Fascinating and intense Marrakech can be love at first sight or a one-time experience. This is my first visit in Marocco and to be honest I have a mixed bag of feelings going there. However, I feel very excited to explore this city and get my impression on how the vibe is in Marrakesh.
On our arrival, our trip already started with a bumpy adventure around midnight. We booked a taxi service via booking.com, all went good with a bit of chaotic coordination regarding which driver will drive whom, as there were other passengers than us with transfer bookings. The driver dropped us at a taxi point and called our Riad for pickup by foot. Once arrived in the Riad, we realised we are dropped at the wrong place. Adventurely, we arrived at the right place with good people helping us as well as uninvited pedestrians from the streets who strongly urge themselves in leading you the way while you use your gps to get there. Of course, no surprise at all they rudely ask for money for their ‘genuine help’ services. Luckily, tired and all, this first taste of cultural experiences didn’t scare us off yet.
Staying for 3 full days in Marrakech, we decided to take things easy and explore on the go as we didn’t have must do’s. There are excursions in the rural of Marrakech and in my opinion, those would be nice to book if you stay here for more than 3 days and maybe to getaway from this busy city.
Practical tips before planning or during your trip
- Ensure you don’t book your holiday during Ramadan. There might be limited shops or restaurants open.
- Stay over in a traditional Moroccan house with an inner courtyard (Riad) instead of a hotel. It’s like B&B.
- Pre-book airport hotel pickup to avoid distress of ‘pushy’ taxi drivers and negotiation hazards. Especially when you stay in the maze of Medina, book your transfer directly via your Riad. They charge about MAD220 per car. Riad’s can be hidden in small alleys where a taxi cannot reach, and some drivers have no idea where to find it. You can also call your Riad to pick you up at a taxi point closeby. I heard a taxi ride cost about MAD70-100.
- Ignore locals who approach you initiatively offering help to guide you to your destination. Sometimes, they even call you out if you turn into a street, they inform that the road is closed (in French ‘ferme’) and ask where you want to go. It’s hard to know if the person is genuine or not and often it ends up in a game they play to get money at the end. Just say ‘la choukran sīdī’, means ‘no thank you sir’ and keep walking.
- If you need help with directions, suggest you to ask cafe/restaurant staff or shop owners. You can also try ask locals for help who you may think are genuine but bear in mind they may not speak English.
- Start with sightseeing around 9-10am until you have lunch to avoid the afternoon heat. Post-lunch, take a rest in your hotel and restart your wander after 19pm.
- For nicer and popular restaurants, I highly recommend making table reservations.
- Traffic is insane. Be alert and cautious all the time when you walk-on and cross over the streets. Scooters drive crazy, even in the small alleys of the souk. You can easily be hit if you don’t watch out. Seems, a lot of drivers don’t care as they are in a rush.
- We did Marrakech by foot to explore the city and cannot share much on how much a taxi ride cost. For sure you have to haggle, and I heard from other travellers that a short ride cost approx. MAD30-50.
- If you fly back home from Marrakech airport, make sure you read the airline check-in procedure when you receive an email. For example, Ryan Air does not accept mobile boarding pass and will fine you on the airport if you cannot present an old school paper boarding pass. Also, make sure you go to the check-in counter first to get your paper boarding pass stamped before you go to the departure immigration hall. You must do this, even if you do not have any check-in luggage: at least for Ryan Air flights.
- At the airport, there is a sign that cash is not accepted at the tax-free or only in Euro bills. Fortunate, they do accept cash in euros or dirham at the kiosks and cafés behind the customs.
What to Wear as a Woman?
Marrakech is a busy and touristic city but it’s still a Muslim country. There are no specific rules here. Suggestion is to dress with modesty out of respect. As a female traveler or travelling together with my partner, I like to avoid any kind of uncomfortable catcalling or ‘street harassments’. Those beautiful Instagram pictures with short skirts (above knee), booty pants and strap tops are deceiving as they paint an inaccurate picture on what is appropriate women wear in Marrakech. To avoid unpleasant pervy male gaze, it’s better to cover up your shoulders, legs until knee and cleavage. This may not stop catcalling necessarily but it will minimise unwanted attention. For male, short pants and t-shirt or polo shirts are fine. However, in rural Morocco you better wear long pants. It is disrespectful to be showing off too much skin.
Money Exchange
Avoid exchanging money at the airport. Withdraw money from a bank ATM or exchange in town. There are a few reliable exchange booths that take 0% commission. We changed at ‘Bureau de Change‘, I’ve seen a few in Medina and I heard ‘Hotel Ali‘ at the Jemaa El-Fna square is also a good place.
