A design-minded weekend in Marrakech

This Marrakech itinerary comes from Livingetc’s Abla Fahmi, who was born and raised in Casablanca and frames the city through interiors as much as sights. Her route is about how Moroccan craft keeps changing without losing its roots: Japanese restraint meeting local detail at Nobu Hotel Marrakech, the saturated colour and handmade surfaces of El Fenn, and the woven-looking brickwork of the Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech Museum1 by Studio KO. It reads less like a checklist of landmarks than a way of seeing the city through rooms, materials and design ideas.

There are plenty of concrete stops if you are planning a trip. Day one begins at Nobu Hotel Marrakech or the smaller Nobu Riad2, then moves to lunch at El Fenn, where carved cedar, stained glass, tadelakt walls and a substantial art collection are part of the draw. After that come the Yves Saint Laurent museum and the bookshop-café Booklore, before dinner at La Mamounia’s Le Marocain, noted for its riad-like layout and Moroccan cooking.

Day two heads into Jemaa el-Fna and the surrounding souks for leather, ceramics and textiles in their original setting, then out to Les Deux Tours in the Palmeraie for lunch, on to a hammam at Amanjena, and finishes with dinner at rooftop restaurant DarDar. There is even time for a last coffee at Bacha Coffee before the airport. Useful for a first pass at Marrakech through design rather than sightseeing alone; do check reservations and opening details before you go.

Our summary of a story from Livingetc, published 30 September 2026. Read the original