Where to stayBy Clever Tourists · Published
For a first visit, stay in a riad inside the medina, within about 10 to 15 minutes' walk of Jemaa el-Fnaa. You get a quiet courtyard and roof terrace in the middle of the souks, the square at dusk on foot, and the palaces of the southern medina a short walk away. Pick Gueliz, the modern new town, or Hivernage, between Gueliz and the medina walls, if you want a bigger hotel, a pool and streets you can drive down; and the Palmeraie or the countryside outside the city only if the trip is about a resort pool rather than the city. We spent 6 days in Marrakech in September 2022: one night on 9 September between Essaouira and the High Atlas, and 5 days from 14 to 19 September after the desert.
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• First visit, 2 to 4 nights: a riad in the medina near Jemaa el-Fnaa, Riad Zitoun or Mouassine.
• Palaces and an easy airport run: the Kasbah quarter in the southern medina.
• Modern hotel, cafes, Jardin Majorelle on foot: Gueliz.
• Big hotels and nightlife: Hivernage.
• Pool holiday, families, or a quiet last night: the Palmeraie.
• One night before a desert trip: anywhere close to a medina gate where your driver can pick you up.
What it's like: the walled old city, a UNESCO World Heritage site built of red earth, organised around Jemaa el-Fnaa, the square that fills with food stalls, music and crowds every evening below the Koutoubia minaret. Riads, traditional houses built around a courtyard, are hidden behind plain doors on the side lanes. Both our Marrakech and the Sahara guide and our Morocco guide recommend a riad here, a short walk from the souks and the square.
Which part: the lanes of Riad Zitoun run south from the square toward the Bahia Palace; Mouassine, north-west of the square, puts you among the souks and close to the Ben Youssef Madrasa; the Kasbah, in the south, is next to the Saadian Tombs and the Badi Palace and the closest part of the medina to the airport road.
Downside: cars cannot reach most riad doors, the lanes are easy to get lost in, and people will offer to walk you there for a fee. Ask the riad to meet you at a named gate or car park, and read our Marrakech safety and scams guide. Courtyard rooms can be dark and sound carries between them.
What it's like: the French-built ville nouvelle north-west of the medina, with broad avenues, cafes, galleries, supermarkets, international restaurants and the train station. Our Marrakech guide points to it for more modern hotels. Jardin Majorelle is on its north-eastern edge, and Jemaa el-Fnaa is a taxi ride or a long walk down Avenue Mohammed V.
Who it suits: travelers arriving or leaving by train, return visitors, people who want a break from the medina's intensity, and anyone who wants to drive or take taxis to the door.
Downside: it feels like any modern Moroccan city centre. The evenings in the square and mornings in the souks become trips rather than something on your doorstep.
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What it's like: a leafy district of large international hotels, wide streets and the city's best-known nightclubs and lounge bars, between Gueliz and the medina walls near the Koutoubia. Most hotels have pools and gardens.
Who it suits: travelers who want a full-service hotel and a pool but closer to the medina than Gueliz or the Palmeraie, and couples or groups who want nightlife in the evening.
Downside: it is designed for visitors rather than lived in, and you still need a taxi or a long walk for the souks. Rooms cost more than a mid-range riad.
What it's like: a large palm grove on the north-eastern edge of Marrakech, scattered with resort hotels, villas and golf courses behind walls. Further out, the stony Agafay plateau has desert-style camps; our day trips from Marrakech compares it with the Atlas valleys and the coast.
Who it suits: families who want a big pool and space, honeymooners, and anyone ending a long trip with a few days of doing nothing.
Downside: you are dependent on the hotel shuttle or taxis, and the medina is a car ride each way. It is a resort stay near Marrakech, not a way to see the city.
Arrival. Menara airport is on the edge of the city. Our airport to the medina guide compares the airport bus, taxis and riad pickups; for a medina riad, a pickup arranged by the riad that walks you the last stretch is the least stressful first night.
Season. Our Marrakech guide picks March to May and October to November. Summer is extremely hot, so a pool or a shaded roof terrace and air conditioning matter; winter days are mild but nights are cold, and many riads are cold inside, so check for heating. Christmas and New Year sell out; see our Christmas in Marrakech guide.
Desert trips. If you are leaving for the Sahara, book a riad near a gate where your driver can collect you early, and keep it for the night you return. Our Erg Chigaga vs Merzouga guide explains the drive times.
Book 3 nights for the city: Jemaa el-Fnaa and the souks, the palaces of the southern medina, and Jardin Majorelle. Add days for the Atlas or the desert. Our how many days in Marrakech guide and 7-day Marrakech itinerary have the plans.
On a longer stay, a split works well: a riad in the medina for the sightseeing nights, then two nights in Gueliz, Hivernage or the Palmeraie with a pool. Coming from the north, see where to stay in Fes; for the coast, our Essaouira guide. Our Moroccan food guide covers the tagines and night-market stalls.
The medina, in a riad near Jemaa el-Fnaa, for a first visit. Gueliz is better for modern hotels, the train station, Jardin Majorelle and taxis to the door, but the souks and the square become trips.
Within 10 to 15 minutes' walk of Jemaa el-Fnaa: Riad Zitoun toward the Bahia Palace, Mouassine among the souks, or the Kasbah near the Saadian Tombs and the airport road.
For a pool holiday, yes. It is a palm grove of resort hotels and villas on the city's edge, so you depend on shuttles or taxis and the medina is a car ride each way.
Cars cannot reach most riad doors, so ask the riad to meet you at a named gate or car park. A riad-arranged airport pickup is the least stressful option for a first night.
Three for the city itself, plus days for the Atlas or the desert. We spent 6 days in Marrakech across two stays in September 2022.
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