Things To Do
- Get lost in the maze of narrow streets and alleys of Marrakech historic old town Medina. You will find colourful souks (open from about 10am-22pm), artisan shops and historic buildings. I was surprised, that the overly persistent vendors were not that aggressive as I had in mind. Probably, time and experience has changed their sales method.
- To get different impressions of Marrakesh other than Medina (old town), take a stroll at neighbourhoods of Kasbah (Jewish quarter, popular for spices) and the new town Gueliz. All can be done by foot within 30 minutes.
- Stroll at the big square Jeema El-Fna. Life starts here from 19pm with lots of food & juice stalls and market shopping.
- Pre-book a comfortable (touristic spa) hammam experience with a massage. Nice Spa houses may be fully booked. A traditional authentic hammam may not meet your expectations in relaxation. Often, there is zero aesthetic in bath houses and the service and amenities (bathrobe, towels, shampoo, shower gel, hairdryer, locker) may be less. Personally, I experienced an authentic Moroccan hammam & scrub in The Netherlands, and I must say I quite liked the adventure. After having a Hammam Scrub in a Spa house of Marrakech, I prefer the authentic style. In the Spa, they don’t really speak English either and don’t inform you on the HOWs beforehand and you pay much much more (approx. MAD350 pp). When you book for two persons, they even put you together in a treatment room with one resource instead of one each. Certainly, it may be cleaner and seeing a star sky ceiling would bring you a nicer feeling, but it all depends on what you personally prefer.
- House of Photography, (historical) photos and portraits of people living in Marrakesh. End your museum visit at the roof terrace cafe, where you can have a nice chill out or have a delicious lunch menu for €15 pp including a drink. This building has the highest roof terrace in the area and gives a clear view over Marrakesh.
- Bahia Palace, showcases Moroccan architecture and beautiful gardens.
- Le Jardin Secret, situated in Medina with beautiful gardens and historical architecture. It’s a place that has kept ancient structures intact.
- Jardin Majorelle, exotic gardens designed by Jacques Majorelle and later restored by haute couture fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent.
- Some 4-5 star hotels offer non-guests a day pass to make use of their swimming pool area. The price often includes a lunch and a towel for use.
Where to Eat
There are plenty of eateries, restaurants and cafes in Medina, Kasbah and Gueliz. You can find local places and lots of places adjusted to ‘tourist/expats’ service, hygiene & exterior acceptance resulting in a higher price range. Places where I visited:
- Le Jardin Restaurant Marrakech (Medina): nice trendy atmosphere and getaway from the heat in the garden area. They have a roof terrace but we hided in de garden to cool off. From the garden, there is a staircase up to a little local women boutique shop ‘Noria Ayron’ where they sell beautiful dresses and jump suits.
- L’Mida Marrakesh (Medina): trendy cafe restaurant serving fusion Moroccan food. Make sure you book a roof terrace table for dinner. Service is excellent but the food can take a while if the place is too crowded.
- Cuisine de Terroir (Medina): nice ‘local’ place with its charms. Good service, great value and yummy food. A proud place recommended by TripAdvisor & Guide du Routard. They have a roof terrace but if you prefer a bit ‘cooler’ temperature, I think a table downstairs on the ground floor is better. However, it may be noisier from the street.
- La Famille (Medina): a lushy cosy inner courtyard place serving vegetarian lunch. Booking is highly recommended.
- El Fenn Hotel (Medina): have a sunset cocktail at this amazing hotel roof terrace bar restaurant. Cocktails cost about MAD130-160 but definitely a nice place to enjoy design & a trendy vibe with good service.
- Le Kilim (Gueliz): great service & delicious food. Really liked the tajine chicken and vegetable plate with full flavours in each veggie.
- Le Palace (Hivernage): recommended as an absolute must go by a friend, especially booking a table at ground floor with art-deco design. Downstairs is a clubbing scene but also have dining tables. However, food is not authentic French as they also serve pizza and pasta. If you like to have a chic dinner in an ‘expat’ scenery in a cramped space with volumed up clubbing music and don’t mind bad acoustic, this may be your place to be.
- Absolute must drink are the fruit juices. They are full of flavour and taste natural. At the evening market stands at Jeema el-Fna square, a small fresh orange juice cost MAD5 and another type of fruit from MAD10.
My Impressions of Marrakech
- I love Moroccan food but the variations on the menu are limited. It’s always the same dishes on the menu. Tajine, pastille chicken and fresh fruit juices or smoothies are our favorites.
- Beautiful Moroccan architecture.
- Too much commotion in traffic, even in small ‘pedestrian’ alleys. Heavy pollution with smog and noise everywhere, except for when people sleep at night.
- Be respectful and people will act the same.
There are also nice coconut ‘digestive’ bisquits.