Marrakech in July is a punishment. Marrakech in April is a love letter.
The difference is about 20 degrees, which matters more than you think when you're trying to walk a medina.
## Sleep in a riad
Not a hotel. A riad. That's the point. Small, tile-walled, courtyard in the middle, the breakfast comes to your room on a tray. La Mamounia is the famous one and it's genuinely lovely if you have the budget. Riad El Fenn, Riad Jardin Secret, anything in the northern medina with good reviews — you'll be fine.
## The day that works
**Morning** in the medina when it's still cool. Get lost on purpose. If a kid offers to show you the way, they want a tip — pay them, it's fine. Head to the tanneries early or not at all (the smell is real).
**Afternoon** out of the city. A drive into the Atlas foothills (Ourika Valley, 90 minutes) puts you in a completely different Morocco — Berber villages, river-running waterfalls, mint tea with almonds. You'll be back for dinner.
**Evening** at Jemaa el-Fnaa. Yes, it's the tourist square. Yes, go anyway — after dark, once the food stalls light up. Eat at one of the numbered stalls (90, 14, 31 are the ones locals will defend). Watch the storytellers even though you won't understand them.
## Skip
Camel rides from central Marrakech (they're bored camels on concrete). Any hammam that has a queue of European tourists out the front. Carpets you haven't negotiated three times.
## When
Mid-March to early May. Late September to early November. December is cold — the riads don't have central heating.
## One rule
Don't try to see everything. Marrakech is a sensory workout. Two neighbourhoods a day, one activity out of the city, a long dinner. That's a trip.