7 Days in Marrakech: First-Timer Itinerary

A full week is enough to stop rushing entirely: two sightseeing days, a gardens-and-hammam day, a Kasbah day, a slow gallery day, and a real departure day with buffer built in. Shorter trip? Work back to 5 or 6 days . Want to add Morocco beyond the city? See the Marrakech-as-a-base guide for the Atlas and the Sahara.

Book these before you go

Day Focus
Day 1 Medina arrival, Jemaa el-Fnaa by day and night, souks
Day 2 Bahia Palace, Ben Youssef Medersa, Saadian Tombs, Mellah
Day 3 Jardin Majorelle, Koutoubia exterior, Gueliz
Day 4 Le Jardin Secret, Menara Gardens, hammam, real shopping
Day 5 Kasbah, El Badi Palace, ramparts walk, sunset rooftop
Day 6 Museum morning, Gueliz galleries, cooking class
Day 7 Last souks, departure buffer

Day 1: Medina Arrival and Jemaa el-Fnaa

  • Settle into your riad, lunch nearby serving proper Moroccan classics, then spend the afternoon getting lost in the souks on purpose, that’s how you actually learn the medina’s layout.
  • Visit Jemaa el-Fnaa as it starts filling in, watch the transformation from market square to evening spectacle.
  • Dinner should be a proper tagine at a riad restaurant, the meal that sets your expectations for the week.

Day 2: Bahia Palace and the Mellah

  • Bahia Palace in the morning, about 100 MAD, worth every minute for the tilework.
  • Ben Youssef Medersa, 50 MAD, daily 9am-7pm, then the Saadian Tombs, 100 MAD, 9am-5pm, back to back before either builds a queue.
  • Walk the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, a quieter afternoon than the palaces.
  • Romantic dinner somewhere gourmet closes the day.

Day 3: Jardin Majorelle and Gueliz

  • Book Jardin Majorelle for the first slot, timed tickets only, 230 MAD garden and Berber Museum, 330 MAD combined with the YSL Museum.
  • Walk to Koutoubia Mosque for the exterior only, non-Muslims can’t enter anywhere in Morocco.
  • Afternoon and evening in Gueliz, real shopping variety and a proper bar scene.

Day 4: Secret Gardens, Menara and a Hammam

  • Morning at Le Jardin Secret, 100 MAD (80 MAD under-25), a genuine reset before the busier days ahead.
  • Menara Gardens after, free entry, small fee for the pavilion interior, olive groves against the Atlas skyline.
  • Book a hammam for the afternoon, a real reset for tired legs.
  • Whatever’s left of the day: pool time, more souk wandering, or a cooking class if you’d rather move it here instead of day six.

Day 5: The Kasbah and Sunset Rooftops

  • Kasbah quarter in the morning, quieter streets and smaller family-run riads than the touristy core.
  • El Badi Palace, 16th-century ruins with genuine scale, then a walk along the old city ramparts and gates.
  • Traditional Berber-style lunch somewhere with views, more wandering or a leisurely afternoon.
  • Rooftop cafe for sunset, mains run 100-250 MAD, arrive early since the good tables go fast.

Day 6: Souks, Shopping and Gueliz Galleries

  • Dedicate the morning to buying, not just browsing: Souk Semmarine for leather and babouches, opening quotes 250-400 MAD, real price closer to 120-180 once you’ve countered. Rahba Kedima square for spices, a legitimate tin of saffron runs 40-70 MAD.
  • Lunch break at a cafe known for pastilla, a genuinely underrated dish worth trying at least once.
  • Afternoon in Gueliz, contemporary gallery spaces and coffee somewhere with real seating.
  • A medina cooking class in the evening if you haven’t already booked one, learn to actually build a tagine from scratch.

Day 7: Last Souks and Departure

  • Morning for last-minute shopping or simply sitting with your riad’s courtyard one more time before the taxi arrives.
  • One more coffee and orange juice at Jemaa el-Fnaa in daylight, no agenda beyond people-watching.
  • Pack ceramics wrapped in clothing rather than trusting the stall’s tissue paper, souvenirs in the middle of your suitcase, not the outer pockets.

Give yourself real buffer before your flight, airport-road traffic near the medina gets unpredictable exactly when you don’t want it to.