Colourful geometric zellige mosaic typical of Moroccan hammams

Imperial Cities Tours

Hammam in Marrakech: Public or Spa, What Happens and What to Bring

Published November 4, 2026 by Morocco Amazing Tours

The short answer: a hammam is a steam bath where you sweat in warm rooms, are washed with black olive soap and scrubbed hard with a kessa glove, then rinsed and often wrapped in ghassoul clay. In Marrakech you can choose a neighbourhood public hammam (cheap, local, do-it-yourself or with an attendant) or a spa hammam (private, guided, with a massage). First-timers usually enjoy the spa version most.

For centuries the hammam has been where Moroccans wash, talk and relax once or twice a week. Every neighbourhood has one next to the mosque, the bakery and the fountain. Visiting one is the closest you will get to daily life in the medina.

Public hammam or spa hammam?

	Public (local) hammam	Spa or riad hammam
Setting	Large tiled steam rooms shared with locals, separate hours or entrances for men and women	Private or small rooms, often decorated with zellige and tadelakt plaster
Service	You wash yourself, or pay an attendant for the scrub	A therapist guides every step, usually followed by a massage
Language	Arabic and body language	English and French
Best for	Curious travellers comfortable with local customs	A first hammam, couples, a relaxing afternoon
Price	Very low	From moderate to luxury; check current rates when booking

What happens, step by step

Undress and wrap. Women usually keep their underwear bottoms on; men keep shorts or swimwear. Nobody is fully naked in a public hammam.
Warm up. You sit or lie in the warm then hot rooms for 10 to 15 minutes while buckets of hot water are poured over you.
Black soap. Beldi soap, a gel made from olive oil and olive paste, is spread over your skin and left for a few minutes to soften it.
The scrub. The attendant scrubs you firmly with a rough kessa glove. Grey rolls of dead skin come off; that is the point. Say "shwiya" (gently) if it is too strong.
Clay and rinse. A mask of ghassoul clay from the Atlas Mountains on the skin or hair, then a final rinse with warm and cold water.
Rest. In a spa you finish in a relaxation room with mint tea, often followed by an argan oil massage.

Blue and gold floral wall decoration in Moroccan style — Many spa hammams in Marrakech are decorated with tadelakt plaster and hand-cut tiles.

What to bring to a public hammam

A towel, flip-flops and a change of underwear or swimwear
Black soap and a kessa glove (sold for a few dirhams at the hammam door or in the souk)
Shampoo, a comb and a small mat to sit on
Small coins for the attendant and the cloakroom

A spa provides everything. If you buy black soap, kessa gloves or ghassoul to take home, our Marrakech souks guide explains how to check quality and price.

Hammam etiquette

Men and women bathe separately; public hammams have different hours or separate sections.
Do not take photos inside, even in an empty room.
Drink water before and after; the heat is stronger than it feels.
Skip the hammam if you are pregnant, have heart or blood pressure problems, or just got sunburnt in the desert.
Tip the attendant who scrubbed you; in a spa, a tip for the therapist is appreciated.

When to fit it into your trip

The best moment is the evening after a long day: after the souks, after the drive back from the Sahara, or on your last afternoon before the flight. Many guests book a hammam in Marrakech on the evening they return from our 3 day Sahara desert tour, and couples add one to a Morocco honeymoon. Ask us and we book a trusted spa near your riad.