3 Day Marrakech Itinerary: The Perfect Trip

We visited Morocco for the first time, and we’re happy to say it exceeded our expectations!

Our Morroco trip started with spending 3 days in Marrakech and now we’ve created the best travel guide for you to plan your trip to the beautifully red chaotic wonderland.

I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that we were both a little nervous about visiting Marrakech. We did lots of research and received so many mixed reviews from people who’ve visited before. We tried our best to keep an open mind and it really helped to see past the negatives!

Marrakech really isn’t as bad as people say, in fact, it’s full of culture, hustle and incredible architecture! We’re going to be as honest as possible in this travel guide so you know what to expect when spending 3 days in Marrakech.

Overall, the city can be overwhelming at first and it took us a while to adjust to the new pace of life and constantly being spoken to by merchants. But it’s really not a problem once you get used to this!

When planning your 3 day Marrakech itinerary, you may have noticed there’s quite a lot to do! However, 3 days is the perfect amount to visit the city and you can even go on a day trip to places nearby.

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Quick Tips for 3 Days in Marrakech

• Currency – Morrocan Dirham (compare to your own currency here)
• Language – Arabic & French
• Cuisine – Moroccan Cuisine (couscous, tagines, soups, bread, mint tea)
• Apps – Whatsapp, Maps.Me, XE Converter, GoogleTranslate & InDrive
• Morroco Power Voltage – Plugs C & E (220 V)
• Travel Insurance – Check out SafetyWing
• Where to stay in Marrakech – Riad 112

Getting a SIM card in Morocco

If you’re spending 2 weeks in Morocco it’s a good idea to have some data on your phone. There’s three choices at the airport – Orange, Inwi and Telekom.

We went with Telekom and it cost €20 for 20GB as we were spending 2 weeks in Morocco. Annoyingly they don’t accept the Moroccan local currency so we actually had to pay with our emergency £20. So our tip is to bring USD or Euro with you to save money. £20 works out to €23 and they didn’t give change.

If you’re only spending 3 days in Marrakech, it’s best to buy an E-sim for Airalo! We’ve used e-sims for shorter trips around the world, they’re so easy to set up and you can pay online.

Currency and ATM’s in Morocco

Moroccan Dirham is a locked currency which means you can’t find it in your home country. Since Morocco uses cash for almost everything, you’ll need to get cash out as soon as you arrive. Either exchange Euros, pounds or dollars for Moroccan Dirham at an exchange counter or use an ATM.

We used Al Barid Bank to get money out in Marrakech and all over the country. There’s one in the airport and you can follow Google Maps to find it. Look out for the Bank of Africa near Arrivals. The maximum you can get out of an ATM is 2000 dirham (£160) and Al Barid Bank won’t charge you a foreign card fee like other banks do.

Double-check that your bank doesn’t add a foreign exchange fee and try to find one that doesn’t before your trip. We used Starling but you can use Wise or Revolut.

3 Day Marrakech Itinerary: The Perfect Trip

Now that we’ve gotten a few tips out of the way, we can now start our 3 day Marrakech itinerary!

We arrived in Marrakech in the afternoon before this itinerary which helped us prepare for a full first day! If you’re arriving in the morning on day 1 you’ll still have enough time to complete this itinerary!

Day 1 – The Medina, Schools & Mosques

On day one of our Marrakech itinerary, we had a lot of adjusting to do! Marrakech is a busy place and if you’re not used to it, it can be pretty overwhelming. We’ve created day one in a way that won’t be too overwhelming for you and you can get used to the culture slowly throughout the day.

Our breakfasts in Marrakech consisted of local Khobz with banana and peanut butter. We recommend staying at a Riad that has breakfast included or grabbing a bite to eat from a local restaurant. Bissara soup is the local favourite for breakfast and it’s vegan!

Visit Ben Youssef Madrasa

Start your day with a visit to the beautiful old university, Ben Youssef Madrasa. We arrived around 9:15 just after they opened and it was almost empty, so we recommend getting there as early as possible. When we left it was a lot busier!

