Marrakech: Things to know as a first-time visitor to Morocco

Marrakech is one of the most colorful cities we've ever visited. It's bustling, vibrant, and a sensory feast. Join us as we take you around the Red City and explore its souks, palaces, gardens, most celebrated foods, and more. I'm Judy. And I'm Kevin. Welcome back to Find Jeanne Marie, where we share our lives as full-time travelers and the connections we make along the way. This is the second in a four-part series from our 40 Days in Morocco. If you missed it, we shared all the do's and don'ts you need to know before you visit. Next week is everything we learned about how to book the perfect Sahara Desert Tour, so we hope you'll subscribe if you haven't already. In this video, we share what we learned during our three weeks in Marrakech, including the best area to stay, our top things to do, and everything we paid. While you could stay in the newer part of Marrakech and have a quieter experience with more modern amenities in a hotel or resort and trendy dining options, we recommend staying in the Old Town, called the Medina, having a more immersive experience and choosing a Riyadh over a hotel. Riyadhs are traditional Moroccan houses with a central courtyard. Often they have intricate tilework details and are often family-owned, smaller, and more intimate than a large hotel. But they can be very different, with some even having a pool and varying types of terraces. We stayed on the east side of the Medina, but we'd actually recommend you stay on the other side, since everything we wanted to do was found there. Taxi dropped us off here and then we walked through this roadway with our hosts that were very helpful. So it's nice to see what things look like in the daytime. I know. It's so hard coming in at night. Can't tell where you are, what's happening. Thank goodness for the day. You'll know with certainty that you're in the Medina because it's a walled city with many of its high city walls intact. There are about 20 gates or entryways. Our best advice is to have a sense of adventure when you're exploring the Medina, which is made up of about 600 acres of narrow streets filled with shops, homes, and market stalls all blending together. But that's one of its charms too. You are getting the perfect mix of family life. The shops, called souks, aren't just for tourists. Many of them are where the locals get their own household supplies, fruits, vegetables, spices, and clothing. And while Google and Apple Maps help, neither is 100% correct. It's easy to get lost in the labyrinth of winding streets. It's also really chaotic because of all the motorcycle traffic. But you'll also have to navigate donkey carts, bicycles, small truck traffic, hand carts, and foot traffic. It was a little confusing at first to see some rubble here and a lot of construction. But that's because in October 2023, many buildings were damaged from the 6.8 magnitude earthquake. One of the first things that caught us by surprise was how colorful Marrakesh is. From the bright yellow saffron to the hand-painted pottery, the vibrant colors and styles of leather goods, to the mix of yarns and the Berber rugs adorning the city walls, color is everywhere. Even the clay buildings are made of pink and red hues to give the city its nickname, the Red City. It's a photographer's dream. But there are many locals that don't want their photos taken, so be mindful of that. Our Do's and Don'ts video will give you more things to know before you visit, so you'll want to watch that next. The city of Marrakesh was founded in 1070, and despite being nearly a thousand years old and of the obvious earthquake damage, we were surprised at how well the streets were maintained. But it's also a city of contrasts. It feels ancient, but the motorcycles are jarring. Many people wear traditional Muslim clothes like jilabos, kaftans, and tukiyas, but there's also modernity with sports team logos and jeans. There are signs in various souks that reference the specific types of goods found there, but there are also related items in each. So you can find souks dedicated to rugs or to leather products or spices, for example. And at the same time, there's also an eclectic mix of products as well, all bunched together. You'll find plenty of skilled craftsmen and women in Marrakesh, and everything they create is for sale. Thankfully, we can't buy anything because everything we own travels with us, but many items were tempting. Of course, there's always a very wide assortment of food stalls and even little stalls for packaged snacks where we bought bottled water. You won't find a 7-Eleven here. The main square is Jamaa al-Fana, and if you're not walking towards it, someone will probably tell you to turn around. The main square is the other way. Living here for three weeks, we often had to reply, yes, but our Riyadh is this way. During the day, you'll see performances of acrobats and snake charmers who expect you to pay them if you take photos. Because there are animal welfare and ethical concerns over how the snakes are mistreated and abused, we didn't patronize any of the snake charmers. At night, the square lights up with food stalls and musicians, and because of the heat, this is when things get even more lively. If you can find a table at one of the rooftop restaurants to have food or drinks past 9 p.m., you'll have a bird's eye view of the festivities. This square is also where you'll find the beige taxis that can take you outside the medina. ATMs also are here, but be forewarned that there are withdrawal limits and we could typically