Marrakech doesn't reveal itself quickly. The walled Medina — UNESCO since 1985 — is a maze of more than 9,000 streets where Google Maps frequently surrenders. The trick is to give in to it. Start at **Jemaa el-Fnaa** at sunset. By day it's a slow-moving market square; by 7pm it transforms into the largest open-air kitchen in North Africa. Lamb tajine, harira soup, freshly squeezed orange juice for 5 dirhams. Storytellers, Berber musicians, henna artists. Sit on a rooftop café (Café de France, Le Grand Balcon) with mint tea and watch the city catch fire. From the square, the **souks** spiral north. Each alley specialises: Souk Smarine (textiles), Souk des Teinturiers (the dyers, with hanks of wool drying overhead in violet, ochre, indigo), Souk Haddadine (blacksmiths). Don't refuse mint tea from a shopkeeper — and don't accept the first price. Bargaining isn't aggressive here; it's conversation. Aim for one-third of the opening offer, settle around half. **Where to stay: a riad.** A traditional Moroccan house built around a central courtyard, often with a small plunge pool, fountains and zellige tilework. From the dusty street you enter into cool, candle-lit silence. Some legendary picks: La Sultana, Riad de Vinci, Dar Les Cigognes, La Maison Arabe. Budget travellers — riads from 25 EUR exist; you sleep just as well. **Don't miss**: Bahia Palace (19th century, the carved cedar ceilings are worth the entrance fee alone), Saadian Tombs (rediscovered in 1917), Majorelle Garden (the cobalt blue villa Yves Saint Laurent rescued), Koutoubia Mosque (you can't enter as a non-Muslim, but it's the city's compass), the new YSL museum next to Majorelle. **Day trip ideas from Marrakech**: Ourika Valley (Atlas foothills, 1h drive, easy walks past Berber villages), Agafay desert (rocky moonscape, an hour away — does for a Saharan feel without the 9-hour drive), Setti Fatma waterfalls. **Practical**: ATMs are everywhere, Western cards accepted. Carry small notes for taxis and porters. Petit-taxi (small beige) is metered — insist they turn it on. Grand-taxi for longer trips. Uber doesn't operate; Careem does, sometimes. Friday is the quietest day in the souks (many close in the morning). Marrakech rewards slow travel. Three nights minimum; five and you'll start understanding it.