Getting Pleasantly Lost in Marrakech

Marrakech doesn’t ask you where you’re going — and that’s exactly the point. The moment you step through the arched gates of the medina, the city pulls you in like a current. Spice stalls bleed into carpet shops, which open onto shaded courtyards, which lead nowhere and everywhere at once. I had a loose plan my first morning. By noon, I had abandoned it entirely, and I was better for it.

Getting lost is the whole point

The real Marrakech lives in the wrong turns. A dead-end alley becomes a tiled fountain. A wrong door reveals a rooftop café with mint tea and no menu. Wear comfortable shoes, carry cash in small bills, and leave your itinerary at the riad. The medina will show you everything worth seeing — just not on your schedule.