The SIX Stops You Need For An Unforgettable Marrakech Vacation
Marrakech is a fantastic travel destination. For me, up until my trip to Marrakech, I had never been to an Arab country. Most of my travels had been in Europe, around the US, or Canada, so this was an extremely exciting trip for me. These are my things to do in Marrakech!
The Majorelle Gardens
This was one of two things on this list that I desperately wanted to do, but wasn’t able to. I booked my trip through a tour group. On one hand, it was great that I didn’t have to book hotels, organize transportation, or make an itinerary. On the other hand, we traveled very quickly to see many things and I didn’t have a ton of time to explore on my own.
The Majorelle Gardens were recently featured in the Netflix series about Anna Delvey. They are stunning, filled with shades of green and pink cactuses and plants. It features traditional Berber architecture with deep royal blues that stand out against the desert.
Entrance fees here cost 155 Dirham, or about 15 Euros. There is also a museum about Berber fashion inside as well as a cafe. If you have the time, go and visit for me!
Yves Saint Laurent Museum
This is the second place I was upset I couldn’t visit!
If you enjoy fashion or luxury designers, this will be a must-visit for you! Yves Saint Laurent is a well known brand now, but in this museum you can learn more about the man behind the name.
Yves Saint Laurent was born in Algeria and moved to Paris to study Haute Couture. He became the assistant of Christian Dior, who was in charge of French Vogue at the time, then became the artistic director of the House of Dior until he was called for military service.
After being injured during his service and hospitalized, he started his own line. Yves Saint Laurent was a trailblazer, creating the first ready-to-wear, in store, boutique.
If you like beautiful clothes and learning about history, you will enjoy a visit here.
The admissions fee is 135 Dirham, or about 13 Euros.
Walk Around The Medina
Medina, which means “a city” in Arabic, is sort of like the main square of the town.
I had no expectations for what the Marrakech Medina would be like, and I was, at first, overwhelmed.
The Medina, Jemaa el-Fna, is a large open space, shared by vendors trying to sell you sunglasses or souvenirs, snake charmers who are playing instruments for massive snakes, men with small monkeys dressed up as princesses or Messi, and so many cars. There is no lineation of where the cars can and cannot drive in this area.
So for me, walking into this scene, I was like, “there are SO many things to look at and pay attention to.”
As someone who grew up going into NYC often, I have become accustomed to the chaos that is New York. After spending a few hours in the Medina, I started to become accustomed to the chaos that is Marrakech.
I learned this isn’t necessarily the best place to buy things – within reason. Our tour guides told us to not get henna from the ladies in the Medina because they will agree on one price, then raise it after the session is over. If you want to shop for souvenirs, I would recommend going into the street markets.
Go Through the Street Markets
Off the Medina are many winding narrow streets filled with store fronts of any and every kind! Walking through these had me wishing I had a house to decorate. The amount of Moroccan rugs, pillows, light fixtures, and ceramics had me in awe of their craftsmanship as well as wishing for money to buy it all!
I will warn you to be careful on these back streets! People zip through on motorbikes very quickly, so you are normally just a few inches away from getting hit. You will get a lot of practice with situational awareness, that’s for sure!
Also, when you are in the street markets, you can bargain with the shop owners. The easiest way is to find something you like, strike up a conversation with the owner, then tell him you aren’t sure and will come back later. From what I’ve seen, the price will drop from the initial amount.
To add onto the previous point, if you are from somewhere with a “stronger” currency, be kind and considerate when it comes to bargaining. If you are arguing over a small amount of Dirhams, know that your sale might be the difference of whether they can pay for one extra meal or not!
Visit A Mosque or Cultural Building
To be clear, non-Muslim people cannot enter mosques in Marrakech, but I recommend seeing one and learning about its history and about the religion.
The mosque I saw had such beautiful architecture, even while being rebuilt from the recent earthquake.
If religious buildings aren’t your thing, there are two palaces I heard good things about – Badii Palace and Bahia Palace, or the Saadian Tombs or Ben Youssef Madrasa.
Learn the History With a Walking Tour
I recommend this for two reasons. The first is that a local gets to show you how to navigate the city. As I mentioned earlier, the cars kind of drive wherever they want here.
Cars weave in and out of lanes, sometimes drive in the middle of lanes, so it’s a free for all on the road. My local guide looked for a small opening and just walked out into the road. The cars will never come to a full stop, and there aren’t many stop lights or signs, so you have to just pick a time and go for it.
During this tour, I learned about how the Moors, who are muslim people, ruled over large parts of Northern Africa and Spain, which is why the architecture in places like Seville looks very similar to the architecture in Morocco.
I learned how Morocco had the largest Jewish population with 250,000 of them living in the Jewish Quarters until Israel was founded. They also were previously colonized by the French for some time.
I love learning about the history of the places I visit. It makes everything I see more impactful and memorable. If you have the time, I would highly recommend going on a tour of some kind.
Closing Thoughts
Marrakech is a bustling, chaotic place. Take care and prepare before you go! If you’re interested, I’ve linked here the top things I wish I knew before coming, about things like, should I drink the tap water, drinks to try, and airport tips. If these six stops sound interesting to you, you definitely need to visit! And if you are going soon – have the best time!
Hello from Sporthappy.