3 nights in Marrakech, Morocco: what to do & where to go - a travel guide

Recently, I booked a very last-minute trip to spend a few days in Marrakech. It had been high on my list for a good while and I needed some respite from the long UK winter with warmer weather and sun on my skin. Being only a 4-hour flight from Edinburgh airport, it was the perfect opportunity.

We arrived in Marrakech in the evening after being treated to a gorgeous sunset during the plane journey. The passport control at Marrakech Menara Airport is very thorough and so takes quite long. They will ask for your hotel or riad address, what your job is and take your photo. There is also a security x-ray for your luggage before leaving the airport, so if you are making plans following your arrival, give yourself plenty of time to get through all this and to your location. If you need a taxi, there is a little taxi kiosk outside the arrivals terminal which was very handy.

Our hotel was only about 15 minutes' drive from the airport and in a decent area, although a bit of a walk to the Medina and area where most attractions are. We stayed at Hotel Ibn Batouta near the Gueliz neighbourhood, and it was fine. The room was nice and spacious, we had a balcony and there is a rooftop pool and lounging area which was nice. I wouldn't rave about it but for the price we paid and time we spent in it, it was worth it.

The first supper

After arriving at our hotel, dumping our bags, getting freshened up and making the obligatory visit to the local shop for snacks and water (don't drink the tap water), we headed out to dinner at around 9.30pm which I had previously booked on the website. We went to Le Tanjia, almost hidden in the corner off a little square near El Badi Palace, which I believe is called Tinsmiths Square. Upon arrival we were taken to our table on the middle floor and greeted with a performance of belly dancers and women balancing trays of candles on their heads while dancing to Moroccan music. It was certainly an immediate immersive experience and we loved it. Le Tanjia serves traditional Moroccan food such as tagine made with different meats and a variety of couscous dishes. Our standout meal of the trip was probably here with the chicken brochettes (on skewers) - it was delicious and just what we needed after our day of travelling. Definitely add Le Tanjia to your hit list for your trip to Marrakech.

Day trip to Ait Benhaddou & Ouarzazate

The following morning, we were up very early for a full day trip that we booked via GetYourGuide. We were picked up in Marrakech and driven out toward the Sahara Desert, although we unfortunately didn't go quite that far (next time!). On the way, we drove through the incredible landscape of the Atlas Mountains, crossing the Tizi n'Tichka pass (one of the highest mountain passes in North Africa) and stopping at the viewpoint to take in the unreal sites - definitely one that the camera does no justice.

After this, we continued our journey on to our first stop, Ait Benhaddou. A historic tsar (fortified village) which was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 1987. Regularly used as a TV and movie filming location thanks to its impressive architecture throughout the kasbah and village as a whole. If you have watched the likes of Gladiator, The Mummy, Prince of Persia, Lawrence of Arabia and even Game of Thrones, the tsar of Ait Benhaddou will have featured, among many other works. We were shown how special artwork is made and taken to the top of the kasbah to take in the vast view. It was worth the long drive.

Next up was lunch in Ouarzazate, a desert city known as the gateway to the Sahara and the "Hollywood of Africa" thanks to the filming studio located here. Atlas Studios was our last stop on the trip before heading back through the Atlas Mountains to Marrakech. The studios have many sets from a variety of different films and TV shows still in place, so we were shown around the fascinating scenes; you really do feel like you're in another world at some points. Including those filmed in Ait Benhaddou other notable works filmed at Atlas Studios include: The Jewel of the Nile, The Passion of the Christ, The Hills Have Eyes, Ben Hur, Prometheus, live action Aladdin and even episodes of Prison Break and The Grand Tour.

We arrived back in Marrakech around 7pm and decided to have a relaxing night in our room before a full day of touring the city the next day. We got takeout pizza and pasta from Mamma Mia and got an early night.

A day sightseeing in Marrakech

We had amazing weather for our day in Marrakech, sun splitting the skies, not a cloud in sight but not too hot either - perfect. I created our own little walking tour and off we went to see as many sights as we could. Most of the things to see in Marrakech are in the Medina (Old Town) and on our way there we were taken through the famous souks of Marrakech - an absolute maze of open air markets selling anything from souvenirs, clothes, shoes and bags to different textiles, furniture including lamps, herbs, spices and food. You may get a little overwhelmed, but it is worth it for the cultural experience and feast for the eyes alone.

Our first official stop was Medersa Ben Youssef, a historic Islamic school situated in the heart of the city, known as an iconic landmark. The architecture and design of the building is insanely beautiful, and you'll find yourself wanting to take photos of many more walls and ceilings than you ever thought you would - a regular theme across the buildings of Marrakech, by the way. It costs 50 Moroccan Dirham per adult (around 5€) to enter.

We then moved on to Le Jardin Secret, a gorgeous botanical garden right behind the walls in the middle of the Medina. There are two gardens to wander around here, an exotic and an Islamic, and art exhibitions as well as a café and plenty of seating throughout to take in the calm and tranquility. Even if you aren't particularly a flower and plant fanatic, you will appreciate the beauty of this oasis of nature right in the middle of the city. The gardens cost 100 Moroccan Dirham per adult (around 10€) to enter and you can pay extra for a tour of the tower.

Next up, we walked through some more souks to arrive at Jemaa El Fna, the main square of Marrakech Medina. This place is just as wild as the souks, with various stalls selling different items, but the most noticeable being fresh fruit juices, and even snake charmers with live cobras just chilling on the ground next to them - no thanks. They will ask if you want to take a photo of the snake, but they will probably charge you for it and, I don't know about you, but I would not be getting that close to a random snake - again, no thank you.

