Marrakech is one of our all-time favourite cities to visit and a genuine assault on the senses. If you’re just visiting Marrakech, or kicking off your Morocco travels, a Marrakech food tour is a great way to get acquainted with Moroccan food.
Rooted in Berber traditions and shaped by Arab, Andalusian and French influences, Moroccan food is a true culinary adventure.
From the bustling souks of Marrakech to the humble roadside stalls around Morocco, every cumin, saffron and cinnamon-infused bite offers a tantalising glimpse into the centuries of tradition underpinning Moroccan food.
At the heart of Moroccan cuisine is its communal spirit – dishes are meant to be shared, whether it’s a steaming tagine, a perfectly spiced bowl of harira, or a plate of fluffy couscous.
You’ll find street food delights like sizzling skewers, crispy msemen, delicious stews, and ubiquitous khobz bread around every corner of the Medina of Marrakech, and there’s never a shortage of sweet dates and mint tea for a perfect dessert.
Exploring Marrakech through its food is one of the best ways to get to know the Red City, and a guided food tour or cookery class will let you dive deep into the flavours, meet passionate local vendors, and uncover the secrets behind Morocco’s most iconic dishes.
If you’re curious about what to expect from a Marrakech food tour, then read on as we describe our experience, which turned out to be one of our favourite things to do in Marrakech.
What’s in this post?
What to Expect from a Marrakech Food Tour
Booking a Marrakech Food Tour
Marrakech Cookery Classes
Other Marrakech Food Experiences
Planning a Trip to Marrakech
Useful Travel Resources
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Top Marrakech Food Tours
Street food tour: 3 hours | upto 12 food tastings | runs morning and evening | shared and private options | multiple languages | book your Marrakech street food tour here.
Food tour by night: 2-3 hours | guided walking tour through the Medina | numerous food tastings | shared and private options available | multiple languages | book your Marrakech Food Tour by Night here.
Cooking class: 3 hours | market visit plus cooking class | available in English, French and Arabic | small-group experience | book your Marrakech Cooking Class here.
What to Expect from a Marrakech Food Tour
Like many foodie tours in the Red City, our Marrakech street food extravaganza started at bustling Djemaa el-Fna Square, with the delicious smells from local food stalls washing over us.
Here we met our local guide, a Marrakech-born foodie who was raised in the Medina. There, he developed a lifelong passion for the city’s distinctive food culture, which he now enthusiastically shares with visitors.
After a brief introduction and some background on Moroccan food, our small group dived straight into the snaking alleys of the souks.
Shortly after leaving the square, we were invited to sit at a small, chipped table on the top floor of a narrow, nondescript building.
It was twilight and smoke was beginning to cloud over the vast precinct as dozens of barbecues fired up in the makeshift open-air food stalls, ready to serve up tagine, spicy sausage and steaming brochettes.
“Who wants to try sheep’s head?” Our guide had a mischievous sparkle in his eye. “It’s only half a head, not too much.”
We had our reservations, but we were here to experience local cuisine. Still, we surprised even ourselves by being the first to opt in.
Sheep’s head it was, then, and where better to try it than in Mechoui Alley, a tiny laneway fully dedicated to the industry of slow roasting whole sheep in deep pit ovens.
Our forlorn looking half-head arrived and (most of) the group gingerly picked at it before we offered it to our guide’s assistant. He was more than happy to finish it off.
We were far less reserved with the rest of the mechoui banquet: traditional khobz bread, chunks of melt-in-the-mouth slow roasted lamb, and tangia, a delicious lamb stew cooked in a sealed, urn-shaped terracotta pot.
Over the next couple of hours, our guide led us on a wonderful, winding journey through markets teeming with locals. We sampled Atlas-grown olives, watched expert hands turn fresh msemen (square shaped pancakes similar to gozleme), and sipped harira soup, a hearty lentil and chickpea dish traditionally eaten to break the fast during Ramadan.
We also met the friendly characters at a community khobz bakery and learnt all about the underground furnace where the souk’s garbage is manually fed into a constant fire to heat the hammams above.
