Leading off from the northern edge of Jemaa el Fna are the winding alleyways of the souks, the vast, crowded, chaotic central market of Marrakech. Browsers can pick up anything from jewellery, textiles or carpets, to herbs, love potions and donkeys. Visitors will find these souks are well worth exploring, regardless of whether they intend to buy anything. The area the souks cover may at first seem like a labyrinth but it is, in fact, deceptively compact. Each area specialises in certain products; many are still workshops, with ironworkers, carpenters, dyers and tailors plying their trade from tiny shop fronts. Loosely divided into sections according to the trade they conduct, they are best approached from Rue Souk Smarine. This busy thoroughfare, covered to provide protection from the sun, runs for half the length of the souks before forking into Souk el Attarine and Souk el Kebir. Leading off the Souk el Attarine are spice, pottery, textiles and metalwork souks. Wander around the Souk el Kebir area to find leather bags and poufs, carpets, lamps, and traditional Moroccan clothing.

Bargaining is essential - visitors should start at around one third of what they want to pay. A good idea of quality and prices can be found at the government-run Ensemble Artisanal, Avenue Mohammed V, near the Koutoubia Mosque. This is a small shopping mall and craft training centre, offering high-quality goods at reasonable, fixed prices.

Visitors do not have to walk far before the first offers on carpets are made and those with the time and patience can easily spend hours drinking mint tea, head shaking, sighing and smiling as rugs and carpets are unrolled. For those serious about purchasing a carpet, a good place to go is Bazaar Chichoua, 5 Souk des Ksous. Other things to look out for are handmade copper and silverware, silk or cotton garments, wooden articles and jewellery, which can be found in Ministero del Gusto, 22 Derb Azouz el Moussine, in the souks, or L'Orientaliste, 15 rue de la Libertie, Guéliz. Trésorie du Sud, Rue el Mouassine, is one of many small jewellers near the Mouassine Mosque.

For leather, Place Vendome, 141 Avenue Mohammed V, is a good bet if quality matters more than price. Chic boutiques cluster in Guéliz around Rue de la Liberté, while Rue Yogouslavie is dotted with hidden galleries and English-language bookshops can be found in the streets around place Abdel Moumen ben Ali.

Shopping hours in the medina are usually from Monday to Thursday and Sunday from 0900 to 1900 plus Friday 0900 to 1200 and 1600 to 1900. In Guéliz, shops open Monday through Saturday from 0900 to 1230 and 1530 to 1900. Some close for lunch; some may close on Friday; some, including those in the souks, remain open on Sunday and public holidays. There is no provision for tourists to reclaim any sales tax or VAT on accommodation or goods that they buy. Many shop-owners actively resist giving an official receipt, as this forces them to declare (and pay) the VAT.