jardin Secret, in the heart of the souks, is a restored palace garden with a viewpoint tower.
5. Eat your way through the city
Moroccan food is a highlight in itself: slow-cooked tagines, tanjia (the Marrakchi speciality), grilled brochettes, harira soup, msemen pancakes and endless mint tea. The night food stalls on Jemaa el-Fna are an experience, and a guided street-food tour (from €47) takes you to the stalls locals actually queue for, with a guide to order the best dishes.
6. Take a day trip
Marrakech is the base for some of Morocco’s best day trips — the mountains, the coast and the desert are all within reach. The Ourika Valley and the Agafay desert are closest; Essaouira, the Ouzoud waterfalls and the kasbahs of Aït Ben Haddou are full-day outings. Browse all day trips from Marrakech, and see how many days you need to fit them in.
7. Try a hands-on experience
Beyond sightseeing, Marrakech is great for doing: a cooking class (make your own tagine), a pottery workshop on the traditional wheel, a horse-drawn carriage ride past the ramparts, or a quad or camel ride in the Agafay desert. All can be booked directly on WhatsApp.
Must-try Moroccan dishes
Eating is one of the great pleasures of Marrakech. Dishes to seek out:
- Tagine — slow-cooked stews of lamb with prunes, chicken with preserved lemon, or vegetables.
- Tanjia — the Marrakchi speciality: meat slow-cooked for hours in a clay urn in the ashes of the hammam.
- Couscous — traditionally eaten on Fridays, piled with vegetables and meat.
- Pastilla — a sweet-savoury pie of pigeon or chicken in flaky pastry dusted with sugar and cinnamon.
- Harira — a hearty tomato-and-lentil soup, and msemen — flaky griddle pancakes.
- Mint tea — “Moroccan whisky,” poured from height and offered everywhere.
The surest way to taste the best is a guided street-food tour or a hands-on cooking class.
Free things to do in Marrakech
- Soak up Jemaa el-Fna square and the night market.
- Admire the Koutoubia minaret and its gardens.
- Wander the souks (window-shopping is free).
- Walk the ramparts and the historic gates such as Bab Agnaou.
- Relax in the Menara Gardens.
Things to do in Marrakech with kids
Families do well here: children love the performers on the square, a gentle camel ride in Agafay, the monkeys and waterfalls at Ouzoud, and a hands-on cooking or pottery class. Keep little ones close in the busy souks, and politely decline photos with snake charmers or monkeys (they come with a fee).
Explore the neighbourhoods
Marrakech is a city of distinct quarters, and wandering between them is half the pleasure:
- The medina — the old walled city, home to the square, the souks and most monuments.
- The Kasbah — the royal quarter in the south, around the Saadian Tombs and El Badi.
- The Mellah — the historic Jewish quarter, with its synagogue and spice market.
- Gueliz — the modern “new town” of boulevards, cafés, galleries and boutiques.
- The Palmeraie — the palm groves on the edge of the city, good for a camel ride or a quad.
What to buy in the souks
The souks are organised loosely by trade, and each quarter has its specialities. A few of the best buys:
| What to buy | Where / souk |
|---|---|
| Leather babouches & bags | Souk Smata & the tanners’ quarter |
| Lanterns & metalwork | Souk Haddadine (ironmongers) |
| Carpets & rugs | Rahba Kedima & the carpet souk |
| Spices & argan oil | Rahba Kedima (the spice square) |
| Ceramics & tagines | Potters’ stalls near Bab Ghmat |
Haggling is expected and good-natured — start well below the asking price and settle somewhere in the middle. A guided shopping tour helps you judge quality and a fair price with no pressure to buy.
Relax in a traditional hammam
A visit to a hammam (a steam bath) is a Moroccan ritual and a wonderful way to unwind after a day in the souks. Options range from simple neighbourhood hammams used by locals to luxurious spa versions with a gommage (black-soap scrub) and argan-oil massage. It is one of the most relaxing — and most authentically Moroccan — things you can do in the city.
Best sunset and rooftop spots
Marrakech is a city of rooftops. The cafés and terraces overlooking Jemaa el-Fna give you a grandstand view of the square filling up at dusk, with the Koutoubia minaret silhouetted against the Atlas. For a quieter sunset, the Menara Gardens’ pavilion and reflecting pool, or a rooftop in the Kasbah, are hard to beat. Golden hour over the red-ochre walls is the photograph everyone takes home.
Marrakech after dark
The city changes character at night. Jemaa el-Fna transforms into a vast open-air food court, lit by lanterns and loud with Gnaoua drums and storytellers — the single best free thing to do after dark. Beyond the square, rooftop restaurants in the medina serve dinner under the stars, while Gueliz and Hivernage have the city’s modern bars, lounges and clubs. A night street-food tour is the perfect way to experience the square’s evening energy with a local who knows which stalls to trust.
Is Marrakech worth visiting?
Absolutely. Few cities pack so much into such a small, walkable space: a thousand years of history, a living medieval medina, world-class crafts and food, and the mountains and desert on the doorstep. It rewards curiosity and a slow pace — the more you wander, the more it gives. Whether you have two days or a week, Marrakech is one of the most rewarding city breaks in the world.
Marrakech through the seasons
What you do depends a little on when you come: in spring and autumn almost everything is comfortable; in summer, favour the gardens, museums and early-morning or evening activities and save the middle of the day for a shady riad or a pool; in winter, days are mild and sunny and the snow-capped Atlas makes a spectacular backdrop. See the best time to visit for the full picture, and how many days you need to fit it all in.
Plan your visit and book a local guide
To make the most of a short stay, a licensed local guide is invaluable — for the history, the shortcuts and the stalls worth your time. Our private guides (from €20) meet you on Jemaa el-Fna and tailor the day to you. Wondering how long to stay? See how many days you need in Marrakech; travelling with concerns about safety? Read our honest guide to whether Marrakech is safe.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best things to do in Marrakech?
The highlights are Jemaa el-Fna square, the souks, the Bahia and El Badi palaces, the Saadian Tombs and the Koutoubia, the Majorelle and Menara gardens, an evening street-food tour, and a day trip to the Ourika Valley, Agafay desert, Essaouira or the Ouzoud waterfalls.
Is Marrakech worth visiting?
Yes. Few cities pack so much into one walkable medina — monuments, souks, gardens and food — with mountains and desert within a short drive for day trips.
What is there to do in Marrakech at night?
After dark, Jemaa el-Fna fills with food stalls, musicians and storytellers. A guided street-food tour, a horse-drawn carriage ride or seeing the floodlit Koutoubia are the classic evening options.
What are good things to do in Marrakech with kids?
Families enjoy the square's performers, a camel ride in the Agafay desert, the Majorelle Garden, a cooking or pottery class, and the Ouzoud waterfalls with their wild monkeys.
How many days do you need in Marrakech?
Three to four days is ideal — two for the city and one or two for day trips. See our full guide on how many days to spend in Marrakech.