How to Spend 3 Days in Marrakesh, Morocco

Ensconced in a fertile plain shadowed by the Atlas Mountains, is the former imperial city of Marrakesh.

Marrakesh has many nicknames, such as “the Land of God” or “the Daughter of the Desert” for example, but it’s perhaps best simply known as the “Red City” thanks to the many buildings here made from a clay that has a high concentration of iron oxide. To look at Marrakesh from above is to see a mosaic of oranges and pinks—a little terracotta here, a rosy peach there.

One of the most interesting parts of the city is its medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Encircled by towering 12th-century walls, it’s home to a labyrinth of opulent palaces, mosques, gardens, riads (traditional Moroccan homes, usually centered around a courtyard), and several souks where artisans craft everything from lanterns and leather sandals to handwoven rugs and delicately carved wooden chessboards. It’s a rich tapestry of the Arab, Berber, and French influences that shaped the city’s language, cuisine, and architecture for 10 centuries. Best of all, cats (perhaps the city’s true ruling class) are quite literally everywhere you turn.

The Red City is so exquisitely dizzying, so deliciously textured and vibrant, that you can almost taste it. I’ve curated a three-day itinerary for a quick trip to Marrakesh that includes dining at rooftop bars, visiting the sumptuous palaces of former Sultans, and getting delightfully lost in souks.

Here’s how to spend three perfect days in Marrakesh.

Day 1

Use the first half of your day to familiarize yourself with your riad hotel and the area it’s located in. My home for the three nights I was in Marrakesh was Riad Adriana, a three-story, seven-bedroom structure. It has small but cozy bedrooms with thoughtful interior design details such as gold sinks, hand-painted tables, and twinkling Moroccan light fixtures. A small eight-pointed star fountain, peppered with roses during the day and small candles at night, bubbles at the center of a courtyard blanketed in colorful tiles. There’s also a rooftop with sun loungers, tables, and chairs where breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served during the summer.

Upon check-in, I was treated to a large silvery pot of Moroccan mint tea and a plate of traditional cookies, often served as a hospitality ritual. I also chose to have my first lunch at the riad, where I was served a bubbling tagine with beef, vegetables, and poached eggs served with a side of vegetable couscous.

After lunch, wind your way to Dar El Bacha, the former palace of Thami el Glaoui, the Pasha of Marrakesh in the early 20th century. The building was later restored and converted into the Museum of Confluences, which is dedicated to the art of Moroccan craftsmanship. Here, you can ogle at intricately carved and painted wooden ceilings and a lush courtyard bursting with dizzying geometric tiles and rows of orange trees. Inside, you’ll also find Bacha Coffee, a small Art Deco-style cafe where waiters in crisp white blazers and red fezes serve coffee. There’s often an hours-long wait to enter the cafe, so it’s best to arrive before 10 a.m. to try and snag a seat.

Afterward, explore the shops that line Rue Dar El Bacha and stop for a cup of freshly squeezed orange or pomegranate juice from a street vendor. Head to dinner at Le Terrasse des Épices, an open-air rooftop restaurant positioned at the heart of the small, high-end Souk Cherifia. It’s one of the few restaurants in Marrakesh that serves alcohol, and it boasts an impressive wine and seasonal cocktail list to boot. A standout cocktail was the Marrakchi Mule, a clever twist on the Moscow Mule. Main courses like the butter-soft beef tenderloin and the signature tanjia ravioli (filled with beef shank cooked for five hours with candied lemons, saffron, cumin, and garlic), are a feast for the tastebuds.

Day 2

Begin with breakfast at your riad if it’s included in your stay. My riad hosts breakfast on its rooftop, where even at 8 a.m., temperatures were already reaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Breakfast included coffee, tea, freshly squeezed orange juice, diced watermelon, baghrir (a yeasted pancake), msemmen (a Moroccan flatbread), and mini tagine pots holding cream cheese, jam, and amlou, a thick brown honey-and-almond paste similar to peanut butter.

Then, head towards Gueliz, the city’s “new” hip neighborhood that was built by the French in 1912, that’s now home to art galleries, high-end shopping, and glittery fusion restaurants; it’s about a 20-minute walk from the medina. Depending on your activity level and willingness to cross busy intersections, you can either walk there or hail a cab. Make sure to visit the Jardin Majorelle, a 20th-century botanical garden where hundreds of species of plants, trees, succulents, shrubs, and vines—from coconut palm trees and bougainvillea to water lilies and giant agave—sprout, climb, and grow around meandering pathways. For brunch, drop by the nearby Blue Ribbon Marrakech, an organic farm-to-table cafe selling eats like avocado toast with poached eggs, as well as protein shakes and coffee.

Next, make your way back to the medina, and peruse the Souk Haddadine, a marketplace specializing in metalwork; the Souk Smata, known for its production of colorful, sequined babouches (Moroccan slippers); and the Souk Cherratine, which specializes in leather goods. It’s easy to get lost, and your smartphone’s maps system may get confused, but keep an eye out for signs that point to major attractions, like the Medersa Ben Youssef. Built in the 14th century, it was once North Africa’s largest Islamic school, and today remains one of the best examples of Moroccan architectural craftsmanship—check out the white stone floors, intricately carved wooden windows, glittering mosaic pools, geometric tile patterns, and walls of white plaster carved with swirling designs.

