Marrakech: 15 Must See Sights and Experiences

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post, I paid for this trip myself. All recommendations are my own.

Must See Sights

1. Musée de Marrakesh

For a small entry fee, visit the beautiful Musée de Marrakech. Here you will find a collection of Moroccan art exhibited in the beautiful Mnebhi Palace. It’s internal courtyard features cedar archways, stained-glass windows, intricate painted door panels and mesmerising zellij tile work.

2. Koutoubia Mosque

With its 77 metre high minaret, Koutoubia Mosque is a highlight of Marrakesh. Built between 1184 to 1199, this place is a popular spot to escape the hustle and bustle of the nearby Jemaa el-Fna. Surrounded by a large plaza and garden, its a lovely spot to sit and enjoy the sunset.

3. Cyber Park Arsat Moulay Abdeslam

The nearby Cyber Park is also worth a visit. It features ornamental gardens dating back to the 18th century and is a great place to escape the frenetic pace of the city and get access to some free WIFI. At the park entrance, there’s a small museum which has an interesting historical telecommunications exhibit.

4. Saadian Tombs

The Saadian Tombs, date from 578-1603 and were discovered in 1917. Surrounded by gardens, the tombs have been restored and are beautifully decorated with colourful tiles, marble and stucco. It is not very large, so doesn’t take long to visit, but I think this amazing piece of history is worth seeing.

5. El Badi Palace

El Badi Palace is the remains of a 16th-century palace and is quite large, so we spent several hours exploring this place. Be warned, it is hot (and we were visiting in winter, so I can only imagine how hot it would be in summer) and as only ruins remain, there is very little shelter overhead, so take a large bottle of water with you and wear a sunhat. I found this place fascinating, especially the historical photo exhibition in the basement area and the huge storks that nest here, sadly incorporating plastic bags into their nests.

6. Bahia Palace

Bahia Palace was built in the late 19^th century, the grounds are vast, with 160 rooms, courtyards and 8 acres of gardens. The palace is beautifully and intricately designed. The harem includes a vast court decorated with a central basin and surrounded by rooms intended for the concubines. Unfortunately, it is not furnished as it was plundered by the descendants for their own palaces. I would love to have seen this place in its heyday.

7. Jardin Majorelle

Jardin Majorelle garden has been open to the public since 1947. However, it has become more famously known as Yves Saint-Laurent’s garden since him and Pierre Bergé purchased it in 1980. After he died in 2008 his ashes were scattered in the garden. This place gets very popular so can get a bit crowded, but if you are into cacti and succulents, then this is your dream garden. There is also a Berber museum onsite, and a soon to be opened museum dedicated to Yves Saint-Laurent.

Experiences

8. Get a Henna Tattoo

Head to the Henna Café (93 Arset Aouzal, Marrakech) for a henna tattoo. Downstairs they run a henna school and upstairs on the covered terrace is the café. They also serve some good, simple, vegetarian food and even have tortoises wandering around! As well as the food menu, you will find a henna tattoo menu with a range of designs to choose from and set prices (no negotiating). The prices are reasonable and fair, especially as they are very good quality and carried out by trained local women. Make sure you put some time aside for this as you will need to sit and wait at least 15 minutes to allow for the paste to dry. They will also applied a lemon sugar glaze over the tattoo to help it set. You can leave after this, but it takes about an hour to fully dry, so you need to be careful not to smudge it during this time. You are advised to leave the henna on at least 8 hours to get a good strong colour and long lasting stain. The café supplied me with a free cotton bag to use as a cover to protect my tattoo and clothes from getting stained. The next day I carefully removed the dried henna and it looked great and lasted for weeks.

9. Visit a Hammam

After we returned from our Sahara and Atlas Mountains adventure, we were in needs of some pampering, so we headed to a hammam for a treatment. We went to Les Bains d` Azahara which was near our riad and chose to get a couple’s treatment. We were shown into a small room with a shower and lockers and given robes and disposable g-strings to change into, which my husband was rather concerned about ‘falling’ out of. We were then shown into a very warm tiled room with two heated stone benches to lie out on.

Now this is where you need to leave your fear of being naked at the door, because a proper hammam requires you to get naked and be vigorously scrubbed down by a stranger! After being exfoliated with traditional black eucalyptus soap, and a Ghassoul clay mask we relaxed on the hot benches for a while. We were then led into a seated area to have our rose petal foot soak, followed by a foot massage, whilst drinking a relaxing mint tea. Finally, we were shown into a private room for our massage. We left this place floating on air!

10. Enjoy a Mint Tea and Taste Some Moroccan Food

Moroccan people are excellent hosts, and when you arrive at your accommodation you’ll be expected to sit down and enjoy some very sweet mint tea and biscuits. Marrakech is full of cafe’s and restaurants serving Moroccan and French Moroccan food, from tagines to pastillas and gorgeous sweet pastries. My favourites included French Moroccan restaurants Le Comptoir du Pacha (218 Arset Aouzal, Bab Doukkala – Medina, Marrakech 40030), and the trendy rooftop restaurant La Terrasse des Epices (15 Souk Charifia Sidi Abdellaziz Dar el Bacha, Marrakech 40000); and the Moroccan restaurant LATITUDE31 (186, Rue El Gza Arset Ihiri, Bab Doukkala, Marrakech 40000).

11. Get Lost in the Souks and Medina

Your going to get lost in the maze of the souks, so just accept it and allow yourself to be immersed in the experience. Buy yourself some souvenirs and exercise your bargaining skills.