Ben Youssef Madrasa is a beautiful school within the Medina. It’s a must-visit on your 3 day Marrakech itinerary and the perfect place to see Arab architecture and mosaics.

The entrance is the most impressive part of the school with a pool and photogenic backdrop, but you can also explore 100+ student rooms and imagine what the working school would have looked like.

We couldn’t resist taking lots of photos here and don’t miss the views of the square from the windows above!

Ben Youssef Madrasa is now declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site like many other monuments in Marrakech.

💰 50 dirham per person

We noted down all our travel costs for Morocco so you can plan your trip to Marrakech.

Explore the Medina

After visiting the school, head to the Medina to explore the souks in the daytime and browse for anything you might like to buy during your trip.

The medina is one of the main highlights in Marrakech and it’s the place to get lost! We’re half joking here, it’s huge but luckily Google Maps works.

You’ll find everything here from hammams (Moroccan baths), food, shops and museums! Avoiding the Medina during your 3 days in Marrakech is almost impossible, so you’ll be passing through the Medina and souks again!

If you want to buy anything from the souks in Marrakech, you’ll need to learn how to haggle! 95% of items within the Medina have prices, which means the shop owners will try to charge as much as they can until you agree on a price. Here’s our tips on haggling:

1. First, ask how much the item is
2. Don’t show any signs of ‘needing’ or ‘wanting the item’ as this will hike the price even more
3. Cut the price by 1/3 or half and work from there
4. If you’re not happy with the price, walk away (they may call you back over with a better price)!

Whilst exploring the Medina, try a Moroccan mint tea from any of the lovely cafes. As much as I love peppermint tea in the UK, the mint tea in Morocco is made with green tea, fresh mint and lots of sugar! If you don’t like sweet drinks you can ask for the sugar on the side – they’re usually so sweet!

We heard horror stories of shop owners luring you into their shop and not leaving you alone, but it wasn’t really that bad. The motorbikes squeezing through the small lanes was the most stressful part!

➤ Book a guided tour to visit Ben Youssef, Secret Garden & explore the Souks!

Morrocan Lunch in the Medina

The Medina is filled with many restaurants, cafes and food stalls. So now is the best time to find some lunch in Marrakech.

Our top favourites are Henna Art Cafe and Broc the Kasbah as they have great vegan options. If you want to find cheaper and local food, you’ll have to go out of the Medina a little.

A few dishes to try if it’s your first time in Morocco are the tagines, zaalouk (tomato aubergine dish), harira (soup) and couscous! There’s plenty more to try.

➤ Check out our 2 Week Morocco Itinerary and plan your trip!

Find the Koutoubia Mosque

End your afternoon with a visit to the largest mosque in Marrakech – Koutoubia Mosque.

Sunset is the perfect time of day to visit, but we ended up walking past so many times! It’s also so much busier in the evening when it’s dark.

As non-muslims, we were not allowed to enter as it’s strictly for praying. The outside is worth visiting though, especially as it’s so close to the Medina.

Walk around Jemaa el-Fnaa

The evening time is the most chaotic time to visit Jemaa el-Fnaa, but we think it’s worth experiencing, even for 10 minutes. The square is the craziest part of Marrakech with snake charmers, loud drumming, the juice shop owners grabbing your attention and people with menus drawing you into their street food stand.

It’s a bit much. As soon as I entered Jemaa el-Fnaa a woman grabbed my hand and was an inch away from drawing henna on me. Luckily I pulled away and later found out it’s a classic tourist scam.

Don’t take any photos of anyone in Marrakech and politely decline when people come up to you. If you’re after a bite to eat there’s plenty of places around, but you can also visit the Medina for more choices!

Staying in Marrakech but want to visit the Sahra Desert? Here’s a jam-packed tour where you can explore Morocco and the Sahara on a 3 day tour!

Day 2 – Palaces & Moroccan Cooking Class

In the morning, fuel up for the day with another Moroccan-style breakfast or find a Bissara soup shop! Try to start your day early so you can get to Bahia Palace at 9 am, it’s okay if you can’t, it’ll just be busier.

Admire Bahia Palace

One of the most famous places to visit during your 3 day Marrakech itinerary is Bahia Palace! It can get really busy with guided tours, but the tour guides give out some amazing information.

