Just one hour from Marrakech, pay a visit to Sir Richard Branson’s stunning retreat Kasbah Tamadot in the Atlas Mountains. Enjoy dinner under the stars in their restaurant, Kanoun, or make an appointment at the Asounfou Spa. You can also arrange hiking tours, horse riding or a 4X4 jeep excursion. Indagare members can contact our bookings team to arrange.

The serenity of the Moroccan desert is a marvelous counterpoint to the delirious energy of the medina. For a change of scenery after several days in Marrakech, escape to an oasis only forty-five minutes outside of the city, where you can spend the afternoon lounging among the olive groves or take a camel ride to explore the lunar landscape. For an unforgettable adventure, thrill-seekers may prefer a helicopter ride over the Atlas Mountains to a private desert encampment, set amid palm plantations and faded kasbahs. A traditional Berber lunch awaits on the other side of snowcapped peaks. Contact Indagare's bookings team for details.

There are few markets in the world more vibrant and aromatic than the souks of Marrakech. With exquisite pyramids of cinnamon and ginger, innumerable forks in the road and invitations to mint tea in back rooms filled with surplus inventory, the medina is exhilarating – and overwhelming – even for seasoned hagglers. Whether you're looking for latticed lanterns, a Berber kilim rug or the purest quality argan oil, Indagare's expert local shopping guide will help you navigate the souk's narrow arteries to the best stalls and shops, making sure you return home with finds that highlight the craftsmanship of the city's most skilled artisans.

After only a few hours in the medina, it is easy to understand why Marrakech's most distinguished residents, from the sultans and their viziers to Yves Saint Laurent, have invested fortunes in elaborate private sanctuaries from the noise and the heat. During your exploration of the city with our expert guide, you will have a chance to linger in the intimate courtyards of the Bahia Palace and the Majorelle Gardens, two of its loveliest and most iconic retreats, and wander the ancient dormitories of the Medersa Ben Youssef, where you can marvel at the stunning tile work of its interiors. Your outing concludes with a twilight visit to the Djemaa el Fnaa, which is magical by lantern light, thronged with snake charmers, healers and vendors hawking all manor of exotic delicacies, from boiled sheep's brain to heaping plates of tiny snails.

Learn how to prepare a festive Moroccan meal alongside a veteran dada (traditional Moroccan female home cook). Your hands-on private cooking class may entail a visit to the neighborhood's communal brick oven, where locals drop off rounds of flatbread dough to be baked en masse for a few dirhams, or a tutorial on regional spice blends like ras el hanout, which famously contains up to 35 ingredients. After preparing your own Moroccan pastilla or tajine, you will sit down to enjoy the fruits of your labor – a cumin, coriander and saffron-scented feast with optional wine pairings. Contact Indagare to reserve.

This gorgeous botanic garden was designed by French expat artist Jacques Majorelle in the 1920s. The estate was bought in the 1980s by Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé, and today is open to the public. A museum exhibits the private art collection of the late French fashion designer. Thomas Hays, the owner of newcomer Riad Meriem, counts the Jardin among the must-sees of Marrakech: “The building is painted in a stunning Yves Klein blue; it’s a beautiful place to visit.” There is a lovely small Berber museum on the grounds, which is worth a visit. Don’t miss the well-edited Jardin Majorelle Boutique at the beautiful botanic garden, which features mostly creations by former Yves Saint Laurent designer Bernard Sanz.” Open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Indagare Tip: Aficionados say that the ideal time for a visit is in the mid to late afternoon for the best light.

For those who don’t have a long time to spend in Morocco but want to get a sense of the country’s varied and dramatic landscapes, there is a fantastic encampment only a forty-five minute drive from the city called La Pause. The owner, a French expat, discovered the magical, mini oasis in the desert ten years ago when he was horseback riding in the area. Over time he has nurtured the 45-acre garden and its dozens of olive trees, all of which are fed by a natural spring, and added a kitchen and thirteen guest rooms.

Tents strewn with red Moroccan carpets and cushions are artfully arranged around the property so guests can dine in the desert in style. Each of the adobe houses that feature guest rooms are set off on their own for private views. They feature Berber or straw carpets, Moroccan tin tables and stylish touches like a vintage steamer trunk turned into a bookcase as well as tons of lanterns and candelabras as there is no electricity in the camp. Gas supplies the heated water in the bathrooms, which have showers and flush toilets.

Those who appreciate quiet and camping out (for even with linens on the beds, this is a camp) may spend the night but for others this is a great spot to come to for lunch or dinner. During the day it is possible to ride camels or horses or play the owner’s nine-hole golf course, which follows the canyons and where donkeys are used as caddies. Because of its memorable location and the owner’s knack for set design, this is a wildly popular location for parties and weddings.

Indagare Tip:  Some rooms are self-contained; others under the same roof. If privacy is important, be sure to request a house to yourself. Please note it is best to book this experience through Indagare for special attention. Service levels vary, and our members are given VIP treatment. Guests who have booked independently have experienced service issues.

Medersa Ben Youssef is temporarily closed for renovations.

The defining landmark of Marrakech is the 12th-century tiled minaret of the Koutoubia mosque, and there is no better place to begin your journey into this entrancing city. Visit the medieval Medersa ben Youssef (Koranic university) – one of the finest Islamic monuments in North Africa. Architecture aficionados will enjoy the delicate dome of the 12th-century Koubba.

The Musée de Marrakech is housed in the sumptuous, 19th-century Mnebhi Palace.  The Dar Bellarj cultural foundation, established to showcase Moroccan culture, is housed nearby in a former hospital for storks. Stop for tea or orange juice at the beautifully restored Dar Cherifa, which houses a cultural foundation, bookstore, and art gallery (with rotating exhibitions). It is a wonderful example of the many riads being restored in the medina.

Take a walking tour—solo or with a guide—of the medina or old city within the medieval walls. At dusk, head toward town and meet your horse and carriage for a ride along the rose red city walls until you arrive at the frenetic Djemaa el Fnaa, the greatest square in all of Africa – and perhaps the world. It was once the ultimate destination for traders from places as diverse as Venice, sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia.

The oceanic and storied souk, a true maze of a marketplace, is a shopaholic’s dream. Within it, tiny open-fronted stores sell spices and lanterns, pottery and leather bags, sequined slippers and rose water. It’s worth visiting simply for the atmosphere and its almost Biblical setting. If you see something you like, haggle ruthlessly (with a smile), always starting at a quarter of the suggested price. First-time visitors, even fifth-time ones, will appreciate the aid of a good guide. When you’ve had enough of the souks and the hassle, and want something of slightly better quality, I suggest the boutiques in Gueliz such as Studio Lalla; the ones by the Majorelle Gardens such as 33 Rue Majorelle and Mustapha Blaoui.

A favorite spot in the medina is Souk Cherifa where a number of new boutiques have opened in the second story courtyard space just below Terrasse des Epices. Look for Baboucheshop, Sissi Morocco and Zaaz.

Indagare Tip: Susan Simon’s book Shopping in Marrakech provides colorful maps and plots walks to help you organize a jaunt.

Indagare works with a fantastic personal shopper who can help with narrowing down the overwhelming selection. Members can contact our Bookings Team for help.