20 Things to Do and See in Marrakesh

A visit to Marrakesh, Morocco’s tourist capital, is sure to promise an unforgettable experience full of culture, color, history and a lot of chaos.

Exploring Marrakesh is a major assault on the senses that will come with both positive and negative experiences. Not everyone will love it, but no one will be able to leave without a very memorable sensory experience.

20 THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN MARRAKESH

EXPLORE THE MEDINA, OBSERVE LIFE AND GET LOST

If you want to have a full-on Marrakesh experience, exploring the nearly thousand year old medina is where you’ll get it. The medina and the life within it is very photogenic. Accept your fate of getting lost. GPS doesn’t work in mazes 🙃

EXPLORE JEMAA EL FNA

Probably the #1 must-see in Marrakesh and a place you literally can’t miss. It’s worth a visit, but don’t spend too much time here because it’s a massive, chaotic tourist trap and a huge assault on the senses. And patience. And sanity.

The famous UNESCO World Heritage Site square has been around since 1070. By day, Jemaa el Fna hosts snake charmers, acrobats, magicians, musicians, women offering henna (forcing is more accurate), entertainers, dozens of orange and grapefruit juice stalls (4 Dirhams/50 cents for a glass of orange juice(!), which is so necessary and so refreshing in the heat). And pickpockets, so beware. At night is when Jemaa el Fna really comes alive with entertainers, musicians, boxers and dozens of food stalls, which is the best place for dinner on a budget. You can also get a soup for 4 Dirhams! The majority of the stalls offer exactly the same dishes.

How to survive the chaos of Jemaa el Fna:

Ignore anyone who offers you something that you do not want. They will soon demand you to pay them (too much) money.
It is guaranteed that you will be accosted by women who will start to draw henna on you, without asking, and then aggressively demand money for their work. Be assertive and shut it down. The same goes for the people who put a monkey on your shoulder.
If you enjoy an entertainer, be prepared to give some Dirhams to watch.
Again, watch your things and beware of pickpockets.

ENJOY JEMAA EL FNA FROM ABOVE

Find a rooftop terrace where you can eat and relax, while watching the chaos below.

JOIN A WALKING TOUR

It’s a great way to see the main sights and learn about some history as well.

SHOP FOR MOROCCAN TREASURES IN THE SOUKS

Practice your bargaining skills in the markets, which are beside Jemaa el Fna, where you’ll find rugs, scarves, home decor, spices, shoes, djellabas, kaftans, dishes, tagines and much more. You’re spoiled for choice with shopping and choice in Marrakesh, but shopping is also not overly ideal in Marrakesh, as opposed to other Moroccan cities, because the vendors inflate the prices over 4-6x of what you really should pay. If you’re visiting other places in Morocco, it’s a good idea to save most of your shopping for outside of Marrakesh. If you do decide to shop in Marrakesh, be very aggressive with bargaining.

MARVEL AT THE ARCHITECTURE

ADMIRE THE MOSQUES, FROM THE OUTSIDE – Non-Muslims aren’t allowed to enter mosques in Morocco, but you can admire them from the outside.
KOUTOUBIA MOSQUE – Marrakesh’s most symbolic landmark is located beside Jemaa el Fna. It is said that the 230 ft tall minaret tower of the Koutoubia Mosque is to Marrakech as the Eiffel Tower is to Paris.
BEN YOUSSEF MADRASSA – This well-preserved 14th century former Islamic school is an excellent representation of Moroccan architecture and design and it’s one of the largest Madrassas in North Africa. And it’s actually open to non-Muslims.
BAHIA PALACE – This beautiful well-preserved 150 room palace and 2 acre garden was built in the late 19th century. Sadly, all of the rooms are empty, but the architecture and design is still very impressive and opulent, earning the name “Bahia”, which means “brilliance” in Arabic .
THE SAADIAN TOMBS – These tombs were built at the end of the 16th century to be the final resting place for the many rulers and members of the Saadi dynasty. Only rediscovered in 1917, the Saadian tombs boast two lavish mausoleums housing over 60 tombs, and over 100 more tombs lie in the beautiful gardens. It’s a great place to see Moroccan architecture and design with the bright tiles, marble, Arabic calligraphy, and intricate carvings.
EL BADI PALACE – Built at the end of the 16th century, this palace was once very lavish and luxurious, decorated in gold, onyx and marble; thus deserving of its name, which means “incomparable”. However, after the fall of the Saadians and the rise of the Alaouite dynasty (the current Moroccan royal family), the palace declined rapidly after the following Sultan stripped the palace of its contents and decorations to use in his new palace in Meknes. The palace is now in ruins and inhabited by storks and stray cats, but it is worth a visit and the use of your imagination to picture what the palace was like in its time.