Later in the tour our guide took us to one of his favourite hangouts: a press of plastic chairs and tables packed with folks munching on the popular Marrakech street food hout quari: sardine kefta sandwiches.
Not being huge fans of sardines, we hesitated longer on this one than the sheep’s head. It was a winner though, loaded with flavour yet surprisingly subtle, a tasty fusion of fried sardine meatballs with red onion, green olives, fresh herbs and spicy sauce.
We were definitely feeling the pinch of our jeans when we next crowded into a tiny restaurant with three beaming Marrakshi mamas.
They were just about the happiest cooks we’ve ever met, and as a steaming mountain of couscous piled high with vegies and caramelised onion arrived, we all started laughing, wondering just how we were going to fit this feast into our by-now very full bellies.
Our guide explained it’s a tactical decision eating couscous later in the tour or we’d all be stuffed from the get-go. In honour of tactics, we set out as a team to conquer the mountain.
Our last major stop for the night was a patisserie, where we pleaded for mercy as our guide tempted us with creamy avocado and almond smoothies and plates of Moroccan cookies.
Somehow, we polished them off too.
More than three hours after setting out, we waddled back out into Djemaa el-Fna. The night was getting on but the square was still heaving with people and thumping to the beat of gnaoua drums. The hubbub was startling after our absorbing immersion in the food culture and stories of the Red City’s souks.
It was a (literally) rich and fulfilling experience, as much a unique insight into one Marrakshi’s life growing up in the Medina, as a fit-to-burst feast for the senses for us.
We definitely didn’t feel like breakfast the next day.
Booking a Marrakech Food Tour
We highly recommend booking your Marrakech food tour for when you first arrive in the city. Then you can go back and try more of that deliciousness in the following days (like a paper cone of olives or a mechoui sandwich with cumin-salt for lunch – yum!).
While there’s no shortage of food tours in Marrakech, the options we’ve picked below have been tried and tested by stacks of fellow foodies and still manage to get rave reviews.
Whichever tour you choose, make sure you wear comfortable footwear and arrive hungry!
Marrakech Street Food Tour
This tour will take you into the heart of Marrakech’s Medina, wandering through bustling souks and soaking in the rich aromas of sizzling spices.
You’ll get off the beaten track and away from the tourist traps to sample up to a dozen traditional Moroccan treats in places where the locals eat.
Led by a knowledgeable local guide, the tour aims to give you an authentic taste of Moroccan daily life and culinary culture that goes well beyond the typical tourist stops.
Tour Summary: 3 hours | guided walking tour through the Marrakech Medina | includes upto 12 food tastings | runs morning and evening | shared and private options available | tours in English, German, Dutch and Arabic | book your Marrakech street food tour here.
Marrakech Food Tour by Night
Starting at Djemaa el-Fna, this extremely popular tour takes a night-time wander through the vibrant markets of Marrakech to the Mellah.
Along the way you’ll stop at multiple food vendors to sample a variety of sweet and savoury Moroccan delicacies like juicy olives, sweet dates, slow-roasted mechoui, charcoal-cooked tagine, and flaky pastries.
The experience typically finishes in a cosy café where you can relax with a mint tea and admire a traditional courtyard setting.
Tour Summary: 2-3 hours | guided walking tour through Jemaa el-Fnaa and Medina markets at night | numerous food tastings | includes local recipe souvenir to take home | shared and private options available | multiple languages | book your Marrakech Food Tour by Night here.
Authentic Moroccan Food Tour and Dinner
You’ll need to arrive hungry for this popular Marrakech food tour that culminates in a three-course meal featuring fresh Moroccan salad and a classic tajine, finished with creamy Raïb yogurt for dessert.
Before that though, you’ll need to pace yourself as your guide takes you to a variety of spots around the Medina to learn all about Morocco’s food culture and sample local delicacies like pastries, soups, olives, dates, grilled meats, and even snails.
Tour Summary: 3 hours | guided food walk with traditional tastings | enjoy local snacks and sweets | sit-down Moroccan dinner with tajine | available in English | shared group experience | book your Authentic Moroccan Food Walking Tour & Dinner here.
