Marrakech 2024

As the plane begins to come in to land, you begin to understand why Marrakech is called the "Red City". It's buildings, originally red in colour due to the local clays that were used in construction, and now a compulsory urban rule, blend it into the land that surrounds it. I spent a week out there, primarily exploring within the walls of the Medina (old town). This blog will cover some of what I saw in Marrakech, and some pointers if you're also considering visiting in the future. I've also created a map below to show where everything is in relation to one another, to make it easier for you to plan your own itinerary.

Logistics

Getting There

A 3hr 40min flight from London, Marrakech is located in North Africa, inland in the country of Morocco. It is the fourth largest city in Morocco, and is one of the 4 imperial cities of Morocco (the others being Rabat, Fez and Meknes). The city lies west of the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, which I will come onto later. One thing to note about Marrakech airport is that e-boarding passes are not accepted - make sure that you have printed off your boarding passes to use at the airport (otherwise some airlines will charge you up to €50 to print a sheet of paper off at check in!).

The airport isn't huge and is easy to navigate. Depending on what time of year you arrive, you may have a long wait to get through immigration to enter the country - your passport requires a physical stamp by an immigration officer. Therefore do allow plenty of time to clear the airport, when both arriving and departing Marrakech.

Accommodation

Like most places around the world, accommodation options in Marrakech are plentiful depending on your budget and what you're looking for. There are self-contained resorts to riads (traditional Moroccan houses). Wherever you stay, even if it is at an all inclusive 5* hotel, do make time to wander through the streets of the city and explore - it's the best way to learn about Marrakech!

I stayed in the Medina in a fairly central location (as you will see on the map). This meant that I could walk around the city without having to pay for taxis.

Other considerations

• Currency - The currency used is the Moroccan Dirham (MAD). Card is accepted at most places, so I wouldn't advise taking out cash beforehand. Entry to some places, and to buy goods in the souks will require local cash, which you can get from an ATM in town.
• EU travel adapters - Morocco uses European plug sockets.
• ESims - Prior to arrival on newer phones, you might want to consider getting an ESim. This will allow you to be connected the moment you arrive in Marrakech. Alternatively, at the airport before you exit you can purchase a physical local SIM from one of the major mobile networks.
• InDrive - We didn't end up using a taxi during our stay, but an alternative is to use InDrive, a local 'Uber-type' ride-hailing app for your phone.
• Weather - Having visited in June, Marrakech can get hot during the day. I experienced highs of 41 degrees, but with humidity far lower than that in London I found the heat more bearable. The hottest months tend to be in July and August.

Things to do in Marrakech

Medina Walking Tour 👣

Something I try to do when travelling to a new city is to do a walking tour early on in my trip, to help me get my bearings and an overview of the main sights. I used GuruWalk, a website that let's you book free walking tours around the world. The tour lasted around 3 hours and took us through the main points within the Medina. This included:

• Koutoubia Mosque
  • Originally built in 1147, it has a 70m high tower and was rebuilt to align towards Mecca.
  • No building within the Medina is built higher than Koutoubia Mosque, from which you can hear the call to prayer 5 times a day.
  • It is identified as a place of worship from the 3 balls on the top of the tower - each representing Islam, Judaism and Christianity.

