Budget — Marrakech

Marrakech bends to every traveller profile, from backpacker to outright luxury. On a comfort budget — boutique riad in the medina, local restaurant lunches, dinner on Jemaa el-Fna, one or two ticketed sights and a small taxi a day — count around €60/person/day, consistent with the city's moderate cost of living. A typical day looks like: night in a riad (€40-60), midday tagine (€5-8), monument entries (€15-20 total), taxi (€2-4) and dinner at the square stalls (€6-10). Add a hammam session every other day for €10-15.

The budget traveller can come down to €25-35 a day in Marrakech: hostel or small shared-room riad (€10-15), meals at the medina gargotes (harira, kefta sandwich, freshly squeezed orange juice for under €3), walking everywhere and selective sightseeing. At the other end, Hivernage palaces and prestige riads list nights from €250 to €600 with spas, infinity pools and gastronomic restaurants — La Mamounia, the Royal Mansour and the Four Seasons set the high-end tone, and the budget then runs essentially ceiling-free.

In the souks, bargaining is a rule, not an option. The asking price is rarely the final price: open at 40-50% of the marked tag and find a deal in good humour. For big-ticket items (leather, rugs, jewellery), compare several stalls before closing — and watch for the genuine craft cooperatives, which generally offer fairer fixed prices. Organised day-trips to the Atlas or the Ourika valley run between €25 and €60/person depending on the operator; private guides for a day in the medina cost €30-50.

A few tips to keep the Marrakech budget in check: avoid the restaurants directly on Jemaa el-Fna and favour the streets just off (much better value), negotiate the taxi fare before getting in if the meter is off, ask your riad to arrange transfers rather than hailing on the street with luggage, and book riads and tours in advance during peak season (April, October, Christmas) to avoid last-minute surge pricing.