only get about $200 worth of Moroccan dirhams at any given time. Be mindful of the fees that can add up if you don't have a card that allows you to withdraw money without extra charges. One option is to get money from Western Union using your debit card. We booked an Airbnb experience tour called Colorful Tour of Marrakesh in order to learn more about the history here. Our guide had huge Moroccan pride and a great sense of humor. Kutubia Mosque is the largest mosque in Marrakesh, notable for its stunning minaret that dominates the skyline. While non-Muslims cannot enter, the exterior and the gardens are still beautiful to explore. Afterwards, we stopped at a local stand for some Moroccan mint tea and pastries that our guide called Moroccan pizza, which were very good, especially with a bit of honey and cinnamon on them. We met some great people in our group, which is one of the many reasons we like scheduling tours to learn our way around a new city. Ahia Palace is significant to Marrakesh historically and architecturally. You'll want to visit to see the incredible skill and craftsmanship of the Moroccan artisans who built and designed it. The tilework and carvings are absolutely stunning and incredibly intricate. There also were several sites we saw on our own. We skipped a few places that you may or may not want to see yourself. Majorelle Garden, for one. This garden has some mixed reviews. You can buy a combined ticket that gives you access to the Pierre Bourget Museum of Berber Arts, but no photos or videos are allowed inside. The Yves Saint Laurent Museum restricts most photography too, and that is also part of the combined ticket, which is about 33 US dollars. If you've been to these spots and think we made a mistake by skipping them, let us know in the comments. Instead, we recommend the following sites. Les Jardins Secrets is a respite in the middle of the Medina. The garden has its origins in the 16th century, but was modernized in the 1800s. Its symmetrical layout is meant to represent order and harmony, and the central fountain and lush plants really do feel like paradise on earth. The host at our Riyadh specifically said that she wished that tourists would explore more of the gardens when they visit Marrakech. We paid extra to access the roof, and a guide gave us a brief overview of the various landmarks visible across the city. We're at Merdesa Ben Yusuf, and it is a complex little facility they have here for students originally, right? Yes, it was, I think, built in 1564, and it was an Islamic college for men. It's got 136 rooms, and it's kind of dorm style, but it almost reminds me a little bit like what you'd expect a convent to be. The rooms are very spare and plain, but at the same time, the beauty of this complex is incredible. There's stucco and so intricately carved and tile work everywhere. It's really beautiful. It's also a maze. All these little monastic nooks where the students stay are just all over the place. It's also like a balcony look straight down, so if you go into a space and you think you're in the space that's different than the other space, they all look kind of the same. When we first walked in, people were all waiting in line to take a picture in one area, but then as you walk, you realize there are many, many, many of those things, so you should just keep walking if you're trying to get a picture. And there's multiple floors, and there's an exhibition hall which has a few antique artifacts, so worthwhile to go through the whole thing. So let's head into the Musée du Marrakech, which has been around since the late 1800s and renovated again in the 1900s. That is really big. More of a testament to the metalwork of Marrakech. At first, I thought it was rattan or something like that, and then you go closer, you see that it's metalwork, so intricate too. This museum won't take up a lot of your time, but the tilework and artisan work of the interior of the palace itself is interesting. It's also a nice break from the bustling souks. The remnants of a hammam bath are here, some ceramics, and even some modern paintings that we enjoyed. We're at the Saadian Tombs, and we just made it through the small queue. It wasn't too bad for the west building, which has the most ornate structure and most ornate interior. It's a pretty small complex, but I would still say that it was worth seeing that middle tomb is absolutely breathtaking. And it's kind of interesting that this entire complex was sealed away for two centuries. It was only discovered from aerial views in 1917, so this is really something to appreciate that was lost for many generations. We're here at Badi Palace. We started out the day really nice and cool. It's just before noon, so the sun's out, and it's a little hotter, but we're about to head in, and maybe it's a little cooler inside. Well, maybe. It was built in 1578, and it was to showcase all of the wealth that the sultan had. But unfortunately, when his reign was over, it was stripped bare, so there was a ton of very luxurious building materials that are no longer here. The food in Morocco is primarily tagine-focused, but in nearly every single instance, they were super tasty. The name tagine comes from the clay pot that is used to cook the dish. Kevin teased me that he thought I was going to name him Kefta Kevin because of how much of the tagine kefta he ended up eating. He loved it, though. Many restaurants in Medina have rooftop dining, which is great because there's more of a breeze at the top of the buildings, which helps a lot on hot days. The breakfast we had in our Riyadh was