After El Jadida and Mazagan last November, I am back in Morocco to discover Marrakech and its region this time. What can I say about this discovery?… This trip to the Red City was truly magical. First off, what a change of scenery! Just 3.5 hours from Paris, you are definitely in another world, another culture, far from our habits and comfort zones, but never feeling insecure. I actually had quite a few apprehensions before this little trip and I returned to France with a desire to come back and discover more things and more places in Morocco as well.
Marrakech is definitely a multifaceted city. Both bustling morning and night in the crowded alleys of the Medina, yet so calm when you step through the door of a riad to find yourself in a secret garden. Different yet close, as French is a language spoken (and very well!) by the majority of Moroccans.
A city where the solicitation of tourists can be a bit intrusive at times, but where the politeness of some Moroccans will prevent them from asking for a tip if you forget (the rules on this point are quite blurry and I spent my time wondering if I was giving too much or not enough…).
The big highlight of the country, besides its magnificent landscapes of course, remains for me its extremely strong sense of hospitality. Certainly inherited from Berber traditions, the customer is king in Marrakech and that is not just an empty phrase. As soon as you go to a place or a shop, everything will be done to please you. They want you to have a good time and it shows.
And even if Marrakech is nicknamed “Arnakech” (a pun on “arnaque” or scam) by the local Berber populations, it is possible to find authenticity and have real encounters, even in the most touristy areas of the Red City.
I have broken down my short stay into 3 articles:
- This first article about a selection of things to see/do in Marrakech and its surroundings, as well as some advice on the city.
- An upcoming article on the two accommodations in Marrakech that I tested during my stay.
- A small food tour (also coming soon) of the addresses discovered during our time in the city.
_
Table of Contents
The Souks and the Medina
It is impossible to come to Marrakech without getting lost at least once in the maze of the Medina. The souks occupy 20 hectares in the center of the old city, so you can wander for hours in this labyrinth filled with merchants ready to start a discussion and negotiation as soon as you take a quick look at their stall.
If you don’t want to be bothered, just walk at a good pace without paying too much attention to them and you’ll be relatively undisturbed. If you want to buy something, practice negotiating (I know I am terrible at this game), as prices in the souks are always very high and the quality of products is rarely top-notch.
It’s a bit like shopping in the tourist shops opposite the Louvre; a good deal is very rare… But it’s still pleasant to stroll around to “feel” the atmosphere of this district.
Tip: a map will not be of much use, as there are no street names indicated in the Medina and, moreover, each street has several names depending on the map (yes, it’s very convenient, I won’t even go into it!).
My 3 solutions, including a very good one:
- Hire an (authorized) guide for a few dirhams for a first visit to the area.
- Accept getting lost and don’t be in a rush (so avoid discovering the Medina at night, it complicates things).
- Have a GPS and internet access on-site.
This is the 3rd option we chose with the startup IzyWifi and its PocketWifi solution. Concretely, you benefit from a Wifi Hotspot, a small mobile wifi terminal that captures and converts any 4G/3G signal into a wifi signal. As a result, we have a private and secure network around us in all our travels and let me tell you that in Marrakech, it makes total sense and saved our lives more than once!
Also, if you are highly connected, it allows you to post live via social media (which allowed me, for example, to post on my Instagram very easily throughout the trip) even outside of hotels and restaurants, which often offer free wifi.
Another interesting fact is that you can connect quite a few devices, since we had 2 phones connected all the time and my laptop from time to time (apparently you can connect up to 10 devices simultaneously). The battery life lasts for 4 or 5 hours of intense use.
Price: 5 € per day
_
Visit the Medersa Ben Youssef
This 16th-century Quranic school is located in the heart of the Medina. It is definitely a place to see for the beauty of its architecture and to discover the splendor of Islamic art. A visit that I highly recommend!
Médersa Ben Youssef Open every day from 9 AM to 6 PM (closed on religious holidays) Kaat Benahid, Marrakech 40000, Morocco Price: 50 dh (strangely, during our visit we paid 20 dh, I don't really know why...)
_
Visit the Jardin Majorelle and the Berber Museum
This magnificent garden of exotic plants is a haven of peace and greenery located in the new city. It was created in the 1920s by the French painter Jacques Majorelle and purchased after his death by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé (the famous fashion designer is actually laid to rest in the garden).
In the center of this lush vegetation (over 300 plant species), one finds in Majorelle’s former studio, a pergola with royal blue walls and a small Berber Art Museum composed of 4 rooms and a bookstore, which I highly recommend visiting if you are passing through the garden.
Jardin Majorelle Foundation
Open every day from 8 AM to 6 PM in high season
price: 150 dh for an adult
Rue Yves Saint Laurent, 40090 Marrakech
Link to book a visit to the Jardin Majorelle
_
Test a Moroccan hammam with massage
Via the Viator site (a TripAdvisor company), which is an online platform for searching, organizing, and booking tourist activities, we tested the “1-hour spa experience in Marrakech: massage and hammam in the medina”.
