The scent of spices: Our Marrakech Travel Guide

Marrakech is the "pearl of the south" at the foot of the Atlas Mountains, where the change of scenery and the sweetness of life mix. Huddled behind its ochre ramparts, the Medina intertwines its picturesque lanes, classified as a World Heritage Site. One gets lost in its famous souks, a true "city within the city", among the largest and richest in Morocco. Follow our luxury travel guide to discover Marrakech. 

The vibrant heart of the city, the iconic Jemaa el-Fna square is as effervescent by day as it is festive by night. Home to snake charmers, monkey watchers and Gnawa players, the place turns into a gigantic gourmet terrace as soon as the sun sets.

Outside the walls, you can enjoy the freshness of the sumptuous Majorelle and Menara Gardens; admire the splendid architecture of the Koutoubia Mosque and climb to the top of the El Badi Palace where you can enjoy a fascinating view of the city's rooftops. In the Maghreb sunshine, our luxury villas in Marrakech open their doors near the historic centre or retreat to the tranquillity of the chic Palmeraie districts.

marrakech practical tips

When to go?

The best time to discover Marrakech is spring between mid-March and May, when the roses are in bloom and the sky is sunny. Autumn, between September and November with its mild temperatures and spring air is also a perfect season to stroll through the city's streets. The summer months should be avoided at all costs, as the heat can reach 45 degrees. Don't forget that during the month of Ramadan many restaurants are closed.

How to get there?

It is easy to find a flight from major European cities to Marrakech. Its airport, Marrakech-Menara, has recently undergone impressive renovations. Once there, the best way to get around the medina is on foot. To reach the modern districts beyond the ramparts such as the Guéliz and Hivernage or the Agafay Desert, simply hail one of the many taxis that criss-cross the city.

the playful light of marrakech

By going beyond the ramparts of Marrakech, you arrive in another world, in the splendour of the red city. Put your suitcases down in a riad, a haven of peace, fresh and green in the whirlpool of the Medina. From the roof terrace, between the cacti and exotic plants, you can see the red tower of the Koutoubia and the high ramparts of the city.

 

 

Outside, the streets, with their colours and noises, are the opposite of the desert a few hours away, pale, hot and silent. One borrows its ochre labyrinths and thinks one has tamed them, before getting lost again. Kittens, mopeds and walls with bougainvillea waterfalls, each alleyway holds a surprise. The freshness of the souks encourages you to get lost, to be inspired by colours and textures, to find the improbable.

It is our turn to fall in love with Marrakchi handicrafts. Berber carpets fill cool and surprisingly wide rooms in this tightly knit city. Moucharabiehs and leather bags are stacked within easy reach of the merchants. Their colours and tones are reminiscent of those of the city. The spices of all smells are presented without a shop window, flooded with bright colours.

At the exit of the winding alleys, one takes a mint tea served hot among the snake charmers and turtle sellers. The local cuisine is refined and spicy, but beyond tagines and couscous, more and more establishments are inventing their own dishes, with European and Asian accents.

Morocco is too rich in landscapes to be limited to the city. If you drive through the red lands around Marrakech, you will discover the most surprising oases and their Berber campsites a few kilometres away. From there, you can take a closer look at the majestic snow-covered Atlas Mountains. In these refuges, extreme refinement blends with the more or less dominated nature.

One reads in the palm groves and takes a nap under the bougainvilleas. At lunch, couscous is served under the olive trees, near springs where frogs and goats drink. In the surrounding desert, you will come across some camels and traditional tents. One is tempted to think that we are in the middle of nowhere, and yet, the effervescence of the medina is only thirty minutes away. Everywhere in Marrakesh, time stretches out, in nature as well as in the city. The Arab culture mixes with the French influence and creates an irresistible and unique marriage, undeniably exotic.

our villas in marrakech

Be inspired by our collection of villa rentals in Marrakech and plunge into a universe where Moroccan traditions are revisited with refinement. An authentic riad whose patio has been transformed into a swimming pool, a modern house looking like a ksar on the edge of a golf course, a beautiful Californian villa with massage room and tennis court isolated from the hustle and bustle: our villas all have a colourful character in one of our luxury holiday destinations.

Riad Azca

Riad Azca is a haven of peace to rest after a day in the busy streets of the red city. Traditional influences are elegantly contrasted by the large windows and the contemporary decoration that adorn the riad's immaculate walls. The colours of the seats and the paintings depicting scenes of Moroccan life add to this perfect picture.

In the morning, you go up to the roof terrace of the riad for a hearty breakfast, with the music of the city awakening in the background and an exceptional panorama of the Medina. In the luminous patio, we swim in the swimming pool to refresh ourselves before setting off to the souks.

Villa Hebri 

Hidden in a lush secret garden, the terracotta walls and emerald green domes of Villa Hebri are reminiscent of the traditional riads of the Red City. Inside, the masterful Moroccan craftsmanship is brought to light: typical patterns can be found on the floors, fabrics or mosaics of the fireplace.

In the shade of a hundred-year-old olive tree, we take advantage of the burning sun of Morocco then we dive into the magnificent green mosaic pool in front of us. Later, we venture into the surroundings of the villa for a game of golf with friends.