There’s only a few signs within the palace, so we didn’t learn that much by ourselves. However, we do know that the palace was the first royal residence when Morocco gained independence in 1956. When

The palace itself is beautiful with Islamic and Moroccan style architecture. There’s quite a few rooms both indoor and outdoor.

💰 70 dirham per person

Wander around the Jewish Quarter

Whilst you’re south of the Medina, stroll through Mellah, the Jewish District in Marrakech. Although a smaller number of Jewish people live in Marrakech now, Mellah is the main neighbourhood for the Jewish population.

A few areas to check out are Tinsmiths Square, Mellah Market, Cemetery and the Synagogue. You’ll find a few restaurants around here to grab a bite to eat, although as we were on a budget, we grabbed some 1 dirham bread!

See the Cemetery & Synagogue

In the heart of the Jewish Quarter is the Jewish Cemetery. Although we didn’t look inside, we saw the flat white tombstones from the outside gate. It was a super hot day, so we decided to skip walking around the cemetery, but it’s worth a visit if you’re in the area.

The Jewish Synagogue is another beautiful spot to visit during your 3 days in Marrakech and it’s usually quite peaceful. It won’t take long to admire the architecture here.

💰 10 dirham per person

Grab a light lunch before heading to Badi Palace! Henna Art Cafe isn’t too far away and it’s our favourite!

El Badi Palace

Unlike Bahia Palace, Badi is now ruins. Somehow, we actually preferred this! The space in the palace grounds is huge and it can take a while to walk around.

There’s a few rooms with artefacts so it feels like a museum, but visiting the chambers underneath the palace was a really cool experience. It’s definitely worth a visit during your trip to Marrakech.

Sadly there’s no information signs written in English (Arabic & French) so it may be best to do a guided tour if you want to learn more about the palace!

There are also storks that live on the pillars of the palace, you can see their nest right at the beginning by the entrance before the chambers.

💰 70 dirham each

Relax in your Riad / Hotel

In the afternoon head back to your Riad to chill for a couple of hours, there’s one more activity you’ll do today on day 2, so the day is not over!

Whilst spending 3 days in Marrakech it’s the perfect time to stay in a Moroccan riad. They are absolutely everywhere in the city from affordable to luxury. Most riads have rooftops, so you may have a lovely spot to relax for the afternoon with a Moroccan mint tea.

Take a Moroccan Cooking Class

After relaxing, spend your late afternoon learning about the Moroccan cuisine! A cooking class is one of the best things to do during your 3 day Marrakech itinerary, especially if it’s your first time in Morocco.

We managed to find one that allowed us to cook vegan-friendly food and some of the Moroccan cuisine is traditionally quite vegan-friendly. The cooking class starts at 4pm and you’ll be eating at around 7pm – 8pm.

So the class lasted 4 hours and we picked out fresh vegetables from the market, learnt how to make Moroccan mint tea, cooked up a shared feast and got to ask all the questions we wanted about the cuisine.

The vegetable tagine we cooked together was our favourite one of our whole trip to Morocco and the zaalouk was also incredible.

➤ Book your cooking class tickets in advance!

We’ve done a few cooking classes before and this one was really good! We booked the cooking class on GetYourGuide and chose the vegan option.

Day 3 – Gardens, Museums & Day Trips

On the last day of your 3 day Marrakech itinerary, you don’t have to wake up super early so take it easy with a Moroccan breakfast and start your day when you’re ready!

Visit the Gardens or a Museum

As we were trying to spend 3 days in Marrakech on a budget, we chose not to visit the popular Jardin Majorelle.

Jardin Majorelle is a beautifully designed garden owned by the owner of Yves Saint-Laurent. There’s a Yves Saint-Laurent museum right next to the garden which is one of the reasons it’s so popular! Tickets need to be booked in advance and it’s always busy. You can also book tickets for the garden on GetYourGuide.

The tickets are 165 dirham (€15) which is quite expensive for a garden entry in Morocco. Le Jardin Secret is another botanical garden for 100 dirham, but a cheaper alternative!

