How best to spend 72 hours in Marrakech

Marrakech is ideal for a spoiling escape, offering exceptional places to stay, spas, shopping, yoga and cultural encounters. Our Destination Experts know all the insider tips and can design an entirely tailor-made itinerary for you, packed with exciting, private guided tours – whether you’re interested in architecture, history, shopping or food – and visits to our favourite local restaurants and bars. Here are just a few of the amazing experiences we can arrange for you in the city:

MARRAKECH

Go on a tasting trail

We can create a foodie adventure for you, during which your discerning guide will introduce you to the edible delights of the souks in and around the Djemaa el Fna. You will taste everything from dried meats and potato cakes to spices and couscous. By the time you return to the main square, darkness will have fallen and it will be buzzing with storytellers and snake-charmers. You will finish at Le Salama, a fantastic restaurant set in a rooftop conservatory with brilliant views of the Medina.

Do a cooking course

We recommend a class at La Maison Arabe, an elegant hotel that also harbours one of the city’s best places to eat. The lessons take place in a purpose-built cooking school and include a scrumptious lunch or dinner afterwards.

Dine in some excellent restaurants

Marrakech is home to some top-notch eateries, one of our favourites being +61. We love this stylish hideaway for its ‘fresh, simple and uncomplicated’ food, which reflects the cultural diversity of Australia. Another spot for special occasions is Le Trou au Mur, a laid-back but stylish establishment serving tasty, home-cooked Moroccan dishes.

Enjoy an artistic morning with Hamimi

We can organise a fun and insightful morning with design brand, Hamimi, the brainchild of Australian brother-and-sister team Rebecca and Alex Wilford. The label creates modern yet timeless crochet lights, jewellery and handbags that capture Moroccan culture and honour traditional handmade craftsmanship. Rebecca oversees the designs and artisans – a small group of village women near Marrakech. Hamimi’s aim is to keep the community’s traditional skills alive and secure them a brighter future.

Do some yoga in the Atlas Mountains

We can arrange an indulgent day trip to the Hotel Capaldi in the Lower Atlas Mountains, just a 45-minute drive from Marrakech. This fabulous retreat offers spa sessions, a traditional hammam and a private yoga session, followed by an absolutely delicious lunch in a shady, ancient olive grove. You can then spend a relaxing afternoon beside one of the Capaldi’s two gorgeous swimming pools.

Explore the city with a personal shopper

Shopaholics should definitely head out shopping with one of our favourite personal shoppers who know the winding backstreets of Marrakech like the back of her hand. She has all the knowledge and contacts needed to source fabrics, art, antiques, leather goods, tiles, clothing, jewellery or silverware direct from the factories or craftsmen, and can take you to some of the most tucked away shops or secret souks that most tourists cannot access.

Visit Yves Saint Laurent’s house and garden

We can set up unbelievable private access to this house for a tour of the fashion designer’s antique collection with the creative director of the Jardin Majorelle. We can also prepare an exclusive picnic in this enchanting garden, which it famously took French painter Jacques Majorelle 40 years to create.

Relax in a spa

Many of the city’s boutique hotels have incredible wellness centres. We can get you into the phenomenal La Mamounia, where Winston Churchill used to stay, so you can make the most of the property’s verdant gardens, beautiful pool area and, of course, the spa. Alternatively, if you would like to choose from a vast selection of treatments, we suggest Les Bains de Marrakech.

Sip cocktails in one of the city’s best bars

There are a few fun options to test out. Our favourite is Baromètre Marrakech, a chic hidey-hole and the city’s first mixology bar. On another evening, head to the opulent Buddha Bar, in the smart Hivernage neighbourhood. It is named after the 4m-high Buddha in the middle of the room, which was imported from India, and serves up vibrant cocktails.

Enjoy a private dinner in Palais Bahia

For something truly memorable, we recommend a really special feast cooked by a well-known chef in the 19th-century Palais Bahia, which will be opened solely for you.