9 Places to Visit in Marrakech

The old city is organised around Jemaa el-Fnaa, the open square that UNESCO also recognises for its living oral traditions, with the souks running north from it, the Koutoubia minaret to the west, and the palaces and tombs of the Saadian and Alaouite eras spread across the southern medina. The 20th-century French-built district of Guéliz lies to the north-west and holds the Majorelle Garden, restaurants and hotels, and the medina and Guéliz are about 2.5 kilometres apart.

Most visitors arrive at Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK), about 6 kilometres from Jemaa el-Fnaa; Bus 19 runs to the square for MAD 30 one-way, and petit taxis and pre-booked transfers cover the rest. The ONCF railway station, roughly 5 kilometres west of the medina, has trains to Casablanca (about 3 hours) and on to Rabat and Tangier. Inside the medina, cars cannot enter most lanes, so the last stretch is on foot, by handcart porter or by motorbike. Petit taxis (beige) start near MAD 7 on the meter, though drivers frequently refuse the meter, so agree a fare first.

March to May and September to November give the most comfortable weather; July and August regularly reach 38 degrees Celsius or more, and December-February are cool at night with snow on the Atlas visible from rooftops. The September 2023 Al Haouz earthquake damaged parts of the medina, including the Koutoubia minaret, which cracked but remained standing; the Bahia Palace reopened about a month afterwards, and a restoration programme covering El Badi Palace, the Saadian Tombs and the city walls is still under way, so some areas may be fenced. Ramadan shortens monument hours and moves the city's energy into the evening.