Traditional Hammam in Marrakech — What to Expect

A hammam at Aya Spa follows the traditional sequence, and nothing is skipped when you book the 30-minute Classic Moroccan Hammam. You start in the warm steam room, where the heat opens the skin. Your ghassoul (black soap) is worked over the body with a kessa glove, and the water is rinsed off in several passes. The gommage scrub follows, and then a rhassoul clay mask is applied and left to set while you rest on the warm bench. The session ends with mint tea.

The longer rituals add steps rather than more heat. The Traditional Hammam, 40 minutes, adds an aromatic herbal mask on top of the clay. The Royal Hammam, 50 minutes, adds a coffee scrub and a traditional Moroccan siqla treatment — a warmed, scented clay and honey wrap that is applied over the body and left to rest under the steam.

All three use the same products that the Moroccan National Tourism Office describes as part of the tradition: ghassoul, black soap, rose water, henna, herbs and clay. You are scrubbed, soaped, rinsed and wrapped — the sequence has changed very little in several centuries, and the guide at the spa will walk you through it.

Bring a swimsuit if you have one; it is the only thing you need. Robes, slippers and the care products used in the hammam are provided on site. If you have no swimsuit, a single-use slip can be offered to you on arrival — just ask.

You will be given a lockable locker for your clothes, phone and valuables while you are in the hammam and the massage room. The spa accepts no responsibility for loss, so keep anything you cannot replace with you. If you are coming for a massage as well, the same locker is used for the duration of your visit.

Wear something you can change in easily, and leave jewellery and valuables in the locker. Women and men are treated in separate rooms and at separate times, so the booking is confirmed for one group at a time. Aya Spa is open every day from 09:00 to 22:00, which is when both groups can be scheduled.

If this is your first hammam, the Classic Moroccan Hammam at 200 Dhs is the right choice. It contains every step that defines the ritual — steam, black soap, gommage and clay mask — and it is the shortest, so it fits into a morning between other things to see in the medina.

The Traditional Hammam at 300 Dhs is the version most guests choose for a first full treatment: it adds the aromatic herbal mask, which is the part of the ritual that people remember afterwards. The Royal Hammam at 400 Dhs is the complete version, with the coffee scrub and the siqla treatment added on top.

If you want the hammam combined with a massage, the packs are usually the better value: the Classic Hammam with a 45-minute relaxing massage is 500 Dhs, and the Royal Pack — Royal Hammam, one hour of massage, manicure, pedicure and a facial — is 1200 Dhs. The full list of packs is on the price list page.

Most guests add a massage. A 30-minute argan oil massage is 250 Dhs and a 45-minute one is 400 Dhs, and the oils can be chosen from argan with lavender, rose or verbena essential oils. The massage room is a separate, quiet space next to the hammam, so you can move straight across without going back through the reception.

The beauty and hair salon is the third space at the spa, with manicure, pedicure, waxing, facials and hair care. A facial treatment is 400 Dhs and a manicure 150 Dhs, and both can be booked on the same visit as a hammam. The salon also offers reflexology and hair treatments, from 80 Dhs for a shampoo and brushing on short hair.

Aya Spa is open every day from 09:00 to 22:00. Book on WhatsApp, by phone on +212 661 35 59 16, or through the contact form, and tell us which ritual you want and when you would like to come — we will confirm the time and the room.