Luxury hotels in Marrakech

Marrakech guide

Marrakech: the medina, Jemaa el-Fna and the Majorelle Garden

The red city's essentials, with the best time for each, and a riad or palace to return to.

The medina of Marrakech, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a labyrinth of souks around Jemaa el-Fna, the square that turns into an open-air theatre of musicians, storytellers and food stalls at dusk. See it from a rooftop terrace first, then walk in with a guide who knows the souks.

Mornings are for the Majorelle Garden, created by Jacques Majorelle and later restored by Yves Saint Laurent, before the queues build; the YSL Museum is next door. Add the Bahia Palace and the Ben Youssef Madrasa, and escape to the Atlas Mountains for a day.

The Atlas Mountains and the Agafay Desert

The High Atlas, about an hour from Marrakech, is the most cited excursion from the city: the Ourika valley with its Berber villages and waterfalls, and Imlil, at the foot of Jebel Toubkal, North Africa's highest peak, with walks to mountain villages and lunch in a kasbah.

The Agafay Desert, a stone desert about forty-five minutes away, offers camel rides at sunset and dinners in luxury camps under the stars with views of the Atlas. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons.

Riads, hammams and the Bahia Palace

Staying in a riad, a traditional house built around a courtyard garden in the medina, and enjoying a hammam ritual of black soap and scrubbing are among the most cited experiences of Marrakech. The great hotels and riads have hammams of their own.

The Bahia Palace, with its painted ceilings and zellige tiles, the Saadian Tombs and the Ben Youssef Madrasa show the city's craftsmanship, and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum stands beside the Majorelle Garden. Dinner on a rooftop above Jemaa el-Fna ends the day.