Marrakech 3-Day Itinerary

This plan starts early and rests at midday, the way Marrakech lives. It assumes a riad in the medina. Book Jardin Majorelle online and arrange your mountain driver before you arrive.

Day 1: The souks and the square

9am: Our medina walk through the souks, the spice square and on to Ben Youssef Madrasa.

1pm: Lunch on a rooftop near Rahba Kedima. Try tanjia, the city's slow-cooked beef dish.

2.30pm: Back to the riad. Rest through the hottest part of the day.

5pm: Tea on a terrace above Jemaa el-Fna as the stalls go up and the sun sets behind the Koutoubia.

8pm: Dinner at the food stalls on the square, then an hour watching the musicians.

Day 2: Palaces, gardens and a hammam

8.30am: Bahia Palace at opening time, before the groups arrive.

10.30am: Walk through the Mellah to El Badi Palace, then the Saadian Tombs nearby.

1pm: Lunch in the Kasbah.

3pm: Petit taxi to Jardin Majorelle for your booked slot, then a stroll around Gueliz.

6pm: A hammam and scrub, back in the medina or at a spa.

8.30pm: Dinner in a riad restaurant, with the courtyard to yourselves.

Day 3: The High Atlas

8am: Drive south with your driver towards Asni and up to Imlil, about an hour and a half.

10am: A guided walk through the terraced villages of the Toubkal valley, with a stop for mint tea in a village house.

1pm: Lunch on a guesthouse terrace facing the peaks.

5pm: Back in Marrakech. A last evening walk through the square and the souks, which are at their most atmospheric under lamplight.

Our Atlas day trip guide covers other valleys if Imlil doesn't suit you. With a fourth day, go to Essaouira, a whitewashed port on the Atlantic about three hours west, for fresh fish at the harbour and a cool sea breeze.