Marrakech

Good to know

Go

Sleep inside the medina if you want the morning walk. Gueliz if you want quieter nights.

Skip

Skip a rooftop dinner on the main square. You are paying for the speakers.

Eat

A tagine at a small place off the square. Bread comes with it. Order one, not a banquet.

Entry

Morocco is visa-free for many passports and an e-visa for others. Check before you pay for a stay you cannot cancel.

Timing

July and August are too hot to walk the medina at midday. April, November are easier.

What the days can hold

• Medina before the stalls

  Free

  Medina · morning

  Start at eight. By eleven the same lane is a market, not a walk.

• Jardin Majorelle

  $12

  Gardens · morning

  Buy the timed ticket. The garden is small, so go when it opens.

• Tagine off the square

  $14

  Medina · afternoon

  If someone walks you to the door, you are about to pay their commission.

• Bahia Palace

  $8

  Medina · afternoon

  The courtyards are the visit. You do not need a guide for them.

• Le Jardin Secret

  $7

  Gardens · afternoon

  A quiet hour. The tower view is the extra ticket.

• Jemaa el-Fna after dark

  $10

  Medina · evening

  Walk the square. Eat only at a stall you chose, not one that chose you.

• A hammam

  $25

  Gueliz · afternoon

  Book a neighbourhood hammam, not a hotel package with a transfer.

• Gueliz for coffee

  $6

  Gueliz · morning

  The new town is the break from the medina, not a second sightseeing list.