• Royal Palace
  • Serves as the residency of the King of Morocco when he visits the city.
  • Tourists cannot visit this Palace.
• Saadian Tombs
  • The royal necropolis. For 100Dh you can enter and admire the Islamic architecture and landscaped gardens.
• Bahia Palace
  • Unlike the Royal Palace, Bahia Palace is open to visitors and is a great example of Moroccan craftsmanship.
  • 100Dh entry.
• Mellah
  • The Mellah is the Jewish Quarter of the city, and is present in many cities in Morocco.
  • There is still a synagogue present, as well various souks (markets) spiralling off from the square in the Mellah.
• Jemma el-Fna Square
  • If you want hustle and bustle, test out your haggling skills, and have things going on all around you, go here!
  • Worth visiting both at day and night, each has it's own personality.
• Other Marrakech trivia that I picked up along the walk includes:
  • Marrakech means the 'land of god'.
  • Medina = the name for the old part of a city. It is surrounded by walls.
  • Kasbah = citadel inside the Medina.
  • Palm trees in Marrakech cannot be cut down. They existed before settlers arrived to this land and will remain, hence they are protected.
  • Each city in Morocco will have it's own Medina.
  • When walking around Marrakech you may notice doors have a big and small door in them. In the past, the larger door was for people who rode camels to knock without getting off, whilst the smaller one was for pedestrians. Each door had a different sounding door knock so residents would know who's outside.
  • Languages spoken in Marrakech include: English, French, Arabic and Berber.
  • At the end of each road there will be an archway, signalling the start of a new road.
  • Marrakech is home to a lot of stray cats, who rely on the generosity of the public to feed and look after them.

Free walking tours work on a 'pay-what-you-feel' basis - hence you choose what you believe the tour is worth and how the tour guide did. It's a great way to ask all your questions to a local, learn more about the history and culture of Marrakech within the safety of a group.

Bahia Palace 🏰

If you visit only one of the many palaces to in Marrakech, it was recommended to me that Bahia Palace is the one - and upon entering I could see why. It is a 19th century building consisting of various rooms, courtyards and gardens.

The name of Bahia Palace in Arabic means 'brilliant'. When Morocco gained independence from France in 1956, Bahia Palace was used as a royal residence prior to being transformed to a cultural attraction.

Entry to the Palace is 100Dh, and it is open every day. If possible try to get there when it opens for uninterrupted views of the courtyards and gardens before it gets busy.

Saadian Tombs 🪦

The tombs date back to the time of the Saadian dynasty, and are the royal necropolis in Marrakech. Entry is 100Dh, and whilst you will only need up to an hour here it's great to view the architecture and landscaped gardens.

Jemaa el-Fna Square 🛍️

This is the main square in Marrakech, and is a must visit at least once. Ideally, I would say to go both at day and night, as the square has two different personalities. As I walked through it during the day, it was a lot quieter, mainly with people traversing through the area, and a lot of snake charmers and monkey performances (which I'm not a big fan of for ethical reasons). Other than that, there wasn't much of interest.

However, returning back at night (which it's also a lot cooler) - Jemaa el-Fna really comes alive. Performances of theatre and music, carnival style games, food vendors area all around you, each trying their best to attract you to their stall. You will end up conversing with a lot of locals (more times to politely decline their requests!). I did enjoy going in the evening as the square is not just a tourist trap for visitors - it's where locals come too to hang out and spend time with their friends. It was advised that I didn't try any of the food being sold in the stalls as my stomach wouldn't be used to it - just something to note.

Le Jardin Secret 🌷

Returning back to the riads (traditional houses) lies 'The Secret Garden' - Le Jardin Secret. Within this garden there are 2 parts:

1. Plants and trees from 5 continents grow side by side in the exotic garden.
2. The Islamic Garden - which is divided into 4 quadrants to represent the great traditional style of Middle Eastern gardens, and also a reflection of what paradise is described as in the Qur'an.

What I particularly enjoyed learning from the gardens was the importance it placed on water - the lifeline of the gardens. It is gravity fed from the Atlas Mountains into the city thanks to a millennium-old technique of underground channels. It is still this method today that is used to irrigate Le Jardin Secret. Entry to the gardens is offered at a reduced rate if you are below a certain age, so be sure to bring along your ID to make use of them.

Beyond Marrakech - Atlas Mountains

As well as spending time exploring Marrakech, we spent a day in the Atlas Mountains on a 4x4 tour, which I highly recommend. The day trip involved driving along some of the mountain passes, with stops at a traditional Berber village, photo spots and a traditional lunch.

