First time in Marrakech? What to know before you go

These are the stops that answer the first-timer question: what do I actually do in three days? All sit within or just outside the medina walls, so you can group them into two walking days plus one garden day.

Day one is the medina core: Jemaa el-Fnaa, the souks and Ben Youssef Madrasa. Day two is palaces and gardens: Bahia Palace, Saadian Tombs and Jardin Majorelle. Day three is the edge of town: a hammam, the new town for coffee, or a half-day out to the Atlas if you have a driver.

Marrakech splits into the walled medina, the Kasbah and Mellah in the south, and Gueliz and Hivernage in the new town. Almost everything a first-timer wants is inside the walls, which is why walking beats driving.

Use these as anchors: Jemaa el-Fnaa at the centre of the medina, Koutoubia just southwest of it, Ben Youssef Madrasa to the north, Bahia Palace and the Saadian Tombs to the south, and Jardin Majorelle in Gueliz, about 3 km from the square.

Agree the petit taxi fare before you get in, or ask for the meter; short medina hops are cheap, and airport runs cost more. Carry small notes and coins for tips, taxis and market purchases.

In the souks, treat the first price as an opening offer and expect to bargain; walking away is normal and not rude. If you do not want to buy, a polite no and continued walking works better than a long conversation. A licensed guide for a half day is worth it if you want the history without the sales pressure.

Dress modestly for the medina and for any religious site: shoulders and knees covered. Ask before photographing people. During Ramadan, some restaurants and sights run shorter hours, so check the day before.

The country plan puts Marrakech's best months at March–May and October–November: warm days, cool nights, and comfortable walking in the medina. Spring and autumn also line up with the Atlas and desert legs if you are continuing south.

July and August are very hot inland. If those are your dates, shift the plan: sights early morning and after 17:00, a long midday break, and more time in gardens, hammams and air-conditioned museums. Winter days are mild but nights can be cold, especially in riads with open courtyards.

Ramadan changes the rhythm of the day rather than closing the city; expect shorter hours at some sights and restaurants and a busy evening scene after sunset.

Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK) sits about 6 km from Jemaa el-Fnaa; a taxi takes roughly 15–20 minutes and the city bus is the cheaper option. Agree the taxi fare or use the official rank rather than an unmarked car.

By train, Marrakech is the southern end of the line from Casablanca and Rabat, with connections onward to Tangier by Al Boraq; the station is in Gueliz, a short taxi ride from the medina. From Fes or the desert, most first-timers arrive by road or on an organised one-way crossing, per the Morocco plan.

Once you are in, walk inside the medina and take petit taxis between the medina, Gueliz and the station. Driving yourself into the medina lanes is not worth it.