complete with bread, fruit, spreads of honey and jams, orange juice, coffee and tea, and a thin onion omelet. But it's great. Day one, day one. We mostly skipped breakfast in favor of brunch, but Mandala Society had some interesting vegetarian and pescatarian offerings and is recommended by everyone that we talked to. I have a high-protein matcha bowl that is really, really delicious, so we wanted to share it with you. It's got homemade granola, raspberries, yellow... grapes? Is that what they're called? Yellow raisins. They're like grapes, except old. Really old. Shrivelly. Very shrivelly. Not demure at all. Or very demure. Very thoughtful. But it's actually really great. I love the yogurt. It's not too tangy and it's nice and thick, which is the way I like it. Very happy with it. Besides our breakfast in our Riyadh, we ate a conventional Moroccan breakfast at Taj Moroccan Cuisine before our walking tour. There, we had fried beldi eggs, wheat harira, which is like a cream of wheat or quite similar to watered-down grits, which I surprisingly enjoyed. Of course, there was Moroccan mint tea, olive oil and jams, and homemade raib, which is similar to a drinkable yogurt. There also was the ever-present bat bout bread. Chicken bastila, sometimes referred to as pigeon pie, is a combination of sweet and savory. It's a pastry dough with a rich filling of spiced chicken, nuts and herbs. What I didn't love about it was that some versions had a very generous sprinkling of white granulated sugar with cinnamon on top. It was my least favorite menu item at Dar al-Asirah, but their chicken couscous was great. Depending on where we got it, chicken tagine could be very bright-tasting with its preserved lemon and briny olives. Cafe de Apice's version was colorful, but maybe a bit too briny. You may like it. They did have a great rooftop experience. And Kevin really liked their kofta. The group that owns Cafe de Apice has several different restaurants in Marrakesh. One of the more upscale is Nomad. The atmosphere was very attentive, and it's a beautiful place to watch the sunset. But the food wasn't worth the higher prices. We actually preferred Cafe de Apice. If you're looking for something a bit different, Yazal, which was recommended to us by our walking tour guide, had great Morocco-Greek fusion foods. Kevin still had kofta, but it wasn't a tagine. And my kofta sandwich was an apita with pickles and onions. The virgin mojitos were icy, super cold, refreshing and addictive. Those virgin mojitos were so good that we even had a second, which is a rarity for us. You'll find Cafe Atay near Yazal in the more upscale area of the Medina near Les Jardins Secret. Their couscous chicken was one of my favorites. And Kevin liked their cappuccino and burgers, which were made a touch special using Moroccan bread, spiced beef and caramelized onions. If you enjoy people watching, check out restaurant La Farmacia in Jamaa El Fana Square, right next to one of the most picturesque spice markets. What are you eating? So it was some sort of a salad trio. I guess not trio. Eggplant, carrots, olives and some peppers with hot bread, which I'll tell you, we haven't had in a while. Yeah, we have a soft spot for warm bread. So I wasn't prepared for the fact that I was going to have similar dips plus lentils with this as well. I'm glad I only got one. Live and learn. I guess it could have been explained better. Yes, yes. So this has meat and onions inside. I'm just going to have it on its own. It's very good. Wish you would have had different starters. Yeah, lentils that came with this meal. They're quite good. They're nice and briny and lemony. A lot of lemon flavor. Yeah, I was thinking that they would be maybe unflavored and they would just be a nice complement to the pancake. But no, they're great even just on their own. Very flavorful. And I had a really great cappuccino. Like no sugar needed. Just a really well-made cappuccino. Best I've had so far in Morocco. We had like two, but three. Still the best. So what did we spend for three weeks in Marrakech? The Riyadh and the Medina we booked through booking.com cost us $1,574.24 or $74.96 per day. Tours and entry tickets cost us a total of $220.89 or $110.45 per person, which includes tips. Colorful tour of Marrakech cost us $25.59 a piece. Les Jardins Secret Garden cost us $14.66 a piece, which included rooftop access with a guide. Madrasa Ben Yosef was $5.24 per person. Museum Marrakech was $5.24 per person. Although we saw Palace Bahia on our guided street tour, the entrance fee was an extra $10.47 per person in cash. The Saadian tombs were $10.47 per person. Restaurants, bottled water, and tips cost us $1,071.12 or $51 per day or $25.50 per person per day. Kevin got a haircut in Medina from a name-your-price merchant that cost $10.47. A taxi from the airport to our Riyadh that we arranged through our host was $10.11. Since we were getting picked up by a tour company for our Sahara Desert tour afterwards, it didn't cost us anything to depart to our next destination. So our 21-day visit to Marrakech cost us a total of $2,931.42, which breaks down to be $139.60 per day or $69.80 per person per day, excluding transportation to and from Morocco. Thank you so much for watching. We have more episodes coming to you from Morocco. So if you aren't already subscribed, what are you waiting for? And the best compliment that you can give to us is to recommend our videos to your friends and family. And check out FindingJeanMarie.com. We have downloads, more resources for you, articles, and our community forums. Until next time.