Marrakech is a city of contrasts. Its labyrinthine souks and bustling streets contrast with the calm of its riads and the tranquility of its gardens. Marrakech is one of the imperial cities besides Fes, Meknes, and Rabat. Here is the best travel guide in Marrakech Morocco.
Practical information
Languages of Morocco: Arabic, Berber languages , and French
Currency of Morocco: Moroccan dirham (DH). In March 2018, the change is equivalent to 10Dh = € 0.88
Where is Marrakech ?: Marrakech is in Morocco, at the foot of the Atlas Mountains and a couple of hours from the Atlantic coast.
Time in Marrakech: GMT + 1. This means that there is no time difference between Madrid – Marrakech.
Orientation in the city: areas of Marrakech
The Medina of Marrakech is the walled area, the old city. Inside you will find most of the points of interest. The best way to discover the Medina is to explore it on foot and enter it.
The Kasbah of Marrakech is located in the southern area of the Medina; it is also a neighborhood of small and bustling streets. Here are the Saadian Tombs.
The Mellah is the old Jewish quarter of Marrakech, it is next to the Royal Palace. Although the neighborhood is being renovated and improved, it does not have a good reputation. Maybe not the best place to stay.
Gueliz is the most modern neighborhood. In this area are the Majorelle Garden, fixed-price shops, and western chain restaurants.
What to see in Marrakech
I recommend the most beautiful and important places to see in Marrakech in 3 days:
The minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque is the great symbol of Marrakech. It is the tallest building in all of Marrakech and can be seen from many points in the city.
The Koutoubia Mosque cannot be visited, entry to non-Muslims is prohibited; as in the vast majority of mosques in Morocco.
So the perfect plan to visit it is to walk through the gardens around the Koutoubia.
It looks a lot like the Giralda in Seville since the Koutoubia was its model and inspiration.
Bahia Palace
The Bahia Palace is a great tourist attraction to see in Marrakech, its architecture and decoration is impressive. Its style will remind you of the Alhambra in Granada!
In this palace there are many apartments, different rooms, and patios; you will find different environments and types of decoration in each one. The Bahia Palace is very large, only some of the rooms and gardens are open to the public. A curious fact: this palace began to be built in the 19th century for the grand vizier, his wives and his concubines.
It is highly recommended to do this visit with a guide to soak up all the history of this place and better understand what life was like in this palace in Marrakech.
Ticket price: 10 DH
The Saadian Tombs
This small cemetery is located in an enclosed garden that remained hidden until about a hundred years ago. To get there you have to go through a narrow alley next to the Kasbah Mosque.
Here is buried the family of the Saadí dynasty that reigned at the end of the 16th century. There are three mausoleums: one for men, one for women, and one for children. But in addition to family members, warriors and family servants are also buried in the Saadian Tombs.
It is recommended that you visit the Saadies Tombs first thing in the morning to avoid groups of tourists. The most impressive mausoleum can only be seen from the gate and queues form.
Ticket price: 10 DH
Medersa Ben Youssef
It is currently under construction and it is estimated that it will last a couple of years
Next to the Bahia Palace, the Medersa is the great place of interest to visit in Marrakech. Its patio and prayer room are impressive with a decoration full of details that celebrate the divine beauty of the order of the world.
The Ben Youssef Medersa was for several centuries the largest and most important Koranic school in Morocco and all of North Africa.
The walls and gates
The adobe walls of Marrakech surround the entire Medina; its color changes according to the time of day and the intensity of sunlight. The walls are the great culprits that Marrakech is known as the Red City!
The walls of Marrakech delimit the historic Muslim-style neighborhoods, with their great network of narrow streets; outside of them are the modern neighborhoods with large avenues and gardens.
Along the walls, there are about 200 towers and 15 gates, some more modest and others totally spectacular. Do not hesitate to take a look at the Bab Agnaou or Bab Er Robb gates that give access to the kasbah in the Medina of Marrakech.
Majorelle Garden
It is a private garden filled with cacti, bamboo, and many other plants that surround a striking blue chalet. Although it is somewhat away from the historic center, it is a good place to find some calm or to escape the heat of Marrakech. The Majorelle Garden has become one of the biggest tourist attractions to see in Marrakech.
A curiosity: The Majorelle Garden belongs to the French designer Yves Saint-Laurent.
Entrance fee: 70 Dhs for tourists
Plaza Djemaa el Fna
Djemaa el Fna square is the main square in Marrakech, a huge open space in the heart of the medina. This is probably the most iconic place to see in Marrakech; I don’t think anyone will finish their trip without having stepped on it at least once.
As the name is difficult to pronounce, we will simply call it THE square in Marrakech. It will guide you during your trip to Marrakech; also here you will find everything, seriously EVERYTHING.
Juice stands, street restaurants, chic terrace cafes, henna tattoo artists, snake charmers, trailers, musicians, dance, “dentists” and much more hunter of tourists.
From Djemaa el Fna square you can easily access the souks of Marrakech.
If you are overwhelmed by crowds and insistent shopkeepers, this is not your place. But since you can’t make a trip to Marrakech without seeing it, I recommend that you go to the square during the day and contemplate all this incredible ecosystem quietly from a terrace.
From early in the morning, Djemma el Fna square is non-stop. But it is at dusk when there is more atmosphere since they set up many food stalls, the musicians multiply and both locals and tourists come.
Beware of scams in LA plaza de Marrakech!
Henna Tattoos – They are very pretty, but this is not the place to get them. The product used by the tattooists in this square is not usually henna but other chemical products. The result is not the same, they last only one or two days and above all, it can give allergic reactions. Several locals warned me about this; Come on, it’s a manual scam.
Juices: juices are natural, very rich, and inexpensive. But tourists often sneak it in by pouring the juice in a nice crystal glass. When it comes to charging for the juice, they increase the price considerably for having taken it in the VIP glass.
Eat in Djemaa el Fna square, Marrakech
There are many restaurants where you can eat or have tea in the square. On the one hand, numerous food stalls are set up every day at street level. On the other hand, all the restaurants surround the most important square in Marrakech. I recommend that at least once you go up to a terrace to have a drink contemplating the square and its people.
Good pretty and cheap
A good option to do this is the café-restaurant Café Toubkal. Forget about luxuries, this is more like a beach bar or a “Casa Pepe” bar. Menus at 35 dirhams (about € 3), homemade food, and views of the shady square… what more could you ask for?
Like a sultan
If you prefer to indulge yourself, you will also find bars and terraces to your liking. The Café de France is best known; its terrace is very well cared for and enjoys a very wide panoramic view of the main square of Marrakech. On this terrace, you can have tea or dinner. Everything here is at European prices, tea with pastries was around 30 dirhams.
What to do in Marrakech
These are some of the best activities to do in Marrakech during your trip:
Guided tour of Marrakech
I always recommend doing a guided walking tour in each city you visit as it helps you learn about the history of the city and have an overview of what to see. A tour always gives you ideas of places to visit in-depth or places to eat.
Well, in Marrakech this recommendation is multiplied by 1000! The map of the city is very labyrinthine and it is very easy to get disoriented; Touring Marrakech for the first time with the help of a guide will help you a lot. In Medina many streets are narrow, winding covered passages; Most likely, as you pass, you think they are dead ends or the entrance to private houses. In my opinion, this is the basic activity to do in Marrakech. and if you are traveling outside Marrakech, maybe to the desert that is considered the best thing to visit in Morocco, you can do it with the Marrakech desert tour 3 days, there are many travel agencies that offer this service. Otherwise, you can do it by taking public transport…