VISIT A MUSEUM

THE BERBER MUSEUM – Berbers are some of the original people of North Africa and they’re very proud of their culture. Here you can see artwork, traditional clothing and handcrafted items like leather, pottery, baskets, carvings, jewelry, headdresses. The museum is part of Jardin Majorelle (see below)
MAISON DE LA PHOTOGRAPHIE – What did Marrakesh look like 100 years ago? What was life like in Morocco 50-100 years ago? This museum exhibits photos taken in Morocco between 1870 and 1950, which document the social, cultural, and technological changes in Morocco.
DAR SI SAÏD OF MOROCCAN ARTS AND CRAFTS – Also known as the Museum of Moroccan Arts, this museum is a former palace, which is impressive on its own, but it also houses the largest collection of art and antiques in Marrakesh.

ENJOY THE GARDEN AND GREEN SPACES

THE PALMERAIE – This palm grove oasis of several hundred thousand palm trees lies at the outskirts of Marrakesh, which is surrounded by fancy hotels and golf courses.
JARDIN MAJORELLE – You’ll find this 2.5 acre oasis of 300 plant species, and Yves Saint Laurent’s former residence, in the middle of the busy city. The villa is painted a stunning and vibrant cobalt blue. You can visit the Berber Museum here as well.

EXPLORE GUELIZ (ville nouvelle/new city) – The medina is bordered by very modern neighbourhoods. Gueliz is where you’ll see a very different, more trendy and modern Marrakesh and where you’ll find fancy restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, shopping malls, golf courses and far less hassles as a tourist. The shopping is very European and it’s a complete contrast to the traditional Moroccan souks. Shop here for a haggle-free experience, fixed prices and higher quality goods.

RELAX IN YOUR RIAD – The riads (traditional Moroccan houses with interior courtyards) in Morocco, even the hostels, are really beautiful and peaceful spaces and most of them have rooftop terraces for great views and relaxing.

GET A GOOD SCRUB AT A HAMMAM

And a massage, if you really want to treat yourself.

TAKE A COOKING CLASS

ENJOY THE ROOFTOP VIEWS AND SUNSETS

Whether you stay in a hotel or hostel, your accommodation will very likely have a rooftop terrace with great views of the city. And many restaurants do too.

DO NOT FALL FOR THE TANNERY SCAM

I didn’t visit the tanneries in Marrakesh, as I went in Fes, but many blogs, sites and Trip Advisor warn to not go to the tanneries as you will most definitely be conned and stuck in a very uncomfortable and unpleasant situation. If you really want to visit the tanneries, learn how to avoid the scams here.

MY EXPERIENCE

Again, exploring around the medina of Marrakesh is a chaotic tourist trap and a massive assault on the senses. And patience. And sanity. No exaggeration, it is one of the most obnoxious places in the world with the relentless harassment from vendors and touts who don’t take “no” for an answer. It’s on the same level as India.

You will either love or hate Marrakesh. I certainly did not love it, but I would give it another chance.

However, I did love the architecture, the riads, the shopping and treasures, and how picturesque it is. Morocco is one of my top places for street photography and shopping for treasures.

I arrived in Marrakesh from Essaouira as a solo blonde female. Eventually, I met some male travelers at my hostel and then I met up with my stepdad for a few days, but that only minimized the negative experiences a little. A Moroccan guy still had the nerve to touch my butt in a crowd in Jemaa el Fna, while I was with my stepdad.

