CityCoordinates: 31.63° N, 7.99° W

Marrakech

مراكشⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ

The Red City: ochre-red walls, saffron, palm green

See on the map

Photo: Tobias Waibl Pexels License Original file

Recommended stay: 3 days
Best season: March to May, October to November
Elevation: 465 m
Population: 1,002,697 (2024)
Best for: Souks · Riads · Street food · Gardens · Atlas day trips
UNESCO World Heritage: whc.unesco.org ↗
Key landmarks: Jemaa el-Fnaa squareKoutoubia Mosque and minaretBen Youssef MadrasaBahia PalaceSaadian TombsEl Badi PalaceJardin MajorelleMenara Gardens

Medina souks, riads and the square of Jemaa el-Fnaa. Base camp for the High Atlas and the desert.

Getting there

Menara Airport, about 25 minutes from Jemaa el-Fnaa by bus 19. Trains take about 3 hours from Casablanca and 7 hours from Fès.

Inside the Red Walls of the Medina

Marrakech rewards visitors who match its daily rhythm: cool, quiet mornings inside 16th-century Saadian courtyards and carved cedarwood madrasas, unhurried midday breaks in shaded riad gardens, and lively evenings when smoke rises from the grills of Jemaa el-Fnaa. Everything inside the ramparts radiates from the Koutoubia minaret, making it easy to orient yourself between the northern artisan souks and the southern palace quarter of the Kasbah and Mellah.

Getting Around & Planning Your Stay

Three full days give you time to explore Ben Youssef Madrasa, Bahia Palace, and Jardin Majorelle in Gueliz while still leaving an afternoon for a neighborhood hammam or a half-day excursion into the Ourika Valley or Agafay stone desert. Walk inside the medina, use metered petit taxis (or agree on 20–30 MAD) when crossing into Gueliz and Hivernage, and book timed-entry tickets for Jardin Majorelle at least 24 hours ahead.

Weather and climate

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Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0)

Climate by month

Average low and highRainy daysFestivals & cultural events

Marrakech International Marathon(January)
Ramadan 2027(February, March)
National Festival of Popular Arts(July)
Marrakech International Film Festival(November, December)

Climate by month
Month	Average low and high	Rainy days	Event
Jan	6°C – 19°C43°F – 66°F	5	Marrakech International Marathon
Feb	8°C – 21°C46°F – 69°F	6	Ramadan 2027
Mar	10°C – 24°C51°F – 74°F	6	Ramadan 2027
Apr	12°C – 26°C54°F – 78°F	5	—
May	15°C – 29°C59°F – 85°F	3	—
Jun	18°C – 34°C64°F – 92°F	2	—
Jul	21°C – 38°C69°F – 100°F	2	National Festival of Popular Arts
Aug	21°C – 37°C70°F – 99°F	2	—
Sep	19°C – 33°C65°F – 91°F	3	—
Oct	16°C – 29°C60°F – 83°F	4	—
Nov	11°C – 23°C51°F – 74°F	5	Marrakech International Film Festival
Dec	7°C – 20°C45°F – 68°F	6	Marrakech International Film Festival

Source: Direction de la Météorologie Nationale, 1991-2020 normals, via WMO. Updated October 11, 2001. worldweather.wmo.int

Suggested itinerary

Checked by Morocco Insider Tips on November 6, 2026

Day 1 The medina and Jemaa el-Fnaa
Morning
Start at the Koutoubia minaret while the air is cool, then cross Jemaa el-Fnaa and walk north through the souks to the Ben Youssef Madrasa, which opens at 09:00.
Afternoon
Take a long lunch and a riad break through the hottest hours, then go back to the souks for slow browsing and bargaining once the lanes cool down.
Evening
Watch the square fill up from a rooftop terrace at sunset, then go down to the food stalls. Keep small notes for the musicians and performers you photograph.
Day 2 The Kasbah and the palaces
Morning
Enter the Kasbah by Bab Agnaou and reach the Saadian Tombs early, because the narrow passage backs up and the best chamber is seen in turns. Continue to the ruins of El Badi Palace, a few minutes away.
Afternoon
Walk through the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, to Bahia Palace for its courtyards and painted cedar ceilings. Allow about an hour and aim to arrive well before the 17:00 closing.
Evening
Book a neighbourhood or riad hammam to wash off the dust, then have dinner in the quieter lanes of the Kasbah instead of going back to the square.
Day 3 Majorelle and modern Gueliz
Morning
Take a timed slot at the Jardin Majorelle, which opens at 08:00, with tickets bought in advance on the official site. Add the Pierre Bergé Museum of Berber Arts, and the Yves Saint Laurent museum next door if you like.
Afternoon
Have lunch in Gueliz and browse its galleries and concept shops, a calm contrast to the medina. Bus 11 goes on to the Menara gardens if you still want open space.
Evening
Walk or take a short taxi ride back along Avenue Mohammed V to see the Koutoubia lit up, and finish on a rooftop near the square.

