Best Marrakech Activities for Football Fans: A CAN 2025 Guide

Best Marrakech Activities for Football Fans: A CAN 2025 Guide

Marrakech was one of six Moroccan cities that hosted Africa Cup of Nations matches during CAN 2025, at the roughly 45,000-seat Stade de Marrakech. Football aside, this is one of the most complete short-trip destinations in Morocco — a walkable old medina, genuinely striking gardens, and the closest major city to a real Sahara desert crossing. If a match brought you here, or you're simply passing through, these are the things worth building a few days around.

Jemaa el-Fnaa, especially after dark

The main square is the obvious starting point, and it's worth returning to at night rather than only seeing it in daylight — food stalls, orange juice vendors, storytellers, and musicians turn it into something considerably livelier once the sun goes down. It's touristy by now, unavoidably, but it's touristy because it's genuinely worth seeing, not despite that.

The Majorelle Garden and Bahia Palace

Jardin Majorelle, the cobalt-blue garden once owned by Yves Saint Laurent, is small but dense with cactus collections and quiet corners, plus a Berber museum on-site — book ahead if you're visiting during a busy period, since entry is timed and it does sell out. Bahia Palace, a 19th-century complex of courtyards and intricately carved rooms, is the other essential stop for anyone interested in Moroccan architecture and design rather than football at all.

A hammam, ideally after a long day

A traditional hammam — black soap scrub, steam room, and usually a massage — is close to a mandatory Marrakech experience, and a genuinely good way to recover after a match or a day of walking the medina. Options range from simple neighborhood hammams to full spa experiences at riads and hotels; either way, book ahead if the city is busy.

Getting a taste of the desert without losing days to it

If the full Sahara crossing isn't part of your itinerary, the Agafay desert — about an hour from the city — is the practical alternative: a rocky, pre-Saharan landscape used for quad biking, camel rides, and sunset dinners under the stars, doable as a half-day or an overnight without eating into the rest of your Marrakech time. A hot air balloon ride at sunrise over the Palmeraie and the edge of the Atlas foothills is the other classic Marrakech "adventure" activity, typically paired with a traditional breakfast afterward.

Local football culture, if that's specifically your interest

Marrakech has its own football following, centered on the local club KAC Marrakech, though the country's two most famous and fiercely supported clubs — Raja and Wydad — are both based in Casablanca, so the sharpest rivalry atmosphere is really a Casablanca thing rather than a Marrakech one. On non-match days, some operators run a look behind the scenes at Stade de Marrakech itself — the players' tunnel and pitch access — worth checking if you want the stadium experience without a match happening.

A day trip, if you have one to spare

Ait Ben Haddou, the UNESCO-listed kasbah used in numerous films, makes for a full and worthwhile day out, and it doubles as the first stop on the road toward the Sahara if you decide to extend the trip. Essaouira, the laid-back Atlantic coastal town, and Ouzoud, Morocco's most dramatic waterfalls, are the other two classic Marrakech day trips, each a comfortable few hours' drive away.

Shopping between everything else

Souk Semmarine is the medina's largest market and the place to practice bargaining properly — leather, lamps, and spices are the standard buys. Ensemble Artisanal, a government-run complex with fixed prices, is the easier alternative if you'd rather skip the negotiation and still bring home genuine, quality craftwork.

Practical notes

Petit taxis and caleches (horse-drawn carriages) cover getting around; agree the fare before you get in for the former. The medina itself is best explored on foot, and it's worth keeping a copy of your passport and your valuables secured in crowded areas, match days especially.

If you want the full desert experience while you're here

Marrakech is the natural starting point for a Sahara crossing — our 3-day Marrakech to Merzouga desert tour covers the Atlas Mountains, Ait Ben Haddou, and a night under the stars in the dunes with a private driver-guide throughout.

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Our local team can help plan the rest of your Marrakech stay, football-related or not.

This guide is regularly updated. Last updated: July 2026.