Marrakech
A walled medina the colour of the earth, the Koutoubia minaret above the old squares, gardens of water and olive trees, the High Atlas to the south, and an airport ten minutes from the centre.
- Arrival
- Marrakech Menara · RAK
- To the city
- About 10 minutes to the centre by car
- Private jets
- Jetex FBO at Menara, open 24/7
- Best time
- February to June · September to November
The city
The medina, the gardens and the Atlas.
The medina of Marrakech, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, spreads over some 1,100 hectares inside its walls. The 77-metre minaret of the Koutoubia still sets the skyline, Jemaa el-Fnaa is its great open square, and the Saadian Tombs keep the sixteenth-century necropolis of Ahmad al-Mansur.
Summer is fierce, with July and August around 36 °C, so the best months fall either side: February to June, and September to November. Beyond the walls the great hotels spread into gardens and olive groves, and one of the two with three MICHELIN Keys sits in the foothills of the High Atlas.
Arriving
Ten minutes from the medina.
Marrakech Menara has two passenger terminals in one building and a single runway of 3,100 metres, ten minutes from the centre.
- Lisbon 1 h 25
- Ibiza 1 h 50
- Zurich 3 h 15
- Frankfurt 3 h 30
- San Francisco 12 h 50 long-range jet
When to go
February to June, and September to November.
Inland and dry. July and August average 36 °C, so spring and autumn are the seasons, February to June and September to November, when the days are warm and rain is light.
- 18° J 32
- 20° F 35
- 22° M 31
- 24° A 29
- 27° M 14
- 31° J 4
- 36° J 1
- 36° A 2
- 32° S 6
- 27° O 22
- 22° N 38
- 19° D 35
What to see and do
Days in and around Marrakech.
-
Landmark
Jemaa el-Fnaa
The great square of the medina, part of the World Heritage site since 1985.
-
Landmark
Jardin Majorelle
The garden of the painter Jacques Majorelle, restored by Yves Saint Laurent and open to the public since 1947.
-
Landmark
Menara Gardens
Some ninety-six hectares around a great reservoir, laid out by the Almohad ruler Abd al-Mu'min in 1157.
-
Culture
Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech
Opened in October 2017 in a Studio KO building, its main hall shows fifty pieces from the couturier's archive, with a 150-seat auditorium and research library.
Official site -
Culture
Bahia Palace
Grand viziers built it between the 1860s and 1900, around 150 rooms with painted cedar ceilings, carved stucco, zellij and a courtyard paved in Carrara marble.
-
Culture
Ben Youssef Madrasa
Completed in 1564 under the Saadian sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib, this college of 130 student rooms reopened in April 2022 after four years of restoration.
-
Desert
Agafay Desert
South of the city lies a stone desert of pale plateaus facing the Atlas, where tented camps run camel and horse rides, dinners and stargazing.
-
Nature
Anima Garden
André Heller's three-hectare garden of plants and sculpture sits in the Ourika Valley, with a free shuttle bus from Marrakech.
Official site -
Nature
Imlil and Toubkal National Park
Mule paths from the village of Imlil climb into the park towards Jbel Toubkal, at 4,167 metres the highest summit in North Africa.
-
Golf
Royal Golf Marrakech
Laid out in 1923 and extended in 2008, the club's eighteen holes combine the palm-lined Koutoubia loop with the newer Menara course and its lakes.
On the calendar
Dates to plan around.
Dates as published by the organisers. Runways, hotels and slots fill early around these weeks: the sooner we know, the more choice you have.
-
20–28 Nov 2026
Film
Marrakech International Film Festival
Yearly international film festival in Marrakech with a competition for first and second feature films, now in its 23rd edition.
Palais des Congrès
In 3 weeks
-
26–28 Apr 2027
Technology & AI
GITEX Africa
Technology exhibition and conference in Marrakech for start ups, investors and digital companies, holding its fifth edition in 2027.
Marrakech
In 6 months
Where to stay
Palace gardens and Atlas foothills.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- La Mamounia Opened in 1923 and reworked by Jacques Garcia, with an eight-hectare garden and a suite that keeps Winston Churchill's name.
- Kasbah Tamadot Sir Richard Branson's kasbah in the foothills of the High Atlas, about seventy minutes by road, with 42 riads, tents and suites.
- The Oberoi Marrakech Twenty-eight acres of citrus and old olive trees, a 120-metre canal facing the Atlas, and a courtyard drawn from the Medersa Ben Youssef.
- Royal Mansour Marrakech Fifty-three riads in six hectares of gardens inside the walls, with a spa of 2,500 square metres and two MICHELIN Keys.
- Amanjena Pavilions and villas, many with a private pool, set around a central basin beside the 27-hole Amelkis golf course.
- Mandarin Oriental, Marrakech Rated Five-Star by Forbes, it sets its villas and suites in twenty hectares of olive groves and gardens.
- Selman Marrakech Jacques Garcia drew the house around an 80-metre pool, and its own stud breeds purebred Arabian horses.
- La Villa des Orangers A Relais & Châteaux house with one MICHELIN Key, a short walk from the Koutoubia and Jemaa el-Fnaa.
- Palais Ronsard Twenty-seven rooms and pavilions among palm and olive trees, with two restaurants and one MICHELIN Key.
- Four Seasons Resort Marrakech Sixteen hectares on the Boulevard de la Menara, with separate pools for adults and for families.
- Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech Built around an 18-hole course by Cabell B. Robinson, with the Atlas Mountains behind.
- Sofitel Marrakech Palais Impérial & Spa Four restaurants, L'Orangerie among them, and an indoor heated pool in the spa, a few minutes from the medina.
- Es Saadi Marrakech Resort The resort's five-star hotel shares its grounds with a palace, villas with their own pools and the Casino de Marrakech.
- Hôtel Barrière Le Naoura Marrakech Besides its 85 rooms and suites there are 26 riads of three to six bedrooms, each with a private pool.
- Les Jardins de la Koutoubia Close to Jemaa el-Fnaa, with 108 rooms, heated pools indoors and out, and a terrace that looks onto the Koutoubia.
- Hivernage Hotel & Spa Eighty-five rooms and suites a few minutes on foot from Jemaa el-Fnaa, with a spa of 600 square metres and terraces on the roof.
- Barceló Palmeraie Oasis Resort In the palm grove, it keeps one pool for adults and one for families, and the 27-hole Robert Trent Jones course lies close by.
- Savoy Le Grand Hotel Marrakech A city-centre hotel in the new town, where Rock's Bar is one of the places to eat.
- Mövenpick Hotel Marrakech On Avenue Mohammed VI, about four kilometres from the airport, with a heated pool, a spa and rooms over the garden.
Where to dine
The best tables in town.
No MICHELIN Guide covers Morocco. Five tables are ranked in Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026; Le Marocain at La Mamounia is recommended by Luxury Travel Magazine.
- La Grande Table Marocaine MENA’s 50 Best, No. 19 Moroccan Royal Mansour, Medina
- Le Petit Cornichon MENA’s 50 Best, No. 21 Modern, seasonal Rue Moulay Ali
- Sesamo MENA’s 50 Best, No. 24 Italian Royal Mansour, Medina
- +61 MENA’s 50 Best, No. 31 Modern Moroccan Marrakech
- Farmers MENA’s 50 Best, No. 49 Farm to table Rue Mohammed el Beqal, Guéliz
- Le Marocain Luxury Travel Magazine Moroccan La Mamounia
Elsewhere in Morocco
More reasons to come.
Flying to Marrakech?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.