Villa Dar El Sadaka 

Villa Dar El Sadaka is a stunning residence nestled in a lush palm grove. In the gardens or in the rooms, the animal sculptures and extravagant works of the artist Jean-François Fourtou invite themselves as if to tell us an oriental fable.

At first light, you cross the amazing scenery of the villa's large gardens to reach the tennis court. As soon as the heat is felt, you rush to the massage room to be pampered before joining the large sofas for a brunch prepared by the villa's chef.

our best addresses in marrakech

Grand Café de la poste

Marrakchi Institution

Created in the 1920s, the Grand Café de la Poste stands out for its colonial-inspired decoration. We love its wooden shutters, its raffia seats and its grandiose proportions. The menu does not offer classics of local cuisine but a typical French brasserie menu. A real treat, the result of a collaboration between two French and Moroccan chefs. You must absolutely taste their duck breast.

Address : Avenue Imam Malik, Marrakech

Le Foundouk

Between the west and the east

Finding the elegant Foundouk in the alleys of the medina requires a certain sense of direction but the welcome, between candles and the scent of roses, is worth the diversion. Foundouk means caravanserai but here the contemporary decoration perfectly illustrates the style of the new Marrakech, mixing past and present, East and West. The French chef serves a fine and refined cuisine, a hybrid of Moroccan and Mediterranean influences, tradition and modernity.

Address : 55, Souk Hal Fes, Kaat Bennahid, Marrakech

Bô-zin

Oriental lounge

This restaurant and bar located a few kilometres from the ramparts of the old city welcomes a trendy French and Moroccan clientele. The soundtrack is provided by very good DJs, lounge music followed by sounds more suited to the dance floor from 11pm. You don't miss the opportunity to drink a mojito in its exotic garden.

Address : Route de l'Ourika km 3,5, Marrakech

Al Fassia

Traditionally Moroccan

Locals will tend to describe Al Fassia as a must. The cuisine here is traditionally Moroccan. Excellent tagines and couscous are served à la carte. All dishes are delicious, especially the pigeon pastilla. The staff, exclusively female, infuses this institution of more than twenty years with a warm atmosphere.

Address : 55 Boulevard Mohamed Zerktouni, Gueliz, Marrakech

Le comptoir

Oriental nights

On weekend evenings, the Comptoir welcomes the whole of Marrakech for a drink in an attractive and contemporary atmosphere. This red-and-black-walled institution is also a restaurant and is the ideal place to extend your evenings, with oriental dancers and talented DJs, all washed down with tasty cocktails.

Address : Avenue Echouhada, Hivernage, Marrakech

Nomad

Cocktails with a view

The Nomad's door is not easy to find. Once you enter, you climb its stairs to reach the second terrace and its breathtaking view of the rooftops of the Laghzel souk and the snow-covered Atlas Mountains (between November and May). The cocktails are particularly delicious there, accompanied by a fresh and inventive cuisine.

Address : 1 derb Arjan, Rahba Lakdima, Marrakech

Le jardin Majorelle

Stylish garden

The Majorelle garden is a true living tableau, and remains a must for every new visitor on holiday in Marrakech. Trees and exotic plants line its shady alleys, lulled by the murmur of the fountains and the chirping of birds. The memorial to Yves Saint Laurent, who bought the garden in 1980 with Pierre Bergé, adds a spiritual dimension to this unmistakable homage to colour and nature.

Address : Angle des rues Yakoub el Mansour et Prince Moulay Abdelah

Mustapha Blaoui

Eclectic Shopping

Mustapha is an antique dealer and has a real Ali Baba's cave where one could spend hours. There you can discover craftsmanship, from the oldest to the most modern, crockery, unique lamps and a few carefully selected pieces of ready-to-wear clothing. You will find everything in this cave where you will inevitably find something to offer or take home.

Address : 144 Arset Aouzal Rd, Marrakech

Le Beldi country club

Magic escape

For a getaway out of the chaos of the medina, one leaves without hesitation for the Beldi country club six kilometres from the city. Two long swimming pools are waiting there under the bougainvilleas, where you can indulge in the most complete idleness. There, one divides one's time between rose bushes, olive groves, restaurants, original shops and the Spa by Beldi, one of the best we have tried so far.

Address : KM6 route du Barrage, BP 210, Marrakech

our experience in marrakech

The poetry of equestrian art

Enter the poetic world of the equestrian show alongside Sadek El bahjaoui, a virtuoso trainer.

Vintage atmosphere and cocktails on the roof

Cocktail trunk, saxophone and mixologist: plunge into a retro evening on the rooftops of the city.

Dinner in the desert

Dinner is served in a nomadic tent accompanied by Gnawa musicians and acrobats.

Breakfast in the air

Fly away for breakfast served at a table hundreds of metres above the ground.

Explore Marrakech in a sidecar

Explore the Marrakech region  in a real time machine: A Red Army sidecar

Explore the Atlas Mountains by bicycle

Cross the fertile land of Amanar by mountain bike along walnut fields and wild torrents.

Discover our luxury villa rentals in Marrakech, explore the region on the good advice of our luxury concierge and let yourself be carried away by the scent of the spices of the colourful souks of Marrakech.