You can also spend the morning visiting one of Marrakech’s many museums. There are so many to explore, you’ll have to pick one or two you like the sound of most. Here’s our recommendations:

• House of Photography
• Dar Si Said Museum (Carpet Museum)

The Marrakech Museum doesn’t have English information and there’s sadly not much to see.

➤ Want to visit the Sahara Desert? Here’s our Sahara Desert travel guide on what to expect!

Stroll around Cyber Park

An alternative option to Jardin Majorelle is Cyber Park! Although it’s not the same, it’s still a lovely well-kept garden to walk around in Marrakech and it’s near the Koutoubia Mosque.

It’s a great way to escape the busy traffic and admire nature. We enjoyed wandering around the pathways and we even bought some cat food to feed the adorable cats in the area.

We recommend visiting Cyber Park if you’re on a budget and don’t like crowds.

Browse other markets around the medina

The Medina will take up most of your time in Marrakech, especially if you want to buy some goods. The souks are so spread out that you’ll walk past a huge number of little shops. Souk Semmarine is one of the most popular souks in Marrakech and you can find it on Google Maps.

Place Des Epices is a popular spice market nestled in the Medina along with the beautiful rooftop restaurants of Cafe Des Epices and Nomad. You can also find iron and copper products at Souk el Attarine.

You can also visit markets outside of the Medina and they are a lot less stressful and always less crowded.

➤ Heading to Chefchaouen? Check out our 2 Day Chefchaouen Itinerary!

Doukkalla Market is northwest of the medina with a more local feel in the neighbourhood. It’s a great place to find cheaper local Moroccan food and shop around for a few bargains. If you book the same cooking class as we did, this is the market you’ll visit for fresh vegetables!

Souk el Khemis is a large local flea market in the north of Marrakech. Ensemble Artisanal is a relaxed market filled with shops selling items similar to the souks in the medina, but it’s less busy and so nice to wander around.

Visit the Saadian Tombs

The Saadian Tombs are located south of the medina close to El Badi Palace. They date back to the sixteenth century and are the resting place of the Saadi dynasty. The tombs are actually quite beautiful surrounded by mosaics and tall pillars.

The visit to Saadian Tombs is quite quick as there’s not much else to see other than the three rooms. If you’re on a budget in Morocco, you may want to skip this one!

💰 70 dirham per person

Take a Day Trip from Marrakech

Marrakech is a perfect base to explore more or Morocco! From the nearby Agafay desert to exploring ancient towns, there’s a lot to choose from.

We chose to embark on a 3 day Sahara Desert Tour which covered a few of the day tip options from Marrakech. If you’re only staying in Marrakech during your trip to Morroco, there’s many great trips to do. Here’s a few we recommend:

• If you have an afternoon free, head to the Agafay Desert for a Quad Biking Tour or Dinner and sunset within the desert.
• Day Trip to Ouarzazate and Ait Benhaddou
• Atlas Mountains Full-Day Hiking Trip

➤ Planning a trip to Fes? Here’s our 2 Day Fes Itinerary!

Now that’s the end of your 3 days in Marrakech! End your final evening with a sunset at one of the beautiful rooftop restaurants. We managed to see a bit of sunset from Broc the Kasbah, but there’s loads of restaurants in the medina with better views.

More things to do in Marrakech

If you want alternative options or have an extra day in the city, here’s some more suggestions for your Marrakech itinerary.

• Visit the Ouzoud Waterfalls
• Hot Air Balloon Flight from Marrakech
• Quad Trip to Palm Gove and Jbilets Desert
• Traditional Moroccan Hammam Experience
• Hike Mt Toubkal on a 2 Days 1 Night Trek

Best places to eat in Marrakech

As vegan travellers, we’re always hunting for vegan food in every place we visit. Although there’s only one vegan restaurant in Marrakech we found incredible food all around! A lot of local dishes are naturally vegan! Here’s are our favourite places to eat in Marrakech:

• Henna Art Cafe $-$$ – our favourite place in Marrakech! A mix of local & international food with a Henna studio!
• Broc the Kasbah $$ – vegetarian restaurant with a rooftop serving lovely food!
• Niam Restaurant $ – affordable local & international food
• Cafe Des Espices $$ – a popular rooftop restaurant with impressive views & a veg tagine!