For some background, the Atlas Mountains are a mountain range in North Africa. It separates the Sahara Desert from the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. In Morocco, the Atlas Mountains goes for about 800km, and is split into the low, middle and high ranges. The highest peak, Toubkal, is in central Morocco, with an elevation of 4,167m. Some of the highlights from the day trip included:

• Local pottery shop
  • We made our way to a local potter who was making tagine pots by hand, along with a host of other hand-crafted items in the store.
  • Remember to bring local currency in cash form with you to avoid paying a surcharge on credit cards.

• Tea in a Berber village
  • This was my favourite stop of the day as we got to learn about the Berber population who live in the mountains. They are an ethic group indigenous to North Africa.
  • Berbers are very welcoming and great hosts to visitors. They say the sweeter the tea they offer you, the more they like you! Berber homes will always have a living room where they can host guests.
  • The Berber lives I saw and experienced were very simple but happy - making me question what really is important in our lives back home?

• Local cuisine lunch
  • A delicious vegan tagine was on the menu for lunch!

• Women's Cooperative
  • On the way back we stopped off at a Women's Cooperative, where I saw fresh Argan oil being made by hand.

The 4x4 Atlas Mountains day trip was a great way to experience more culture and nature that Morocco has to offer, with it being suitable for all (not much hiking or walking).

Moroccan Arabic (Darija) Basics 🗣️

As Nelson Mandela said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.” Over the week I was there, I attended a Moroccan Arabic class which taught me a few basic phrases to get by. I then tried to use them where I could, whether it was with the hotel staff, my tour guides or people on the street. I definitely found that locals appreciated it when you conversed in the local language, so here are a few phrases to help you get started! Note that in Moroccan Arabic, using a one-word phrase can ask a whole question, and it's all about the tone in which you say something that gives it meaning.

• Hi/hello - Salaam
• What's your name? - Smitak?
• My name is... - Smiti...
• Goodbye - Bislama
• No - Laa
• Yes - Aah
• Thank you - Shukran
• How are you? - Labes?
• I'm fine - Labes (change your tone when replying rather than asking!)
• Dear - Habibi (male)/Habibti (female)
• Cheers - Bessehaa
• I want this one - Brit hadii
• How much please? - Chehal?
• Reduce the price a little/lot - Nqes chwiya/bezzaf
• Where is Jemaa el-Fna? - Finn Kayen Jemaa el-Fna?
• Put the meter on - Dir Lcountour
• I want to go to... - Brit nemchi...
• Now - Daaba
• I have no money - Waluu flouss
• Sir - Sidi
• Madam - Lala
• Please - Afak

Other things to do

There was a heap of other things that I didn't have time for in Marrakech. I've listed them below if you'd like to check them out when you visit - and let me know how you find them!

• El Badi Palace - Palace Ruins of a building commissioned by the Saadian dynasty.
• Majorelle Garden - a 1 hectare botanical garden, created by French Orientalist artist Jaques Majorelle.
• Menara Gardens - another public garden and orchard. On a clear day you can get views of the Atlas Mountains.
• Marrakech Museum - a cultural and art museum showcasing Marrakech.
• Traditional hammam - a traditional bathhouse.
• Maison de la photographie - The Museum of Moroccan photography.
• Medersa Ben Youssef - an architectural building home to art, culture and knowledge.
• Quad bike tour - available from various companies into the desert surrounding Marrakech.

Overall, I would highly recommend a trip to Marrakech. If you're someone who's looking for warm weather, a wealth of history, art and heritage to explore, and are also interested in nature Marrakech is for you. A week would give you plenty of time to see lots in the city as well as do a few excursions to the mountains or waterfalls. Would I return to Morocco? Possibly yes - but next time perhaps explore the coastal town of Agadir, or the port city of Casablanca.

Shukran bezzaf (remember what that means!) for reading, and I hope this blog helps you plan your trip to the red city!

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