Marrakech is a city renowned for its beautiful medieval old city and lots of traditional markets. Still, the city also provides an exciting nightlife scene for those who want to have a good time after exploring the attractions. Aside from the traditional cafes and pubs, Marrakech is a city with plenty of trendy and modern bars, lounges, and underground clubs.
Whether you’re traveling solo or with a group, the hostels we have listed here are the perfect place for those looking to meet like-minded people, with a fun atmosphere and plenty of organized activities to encourage guest socializing.
Top 5 Hostels in Marrakech:
- 1. Equity Point Marrakech Hostel
- 2. Hostel Kif Kif Marrakech
- 3. Hostel Waka Waka, Marrakech
- 4. Rodamo Riad Marrakech
- 5. Hostel Riad Marrakech Rouge
The 5 Best Party Hostels in Marrakech
Equity Point Marrakech Hostel
Price: 8.88 €
Equity Point Marrakech Hostel is a unique social hostel with an in-house spa. From April to October, you can also take a dip at the hostel’s swimming pool. Aside from that, the hostel features impressive views from a rooftop terrace and a resto-bar with amazing traditional food and cheap drinks. Read more..
- Highly-rated
- Swimming pool
- A nice on-site bar
Hostel Kif Kif Marrakech
Price: 5.0 €
A fantastic hostel with lots of charm, the Hostel Kif Kif features a traditional Moroccan tangerine courtyard where you can sip tea and shisha. It also has a very hippy, fun, lively atmosphere as well as a shared music room, and a top floor dedicated to Berber culture and style. The friendly and social atmosphere with lots of interesting people is also one of the mains draws of this hostel.
- Daily activities
- Great for parties
- A very social environment
Hostel Waka Waka, Marrakech
Price: 4.75 €
A gorgeous traditional style hostel with large, bright communal areas and daily music and entertainment is one of the best features of Hostel Waka Waka. It also has a massive courtyard and a roof terrace with a garden. The place is always lively and filled with other travelers hanging out so you won’t be bored when you stay at this hostel.
- Nice on-site bar
- A great hostel for partying
- Regular activities
Rodamo Riad Marrakech
Price: 15.42 €
Rodamo Riad Marrakech located in the heart of the vibrant Medina, where you can find similarly lively souqs (street markets), bars, and restaurants. The hostel also features a beautifully decorated pool, various common areas, and a cozy terrace. A cool bar is also located on the roof, and it is the perfect spot where guests can meet other travelers or enjoy watching the stunning sunsets. Read more..
- Social environment
- Swimming pool
- A nice on-site bar
Hostel Riad Marrakech Rouge
Price: 6.57 €
With unconventional design and colorful interior, Hostel Riad Marrakech Rouge is composed of a community of open-minded and fun travelers. It’s stunning Moroccan style common areas often hosts activities like cooking classes, movie marathons, game nights, etc. Also, the lively on-site bar offers a wide array of drinks and also has cool events on weekends. Aside from that, the hostel also provides free traditional breakfast daily. Read more..
- Great hostel for partying
- Nice on-site bar
- Lots of activities
How is Marrakech’s Nightlife?
After surviving the heat of the day, the city comes alive with activity from Medina’s backstreets to nightclubs in five-star hotels. Bathed under the light of a billion stars with a balmy breeze cooling down the sun-drenched streets and the pungent scent of spices mixed with tobacco and coffee nowhere embodies the term “Arabian Nights” like Marrakech.
Nightclubs and Discos
Most of the four- and five-star hotels have bars and nightclubs in them. One of the more popular choices in the city is Fantasia Chez Ali, which combines dinner with non-stop visual eye candy during every course. In Medina, you’ll find few options for actual alcohol consumption, but there is a lot of spots like the Chesterfield Pub inside Hotel Nassim that’s mostly frequented by ex-pats.
The Gueliz district is almost wholly Westernized, with modern buildings, a few upscale nightclubs and pubs, organized souks, fast food chains, and a very exhilarating nightlife scene. Theatre Royal is found in this district, along with the two casinos within walking distance of each other.
The Medina
The absolute center of nightlife in Marrakech is the old walled-off Medina, and the center of it is Djamaa el Fna–the Square. This place is filled with musicians, street artists, and storytellers. There are also a lot of food and drink stands on the square (but they don’t sell alcohol), and the place has a magical vibe to it that is like no place else in the city. Around the corner from the square is the souk. The vibrant colors fill the stalls, all of which are offering everything from Argan oil, exotic spices, lamps, handmade pottery, and authentic Berber carpets. You can also grab a drink from the stands and wander around the makeshift streets in this open-air marketplace.
Wherever you go in Marrakech, stop for just a moment and take it all in using all of your senses. Marvel at the sights of tall steel and glass buildings next to equally towering minarets that are more than a century old. Let the scent of the night air assault you with the mix smells emanating from the hookah bars and street cafes. Indulge your taste buds with a cup of strong coffee sweetened with brown sugar and cinnamon. Feel the tile work around the fountains and riads in the squares. Gaze up at night on the desert sky filled with stars as you feel the breeze that has blown across the palms in this oasis for more than a millenia.
