Things to do in Marrakech, splurging
Destination dinners, design boutiques, and the medina at its most considered.
This is Marrakech for people who want the real thing and are happy to pay for it: a serious dinner most nights, the best coffee the city has found, and afternoons spent in palaces and gardens rather than fighting through the souks. The pace is deliberate, the restaurants are the ones locals actually rate, and every day has a clear neighborhood logic so you are never doubling back.
Day 1: Northern Medina, tilework and Dar Moha
A morning of coffee and extraordinary Islamic architecture anchors a day that ends at two of the medina's most serious dinner and cocktail addresses.
- 9:30 AM
Mozaik' Art, Coffee and Brunch
Brunch café near the Bahia side of the medina: msemen, eggs and fresh orange juice before the walk north.
Map - 10:30 AM
Madrasa Ben Youssef
16th-century Quranic school with zellij tiles, carved cedar and stucco around a marble courtyard pool.
Map - 12:30 PM
Les Jardins Du Lotus
Fusion lunch in a white-and-green riad garden in the northern medina, a calm table after the madrasa.
Map - 2:30 PM
Dar El Bacha Museum
Glaoui pasha's palace with extraordinary tilework and carved stucco, Bacha Coffee is right inside, so you're already on the doorstep.
Map - 7:30 PM
Dar Moha
Poolside riad dinner of refined Moroccan dishes, a parade of small salads, pastilla and tagine.
Map - 9:30 PM
Day 2: Gueliz: Majorelle, Al Fassia, Sahbi Sahbi
The French quarter earns its reputation here: a legendary all-female kitchen at lunch, cobalt gardens in the afternoon, and the city's most talked-about dinner table to finish.
- 9:30 AM
Café Majorelle
Courtyard café inside the Majorelle garden; mint tea under the trees before the crowds arrive.
Map - 10:15 AM
Jardin Majorelle
Yves Saint Laurent's cobalt-blue garden with the Berber Museum inside; book the first entry slot online.
Map - 12:30 PM
Al Fassia Guéliz
Run by women since 1987: order the slow-cooked lamb shoulder a day ahead, and the pastilla.
Map - 4:30 PM
Ensemble Artisanal
Government-run craft bazaar with fixed prices. Visit first to establish benchmark prices before haggling in the souks.
Map - 7:30 PM
Sahbi Sahbi
Women-run open kitchen in Gueliz cooking home-style Moroccan dishes with modern plating.
Map - 9:30 PM
Mizaan
Gueliz lounge for a late cocktail or a mint tea after dinner, a short taxi from the medina.
Map
Day 3: Gardens, souks, and Safran by Kôya
A quieter third day moves from a restored riad-palace garden through a beautiful lunch courtyard to a dinner that shows how seriously Marrakech now takes its own cooking.
- 9:30 AM
Villa Majorelle
Garden terrace across from Majorelle for coffee and pastries before heading into the medina.
Map - 10:30 AM
Le Jardin Secret
Restored riad-palace garden in the souks with Islamic and exotic gardens, café, and tower with best medina rooftop.
Map - 12:30 PM
- 7:30 PM
Safran by Kôya
Saffron-scented modern Moroccan plates in a candlelit medina riad, a last dinner to linger over.
Map
Where to stay
Royal Mansour Marrakech
Royal Mansour is the benchmark luxury address in Marrakech: private riad suites, a kitchen that matches your dinner ambitions, and a location that puts the medina and Gueliz equally within reach.
Hotel La Maison Arabe
Hotel La Maison Arabe sits deep in the northern medina, a short walk from Dar Moha and Ben Youssef, with enough design pedigree and a serious restaurant of its own to suit a splurge itinerary.
Make Marrakech your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Jardin Majorelle: a few days ahead
- Berber Museum: a few days ahead
- Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech: a few days ahead
- Les Bains de Marrakech: a few days ahead
- Hammam de la Rose: a few days ahead
- Amal Women's Training Center and Moroccan Restaurant: a few days ahead
Skip these
- The tannery detour: a stranger says your route is closed or today is a special tannery festival, then a shop terrace and a large guide fee follow.
- It's closed, said about whatever you named, almost never is. Smile, say la, shukran, and check your own map.
- The henna grab near the square: hands in pockets, say no early, and do not negotiate afterwards.
- Monkey and snake handlers expect payment the moment a camera rises. Agree a small price before any photo, or do not photograph them.
The full Marrakech travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around