I recommend it to you, because it is really part of the country’s culture and the true ritual of the Moroccan hammam is quite different from what I had experienced in France. In a warm room, you are treated to the hammam ritual (washing, rinsing, and exfoliation with black soap over the entire body) and then it is the relaxation part with a 30-minute massage.
Spa Noura, beauty center
Express massage (500 dh, at the time of the test, for the one-hour session)
Derb El Hammam No. 32 - Riad Laârouss - Marrakech
The good tip: in addition to the hammam and relaxing massage, round-trip transfers from the hotel (depending on where you are staying) to the spa are included in the price, which is quite pleasant and practical
_
A day trip to the 3 valleys with Maroc Excursions
If you are staying for a few days in Marrakech, I cannot recommend enough that you take a small excursion out of the city to discover the surroundings. You see magnificent and very varied landscapes and it will be the opportunity to discover a little more of the Berber culture very present in these areas close to the Atlas Mountains.
Our Berber guide and driver picked us up at our Riad around 8:30 AM. After some driving through mountain Berber villages and quite a few discussions with our guide, our first stop was on the shores of the Lalla Takerkoust dam, 30 km from Marrakech.
Second stop to have tea with the locals in a typical Berber house, then we head up towards the village of Moulay Brahim to cross the Kick plateau and its valley and discover what is called the Middle Atlas. A quick stop for a very short camel ride; it’s very touristy, but ultimately quite fun anyway.
We finished with the famous Ourika Valley for a lunch near the river, after setting off to conquer the 7 waterfalls (well, actually, we only had the courage to climb up to the 4th, as it became too dangerous for the little Europeans that we are) hidden at 1800m altitude at the top of the village of Seti Fatma.
And to finish this beautiful day, we also made two shopping stops, in a women’s cooperative making argan oil and in a handmade rug factory.
Included in the price of the excursion:
- transfers and transport throughout the day
- mineral water in the car
- lunch and non-alcoholic drinks
- the tea break in the Berber house
- the short camel ride
- support from a Berber guide who spoke French in our case
The '3 Valley tour' by Maroc Excursions
Link to find an excursion in the region
duration: 1 day
price: 65 € per person
_
Evening show at the Fantasia Chez Ali
This kind of show is not really my cup of tea to be completely honest, but as they say, opportunity makes the thief, so we tested the famous Fantasia de Chez Ali show during our last evening in Marrakech. This institution (the place has existed for over 50 years!) seems particularly appreciated by Moroccan tourists and Muslims more generally.
The bombastic entrance and cardboard-like decorations make it think of a mix between Disneyland and Le Puy du Fou, but in a One Thousand and One Nights version. It is quite fascinating to see Moroccans taking photos of themselves in front of every decoration of this slightly kitschy reconstruction.
At the origin of this establishment recognized throughout Morocco, there is one man, Mr. Ali, who wanted to show in one place, all the music and dances from the different regions of his country. There is even a kind of small museum in his honor in the complex.
The very generous meal is decent without being exceptional, but in reality, you come to Fantasia mostly for the show that takes place after dinner.
While you enjoy your dishes under heated tents, dancers and musicians (more or less motivated) pass by your table to provide some entertainment.
But the real interest of the show is the Fantasia itself, which brings together a beautiful parade of artists: skilled riders, dancers and musicians, a light show, and fireworks to close the evening.
The Fantasia Chez Ali
Circuit Jaffaria, route de Casablanca, Palmeraie
Expect between 500 and 700 dh for the evening including dinner, show, and transfer
The plus: you can book your evening with Imzi Tours, a travel agency that
organizes excursions, treks, and other tours and benefit additionally from free
round-trip transfer to your accommodation
_
My tips for the airport
On the way back, to take your flight in Marrakech, I highly recommend arriving a good 2 hours in advance. Let me explain. Even if you don’t have checked baggage, as was our case, the control and search process before boarding, not to mention customs, can take quite a while.
Since the organization is what it is, it’s slow, and the lines are separated for men and women (due to the search). So don’t hesitate to arrive early if you don’t want to miss your plane!
_
My selection of guides on Marrakech
When I go to a city I don’t know or know little about, I like to go with a few guides on hand (it reassures me!). This time I was more reasonable than for London and I left with only 2 guides in my suitcase:
- The Petit Futé of Marrakech 2016 edition, with a detachable map that was very practical (price 9.90 €).
- The Cartoville Marrakech, very practical with all its small maps of the different districts of the city (price 10.90 €).
_
I hope that with all this I will have made you want to discover Marrakech, and if you also have your own favorite addresses and tips for this destination, don’t hesitate to share them in the comments!
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez and Melle Bon Plan
Photos are not royalty-free, the photographer’s authorization is mandatory before any use
Find all my articles on my trips to Morocco below (2015, 2016, and 2018):
⇒ All my articles on Morocco
⇒ All my articles on Marrakech
MY ARTICLES ON MOROCCO
⇒ Stay at the Es Saadi Marrakech Resort (2018)
⇒ Food Tour in Marrakech (2016)
⇒ Selection of accommodations in Marrakech (2016)
⇒ Stay at the Mazagan Beach Resort south of Casablanca (2015)
