Marrakesh-Safi · Morocco
Where to stay in Marrakech
Marrakech is a city in Marrakesh-Safi, Morocco, home to about 1,003,000 people. This guide covers 1 resort and 1 hotel in Marrakech.
- Places to stay in this guide
- 2
- Best months
- October to May
- Nearest airport
- RAK6 km · Marrakesh Menara Airport
- Currency
- MADMoroccan dirham
- Time zone
- Africa/Casablanca
- Language
- Arabic, Standard Moroccan Tamazight
About
About Marrakech
Marrakesh or Marrakech is the fourth-largest city in Morocco. It is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakesh-Safi region.
The name Marrakech originates from the Amazigh (Berber) words mur (n) wakush, which means "Land of God". It is the fourth largest city in Morocco after Casablanca, Tanger and Fez and lies near the foothills of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains and a few hours away from the foot of the Sahara Desert. Its location and contrasting landscape have made it an enviable destination in Morocco. As the country's main tourist destination, Marrakech is where many Moroccans try to become rich fast by ripping off tourists.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Marrakech
See
There is much to see and do in Marrakech. An entire day can be dedicated to wandering around all the different souks, seeking out the best bargains. The city also offers several historical and architectural sites as well as some interesting museums.
- Medina
- Djemaa El-Fna
- The Souks
- Koutoubia Mosque
- Tanneries
- Saadian Tombs
- Moroccan Culinary Arts Museum
- Majorelle Gardens
- Yves Saint Laurent Museum
- Dar Si Saïd Museum
- Ben Youssef Madrasa
- El Bahia Palace
Do
- Chez Ali Fantasia
- Stade de Marrakesh
- Marrakech Paragliding
- Moratra Medina walking tour
- Les Bains de Marrakech
- Hammam Dar el-Bacha
- Hammam Bab Doukkala
- Thai marrakech
- Hamam Essalama
- Ô Bain de Lina
- Go Marrakech Desert Trips
- Morocco Desert Guide
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Places to stay in Marrakech
2 places to stay from the chains this guide covers, each linked to its own website.
| Place to stay |
|---|
| Barceló Palmeraie Oasis Resort resort |
| Palmeraie Oasis Camp hotel |
Schematic: the city centre in orange, each place to stay as a dot, distance rings in kilometres.
Where to stay
Which part of Marrakech to stay in
Marrakech has an amazing choice of places to stay ranging from tented camps outside Marrakech to cheap hostels and hotels that can be charming or seedy to luxurious kasbahs in luxurious gardens or the traditional riad (garden courtyard) hotels. Wherever you choose (or can afford) to stay it really is a must to visit one of the riad hotels to see this amazing style of architecture. Most riad managers will be happy to show you around provided that they are not too busy and in some riads you can even book a lunch or dinner without being a resident provided that the riad is not privately rented. For example, see Riad Cinnamon, Riad Laksiba and Riad Papillon.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Marrakech
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Marrakech are October to May. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 37 °C; March is the wettest, with about 40 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Marrakech: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Marrakesh Menara Airport (RAK), about 5.9 km from the city centre in a straight line; Ouarzazate International Airport (OZZ, 128 km) is also within reach.
Getting in
There are flights from many European cities, including flights operated by a number of low cost carriers. Connections via Casablanca (45-min flight) are also possible.
Getting around
Once in the medina, everything can be seen on foot, though you'll be doing a lot of walking. Many tourist destinations are signposted by brown, red or green signs affixed to posts or to buildings. Bear in mind that many of these signs don't take the direct route, and some seem to deliberately send tourists via various markets or other places money may be spent. For exploring more of the city, buses and petits taxis are plentiful. Alsa run the city buses and have maps, fares and a frequency guide on their web page.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
RAK · Marrakesh Menara Airport
OZZ · Ouarzazate International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Marrakech
Eat
Each night in the Djemaa El-Fna rows of street stalls are set up under giant white tents. The huts targeting tourists serve similar fare and have menus printed in French, Arabic and usually English. Everyone has tajine, couscous, brochette and some variety of soups. Some have specialities like offal, egg sandwiches or special tajines. Be aware that most restaurants employ rather insistent "greeters," who are very aggressive in trying to customers for their stall. The line 'we already ate' seems to work well to get them to stop. As of 2018, the "greeters" mentioned above have changed strategies to one of harassment and insults.
Drink
Street vendors offer fresh orange juice (jus d'Orange) by the glass for 4 dirham. Try it with a dash of salt like the locals, but be wary of vendors who try to water the juice down with tap water. Also, pay attention when you buy as they offer 2 types of orange... the blood orange juice costs 10 dirham per glass and a misunderstanding on what you want to drink could occur. Confirm the price of your orange juice and pay for it before you drink. Unscrupulous vendors will sometimes try to charge you 10 dirham for a 4-dirham glass of jus d'Orange, so don't accept your drink until you've paid the correct amount.
Stay safe
Marrakech is a generally safe city, with police presence. However, staying alert about your surroundings and taking general safety precautions is always a good idea like everywhere.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Marrakech: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Marrakech?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Marrakech are October to May. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 37 °C; March is the wettest, with about 40 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Marrakech?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Marrakesh Menara Airport (RAK), about 5.9 km from the city centre in a straight line; Ouarzazate International Airport (OZZ, 128 km) is also within reach.
What currency is used in Marrakech?
Moroccan dirham (MAD).
Nearby
Destinations near Marrakech
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.