One week of food, fabric, and feel-good design
There are a lot of ways to do Marrakech. You can chase the chaos, get lost in the medina, or spend the whole trip horizontal poolside at a five-star hotel. But for travelers who appreciate beauty, craftsmanship, and a well-balanced itinerary (equal parts pampered and patchwork couture), this one’s for you.
In late May, Josh's dad (Papa Josh) and stepmother (Mama Patti) visited us in Marrakech. This is the itinerary we put together for them. It’s part design pilgrimage, part culinary tour, and part slow-fashion adventure — with a visit to the Res Ipsa Atelier in Sidi Ghanem, where custom camp shirts were made on the spot.
Here's how it all went down:
Friday – UNESCO Walking Tour and Poolside Dinner/Drinks
The best thing to do after getting off the plane is stretch those legs a little bit. We a walking tour of the Medersa Ben Yousef, a UNESCO World Heritage site and 16th-century Quranic school (medersa) built in 1565 beside the Ben Youssef mosque – originally Marrakech’s main mosque. It functioned as a school training Islamic scholars in Islamic law, jurisprudence and the Quran. In its heyday it was the largest medersa in North Africa and attracted up to 800 students.
Maison Arabe
Ease in with dinner and drinks at Maison Arabe by the pool for the golden hour. As the sun sets, the temperature cool and the call to prayer echoes in the distance. We shared a bottle of Moroccan wine, lamb tagine, and fresh sea bass from Essaouira.
Late Night Bonus Round
If you've got the energy, take the short walk (follow the noise and the lights) to Jem El Fnaa Square, which is another UNESCO World Heritage site. The square’s origins trace back to the founding of Marrakech itself around 1070. Originally, it served as a meeting point for traders, travelers, and locals--a place where goods from across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East were exchanged. When the sun sets, the Square becomes the pulsing heartbeat of Marrakech, with amazing food stalls, dancers, storytellers, and drum beats.
Saturday – à la campagne
Lunch
Berber Lodge
Mandarin Oriental Marrakech
Back in the city, grab dinner at Ling Ling (Mandarin Oriental). Outdoor seating, candlelight, and cocktails that somehow always taste better on vacation.
Sunday – Riad Lunch & La Mamounia Magic
Authentic charm and amazing food in a stunning riad
Lunch
Lunch in the riad. Marrakech has many delightful riads, and almost all of them offer the option of freshly cooked tagines made from ingredients bought the same day from the market.
Afternoon
Massage time. Trust us — book it. Most riads have an on-site hammam with an hour-long massage at a price that will tempt you to get one every day.
Dinner
Classic Moroccan fare at La Mamounia's famed Le Marocain restaurant. If you’re going to do a palace dinner, do it right. La Mamounia is over 100 years old and has never looked better. Also, don't skip out on the local spirits. Moroccan wine is very underrated and very reasonably priced.
Monday – Pop Art & Patchwork
Head to the medina for lunch at Jajjah, celebrated photographer Hassan Hajjaj’s colorful café-meets-gallery. The food hits, and the technicolor fever-dream decor is made for Instagram.
Afternoon
Since you're already in Sidi Ghanem, Marrakech’s design district, it's a short walk to visit the Res Ipsa Atelier. We gave them a tour of where the magic happens — tailors, shoemakers, handweaving, appliqué. All. The. Magic. They each had a custom appliqué camp shirt, cut & sewn up by our in-house tailors. A perfect souvenir that won’t end up in a drawer.
Dinner
Dinner at Le Tobsil. Deep in the medina, the restaurant sends a guide so you don't get lost. Candlelight, tagines, and a hidden courtyard that feels like a film set. Book ahead — and come hungry. Just when you think you're finished...here comes another course.
Tuesday – Atlas Escape
Lunch
Poolside lunch at Olinto Atlas Retreat in the High Atlas mountains
Take a trip into the countryside for lunch at Olinto Atlas Retreat. Think slow living, mountain air, and the kind of meal that makes you re-evaluate your life back home.
Dinner
Wednesday – Medina, Hammam & the Red City's Best Rooftop
Morning
Go full tourist (in the best way) with a guided medina tour. We asked our friend Ali, a professional Medina guide, to give a customized tour of the Medina focusing on art, history, and architecture. Only a few people know the Medina this well, and if you're with Ali, he'll take you to the coolest spots you couldn't possibly find on your own.
Afternoon
Book a traditional hammam at Hammam de la Rose. Steam, scrub, and suddenly you’re a new person.
Dinner
Dinner at El Fenn. Candlelit tables on a stunning terrace--possibly Marrakech's best rooftop view of Koutobia mosque--plus design details in every corner. The bar makes amazing cocktails (get a Marrakech Negroni). The menu is newly revamped, and the hospitality is top-notch.
Pro tip: You enter the rooftop restaurant through the El Fenn boutique, where Res Ipsa is proud to be the best-selling brand in the boutique. Give yourself a little extra time and check out the special Res Ipsa pieces that are only available at El Fenn.
Thursday – Iconic Finish
Afternoon
Wrap the trip with a stop at the Yves Saint Laurent Museum and Majorelle Garden. It’s iconic for a reason — the blue, the silence, the cacti, the vibe. Get the combined ticket (Majorelle Garden + Berber arts museum + YSL Museum). You start at the Garden and finish at the YSL Museum. Marjorelle Garden is the former home of Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé. But before that, it was the home of French painter Jacques Marjorelle, who pioneered the development and use of the incandescent blue now known as Marjorelle blue.
Dinner
Final dinner at Sahbi Sahbi in the modernist Gueliz district of Marrakech, also known as the New City or Ville Nouvelle. Sahbi Sahbi is an all-female kitchen turning out food that’s warm, refined, and deeply comforting. A soulful way to close the week.
Want the Res Ipsa Experience?
If you're planning a visit to Marrakech, come say hi. Our atelier in Sidi Ghanem is open by appointment — whether you want to see how we turn vintage rugs into clogs or get measured for your own custom appliqué shirt, we’re here for it.
Because travel should feel personal. And your clothes should, too.