Marrakech for first-timers

Azur Express flies to Marrakech every day from Terminal 2. ZX 762 leaves at 10:50 and takes about 3 hours 40 minutes. Morocco's clocks change on different dates from the UK's, so check the time difference in the week you travel.

The airport is about 15 minutes by road from the old city, the medina. Most riads will arrange a driver to meet you, which we recommend for a first visit. Cars cannot enter most of the medina, so the driver will hand you over to someone from the riad who walks you the last few minutes.

A riad is a traditional house built around a courtyard, often with only a handful of rooms. From the street you see a plain wall and a small door. Inside it is quiet, cool and green. Staying in one, inside the medina, puts you within walking distance of everything.

The souks are the covered markets north of the main square. Lanes are narrow, twist constantly and change name without warning. That is part of the fun.

• Download an offline map before you go. Mobile signal is patchy under the roofs.
• Use the main square as your anchor. Most lanes eventually lead back to it.
• If you are lost, ask a shopkeeper rather than someone who approaches you. People who offer to guide you will expect payment.
• Mopeds use the lanes too. Keep to the side.

Haggling

Prices in the souks are not fixed. Start at about half the first price, stay friendly, and be ready to walk away. Once you agree a price, it is polite to buy.

• Tagine. Slow-cooked stew of meat or vegetables, often with preserved lemon, olives or prunes.
• Couscous. Traditionally eaten on Fridays, piled high with vegetables.
• Mint tea. Sweet, poured from a height, and offered almost everywhere as a welcome.
• The square at night. As the sun goes down, food stalls fill the main square. Choose a busy one where food is cooked in front of you.

• The rooftops. Many cafés and riads have roof terraces. Go at sunset, when the call to prayer echoes across the city.
• The palaces and the old Quranic school. Tiled courtyards, carved cedar and painted ceilings. Go early to avoid the crowds.
• The gardens. Shady, walled gardens outside the medina make a cool break in the afternoon.