By air
Marrakesh Menara (RAK), ~6 km
Africa · Morocco
Marrakesh, Morocco
Souks, riads and the Jemaa el-Fnaa
Getting there
Best time to visit
March to May and September to November — warm, not scorching
Don't miss
The Jardin Majorelle
The Bahia Palace
The Koutoubia Mosque
The Saadian Tombs
Things to do
Jemaa el-Fnaa at dusk
The souks
A hammam
A day in the Atlas
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Donar Reiskoffer · CC BY 3.0
What to pack
Modest clothing, layers for cool nights
A quieter corner
The Le Jardin Secret gardens in the medina
Questions travellers ask
When is Marrakesh warm but not too hot?
March to May and September to November. Pack modest clothing, plus layers for the cool nights.
Which sights are unmissable in Marrakesh?
The Jardin Majorelle, the Bahia Palace, the Koutoubia Mosque and the Saadian Tombs. Then lose yourself in the souks.
What should I eat in Marrakesh?
Tagine, tanjia and mint tea, ideally at the Jemaa el-Fnaa food stalls at dusk.
Where can I find some calm in the Marrakesh medina?
Le Jardin Secret, a garden tucked into the medina. A hammam or a day in the Atlas is another way to unwind.
About Marrakesh
- Inland
Where it is
Marrakesh is a major city of central Morocco and the capital of the Marrakesh-Safi region, on the Haouz plain at the foot of the snow-capped High Atlas mountains.
History
Marrakesh was founded around 1070 by the Almoravids as their capital, and the Almohads who followed built the Koutoubia Mosque in the 12th century. It flourished again under the Saadians in the 16th century, whose tombs and El Badi Palace survive, and its red-walled medina became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
People
Marrakshis speak Moroccan Arabic, Darija, and many also speak Tashelhit, the Amazigh language of the High Atlas and the south, with French widely used. The city is famous for its leatherworkers, metalworkers and weavers, and for tanjia, beef slow-cooked in a clay jar in the embers of a hammam furnace.
Known for
- Jemaa el-Fnaa square at dusk
- The souks of the medina
- The Koutoubia Mosque
- The Jardin Majorelle
- The Bahia Palace and the Saadian Tombs
Did you know?
In 2001 the cultural space of Jemaa el-Fnaa, with its storytellers, musicians and food stalls, was among the first places UNESCO proclaimed a masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.