Tips

Buy Majorelle tickets only at tickets.jardinmajorelle.com. The garden says it is the only official seller and that tickets from other sites will not get you in.
If a stranger says a street or site is closed, keep walking. It is a common way to steer visitors to a shop, and a free tannery tour usually ends with a demand for money.
Budget about 100 MAD each for Bahia, El Badi and the Saadian Tombs, and carry cash in dirhams.
Prefer the mountains? Swap day 3 for the Ourika Valley or Imlil. Minibuses leave from Jardin Sidi Mimoun, so start early.
Avoid the snake charmers and monkey handlers unless you are ready to pay: they expect money the moment you take a photo.

Getting around

Airport: bus 19 runs to Jemaa el-Fnaa for about 30 MAD. A taxi to the medina is about 150 MAD; agree the fare before you get in.
Petit taxis take up to three passengers and must use the meter, but near the station and the square many refuse. About 20 MAD is a fair offer for a 10-minute daytime ride, and walking 100 metres away from a tourist spot usually helps.
City buses stop near Jemaa el-Fnaa at the Arset El Bilk terminus. Line 1 goes to Gueliz and line 8 to the train station, for a few dirhams.
Cars cannot reach most riads. Ask yours for the nearest drop-off point and a meeting spot before you arrive.

Etiquette

Non-Muslims cannot enter the Koutoubia or other working mosques. The minaret and gardens can be enjoyed from outside.
Dress modestly in the medina, with shoulders and knees covered, and ask before photographing people or their stalls.
During Ramadan, next starting in February 2027, avoid eating, drinking or smoking in public by day, and expect shorter opening hours.
Bargaining is expected in the souks. Keep it friendly, and only name a price you are willing to pay.

Sources, updated November 6, 2026

Getting here by train and bus

Direct rail, high-speed train, and coach routes connecting Marrakech.