We went down a side street off Jemaa El Fna to a restaurant called Le Salama. They have a TINY terrace to sit out on (inside is much bigger but I'm always opting for sitting outside in the sun) and "happy hour" drinks from about 12.30pm to 6.30pm - that's a lot of happy hours - with the choice of beer, wine, prosecco, a spirit and mixer or Aperol Spritz. However, as an avid Aperol Spritz fan and drinker: that ain't Aperol. The beer and white wine were nice though. We also had chicken shawarma each to tide us over until dinner which was very tasty.

Fuelled to continue our touring, we set off for Bahia Palace. Another 100 Moroccan Dirham per adult entry fee paid and we were in. This was yet another beautiful building with intricate designs throughout the architecture and gardens in the riad style courtyards. It is one of the most historical and famous landmarks in Marrakech and a stunning example of 19th century Moroccan architecture.

We headed for the next palace, El Badi Palace, but found it was closed because of Ramadan, so we unfortunately didn't get to see inside, although it looks very cool to see from photos. Our last stop of the day, before heading back to the hotel to freshen up for the evening, was Koutoubia Mosque (Kutubiyya Mosque). It is the biggest mosque in Marrakech and can be admired from the outside by tourists as the inside is reserved for Muslims only, with prayer five times a day. It's a stunning building which lights up at night and can be seen from many places across Marrakech.

The last supper

For sunset, we went to Dardar Rooftop for drinks. This is a really great bar with an indoor lounge and rooftop area as well. The menu is extensive and the vibes are very nice - there was even a live saxophone player while we were there, love it.

Our last dinner was at Folk Marrakech and what an experience that was. If we thought the party we walked into in Le Tanjia was fun, this was another level. We ended up being there for around four hours and during that time, we saw about seven or eight different acts including Moroccan music and dancing, belly dancers, a live singer and another sax player. The food was good (special mention to the chicken tagine), the drinks were good (order a bottle of beer to see the unique way they pour it) and the service was really good (shout out to Ismael).

This was the perfect last night of our trip, and I would 100% recommend including both in your Marrakech plans.

The next day we spent a few hours at the rooftop pool at our hotel after checking out and before heading to the airport, which was nice after two full-on days of touring.

Other things to do & places to eat

There were a few places we didn't have time to make it to unfortunately, but from what I've read and seen would still recommend and wish we had got to see. Jardin Majorelle is another botanical garden in the city but is a little out of the Medina. It used to be owned by Yves Saint Laurent and is conveniently next to the Yves Saint Laurent museum. The Saadian Tombs also look like an interesting visit, a 16th century necropolis and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

If you can't get into Dardar Rooftop (I'd recommend booking ahead) or have been and want to try somewhere different, Kosybar looks like a good place for a drink and some food as well. There are rooftops aplenty throughout Marrakech, just FYI, so you won't be hard pushed to find a place to rest your feet and enjoy a refreshment.

Nomad is supposed to have the best views of Marrakech and great food. Naranj is near the Bahia Palace and is meant to be good for lunch. Café des Épices is apparently a world-renowned restaurant in the heart of Marrakech Medina. La Trattoria is a really cool restaurant with romantic vibes and a pool right in the middle so if anything, you'll get some cool, Instagram worthy photos.

Tips & advice for your trip to Morocco

💰 Currency & cash

Both Moroccan Dirham and Euros are accepted in Morocco and cash really is king here. A lot of places don't accept cards so definitely take cash with you or a bank card to take money out at an ATM. I would recommend going for Moroccan Dirham.

🗣️ Languages

Arabic is the primary language in Morocco, French is also widely spoken and most people we encountered spoke English. It is always useful to learn some basic words and phrases in a country's native language - even if it's harking back to your high school French.

🍺 Alcohol

Morocco is an Islamic country and so alcohol is not the norm here. It is legal for tourists to consume alcohol, but not all restaurants and very few shops will have a licence to serve it. If you like a drink with your meal or are looking to wind down in a bar with an alcoholic drink, try to do your research on the place you are looking to go to, to avoid any disappointment.

🚕 Taxis

Getting a taxi from the airport was simple and easy thanks to the taxi kiosk there. While in the city we tried to use the local taxi app WeTaxi but we couldn't get it to work, you may have more luck, however. We ended up using Uber but it wouldn't accept our cards for some reason (despite them being registered to our account when back home) so we just used cash. Bolt is supposedly used there too but we didn't use it.

Be aware of where you are when your taxi driver drops you off, we were dropped off a 15-minute walk from Dardar Rooftop and we didn't realise until we were out the taxi and he had driven off.

🎟️ Entrance fees

Most places we went to such as the Studio, the Palaces and the Gardens all have entry fees, so be prepared to pay this and most likely in cash. The most we paid was 100 Dirham per adult, but that can start to mount up if you are visiting a number of places so make sure to budget for that.

🛫 Airport

As I said at the beginning, security is high in Marrakech airport when entering the country and they don't slack on it when leaving either. There are multiple points throughout the course of getting to your departure gate where you will be asked for your passport, so keep it handy.

We loved our trip to Marrakech and exploring wider Morocco. It is such an interesting and gorgeous country, different from any place we have been before. We managed to get a good amount of what we wanted to do and see completed. However, we could have maybe done with an extra day to make it a little slower pace and see the places we didn't have time for.