Arrival and medina immersion
Arrive at Marrakech Menara Airport
Fly into Marrakech and transfer to your riad in the medina. The 6km journey takes around 20 minutes. Book flights →
Check in and rest at your riad
Settle into a traditional riad with a courtyard and roof terraces, the beating heart of medina life. Many riads offer complimentary mint tea upon arrival. Search hotels →
Sunset from your riad rooftop
Climb to your riad's rooftop as the muezzin calls drift across the terracotta skyline. Watch the light soften over the Atlas Mountains on the horizon.
Dinner at Dar Cherifa
This intimate restaurant in a restored 16th-century house serves refined Moroccan dishes in candlelit rooms. Order the lamb tagine with prunes and almonds, and finish with fresh orange juice and pastries. Reserve ahead, around £25 per person.
Markets, spices, and culinary discovery
Marrakech street food tour with a local guide
Explore the Medina of Marrakech on a guided foodie walking tour, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of the markets and souks. Taste a variety of sweet and savoury delicacies, sampling between 10 and 12 specialty foods including pastries, pancakes, and soups at multiple stops.
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Mint tea and a quiet souk wander
With 10 to 12 food samples behind you, there's no need for a sit-down lunch. Find a small café tucked off the main drag and settle in with a glass of fresh mint tea. The souks are at their most navigable in the early afternoon before the heat peaks and the crowds thicken, so use the time to explore at your own pace.
Rest and explore Jemaa el-Fnaa square at leisure
Wander the main square at a relaxed pace, watching snake charmers and storytellers, sipping mint tea at a café overlooking the chaos. The energy shifts through the afternoon as locals claim the space back from tourists.
Dinner at Dar Cherifa
This intimate restaurant in a restored 16th-century house serves refined Moroccan dishes in candlelit rooms. Order the lamb tagine with prunes and almonds, and finish with fresh orange juice and pastries. Reserve ahead, around £25 per person.
Cooking, palaces, and the old city
Traditional Moroccan cooking class at Khmisa Workshop
Start with a short walk through the souk to buy fresh groceries among market stalls filled with spices and local traditions. On arrival at Khmisa Workshop you'll be welcomed with a traditional mint tea and learn the steps of the ritual making ceremony before the cooking begins. The menu covers the most typical Moroccan dishes, from 3 to 6 in total, including starters, a main course, and Pastilla of Milk for dessert. Everything is prepared as a team, with the secrets of Moroccan cuisine and spices explained along the way. You'll sit down to eat what you've made around noon.
Search cooking classes in Marrakech on GetYourGuide →
Bahia Palace and Jewish Quarter
Explore the sprawling 19th-century palace with ornate zellige tilework and carved cedar ceilings, then wander the nearby Mellah's narrow lanes and covered souks. Entry is around £8 per person.
Saadian Tombs at golden hour
The late afternoon light falls beautifully through the carved stucco of these 16th-century royal tombs, rediscovered only in 1917. Arrive close to closing time when the crowds thin out. Entry is around £3 per person.
Evening wander through the dyers' souk
The Souk Sebbaghine is quieter in the evening and the hanging skeins of wool catch the last daylight beautifully. Pick up a hand-dyed scarf or simply take it in, then stop for harira soup and a pastry at a nearby stall before heading back to your riad.
Architecture, arts, and the old city
Medersa Ben Youssef
This 14th-century Quranic school is the largest in Morocco and one of the most beautiful buildings in the country. The central courtyard is lined with intricate stucco carvings, cedar latticework, and zellige tilework that repays slow, careful looking. Arrive early to have it largely to yourself. Entry is around £6 per person.
Musée de Marrakech
A short walk from the medersa, this museum occupies the Dar Mnebhi palace, a grand 19th-century residence with a spectacular central hall hung with a vast lantern. The collection covers Moroccan ceramics, textiles, and photography. Entry is around £4 per person and often combined with the medersa on a joint ticket.
Lunch at Atay Cafe
Atay Cafe has one of the better rooftop terraces in the medina, with views stretching out over the old city. Order the lamb tagine, it is outstanding, slow-cooked with deep spicing and served with warm bread. A relaxed, unhurried spot for a final proper meal in Marrakech. Budget around £10 to £15 per person.
Last souk browsing and final purchases
Use the afternoon to revisit any souks that caught your eye earlier in the trip. The leather goods quarter near the tanneries and the lantern makers of Souk Haddadine are both worth a final look. Bargaining is expected and good-natured.
Transfer to airport and depart
Head to Marrakech Menara Airport for your evening flight. Allow 45 minutes from the medina to check in comfortably.