Practical tips for visiting Marrakech

Marrakech is a bustling and vibrant city in Morocco. It is steeped in history with small reminders of the past on every street. Visiting Marrakech for many people is an experience that should not be missed. While it is safe to visit Marrakech if you are careful, this short guide will provide some quick tips to make your visit to Marrakech easier to plan.

How to get to Marrakech

Marrakech has its own modern and large airport which is located just outside the city walls.  Marrakech Menara Airport is served by a number of airlines including Ryanair and Easyjet.  Passport control is a long and slow process but there is free wifi within arrivals so time can be passed easily.  

From the airport, it is just 10 minutes by taxi to the centre of the city.  It is much better to pre-book your transfer and know they will be waiting for you with the fare agreed and paid.  All of the taxi companies have to wait outside the terminal building so be prepared to have peace until you step outside the actual building.

Once you leave the terminal building it is a free-for-all all with everyone wanting to take you into the city. Keep going to your meeting point and don’t get distracted!

A taxi to or from the airport should cost about 100 dirhams but prices can be extortionate and you should keep your wits about you and be prepared to haggle if you have not pre-booked.

Getting around Marrakech

Getting around the city is easy.  Most of it can be done on foot but yellow taxis are everywhere.  In the evening after a day of exploring and a meal, it is easier to jump in a taxi back to your riad than navigate the alleyways and hustlers in the dark.  

The taxi drivers will negotiate a price before starting the journey.  They will always start really high.  Usually, a price can be agreed to 50% below their starting price. 

Once you have done one journey back to your riad you get an idea for a price.  Always make sure you have the card of your riad to give to the driver.  This will ensure you end up in the right place!

Where to stay in Marrakech

Marrakech has every option for accommodation from the massive international hotel to the more private boutique riad.  Hostel-style riads and more basic but functional riads fill the lower end of the market.  Most provide breakfast and lots of rooms are en-suite even if it is just an alcove with a curtain for privacy.

It is always better to stay within the Medina or Kasbah as you save yourself the hassle of getting to the city.  It is lovely to be able to hide in your room when the stupid heat of the day hits at about 3pm. 

If you are staying in an all-inclusive out of town then you have no option but to survive the heat or schedule your day to start early and finish early.

The riads will try to sell tours and excursions but do accept your own plans if you have an itinerary before you arrive.

Food

The food in Marrakech is beautiful if you find the smaller restaurants and street stalls.  Don’t be afraid to be nosey.  The street vendors will always show you what they have and will be more than happy to let you taste a small sample if you are unsure.  

The night market at Jemaa El-Fnaa is the ideal place for eating in the evening.  With over 50 different stalls all cooking in the open air and trying to entice you to dine with them, it is an experience.

The hustlers will approach you with menus and phrases to entice you in.  We were offered Yorkshire puddings at a luverly jubberly place on numerous occasions! 

As with everything in Marrakech, being firm and saying no before walking on is the easiest way.  If you do like the menu then they will welcome you in and make you feel like royalty for choosing their establishment!

Most meals come with beautiful fresh salads and a selection of fried vegetables.  Couscous, slow-cooked tangia, tagine and kebabs can be found everywhere and are cooked to order on open grills in many places.

Bread is fresh and warm and the hacha flatbread is a local treat for breakfast (as well as any other time!!).

Water is bottled but easily available and Moroccan wine is up-and-coming and really good.  Be careful with ice in fruit juices, it may seem like the perfect combination but the ice may not have been made with bottled water.

Currency

The currency of Morocco is the dirham.  The easiest way to obtain currency is from the large exchanges in the baggage reclaim hall or the ATM machines near Bahia Palace or within Jamma El-Fnaa Square.  

Always make sure you have some coins to tip the self-imposed guides while wandering the streets.  Taxis, shop owners and waiting staff always appreciate an addition to the price that has been agreed although it is not always expected.

Language

The main language is Arabic.  However, most people speak French to some level.  English is spoken but not always.  Brushing up on school French and being prepared to mix languages is the best form of communication.

When to visit Marrakech

Marrakech is perfect all year round. The combination of mountains, coast and desert provides a variety of climates that can provide winter warmth or cool summer breezes.

Usually, January is the wettest and coldest month while July and August can be hot and sultry. This heat however means that places are quieter and less crowded.

The best times to visit Marrakech are in the spring (March and April) and the autumn (September and October). The weather is warm and dry and walking around the city is less of a chore.

