A Perfect Sunday in Marrakech: My Weekly Routine

Every Sunday in Marrakech I do the same thing. It took me about three years of living here to lock in a Sunday that actually works — that balances the slow Moroccan pace I've adopted with the need to actually feel like I've lived the day. Here's the exact routine.

Where do I start my Sunday morning in Marrakech?

Every Sunday I start at the same table at Café du Livre in Guéliz, around 9 AM. It's the corner table near the window that faces Rue Tarik Ibn Ziad. I order a double espresso — 18 MAD — and a msemen (the layered pan-fried flatbread) with honey, which is 12 MAD. The café has a second-hand bookshop in the back that I've never fully explored but find comforting.

The morning light at that table is extraordinary. Marrakech at 9 AM on a Sunday is genuinely quiet — the souks don't fully open until 10, the tourists are sleeping in, and the city sounds like itself rather than a performance of itself. I sit there for an hour minimum. Sometimes 90 minutes.

I don't look at my phone for the first 30 minutes. That's a rule I made in 2019 and I've kept it.

What do I do for Sunday brunch in Marrakech?

Around 10:30 or 11, I move to the medina. My Sunday brunch spot is a small riad café near the Mouassine fountain — I'm being deliberately vague about the exact address because it's the kind of place that lives or dies on not being overwhelmed. Suffice to say: you find it by wandering the neighborhood and looking for the potted geraniums at the entrance. There's always harira soup (10 MAD), an amlou dip with bread (15 MAD), and the best mint tea in the city.

Sometimes I do brunch at a riad that friends own near Bab Doukkala. They do a proper Moroccan spread on Sundays — msemen, batbout, honey, argan oil, fresh cheese, dates — for 80 MAD per person. It takes two hours and I leave feeling like I live in the most beautiful country on earth.

Where do I spend Sunday afternoon in Marrakech?

Two options, rotating by mood:

Option A: Hammam. I alternate between two hammams. The first is a traditional neighborhood hammam near the Mellah — 15 MAD entry, plus 20 MAD for a kessa (exfoliation) from the attendant. Total: 35 MAD for something that takes 45 minutes and resets you completely. The second is the upscale Royal Mansour Spa when I need proper pampering — different budget entirely, but occasionally worth it.

Option B: Pool. Depending on the season and who's around, Sunday afternoon is sometimes spent at one of Marrakech's pool clubs. In summer, this might be Famous Beach Club out by the Palmeraie — day pass around 350 MAD, which includes a credit toward food and drinks. Or sometimes the quieter rooftop pool at a boutique hotel in Guéliz where a friend DJs occasionally.

Where do I watch the sunset on Sundays?

The answer changes season by season, but my most consistent Sunday sunset spot is the terrace at Nomad restaurant in the medina — the top floor has a view across the rooftops toward the Koutoubia Mosque that is genuinely one of the most beautiful things you can see in this city. Arrive at 5:45 PM in winter, 7:00 PM in summer. Order a fresh citrus drink (28 MAD) and stay for at least 45 minutes.

Other weeks I end up on a friend's private rooftop somewhere in the medina. This is one of the underrated perks of having actually built a life here — you accumulate invitations to terraces that don't exist on any map.

Where do I eat Sunday dinner in Marrakech?

Sunday dinner varies but I tend toward simplicity after a full day. Often it's the rotisserie chicken place near my apartment in Guéliz — a half-chicken with fries and harissa for 45 MAD is one of life's underrated pleasures. Sometimes it's the Moroccan salads and tagine set-menu at Terrasse des Épices: around 120 MAD for three courses.

Some Sundays I don't eat dinner. I have the mint tea from the afternoon still running through me and the next day's OJ run to look forward to. That's the secret rhythm of Marrakech: you don't need to maximize every moment. The city rewards restraint.