Shooting fashion in Marrakech: locations and best seasons

Few cities give a fashion team as much within an hour’s drive as Marrakech: earth-coloured walls and carved doors in the medina, quiet riad courtyards, palm groves, a stone desert and, beyond it, the snow-capped High Atlas. This guide covers the main locations, the best seasons and times of day, and the practical points to plan before you shoot.

The medina: walls, doors and daily life

The old city is the image most people have of Marrakech: ochre and pink walls, narrow derbs, wooden doors, souks and rooftop terraces. It works beautifully for editorial and street-style stories. It is also a living neighbourhood, busy from morning to night, so it rewards small crews, light equipment and early starts.

Respect matters as much as the light. Ask people before you photograph them, keep passages clear, and agree in advance with shop or house owners if you want to use their doorway or terrace.

Riads, hotels and villas

Riads are traditional houses built around an inner courtyard, often with tiled floors, fountains, plants and carved plaster. They give you controlled light, privacy and a strong sense of place, which is why they are a favourite for lookbooks, beauty and hospitality content. Many luxury hotels and private villas, especially in the Palmeraie on the edge of the city, offer gardens, pools and architecture on a larger scale.

Private locations need the owner’s agreement, and most will ask you to book in advance and confirm the size of your crew. Ask about the quiet hours if guests are staying.

Gardens and the palm groves

Marrakech is a garden city. Public and private gardens bring shade, colour and greenery to the palette, and the Palmeraie offers long lines of palm trees just outside the centre. Check the rules for each garden before you plan a shoot there: some well-known gardens are visitor attractions with their own policy on commercial photography.

The Agafay desert

About an hour’s drive from the city, the Agafay is a stone desert of soft, rolling hills, with the Atlas mountains on the horizon on a clear day. It gives you a desert look without the long journey to the Sahara, which makes it popular for campaigns and editorials that need wide, empty landscapes. Several desert camps can host crews for the day.

The Atlas mountains and further afield

The High Atlas starts within reach of a day trip: valleys, Berber villages, rivers and, in winter, snow on the peaks. Further out, Essaouira on the Atlantic coast offers ramparts, blue boats and strong wind, and the dunes of the Sahara are a multi-day trip. For anything beyond a day trip, factor in travel time, accommodation and a longer day for the models and crew.

Best seasons to shoot in Marrakech

• Spring (roughly March to May): mild temperatures, gardens in bloom and soft light. One of the most comfortable periods for long outdoor days.
• Autumn (roughly September to November): warm days and pleasant evenings after the summer heat. Another favourite season for productions.
• Summer (June to August): often very hot in the middle of the day. Shoot outdoor looks early in the morning and late in the afternoon, and keep the middle of the day for interiors.
• Winter (December to February): usually sunny and mild during the day, but mornings and evenings are cold, especially in the desert. Plan warm layers between looks, particularly for summer collections.

Also check the calendar for public and religious holidays. During Ramadan, whose dates move each year, working rhythms change; plan schedules and catering with your local team.

Light and timing

Marrakech light is strong and warm. The best outdoor light is usually in the first hours after sunrise and the hour before sunset, when the walls glow and shadows soften. At midday, use the shade of courtyards, arcades and gardens, or bring diffusion. Starting early also means quieter streets in the medina.

A sample one-day schedule

Every production is different, but a typical outdoor fashion day in warm weather often looks like this:

• Early morning: hair and make-up, then the first outdoor looks in the soft light, while the streets are still quiet.
• Late morning to mid-afternoon: move indoors to a riad or hotel for interiors, details and beauty shots, with a proper lunch break in the shade.
• Late afternoon: back outside for the golden hour, ideally at a location close to the interior so you don’t lose the light in traffic.

Keep travel between locations to a minimum. In the medina, cars can’t reach most streets, so allow time to carry equipment and wardrobe on foot.

Permits and permissions

What you need depends on the project, and the rules can change, so treat this as a general overview rather than legal advice:

• Private locations such as riads, hotels and villas need the owner’s written agreement.
• Monuments and public spaces generally require prior authorisation for commercial shoots.
• Film and video productions in Morocco are overseen by the Centre Cinématographique Marocain (CCM).
• Drones are strictly regulated and need prior authorisation.

For larger productions, working with a local production company or fixer is the most reliable way to handle permits, transport and locations.

Casting for a Marrakech shoot

Once you know where and when, choose the faces. Our women and men boards show local Moroccan models and international models currently in town, with measurements and books. If your shoot is outside the city, tell us the location so we can plan the models’ travel. Our step-by-step guide explains how to book a model in Marrakech.

Plan your shoot with us

Send your dates, location and brief through our contact page or on WhatsApp, and we will come back to you with available models and a quote. Models based in Morocco who would like to work on shoots like these can apply to join the agency.