The Best Bars and Clubs in Marrakech
1. L’Epicurien
Part of the upscale Es Saadi resort in the upmarket area of Hivernage, L’Epicurien, is a glamorous bar with live music. Between the live band and two resident DJs, the tunes are always crowd-pleasers. You can get up to dance or sit and take in the views over a few drinks, either way, a night here is always fun. Polished mahogany woodwork, sparkling crystal chandeliers, large mirrors, and opulent tapestries add to the decadence vibe of the club. If you want to feel even more energy, pop into Theatro Nightclub, also within the resort complex, for dancers, jugglers, acrobats, and unique night out in Marrakech.
2. Nikki Beach
A place to cool down in the morning and heat up by night, Nikki Beach is composed of a complex of restaurants, bars, and swimming pools surrounded by palm trees. A very casual place to party in the evenings, the DJ always keeps the crowd happy, drawing more people onto the dance floor. Food is available, too, mixing the cuisines of Italy and Asia. But the drinks in the place are quite expensive. Sip on a glass of cocktail, take a dip in a pool, and groove on the dance floor.
3. 555 Famous Club
Although relatively small, 555 Famous Club packs a punch when it comes to the fun factor. The high prices are worth it for those who love to see and be seen; it attracts international jet-setters, celebrities, and wealthy locals. The music in this place is very diverse, with dance tunes, hip-hop, pop, R’n’B, etc. Also, there are frequent promotions where ladies can have a drink for free or discounted prices, helping to keep costs down. They also serve food, though most people go here for the clubbing experience and beverages. It’s one of the most famous bars in Marrakech.
4. SO Lounge
Within the best-in-class Sofitel hotel, the refined SO Lounge is always filled with a fun-loving crowd. You can sit close to the fountain while watching the stars in the patio or sway to the DJ’s beats on the bar. A live band sometimes plays here too. There’s also a separate closed-out area for smoking shisha, and a choice of international and traditional Moroccan cuisine is available as well. Also, the drinks menu is very extensive, with cocktails, which are a favorite among tourists. Don’t want to drink? No problem — head to the alcohol-free area for all the fun sans the alcohol.
5. Sky Bar
There are no rooftop bars in Marrakech that can compare the stunning Sky Bar. Perched at the top of the Renaissance Hotel, the bar is generally bustling. Also, food and drinks are available, and the sunset is a very popular reason to visit. Offering expansive views over the city, with a lot of iconic sights visible in the skyline, it’s one of the most romantic places in the city for a sundowner. On a clear day, you’d even be able to see the Atlas Mountains. If you find that the temperatures are a bit too warm for your liking, you can sit indoors in air-conditioned comfort.
About Marrakech
The name Marrakech came from the Amazigh (Berber) words mur (n) wakush, which means “Land of God.” It is the third-largest city in Morocco after Casablanca and Rabat and lies near the foothills of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains and a few hours away from the foot of the Sahara Desert. Its location and contrasting landscape have made it a desirable destination in Morocco.
The city is split into two sections: the Medina, the old city, and the modern European district called Ville Nouvelle or Gueliz. The Medina is full of twisting, narrow passageways, and local shops full of character; it also contains the large square Djemaa El-Fna, where many hotels are located, and tourists, locals, and vendors congregate. In contrast, Gueliz is home to modern restaurants, fast food chains, and big brand stores.
Marrakech is the top tourist destination in Morocco, and thus it is also a place where many Moroccans try to become rich fast by ripping off tourists. This mentality is so widespread that even Moroccans are now ripped off whenever possible so that they call the city “Marrakech, Arnakech” – which rhymes in Arabic and translates to “Marrakech, Mafia.” See the Scam section for more information.
Lizzy
Traveler & Blogger
Hi, I’m Lizzy! In the past 10 years I’ve travelled 60 countries and I’m still counting. While I was backpacking I could not find a website that provides valuable information about hostels. After months of thinking, doubting and brainstorming, hostelstobook.com was born.
I hope to make your trip easier, so you’d only stay in the best hostels around the globe. Do you have any questions? Don’t hesitate to send me a message.
Related Questions
The Medina is the old town of the city with high stone walls (like you’ll see in Marrakesh and Fes) and is divided into Quartiers. Each quartier has a mosque, a hammam (bathhouse), a communal bread oven, a madrasa (educational institution), and a water fountain, which all serve the local community.
However, Morocco is still reasonably cheap for many things and can be considered a budget destination if you bear these points in mind. Museums in Morocco are very reasonable even when looking at it from the perspective of locals. Yet a major tourist destination like Marrakech has very affordable entry fees.
In Morocco, alcohol is available in a lot of places like restaurants, bars, hotels, and resorts. Drinking in public is strictly forbidden, so do not even think to open a beer in a park or to drink it in the balcony facing the main street.
The best times to go to Marrakech are from March to May and between September to November. These shoulder seasons are notorious for their pleasant weather (with average daytime temperature ranging from 22 C to 32 C and affordable hotel rates. Around the same time of the year, if you want to extend your trip, you can also explore Auckland or Sydney.
The simple answer is probably no, as no country is entirely safe. In the past few years, the USA, France, and the United Kingdom experienced terror attacks, aside from the countless other places throughout the world. No place is ever really safe! That being said, a terror attack occurred in Marrakech in 2011, where 17 people were killed and another 25 injured.
British nationals don’t need a visa to get into Morocco for tourism for up to 3 months. When heading to the country, make sure that your passport is stamped. Also, some tourists have experienced difficulties leaving the country because their passport doesn’t have an entry stamp.