Marrakech Cookery Classes
If your interest in Moroccan cuisine is more hands-on, you might be interested in the array of cooking classes and tours on offer in Marrakech.
We had lots of fun (and laughs) learning how to make traditional Moroccan food on our last visit to Marrakech and were rather proud of the tasty lamb tagine with couscous, salad and khobz bread we managed to rustle up.
If learning how to cook authentic local food is your thing, then check out the following options; they all get great reviews and have secure booking along with free cancellation provisions.
Cooking Class with a Local Chef
Guests particularly like the structured format and the informative, fun, relaxed environment created by the excellent teachers in this popular cooking class.
After meeting up with your group, you’ll head to a local market to pick up the ingredients required for the class before heading back to the kitchen.
As a group you’ll tackle 3 to 4 traditional dishes covering a mix of flavours while learning about Moroccan food culture, before you sit down to enjoy the fruits of your labours.
Tour Summary: 4 hours | prepare and eat multiple traditional dishes | includes all ingredients and food you cook | runs twice daily (except on a Friday) | small-group experience | available in English & French | book your Moroccan Dishes Cooking Class with a Local Chef here.
Cooking Class and Market Visit with Chef Khmisa
Highly-rated with nearly 2 thousand reviews, this popular cooking class will take you to a traditional house in the heart of the Medina.
After an introduction to the day over mint tea, you’ll accompany the chef around the souk to buy the groceries needed for your Moroccan feast.
Back at the house, the chef will share some of the secrets to creating amazing Moroccan food as you learn to cook a traditional meal, including starters, main course and dessert.
Tour Summary: 3 hours | market visit plus hands-on Moroccan cooking class | includes ingredients, lunch and take-home recipes | available in English, French and Arabic | small-group experience | book your Cooking Class in Marrakech & Food Market by Chef Khmisa here.
Other Marrakech Food Experiences
If you want a little more adventure to go with your Moroccan food, you might consider one of the many day trips from Marrakech that include traditional food, like hot air ballooning with Moroccan breakfast treats, or excursions into the Agafay Desert for dinner.
The Agafay Desert Sunset, Camel Ride and Dinner Show is one of Marrakech’s most popular tours, and with more than 30,000 mostly positive reviews, you can be pretty confident an unforgettable evening awaits.
This 5-hour adventure kicks off in the late afternoon with a pickup in town. You’ll ride a camel across the golden dunes to a traditional desert camp before taking in the beauty of the desert as the sun dips below the horizon.
You’ll then enjoy a tasty Moroccan feast of fresh salads, rich tajines, fluffy couscous, and warm bread before gathering around the campfire to enjoy the rhythmic beats of Berber music under a starry desert sky.
Planning a Trip to Marrakech
Marrakech is easy to get to, with regular flights operating between Marrakech and cities across Europe, as well as ferry connections to ports in Spain, France and Italy.
While there’s no ‘bad’ time for visiting Marrakech, we’ve certainly found the sweet spot to be during the spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November), when you can enjoy visiting without the risk of spontaneous combustion in the heat.
For more useful information on planning a trip to Marrakech, including getting there, getting around, things to see, and the best places to stay, check out our 3-day Marrakech Itinerary post.
Useful Travel Resources
Stays: We use Booking.com for its wide choice of stays and Genius perks.
Airport Transfer: To take the hassle out of arriving laden with bags consider using Welcome Pickups.
Car Rentals: We use DiscoverCars for a wide choice of hire cars with great rates and free cancellation.
eSIMs: To stay connected while travelling we use eSIMs from Airalo.
Tours: Check out GetYourGuide to find a great range of tours and local experiences in and around Marrakech.
If you’ve got any questions or comments about what to expect from a Marrakech food tour please drop us a comment below.
If you’re planning on visiting Marrakech or travelling more broadly around Morocco please check out our Morocco page for more itineraries and travel inspiration.
Beautiful photos) Appetizing. thanks for the info
Hi Anna, many thanks for your kind words – we’re glad you liked it!