The short answer
Start early and stay in the medina. Walk the souks from about 09:30, before the crowds, with a licensed guide if it is your first time. Visit one great sight, such as the Bahia or the Ben Youssef Madrasa, rest at your riad in the heat of the afternoon, and end at Jemaa el-Fnaa at dusk.
In more detail
The early hours are the calmest. Shops open slowly from about 09:00, and the stretch from 09:30 to 11:30 is the best time to walk the lanes. A guide on the first morning helps you learn the layout so you can explore alone afterwards.
Pick sights by area rather than trying to see everything. The south of the medina has the Bahia, the Mellah and the Kasbah; the north has Ben Youssef and the tanneries. In summer especially, the city slows right down after lunch, and a riad pool or courtyard is the place to be.
Go back out in the late afternoon. Le Jardin Secret is a calm stop before the square, and a rooftop at sunset sets up the evening at Jemaa el-Fnaa.
Good to know
- Book a licensed guide for the first morning.
- Pick one cluster of sights, not the whole city.
- Rest in the afternoon heat and go back out at dusk.