A potent blend of Arab, African and European influences, luxury Marrakech holidays provide a spectacular setting and a dramatic backdrop of a vibrant oasis city. The day starts with haunting calls to prayer emitted from the city's minarets before the obligatory haggling over rugs and jewellery within Marrakech's famous souks begins.
A great destination for a short-haul holiday in January, In the evening, a cacophonic drumbeat provides visitors with a dramatic first impression of Djemaa el-Fna, the huge square in the old town where snake charmers, fortune tellers, acrobats, musicians, and dancers cast their enchanting spell.
By dusk, open-air food stalls have added their unique aromas to the chaotic sights and sounds of the city. For a more relaxing experience, take a tour of intriguing Moroccan architecture or the city's immaculate gardens: Yves St Laurent's Majorelle gardens and museum, for instance, provide a glamorous respite from the Marrakech madness.
Marrakech is the perfect place from where to explore the rest of Morocco. Visit the lovely Ourika Valley, with its cooling waterfalls and Berber villages, or the edge of the Sahara, where fertile plains give way to arid rocks and the beautiful city of Ouarzazate. Wander the flower filled foothills of the High Atlas or head further north to bask on a golden beach in seaside Skhirat.