Grand TaxiGrand taxi
Departing
Marrakech Ourika Valley
1h 30m(90 min)500–600 MAD
Schedule: Shared taxis to Setti Fatma leave from a rank 3 km outside Bab Er Robb but are rare in low season; a private taxi for the day costs about 500–600 MAD
Agree the full price before you leave and pay at the end of the day, not at the start.
Book on Grand taxi site
Grand TaxiShared grand taxi
Departing
Marrakech Imlil
1h 30m(90 min)30–50 MAD
Schedule: Leaves when full (6 seats) from near Bab Agnaou or Sidi Mimoun; price is per seat
If there's no direct taxi to Imlil, take one to Asni, which runs far more often, and change there for Imlil.
Book on Shared grand taxi site
Train (ONCF)ONCF Al Atlas
Arriving
Casablanca Marrakech
2h 40m(160 min)90–220 MAD
Schedule: Regular departures through the day from Casa Voyageurs; from about 90 MAD in 2nd class and 120 MAD in 1st class
Book on ONCF Al Atlas site
Train (ONCF)ONCF Al Atlas
Departing
Marrakech Casablanca
2h 40m(160 min)90–220 MAD
Schedule: Regular departures through the day; from about 90 MAD in 2nd class and 120 MAD in 1st class
Book a few days ahead for your preferred time. Before Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, buy as early as you can because trains fill up.
Book on ONCF Al Atlas site
Coach (CTM / Supratours)CTM
Departing
Marrakech Essaouira
3h(180 min)95–105 MAD
Schedule: Usually 1 daily (08:30, arriving 11:30)
Book on CTM site
Coach (CTM / Supratours)CTM
Departing
Marrakech Agadir
3h(180 min)120 MAD
Schedule: Several daily departures on the A7 motorway; about 120 MAD
Book on CTM site
Coach (CTM / Supratours)CTM
Departing
Marrakech Casablanca
3h(180 min)95 MAD
Schedule: Frequent daily coaches; a budget alternative to the train at about 95 MAD
Book on CTM site
Grand TaxiShared grand taxi (change at Azilal)
Departing
Marrakech Cascades d'Ouzoud
3h(180 min)75–200 MAD
Schedule: Bab Doukala to Azilal when full (about 50 MAD a seat), then Azilal to Ouzoud (about 25 MAD a seat, or about 150 MAD for the whole car)
Book on Shared grand taxi (change at Azilal) site
Coach (CTM / Supratours)Supratours
Arriving
Essaouira Marrakech
3h(180 min)100–125 MAD
Schedule: 7 daily: 07:00, 09:00, 11:00, 14:00, 15:30, 17:00, 18:30 from the station near Bab Marrakech
Book on Supratours site
Coach (CTM / Supratours)Supratours
Departing
Marrakech Essaouira
3h(180 min)100–125 MAD
Schedule: About 7 daily from the Supratours terminal next to Marrakech railway station
In Essaouira, Supratours stops near Bab Marrakech, a short walk from the medina. CTM uses the main bus station about 1.5 km out, a 10–20 MAD petit taxi ride.
Book on Supratours site
Coach (CTM / Supratours)Supratours
Departing
Marrakech Agadir
3h 30m(210 min)110 MAD
Schedule: Roughly hourly from the Supratours terminal next to Marrakech railway station
Luggage must be checked in, for a small fee of about 5 MAD on top of the fare. Any railway station also sells combined train-and-coach tickets to Agadir (ask for a “billet rail et route”).
Book on Supratours site
Coach (CTM / Supratours)CTM
Departing
Marrakech Ouarzazate
4h 30m(270 min)110 MAD
Schedule: Morning and afternoon departures over the Tizi n'Tichka pass; about 110 MAD
With only one full day for Ouarzazate and Aït Benhaddou, take a very early bus and stay one night. Otherwise take an afternoon bus and stay two.
Book on CTM site
Train (ONCF)ONCF Al Boraq + Al Atlas
Arriving
Tangier Marrakech
5h 14m(314 min)186–472 MAD
Schedule: 7 daily (06:00, 08:00, 11:00, 14:00, 15:00, 17:00, 19:00), changing at Casa Voyageurs; 2nd class 186–338 MAD, 1st class 249–472 MAD
There is also a direct overnight train at 23:25 with a 1st-class 4-berth couchette car (about 375 MAD). Couchettes can't be booked online and sometimes sell out, so buy at a station up to 2 months ahead.
Book on ONCF Al Boraq + Al Atlas site

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Festivals and events here

Annual cultural festivals, gatherings, and seasonal events in Marrakech.

JanuaryLast weekend of January
Marrakech International Marathon
Jan 30 – 31, 2027
A flat, fast marathon and half marathon looping past the ramparts and palm groves, with a 5 km fun run the day before (30 January 2027). The marathon starts at 07:45 on Sunday 31 January 2027.
TipsOnline registration closes the day before the race (30 January), and hotels near the start fill with runners, so book both early.
Official site
February · MarchAbout 8 February to 9 March 2027 (estimate, set by Morocco's moon sighting)Lunar
Ramadan 2027
Lunar calendar: dates move about 11 days earlier each year
The month of fasting is observed nationwide; listed under Marrakech for its lively Jemaa el-Fna evenings after iftar. Days are quieter, opening hours shorter, and cities come alive after sunset. Morocco may start a day later than the astronomical estimate.
TipsTravellers report that restaurants in tourist areas stay open by day while local cafés close until iftar; eat indoors out of respect, and expect ONCF to add evening trains after sunset.
JulyEarly July (2026 edition: 2 to 6 July)
National Festival of Popular Arts
Morocco's oldest festival (55th edition in 2026) brings folk troupes, acrobats, horsemen and dancers from every region to El Badi Palace, the Bahia and Jemaa el-Fna.
November · DecemberLate November to early December (2026 edition: 20 to 28 November)
Marrakech International Film Festival
Premieres and red carpets at the Palais des Congrès, plus free open-air screenings on Jemaa el-Fna. The 23rd edition (2026) shows 76 films from 39 countries, with Marion Cotillard as jury president.
Official site

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