The best things to do in Marrakech and Fes

Morocco is not a country you visit. It’s a country that visits you — sneaking under your skin, perfuming your clothes, stealing your heart.

And nowhere does it better than Marrakech and Fes: two cities that are less destinations than they are states of mind.

One, a riotous, ochre-smeared fever dream; the other, a Byzantine labyrinth of minarets, mosaics, and murmured prayers.

Here’s our guide to 16 unforgettable experiences — eight in each city — that will leave you grinning, gobsmacked, and faintly sunburnt.

Marrakech: Where the Sun is Hot, and the Tea is Hotter

Adventure Balloon

Float over Marrakech at dawn, clutching mint tea and staring slack-jawed at the desert waking up beneath you.

• Website: adventure-balloon.com
• Instagram: @adventureballoonmarrakech

Expedition 4×4

Roar across the Agafay Desert in a dust-spewing 4×4, feeling more Lawrence of Arabia than your wardrobe probably deserves.

• Website: marrakechexpedition4x4.com
• Instagram: @marrakechexpedition4x4

Horse Club

Saddle up and canter through the Palmeraie like a Berber warrior. Or, at least, look the part for an hour or two.

• Website: marrakechhorseclub.com
• Instagram: @marrakechhorse

Royal Mansour Cooking Classes

Learn to cook the dishes of sultans — under chandeliers, naturally. Warning: post-class smugness levels may be dangerously high.

• Website: royalmansour.com
• Instagram: @royalmansour

Moroccan Culinary Arts Museum (MCAM)

A hidden oasis where you’ll discover the passionate, peppery story of Moroccan food. A feast for the eyes, and stomach.

• Website: mcammarrakech.com
• Instagram: @mcammarrakech

Amal Women’s Training Centre

Cook, eat, and empower — with a non-profit restaurant and cooking school that’s as heartwarming as it is delicious.

• Website: amalnonprofit.org
• Instagram: @amalnonprofit

White Camel Lodge

Escape to the lunar landscapes of the Agafay. Think quad bikes, camel rides, and luxury tents that redefine the word “camping.”

• Website: whitecamellodge.com
• Instagram: @whitecamellodge

Jardin Majorelle

A lush, vibrant dream woven from cobalt blues and electric greens, courtesy of Yves Saint Laurent himself. Bring your camera.

• Website: jardinmajorelle.com
• Instagram: @jardinmajorelle

Fes: Where Time Languidly Smoulders

Cooking School at Palais Amani

Market raids, rooftop classes, and Fassi recipes passed down through centuries — cooking here feels less like a lesson and more like a secret initiation.

• Website: fezcookingschool.com
• Instagram: @fezcookingschool

Dar Namir

A tranquil haven where you’ll master the art of perfect couscous and cloud-light pastries, all in a sun-dappled courtyard.

• Website: darnamir.com
• Instagram: @darnamir

Cooking Class in Fes

Learn the ways of Moroccan grandmothers — slow cooking, heavy seasoning, and generous laughter guaranteed.

• Website: cookingclassinfes.com
• Instagram: @cookingclassinfes

Moroccan Food Tour (Fes Experience)

Shop, snack, and stir your way through Fes’s finest flavours. If you don’t fall in love with olives, you’re doing it wrong.

• Website: moroccanfoodtour.com
• Instagram: @moroccanfoodtour

Chouara Tannery

A stomach-churning, awe-inspiring look at leather-making the old way. (Hint: accept the complimentary sprig of mint.)

• Tour Info: getyourguide.com
• Instagram Guides: @fez_guide_official

Al-Qarawiyyin Library

The world’s oldest library, founded in the 9th century by a woman. Intellectual glamour at its most spellbinding.

• Visit with local guides: @fezguide

Borj Nord Arms Museum

Swords, chainmail, cannons, and one of the best panoramic views of the old city. Chivalry, but make it Moroccan.

• Info: Museums of Morocco
• Instagram: @museesdumaroc

Rooftop Sunset at Riad Fes

Not so much an “activity” as a spiritual obligation. Order mint tea (or a large gin), and watch Fes turn liquid gold.

• Website: riadfes.com
• Instagram: @riadfes

In Morocco, you don’t simply “do” things — you succumb to them. You don’t walk; you weave. You don’t eat; you feast. You don’t visit; you are seduced.
And nowhere is that truer than Marrakech and Fes.