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Bucket list experience:

Hammams in Marrakech

Marrakech, Marrakech-Safi, Morocco

Intricately tiled interior of bath house
Last updated: 19 January, 2023
Expert travel writer: Mandy Sinclair

The hammam (steam bathhouse) has been an integral part of Islamic, notably Arabic, culture for centuries. Inspired by the Roman thermae, a bathhouse would include a cold room, a warm room and a hot room; in the latter, heat is produced by furnaces to supply hot water and steam.

The signature Marrakech hammam experience starts with a stint in the steam room, but then progresses to a special detoxication treatment; first, a scrub with locally-made black soap (containing olive oil) to prepare the skin for a gommage (exfoliation) with a kessa glove. After, locally-sourced rhassoul clay is applied, followed by a massage with local Argan oil.

For locals, a visit to the bathhouse is more than just a spa treatment. It serves three key purposes: one for hygiene, second for cleansing for before religious ablution before prayer, and third as a meeting place for the local community.

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One unique highlight of spa treatments in Marrakech is the use of Argan oil, produced from the endemic argan tree. This prized elixir contains high levels of vitamin E and essential fatty acids, and is employed in cooking, medicine and cosmetics.

Also make sure your treatment includes an application of rhassoul clay. This brown clay, found only in a valley in the Atlas Mountains, has an exceptionally high content of beneficial minerals. Used as a powerful detoxifying cleanser, skin conditioner, shampoo, and facial or body mask, it acts like a magnet, withdrawing all the toxins from the skin and replacing them with minerals.

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Price from: £20
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around
Duration: 2+ hours

Getting there & doing it

Most tourists visit the upmarket spa-like hammams, but the more intrepid will join the locals at the no-frills public hammam bathhouses. It’s certainly a more authentic experience, but be prepared for plenty of bare flesh on show.

Scrubbing can be intense and even bordering on painful. Don’t be afraid to speak up – they’ll go hard unless you dictate otherwise.

Red-lit room inside of hammam (Turkish bath)
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Hammam at La Maison Arabe

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It may not be as luxurious as that at Mamounia, but with dimly-lit with oriental lanterns, tranquil plunge pools, 2 hammams and 5 treatment rooms, it’s more atmospheric and intimate. Treatments range from traditional scrubs to luxuriant wraps.

Best for ages: 18+ | £20

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Red and black lounge chairs in interior courtyard of Turkish Bath
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Les Bains de Marrakech

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Marrakech’s stand-out independent hammam, offering the authentic luxury experience; marble-clad treatment rooms, baths floating with rose petals, lattice doorways and oriental lanterns. 

Best for ages: 18+ | £100

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Blue-tiled indoor pool surrounded by lounge chairs
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The spa at La Mamounia

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Award-winning spa with majestic marble swimming pools, ornate arches with oriental lanterns, and mosaic-tiled pillars. Signature treatments employ traditional ingredients like rose water, black soap and orange blossoms.

Best for ages: 18+ | £100

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