Marrakesh is excessively touristy. It’s much more touristy than the other cities I visited in Morocco, which I found made it a little safer, but the annoyances were excessively high. As a solo female traveler, I got sexually harassed less than I did in other cities, like Fes, but the sexual harassment was replaced with extremely aggressive “buy my things/give me money” harassment and bullying from the many touts.

Before noon on my first day in Marrakesh, I had already told 3 people to f*** off.

People in and around the medina will very aggressively and very rudely try to hustle you, but don’t let them intimidate and bully you. The henna ladies will approach you and start drawing henna on you, even if you say no multiple times, and then they’ll demand a lot of money from you for their “service”. The monkey people and snake charmers will attempt to pull this on you too, by putting the animals on you for a picture.

In the souk (market), I noticed a guy was following me, so I tried to dodge him by ducking into a store and then turning around to go back the way I came. He kept following me and he started talking to me and tried to get me to go with him to a store. I kept politely, but firmly declining, but he wouldn’t leave. It was getting very uncomfortable, so I calmly asked him to please stop following me. He got really angry and aggressive and he yelled at me, but he finally left me alone. But I ran into him 10 minutes later and he yelled at me from about 15-20ft away, and, in front of everyone, called me “f***ing rude and f***ing racist”.

I had been warned about this by a male traveler, who experienced the same thing. Yet despite this, I still consider Marrakesh safer than Fes, where I did not feel safe at all, due to a few very bad experiences.

The market, medina and Jemaa el Fna become incredibly exhausting with the constant harassment and you’ll likely find that you’ll reach a tolerance limit and a need to seek refuge in your hostel/hotel. Luckily the riads are beautiful, peaceful oases, however, I personally do not travel to hang out in my hostel/hotel.

I stayed in Riad Dia, which is a nice, colorful hostel near Jemaa el Fna. It’s highly rated, it’s social, breakfast is included, the staff are nice and there’s a lovely rooftop terrace all for about 82-110 Dirhams per night (€7-10).

NEED TO KNOW

BE ASSERTIVE

You will come across some bad people who will be very aggressive, intimidating and rude with their demands for your money. Stand your ground and do not give in to their bullying.

EXERCISE CAUTION

There are security cameras and plain-clothed policemen patrolling the medina for safety, however, they can only do so much, so be aware of your surroundings and take care of your belongings.

MARRAKESH CAN GET HOT

I was there in mid October and it was around 34C. In the summer, it can get to well over 40C.

When you travel to Morocco, you need to be prepared with street smarts, knowledge of popular scams and a thick skin to counteract it all.

DAY TRIPS

Emlil – A village in the High Atlas Mountains, about 60km from Marrakech. It’s a good starting point for hiking Jbel Toubkal, the highest mountain in North Africa (4167m).

Aït Benhaddou and Ouarzazate – You will most definitely stop here if you decide to take a Sahara Desert tour, but if you don’t, these two places are worth a visit. The town of Ouarzazate is also known as the “door to the desert” and it’s where you’ll find Aït Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and ksar, a fortified thousand year old village. In its day, Aït Benhaddou was a strategic stop for caravans of camels on the trans-Saharan trade route. Now, Aït Benhaddou makes a great movie set for movies like Gladiator, Game of Thrones, Lawrence of Arabia, Alexander, Kingdom of Heaven, Prince of Persia etc. It’s about a 200km drive from Marrakesh, through a very mountainous region, so it’s not a short drive.

GET OUT

Essaouira – 3-4 hour bus

Fes – 7-8 hour train / 1 hour flight

The Sahara Desert – You can visit the dunes of Erg Chebbi or Erg Chigaga. 3 day/2 night tours are popular, and offer many cool places to stop along the way. But coming back from the desert was over a 12 hour journey, including leaving the desert camp. You can also opt to finish in Fes, instead of going back to Marrakesh (or vice versa).

Casablanca – 3.5 hour train