A couple of months ago, my mom and I did an epic trip to Portugal and Morocco – and while Portugal was lovely and I’ll cover that in a future post – Morocco was the real winner in my eyes and I can’t recommend it enough. We really only did 36 hours there and wished we had more time. So, this Marrakech travel guide will cover not only what we did and where we stayed, but also some things to know about traveling to a completely different culture.
Marrakech Travel Guides: Where to Stay and the Riads
There are some hotels in Marrakech, but riads are sort of like bed and breakfasts that are everywhere and very nice – and reasonably priced.
What the heck is a riad? It is a building centered around a courtyard that requires 4 traits to be considered a riad. First, all of the rooms around the courtyard have to have doors that open toward said courtyard. Second, the courtyard has to be open air (no roof). Finally, it has to have live plants, and a water feature. So essentially, perfection.
Our riad was heaven on earth – you could get Moroccan tea service, there were reading nooks, and on the roof, there was a gorgeous garden space where you can find an incredible breakfast service and private 4-course dinners.
Of course, I’m partial to Riad Idra – in fact, mom and I both said if we had one more day in the city, we would have only left the riad for lunch. Just lounged around and relaxed. Here were some of the runner-up accomodations that we considered as well: Riad Bahia Salam, Riad Le Jardin D’Abdou Marrakesh, and, if money were no object, La Sultana Marrakech.
In Marrakech, there are walls built around the main part of the city – called the Medina. We opted to stay in the Medina to be closer to the markets and action. I would recommend that for sure, but I would only recommend a riad in the Medina for more advanced travelers. The streets as you get closer to the market are extremely confusing to navigate and can look a little disconcerting at night.
Marrakech Travel Guide: The Souks
One of the best parts of our trip was venturing into the souks (massive markets) to shop. I bought a gorgeous hand-made rug that’s now in my living room (on Insta here), and my mom found a stunning antique jewelry box. But amidst the treasures is a ton of lower-value items – much of which you’ll want to pass on, but some that make great trinkets or gifts.
A couple of notes about the logistics of the souks, though. First, if you go without a guide, there will be people in there trying to help you navigate for a tip. And the souks are pretty confusing so we almost took them up on it. But, these guides have been said to sometimes lead you the wrong direction or take you to specific shops to get a commission on what you buy. I’d recommend very closely tracking your turns – knowing that merchandise / shops can move or disappear as things close down.
The other thing I was misinformed on was the price of items in the souks. I thought I was going to go in and buy all the things at huge deals from what you could get in the US. And while there is a LOT of room to haggle with vendors on prices, you’re not going to get a leather poof for $15 (sad face). That said – I would recommend going down at least 50% from the price offered. For my rug, I only paid 30% of the starting price, and my mom got an $80 bag for $25 after we began to walk away. There are great deals to be had, but don’t be as unrealistic as I was. If you’re unsure, ask a third party – like your riad staff – what a good price to pay for a specific item would be.
Marrakech Travel Guide: The Hammams
A hammam is a Turkish bath– similar to this Korean spa experience in Atlanta. You sit in a sauna to soften your skin, then they give you a scrub and shower of sorts. We did the hammam and massage combo for a mini pampering session. Hammam de la Rose was near our riad and very nice, but our riad also had one in house that unfortunately closed early due to Ramadan.
Marrakech Travel Guide: Visiting the Palaces
The architecture all throughout Marrakech is incredible – very detailed with gorgeous tiles and wood carvings, but if you have some time to make your way to Bahia Palace or El Badii Palace, they’re both quite beautiful. We hired a private tour guide for this portion through our riad and he told us the history of the palaces. He also took us back to the markets where he was able to get us pictures with snake charmers and other cool sights.
Marrakech Travel Guide: Le Jardin Secret
There are so many gardens in Marrakech as well, and while we were sad to miss the YSL gardens located outside the Medina, we did make it to Le Jardin Secret which is in the souks and happened to be right near our riad. If we had extra time, I would have loved to grab a tea and take a book and just sit on one of the benches there for a while. Very beautiful and very peaceful.
Marrakech Travel Guide: Vaccinations and Visas
One question I’ve gotten often when talking about this trip is what shots or special Visas you need to go. We didn’t need any Visas and while the CDC recommends you get shots for Hepatitis A and Typhoid, I opted to skip them. What I discovered is that you need a special appointment with your doctor or a travel clinic to assess your itinerary and provide the vaccinations. Since I was only going to be there for 36 hours, and because I knew I’d only be eating and drinking from nice restaurants and the riad, I decided I would probably be fine – and I am. I’m in no way recommending this move to others – you should talk to your doctor and do what’s right for you.
Marrakech Travel Guide: Money
In many of the foreign countries I’ve visited, I haven’t felt the need to have much, if any, cash on hand. But Morocco is different. When in the markets you’re often buying small-value items and when you’re on the move, there are ample opportunities to tip riad staff, taxis, etc. The Moroccan Durham (MAD) is about equal to 10 US cents. Basically, just divide the price in MAD by 10 and you have your USD price. If something is 390 MAD, it’s roughly $39.
Marrakech Travel Guide: Language
In terms of communication, the language of Morocco is Arabic, with many of the more educated locals speaking French and English as well. On our drive in from the airport, our taxi driver taught us the most important two words we would speak the entire trip. La – means no, and shukraan – means thank you. These became especially helpful in the souks letting people know we weren’t interested in their products or guidance, and conversely, thanking people.
Marrakech Travel Guide: How to Dress
Finally, I would urge you to consider the local culture before packing your suitcase. Morocco is a Muslim country where women are traditionally pretty covered up. I wore long skirts or pants that covered my knees (even in the heat) and shirts that covered my shoulders. If the top was low in the front, I wore a scarf as well. While, you probably wouldn’t have a problem, it made me really sad to see tourists – especially women – in skimpy outfits. And there were lots of them. Please remember, you are a visitor to someone else’s home, so be respectful. For shoes – sandals or tennies work well since you’ll be doing a lot of walking – I didn’t wear a heel even once while there.
Whew, so what I thought would be a short post since we were only there a day and a half, turned into quite the novel. I hope you’re feeling inspired to make a trip to Morocco if you haven’t already. Happy to answer any questions in the comments below!
Leave a Reply