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Best Experiences in Marrakesh

Marrakesh, Morocco
The medina, souks, tagine, riads and more about what you definitely gotta experience when you visit Marrakesh!
Jesse James Woods
Getting There
Getting around

To get from the airport to the city and back I just took a taxi which I had my hotel and riad arrange for me. This will cost around 100 Moroccan Dirham.

Stay
Accommodations
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A “riad” (originally means garden in Arabic) is a traditional house in Morocco that has an inner courtyard or a garden as the central part of the building. Riad Aguaviva is a beautiful and peaceful riad in the Medina but located away from the hustle and bustle of the centre.

Accommodations

Located in the modern part of the city just outside of the medina. While staying in a Riad in the medina was a cool experience that I recommend everyone try at least once when they visit Marrakesh, you may find yourself missing all the amenities that come with a more modern accommodation. In that case I'd recommend the Radisson Blu Hotel where they have a nice pool, great rooms and service and it is located next to a lot of nice shops and places to eat.

Getting Around

If you are staying in the medina you can easily get around the souks and top points of interest by walking. If you need to a take a taxi be prepared to bargain. You normally shouldn't pay more than 35-45 Moroccon Dirhams to ride to places around the medina and nearby modern parts of the city, so if drivers are asking for more than that you should push back.

Do

Private Half-Day Walking Tour: https://www.viator.com/tours/Marrakech/Explore-Marrakech/d5408-33279P13

Navigating the sights of Marrakesh’s medina can be daunting and time-consuming without a guide. This private half-day walking tour ensures you see key attractions such as the souks, Koutoubia Mosque, and Djemaa El Fna without getting lost or wasting time, and features a personal guide and customizable itinerary so you can tailor your sightseeing to suit you. Ideal for first-timers wanting a personalized city overview, with medina hotel pickup included.

Souks

Souk is the name for an Arab market. They are typically open-air and are where locals would get all items they would ever need or want. The souks are also open everyday.

Navigating your way through souks can be hard as all the passageways and stalls look pretty much the same (I got lost several times). I found the smartphone app maps.me quite helpful for finding my way around, and it's super useful because you can download the map to use offline.

There are no prices listed on any of the items you will find in the souks so be prepared to bargain for everything. Safe rule to follow is to always ask for half of the price vendors want to sell for - they'll be stubborn at first on the price but if you stick to the price you want they'll usually cave. Often you have to walk away and they will actually follow you outside the store at which point they will finally agree to the price you want.

Sightseeing

amous Palais de Bahia with its fantastic courtyards and mosaic walls built for Bou Ahmed who was grand vizier and de facto ruler of Morocco, between the 1894 and 1900

Parks & nature

Nicely designed and maintained gardens. It’s a good place to recoup from the intensity of the market atmosphere. Try to visit earlier in the day though because it's a pretty popular spot in the afernoon with people stopping to take selfies at every turn. Pro Tip: If you want to go in the afernoon and skip the long line to get inside the garden, head next door to the Yves Saint Laurent Museum (also a great experience) and get a combined ticket to the museum which also allows you to go straight into the garden.

Arts & culture

A museum dedicated to the fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent

Sightseeing

Resting place of Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur. Built in the late 16th century.

Sightseeing

Largest mosque in Marrakesh

Sightseeing

The ancient city of Marrakesh

Marrakech Desert & Palm Grove Quad Bike Tour: https://www.getyourguide.com/marrakech-l208/marrakech-desert-and-palm-grove-quad-bike-tour-t59225/

Explore the rugged desert, wild palm groves and rural Berber villages outside Marrakech on a half-day tour by 4WD quad bike.

This was my wife and my first time driving quad bikes, it was so much fun.

Eat

Tagine

Moroccan cuisine is famous for it’s delicious stews. A tagine is a traditional Moroccon dish named after the earthenware pot in which it is cooked. Historically, the nomads in North Africa used the tagine pot as a “portable oven”, allowing them to prepare food at anytime while moving around.

Moroccon Mint Tea

Mint tea is very popular and Moroccans drink it several times throught the day and evening. Although the tea is usually prepared with a generous amount of spearmint leaves, other herbs such as absinthium or wild mint might be used.

The locals are known for their hospitality and it's standard to offer tea to any visitors that stop by, so expect to be offered mint tea on any tour you sign up for and you'll be able to have it at just about any restaurant or cafe you visit.

Cafe

Great place to people watch in the main square of the Medina while having a refreshing mint tea or coffee and a snack

Food & drinks

Great location in the middle of the souks where you can eat great food with a great rooftop view.

Food & drinks

Highly recommended hidden gem situated in the very heart of the souks. Great location to have your authentic traditional Moroccan dining experience. If you are looking for a romantic dining experience this restaurant should also be your choice. Recommended dish: the lamb tagine

Food & drinks

Pretty good food and ambience and best of all a great view of the main market square.

Created by Jesse James Woods
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