Finish the day with dinner at the Moroccan-Mediterranean fusion restaurant L’Mida. Set on a rooftop, the restaurant offers a nearly 360-degree view over Marrakesh’s rooftops and the sun setting behind the Atlas Mountains. The chicken-lemon tagine soft tacos, served with candied tomatoes and creamy mint yogurt sauce, are not to be missed. While there’s no alcohol here, fruity mocktails like the Mrahba (a mixture of raspberry, basil, and lemon juice) more than make up for it.

Day 3

After breakfast, head to Mandala Society, one of the many third-wave coffee shops opening across the city. Next, visit Jemaa el-Fnaa, arguably Marrakesh’s most popular tourist attraction, which is on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list. The massive plaza and marketplace are bursting with food stalls, performers, and musicians, and it’s not uncommon to see monkeys in diapers running around or cobras undulating before snake charmers.

Next, make time to see the ruins of the 16th-century El Badi Palace, a towering, sprawling structure built as a testament to the Sultan’s power—it also served as the home of his harem of more than 500 women. El Badi is a quiet respite from the city’s near-constant thrum, and if you visit in the morning, you might have the entire space to yourself. Its vast courtyard has reflecting pools and four sunken gardens with orange trees and fragrant rose bushes. Cats sunbathe on 500-year-old tiles while elegant long-necked storks stretch and soar above—they’ve made the crumbling ruins of the Sultan’s once-great legacy their home.

To quench your thirst, order a pot of Moroccan mint tea and traditional Moroccan pastries at Le Terrasse des Èpices’ ground-floor pastry shop in Souk Cherifia. Afterward, shop for hand-painted ceramic bowls, mugs, and plates from one of the souk’s three ceramic stalls.

Continue your shopping spree along Rue Bab Doukkala, Rue Dar el Bacha, and Route Sidi Abdelaziz, all lined with antique shops and high-end boutiques from French and Moroccan designers. Topolina Medina sells peasant blouses and loose dresses in colorful prints of silk and cotton. Laly which specializes in monochromatic clothing inspired by contemporary and Moroccan silhouettes, is worth checking out, too. Energize yourself with an afternoon pick-me-up from Kesh Cup and grab a coffee, smoothie, or mojito to-go.

End your last night in Marrakesh with a meal at your riad, if that’s an option. Otherwise, head to Kabana Rooftop Food & Cocktails for drinks and eats. On a lush, green terrace backdropped by the 12th-century Koutoubia Mosque’s Moorish minaret, you can celebrate your trip with sushi or Mediterranean-Latin American fusion cuisine.

Know Before You Go

Cash is king.

The dirham is the official currency of Morocco, and it’s important to have it on hand. Restaurants and rooftop bars often accept credit cards and contactless payments, but you will encounter places that only accept dirhams, especially in the souks. (Some stalls will accept other currencies, mainly euros, as payment, although not at the official dirham-to-euro conversion rate). If you need some cash immediately upon landing in Marrakesh, there’s an ATM in the airport’s arrivals hall, which you pass by after baggage claim before exiting the airport. Carrying small bills is helpful to shop owners and will be appreciated.

Make sure you have cell service.

Data coverage is essential to navigating Marrakesh’s winding alleys, especially at night. Upon landing at the airport and before exiting the arrivals hall, you can pick up a free SIM card from booths belonging to the city’s three main cellphone providers: Maroc Telecom, Orange Maroc, and Inwi. For three days in the city, a five-dirham plan (around $1.36 USD) will more than suffice. You can also load your SIM card at one of the many general kiosks in the city.

If your cellphone is locked and doesn’t allow you to switch in foreign SIM cards, consider investing in a portable hotspot, like the pocket-sized Simo Solis Lite. It works in over 135 countries and comes with a free lifetime global data plan that gives you 1GB of data each month. If you find yourself running out, you can easily purchase additional data through an app on your smartphone.

Learning a Few Words of French and Darija will go a long way.

The main languages spoken in Morocco are French (the country was a former protectorate), English, and Darija, a dialect of Arabic primarily spoken in North Africa. Knowing a few words in either French or especially Darija can go far in showing appreciation and mutual respect when interacting with the locals. “Bonjour,” the French word for “hello,” and “shukran” (pronounced shook-ran), Arabic for “thank you,” are common words used around the city.

Be prepared to barter.

Bartering is part of Moroccan culture and is often expected, not just when purchasing goods but also for services like taxis. While there aren’t any hard and fast rules to haggling in the city, there are guidelines for doing it respectfully. (Also good to know: bartering is perfectly normal in the souks but not in higher-end boutique stores).

First, shop around and inquire about prices to get a general idea of what the item you’re searching for costs. Once you have a baseline, start the bartering process slowly, and remember to always maintain a poker face—the idea is to not seem overly eager, even if you find something you love. It’s usually common practice to offer a third or half the price of the original offer, and then slowly make your way up from there. Be mindful that if you’re buying something artisanal or handcrafted the price will always be higher than common souvenirs, and it may not be appropriate to barter as aggressively. When you’ve settled on a price, make sure to thank the owner with a “shukran,” especially if they offer you some mint tea.