If you are visiting Mount Toubkal or the Sahara desert be aware that winter temperatures will dip below freezing. It is not always possible to reach Imlil in the High Atlas Mountains until later in the year when the roads are cleared and the trekking routes are opened. Sandstorms are more common between January and April in the desert

What to take

Marrakech really doesn’t need anything special. 

An adaptor is needed if you are travelling from the UK.  Sockets fit the European design of plug.  It is also worthwhile taking an multi-socket plug.  Some rooms only have one socket and trying to charge phones, cameras and everything else becomes a juggling act.  With a multi-socket plug everything can be charged from the one socket.

For female travellers a covering for when you are in the mosques is needed.  Given the intensity of the sun and the heat, keeping legs and arms covered isn’t really a hardship.  Many female tourists walk around in shorts and sun tops and whilst this is accepted it should be remembered that this is a Muslim country with different thoughts on dress.

If you are exploring the city there is a lot of walking involved and comfortable shoes make a big difference.  Flip flops really won’t survive the tens of thousands of steps that will be made each day.

Finally sun cream, sun hats and plenty of bottled water will prevent sun and heat related illness.

Staying safe in Marrakech

As with any city, there is a small chance of theft.  Keeping your own safety at the forefront of your mind is good practice.  Keeping to busy areas whilst safer also brings about a higher chance of pickpockets and thefts.  This is especially the case in the busy Jemma El-Fnaa and the bustling streets of the souk.  On the whole, Marrakech is safe, but common sense is needed.

Snake charmers, Macaque monkeys and dancers

Jemma El-Fnaa has a number of street entertainers.  They are there for the tourists and to make some money.  However, a number of ethical issues arise and thought should be given to ethical and responsible tourism in Marrakech and Morocco. 

The snakes are not dancing to the music.  They are starved, have their jaws tied and have been trained to associate the music with food.  The charmers will place the snakes around tourists’ necks, and help with photographs before requesting a gift.  Sometimes as much as 100 dirhams. 

Similarly, the monkeys are kept chained in tiny cages before being dragged around the square by the neck to find an unsuspecting tourist to perch with for a photograph.  If this is something you are comfortable with then feel free to take photographs but just be aware of the conditions and lives that these once wild animals are subjected to.

The dancers and entertainers, sometimes in Berber dress will come and play at tables or within the square.  Again they will perform without asking and then expect payment.  If the amount given is not high enough then they are not afraid to ask for more leading to uncomfortable moments.

Have small change available and if you do want to take a photograph be prepared to pay 5-10 dirhams. Not everyone expects payment but a large majority are working the square to make money. 

Hustlers

Everywhere you go in Marrakech there will be someone wanting to help you.  The city is friendly and most people do genuinely want to help.  However, there are a large number of people who expect payment for their help however brief it may be. 

Even giving a direction will result in a request for a monetary gift from some.  There are also a number of hustlers who will offer to show you how to get somewhere, but on the way take you to their father’s shop, brother’s cafe, you get the idea. 

You need to be firm that you do not wish to see the market that is ‘only on today’, the ‘best spices in Marrakech’ or the ‘doctor who is known all over the world’.  It can be hard work and sometimes the only way to extract yourself is to slip quietly down an alleyway. 

Some of the hustlers and guides are fantastic and earn their payment but some really do take the tourists for a ride.

Tanneries scam

Whilst many believe the tanneries are worth visiting they are one example of the massive disparity between the rich and the poor in Marrakech.  They are also part of a massive scam. 

You may be told that the street ahead is closed, they can show you the way (despite not knowing where you are going) or they will help you to get ‘un-lost’. This is all a way to get you to go with the young man who will take you to a shop that is part of their scam, usually paying to be protected and guaranteed visitors by the gang.  

The easiest way to avoid the scam is to stay firm and keep walking.  If you really are lost, go into a restaurant and ask for directions rather than asking people on the street. The prime areas for this are between Ben Youssef Medrassa and Maison de Photographie where the gangs work in tandem trying to catch you repeatedly as you walk along the narrow streets.

If they are persistent, threatening to call the police will easily solve the problem.  If you realise that they are taking you to the tanneries when it is too late, again be firm and just say you have changed your mind and walk away. 

If you end up in a shop or tannery, be polite and let them finish their spiel before being firm and saying you need to leave.  Some may want payment for taking you and at this point, it is easier to give them some money. 

Never give more than 20 dirhams before being firm and walking away.  If they become difficult explain clearly that that is your maximum payment and you did not ask to be brought to the location and that you will get the police involved if needed (their number is 190 or 112).