12. Jemaa el-Fna

Visit the famous hustle and bustle of Jemaa el-Fna, Marrakech’s main square. Here you’ll find a variety of stalls, the owners of which determined to convince you to purchase their wares. You can get freshly squeezed fruit juice, colourful pottery, fabrics and all sorts of Knick knacks at these markets. But try to steer clear of the snake charmers who have removed the fangs from their snakes, and the monkey handlers. Tourists are the reason this cruel trade continues.

13. Join a Cooking Class

Learn how to cook an amazing tagine, cous cous, bread, and pastilla and impress your family and friends when you recreate it back home. You will learn how to perfectly balance spices in order to create a delicious traditional Moroccan feast.

Choose from a huge number of excellent cooking classes in Marrakech. Here are some of the best rated:

• Moroccan Cooking Class in Marrakech
• Atelier De Cuisine Chef Tarik Orty-Ct
• Faim d’Epices
• Amal Women’s Training Center Cooking Class

14. Take a Day trip

Marrakech is a great place to base yourself as there are lots of interesting places around it to visit. Try the magnificent Atlas Mountains, the UNESCO world heritage site Aït Benhaddou, and the coastal resort of Essaouria.

15. Stay in a Riad in the Medina

Immerse yourself in Marrakech culture by staying in a riad in the medina where you will be woken sunrise call to prayer. It might take you a while to find it in the confusing maze of the medina, but once you get passed the plain exterior, you will find a richly adorned home with bright colours and patterns. Typically find a beautiful internal courtyard, often featuring a mosaic water feature. The design also means that it is very quiet inside compared to the hustle and bustle of the outside. Most riads also have a rooftop terrace which provides a lovely place to relax whilst catching some rays.

Accommodation Options in Marrakech

Search available accommodation in Marrakech

Budget

• Kasbah Red Castel Hostel
• Riad Dar Mchicha
• Dar Asdika

Moderate

• Riad Markaal
• Riad Azza
• Riad Miski

Luxury

• Es Saadi Marrakech Resort – Palace
• Dar Rhizlane, Palais Table d’hôtes & SPA
• La Maison Arabe Hotel, Spa & Cooking Workshops
• Royal Mansour Marrakech – I just had to include this one because it’s super luxurious!

Practical Tips for Your Trip to Marrakech

• Language: The people of Morocco are amazingly talented multi-lingual speakers. Whilst there we spoke a mix of English and French, but we tried to speak some Moroccan as well. When we were staying with the Berber people they were very keen to teach us Berber as well, so do make the effort to try a few words, they really seemed to appreciate the effort.
  • Yes = N’aam
  • No = La
  • Please = Afak (Moroccan) or Lah ihefdak (Lay hefdak translates as may god protect you).
  • Thank you = Merci (Mare-see – French)
  • Hello = Bok (bohk)
• Currency: The Moroccan Dirham is a closed currency, so by law you are not allowed to import or export Moroccan Dirhams and you are not allowed to take more than 1000 Dirhams into or out of the country. Arrange to exchange your cash upon arrival and departure. There are ATM machines available throughout Marrakech. Except for large hotels and restaurants, most places in Morocco accept only cash, so make sure you have enough on you.
• Tipping: Not required, but people usually round up. Upmarket restaurants may add 10% to your bill.
• Electricity: The electrical current is 220 volts AC. Wall outlets generally take the European two round prong plugs. However, you are better off purchasing a worldwide adaptor with USB ports that can be used in Croatia as well other countries. At least then you can potentially get some further use out of it on future vacations. If you’re taking a number of electronics with you, then I would recommend purchasing a couple of these adaptors.
• Navigating: Google offline maps won’t work here, but even with internet access, Google is not so great at finding its way around the Medina’s. We ended up going old school and using the map from our Lonely Planet Pocket Marrakech Guide to get around Marrakech. Its small size made it easy to tuck into my bag. However, if you are planning a self drive holiday, then you will need to get good road map of Morocco.
• What to wear: When it comes to dress, be sensitive and respect their culture. I predominately wore long sleeve cotton tops and ¾ pants with some comfy walking shoes.
• Mosques: There are no active mosques in Morocco that non-Muslims are allowed to enter.
• Camel trekking: You can’t take your suitcase with you, so take a small bag with you (e.g. a back pack) to pack your personal items into for an overnight stay. They sling your bag over the pommel of the camel saddle.
• Budget: Morocco is a cheap place to visit. Food, accommodation, transport and entry fees for sites are cheap.
• Alcohol: Although a predominantly Muslim country, Morocco is not dry. Alcohol is available in some restaurants, bars and hotels, however, not readily available in smaller country areas. There are some very good local beers and wine. Out of respect, don’t stagger around the streets drunk.
• Sexism: Be prepared for casual sexism. They don’t mean offence by it, that’s just how they view life. The woman is in charge of the home and the man is in charge of providing for the family. Each respect the others role.
• Couples: Unmarried Moroccan couples cannot legally share a hotel room. However, providing both of you are non-Moroccan (as evidenced by your passport), unmarried couples are allowed to share hotel rooms. You shouldn’t have any issues, but just don’t make a point of bringing it up, best left unspoken. Also, show some constraint when it comes to PDA.
• What to pack: If you are visiting in the summer, then be prepared for some potentially very hot days, especially as you head in land. However, take warm clothes too, as it gets really cold at night, especially in the Sahara.