# How many days do you need in Marrakech? > Spend 3 days in Marrakech, more for the Sahara or Essaouira. We spent 6 in two stays. Day by day: Jemaa el-Fnaa, Ben Youssef, Bahia Palace, Majorelle. - Source: https://clevertourists.com/resources/how-many-days-in-marrakech - Authors: Evan & Clara, Clever Tourists (first-hand, from years of travel across 20 countries) - Published: 2026-06-25 **Three days in Marrakech itself, then add days for the desert or the coast.** We spent 6 days in Marrakech in September 2022, split into two stays: one night on 9 September, arriving from Essaouira before crossing the High Atlas, and 5 days from 14 to 19 September after two nights in the dunes at Erg Chigaga. Three days covers the medina at a pace the heat and the crowds allow: Jemaa el-Fnaa and the souks, the palaces of the southern medina, and Jardin Majorelle. A fourth day buys a day trip to the Atlas foothills; the Sahara needs at least three more. ## The short answer by trip length • **1 day:** the souks and Ben Youssef Madrasa in the morning, Bahia Palace after lunch, Jemaa el-Fnaa at dusk. You see the city but feel the rush. • **2 days:** split the medina in two, north (souks, Ben Youssef) and south (Bahia, the Saadian Tombs, the Mellah), and put Majorelle at the start of one of them. • **3 days:** the right length for a first visit, with afternoons to rest through the heat and a day for Majorelle, Gueliz and a hammam. • **4 days:** add one day trip, such as the Ourika Valley, about an hour away; see [day trips from Marrakech](https://clevertourists.com/resources/day-trips-from-marrakech). • **A week:** Marrakech plus the desert. Our [7-day Morocco itinerary](https://clevertourists.com/resources/morocco-itinerary-7-days) gives Marrakech 4 nights around a loop to Erg Chigaga. The medina is dense rather than large, and the first day goes on orientation. That is the real case for three days: by day two the lanes start to make sense and the pressure from touts stops being the main event. ## Day by day: 3 days in Marrakech **Day 1, Jemaa el-Fnaa and the northern souks.** Cross the square in the morning, when it is quiet, with the Koutoubia minaret behind you, and walk north into the souks while the shutters are still going up. Aim for the **Ben Youssef Madrasa**, the carved cedar and zellij courtyard of a former Quranic school, open daily, about 50 MAD (≈ $5.1), paid at the door. Rest through the afternoon and come back to Jemaa el-Fnaa at dusk, when the food stalls light up. Read our [souk haggling guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/morocco-souk-haggling-etiquette-and-scams-guide) before you buy anything. **Day 2, the southern medina.** **Bahia Palace** opens 09:00 to 17:00, at 100 MAD (≈ $10.2) for foreign adults. Then the Saadian Tombs, the ruined El Badi Palace and the spice market of the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter. These sites are close together, about 10 to 15 minutes' walk apart, and best done before the midday heat. **Day 3, Majorelle, Gueliz and a hammam.** Go to **Jardin Majorelle** at opening. Tickets are sold online only on the official site, with a garden-only ticket and dearer combined tickets that add the Yves Saint Laurent and Berber museums; check current prices when you book. Afternoon in Gueliz, the 20th-century new town, then a hammam and a last evening on a rooftop above the square. **Day 4 and beyond.** The Ourika Valley is about an hour by road; the Ouzoud waterfalls about 2.5 to 3 hours; Aït Benhaddou is over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, about 4 to 5 hours each way to Ouarzazate, so it is far better as an overnight; see our [Aït Benhaddou guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/ait-benhaddou-ouarzazate-day-trip-guide). ## Where Marrakech fits in a wider route We reached Marrakech from the coast: 2 nights in **Essaouira**, about 2.5 to 3 hours away by CTM or Supratours bus, then one night in Marrakech before going over the mountains to **Ouarzazate**, through the Draa Valley via **Zagora and Tamgroute**, and out to **2 nights at Erg Chigaga**. Then back through Ouarzazate to Marrakech for 5 days before moving on to Prague. Our [24-day Morocco itinerary](https://clevertourists.com/resources/morocco-itinerary-our-24-day-route-tangier-to-the-sahara) lists every stop. The desert loop is the main reason to add days. Erg Chigaga is about 450 km away, with the last stretch past M'Hamid on 4x4 piste, so it needs a night on the way and at least one in the dunes; our [Erg Chigaga vs Merzouga](https://clevertourists.com/resources/erg-chigaga-vs-merzouga-sahara-desert-trip-from-marrakech-guide) explains the trade-off. If you would rather not spend two days on the road, [how many days in Essaouira](https://clevertourists.com/resources/how-many-days-in-essaouira) is the cooler, shorter alternative. Putting the long Marrakech stay at the end, as we did, has an advantage: after the desert the medina feels manageable rather than overwhelming, and you fly home from the city's airport. Our [Marrakech and the Sahara guide](https://clevertourists.com/guides/marrakech-and-the-sahara) covers the whole southern loop. ## When to go to Marrakech March to May and October to November are the comfortable months. Marrakech averages a daily high of about **37°C in August** and **32.5°C in September** (1991 to 2020 normals); we were there in mid-September and the right pattern was out early, inside from about 1pm to 5pm, and back out for the evening. Winter days are mild but nights are cold, and riads are not always well heated; see [is Morocco a good winter trip](https://clevertourists.com/resources/morocco-in-winter-weather-sahara-atlas-ramadan-2027-guide). Ramadan in 2027 is expected from about 8 February to 9 March. The city keeps running, but daytime eating changes and opening hours shorten; our [Ramadan 2027 guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/visiting-morocco-during-ramadan-2027-guide) has the details. ## Common mistakes • **Giving Marrakech one day and the desert one night.** One night at Erg Chigaga barely covers the drive in and out; two days in the medina is the minimum to enjoy it. • **Arriving at Majorelle without a ticket.** It is online only, and the timed slots fill in high season. • **Following anyone who says a street or the square is closed.** It is a standard lead-in to a paid detour; our [Morocco safety and scams guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/is-morocco-safe-marrakech-scams-tourist-guide) lists the common ones. • **Running out of dirhams.** The dirham is a closed currency and many medina stalls are cash only; see the [dirham and ATM guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/morocco-dirham-closed-currency-exchange-atm-guide) and [Morocco tipping guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/tipping-etiquette-morocco). ## Frequently asked questions ### Is 3 days in Marrakech enough? Yes, for the city. Three days covers Jemaa el-Fnaa and the northern souks with Ben Youssef Madrasa, the southern medina with Bahia Palace and the Saadian Tombs, and Jardin Majorelle and Gueliz. ### Is 2 days in Marrakech enough? It covers the medina if you split it north and south and put Majorelle at the start of one day. You will have no time for a day trip or a slow afternoon. ### How many days did you spend in Marrakech? Six days in September 2022: one night on 9 September between Essaouira and Ouarzazate, and 5 days from 14 to 19 September after two nights at Erg Chigaga. ### How many days do you need for Marrakech and the Sahara? About a week: 3 or 4 days in Marrakech and 3 or 4 for the desert. Erg Chigaga is about 450 km away with a 4x4 stretch past M'Hamid, so plan a night on the way and two in the dunes if you can. ### Do you need to book Jardin Majorelle in advance? Yes. Tickets are sold online only on the official site, either garden-only or combined with the museums. Book a timed slot and go at opening.