Late flights are common here
Marrakech receives a steady flow of European budget airlines and charter flights, many of which arrive in the late evening or close to midnight. If your flight lands between 10 PM and 1 AM, you are part of a regular pattern rather than an unusual case.
The terminal stays open for arriving flights. Immigration processes normally, though with fewer staff, which can mean slightly longer waits or surprisingly fast ones depending on how many flights overlap.
Taxis at night
Taxis are available outside the terminal even at late hours, though the number of drivers drops compared to daytime. The ones who are there know they have less competition, which shifts the negotiation in their favor.
Expect opening asks well above the rates posted at the official rank. At night, talking a price down is harder than during the day, when you can simply walk to the next driver. If you are exhausted and just want to get to your riad, you may well end up paying more than the posted rate - that is the whole dynamic in one sentence.
This is not dangerous - it is just the economics of limited supply at midnight. The drivers are not scammers; they are simply charging what the market will bear.
The Medina navigation problem
The Medina at night is quiet, dark, and disorienting even for people who know it. Taxis drop you at the perimeter, and you walk from there. At midnight, finding your riad through unlit alleyways with luggage is the most stressful part of a late arrival.
Many riads will send someone to meet you at the taxi drop-off point if you call ahead. This is worth arranging. Give your riad your flight number and expected arrival time so they can prepare.
If you have a pre-booked transfer, the driver typically knows the specific drop-off point for your riad and may even walk you to the door.
Pre-booked transfers at night
This is the strongest case for booking in advance. A pre-booked transfer eliminates three problems at once: the negotiation, the uncertainty of taxi availability, and the navigation to your accommodation. On a 6 km ride the price difference against a well-agreed taxi fare is modest - and at midnight, the well-agreed part is exactly what stops being reliable.
Most transfer services will track your flight and adjust if it arrives late. You will not be standing outside a dark airport wondering if your driver gave up and left.
No bus, no ride-hail
The airport city bus is a daytime service and does not run at night. Ride-hail apps have minimal presence in Marrakech in general, and at the airport after midnight they are essentially nonexistent.
Practical tips
Withdraw cash from the ATM inside the terminal before going outside. Having Moroccan Dirhams in hand gives you the option to pay a taxi without scrambling.
Have your riad's phone number and address saved offline. Do not rely on mobile data working immediately after landing - you may need to buy a SIM or wait for WiFi.
The temperature drops noticeably after dark in Marrakech, especially from October through March. You may arrive expecting heat and find it quite cool at midnight.