What to do in Marrakech at night: 8 ideas

1. Watch the sunset from a rooftop

Start on a roof. Many cafés and riads in the medina have rooftop terraces, and the ones around Jemaa el-Fna look straight down on the square as it fills up. From the higher ones you see the Koutoubia minaret and, on clear winter days, snow on the Atlas mountains.

Get there 30 minutes before sunset to find a table. In December the sun goes down at about 17:30. Most medina cafés serve mint tea and fresh juice, not alcohol.

2. Eat at the Jemaa el-Fna food stalls

As the light goes, rows of food stalls are set up in the middle of Jemaa el-Fna, and by about 18:00 the grills are smoking. Each stall has a number and its own dishes: grilled meat and fish, harira soup, snails in a spiced broth, fried aubergine, and orange juice from the carts around the edge.

Pick a busy stall where the food is cooked in front of you, and agree on the price before you sit down. The stalls run until about midnight and are busiest before 22:30. Pay in cash, in small notes.

3. Watch the musicians and storytellers

Jemaa el-Fna is on UNESCO's list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity for its storytellers, musicians and performers, who keep going well into the night (the square on the UNESCO website). Circles form around Gnawa musicians, storytellers, dancers and acrobats.

Watch from the edge of the circle. If you stay a while or take photos, they will ask for a few dirhams, so keep some coins in your pocket.

4. Spend the evening in the Agafay desert

For one evening away from the city, head 45 minutes out to the Agafay desert. You leave in the early afternoon, ride a camel or a quad across the stone hills, watch the sun set over the Atlas, then have dinner at a camp with music and a fire show. You're back in Marrakech at about 20:00 in winter, early enough for a walk on the square.

Ours costs 250 DH (about €23) per person for the sunset camel ride and dinner, or 350 DH (about €32) for the full desert evening with a quad ride, with transport from our free meeting points in Marrakech. To compare an evening with a night in a camp, read Agafay desert camps.

Full desert evening350 DH · per personSee details →Sunset camel and dinner250 DH · per personSee details →Buggy rideFrom 1,200 DH · 2-seat buggy, 1 hourSee details →

5. Go to a hammam

A hammam is the Moroccan steam bath: hot rooms, black soap and a scrub with a rough glove, the kessa, that leaves your skin brand new. After a day in the dusty souks, it's a good way to end the day.

You can choose a neighbourhood hammam, cheap and very local, or a spa hammam in a riad or a hotel, often with a massage. Book the spa ones ahead for the evening.

6. Dinner in a riad or on a rooftop

Some riads open their courtyards to dinner guests, with candles, a fountain and a set menu of salads, tagine or pastilla. Rooftop restaurants in the medina and the bigger restaurants of Gueliz, the new town, are the other choice. Book ahead on weekends and in the Christmas and New Year weeks.

7. Bars and nightlife in Gueliz and Hivernage

Alcohol is served only in licensed places: hotels, bars, clubs and some restaurants. Most of them are in Gueliz and in Hivernage, the hotel district next to it. That's where you'll find the cocktail bars, the rooftop lounges and the city's clubs. In the medina, drinks are rare: the food stalls and most cafés serve tea and juice.

8. In late November: the film festival

Every year in late November or early December, the Marrakech International Film Festival brings premieres and film stars to the city. In 2026 it runs from 20 to 28 November, with screenings at the Palais des Congrès, the Colisée cinema and the Yves Saint Laurent museum (Hespress, in French). Check the festival's website for the screenings open to the public.

Is Marrakech safe at night?

Yes, with the care you'd take in any big city. Jemaa el-Fna, the main streets of the medina, Gueliz and Hivernage are busy and lit until late. A few habits help:

• After about 22:00, stay on the main streets. The back alleys of the medina get dark and quiet, and it's easy to get lost.
• Download an offline map before you go out.
• If someone tells you the street ahead is closed and offers to show you the way, say no thanks and keep walking. It's a common trick to earn a tip.
• In the crowds on the square, keep your phone and wallet in a front pocket.
• Take a petit taxi back to your riad and ask for the meter.

Good to know

• Taxis: after dark, petit taxis charge a night rate, about 50% more, usually from 20:00. Ask for the meter ("le compteur") or agree on the price before you get in.
• Cash: the food stalls, juice carts and performers take cash only. Carry small notes and coins.
• Clothes: winter nights are cold, about 7°C in December, so bring a warm layer. More in Marrakech in December.
• Your riad: ask until what time the door is open, and save its phone number and location before you go out.
• By day: for the souks, the palaces and the gardens, read things to do in Marrakech.

Marrakech at night: your questions