Romance in Marrakesh

September 2, 2009 1:07 PM

Please help me plan a romantic, unforgettable birthday holiday in Marrakesh!

I am going to Marrakech with my boyfriend later this month to celebrate his birthday. I was hoping to get some ideas from the hive mind on hotels, things to see and do and places to eat that are a bit off the beaten track, romantic and preferably not too expensive? Any ideas appreciated!!

posted by heartofglass to travel & transportation (3 comments total)

I was in Marrakech in May. Stayed at Dar Silsila and it was pretty darn romantic. Great staff, cozy little bedrooms, gorgeous rooftop on the riad where we sipped wine and ate dates.

If you want a hammam experience (and I highly recommend it!), you should hit Les Bains de Marrakech. It was warm and welcoming and lots of couples enjoying their time there. Treatments were amazing and there is a great poolside restaurant connected to the spa where we ate afterward.

An interesting walk around Jardin Majorelle is worthwhile and if you want to experience a bivouac dinner, I highly recommend La Pause. They picked us up from our riad and drove us to the site (about an hour), we ate like kings in the most unique setting, watched the sun set over the sand dunes, drank a copious amount of mint tea and then were driven back into Marrakech. Romance level = 10/10.

If you want specific advice about souk shopping or anything like that, memail me!
posted by meerkatty at 1:37 PM on September 2

When I was there we hired a guide (very cheap) who had a great understanding of what there was to do in Marrakesh, drove us to the major attractions (saving us having to bargain for every taxi), and all in all showed us a great time. I'd recommend getting one, or if you want to MeFi mail me, I can give you the email address of the one I used.

I was only there for a long weekend, but my group (5 women) got to explore the central market pretty well, hike some mountains, and go to some great restaurants.
posted by BusyBusyBusy at 1:39 PM on September 2

The best thing my boyfriend and I did in Marrakesh was take a full-day private cooking class, where we made about 12 dishes and shopped in the souk with the chef, went to a spice trader, etc. There's also a hammam in her riad (tho we didn't stay at that riad.) It was an amazing and very romantic activity. Here's the link to the tripadvisor page about it.

There are many other cooking classes offered in Marrakech but I can personally say this was a highlight of our trip. Just be prepared for 9 hours of cooking, eating, and shopping.
posted by np312 at 4:08 PM on September 2