Also, check out our vegan guide to travelling Morocco based on our experience!

How to get around in Marrakech

Marrakech is quite small and very walkable if you’re staying close to the Medina! There aren’t roads throughout the Medina, so your accommodation may only be accessible by foot anyway.

Walking is the best way to get around Marrakech especially if you’re staying in the Medina like we did.

Taxis & TukTuks– It’s not hard to find a taxi in Marrakech when you’re close to the roads. Your hotel may be able to order one for you too! Agree on a price beforehand and try to have change available!

Buses – You can catch local buses for 4 dirham.

Tours – here are a few tours that will take you around Marrakech, we had to meet our driver at Cafe De France when we left on our Sahara Desert Tour.

We don’t recommend using horse-drawn carriages or donkeys to get around Marrakech.

How to get from Marrakech Airport to the Medina (City Centre)

The easiest way to get to the Medina from Marrakech airport is by bus!

When arriving at Marrakech airport we found it easy to get to the Medina by bus. Follow the signs to the bus stop through the car park and hop on the next bus. The buses run every 30 minutes and you’ll need 30 dirham or €3 to pay in cash to the bus driver.

The journey to the Medina will take around 20 minutes and this is where we got our first glimpse of Marrakech!

Alternatively, there are fixed-rate taxis, but we’ve heard it’s possible to still be overcharged. Double-check before getting in the taxi that you’ll pay the agreed amount.

You can also book your transport here.

If you’re on a budget in Morocco, you can walk the extra 10 minutes and take a local bus for 4 dirham, there isn’t any space for luggage and they can get really busy! The airport bus may be an easier option for 30 dirham.

Things to do at night in Marrakech

Marrakech comes alive at night and it’s definitely not hard to find things to do as it’s the busiest time of day! We found that the night was around 3x as busy as the daytime and Jemma El Fna gets even more intense. Here’s a few ways to spend your evenings in Marrakech:

• Rooftop drinks
• Exploring the souks
• Eat street food in Jemma El Fna
• Explore the markets with a Foodie Night Tour
• Head to a nightclub!
• See the sunset in the Agafay Desert (quite close to Marrakech)

Where to stay in Marrakech

A great area to stay in Marrakech is the Medina! Although medina means city in Arabic, Moroccans use the name for the old parts of the city within walls. The Medina in Marrakech is the best location for all the things to do on this Marrakech itinerary.

Riad 112 $ – we stayed here for 4 nights and loved the Riad experience! It’s in a great location near the main square and very affordable – Find on Booking.com here!

Riad Samir Privilege Boutique Hotel & Spa $$ – a beautifully designed Riad with a pool – Find on Booking.com here!

Happy Marrakchy $ – with private rooms and a dorm, this hostel is a great choice for any type of traveller! Find on Booking.com here!

Riad BE is also highly recommended but you’ll need to book months in advance and it’s quite pricey, but very beautiful!

Alternatively, you’ll find lovely resorts with swimming pools outside of the medina! We met travellers staying outside of the medina who preferred to travel by taxi, which can add to the extra cost.

➤ Find more places to stay in Marrakech!

Is Marrakech worth visiting?

Yes! If you prepare yourself for the craziness of Marrakech, you’ll have a great time! We’re so glad we visited and it’s definitely an experience we won’t forget!

Marrakech is one of the best places to base yourself on a short trip to Morocco. When staying in the city, you can explore the medina, take day trips to nearby deserts or mountains and you’ll also get a great introduction to the Moroccan culture.

If you’re looking for a variety of things to do in Morocco without travelling to other areas, Marrakech is your best option!

Have the best trip to Marrakech and find us on Instagram (@thesunrisedreamers)! Check out more of our Morocco Travel Guides.

• 2 Week Morocco Itinerary (2026)
• How to travel Morocco on a budget
• Sahara Desert Tour – What to Expect
• Vegan in Morocco Travel Guide
• 2 Day Chefchaouen Itinerary
• 2 Day Fes Itinerary

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