MARRAKESH travel GUIDE: budget plan Itinerary, things to Do

If you’re traveling to MOROCCO, here’s our diy MARRAKECH travel guide BLOG! This features essential suggestions on riads as well as hotels, tours, as well as transportation. We likewise offered a sample diy MARRAKECH schedule to provide you an concept on what you can do per day. feel totally free to comply with or utilize it as reference. Enjoy!

It wasn’t like at very first sight, that’s for sure.

If my affair with Marrakech were a movie, it would be a charming comedy. like many films in the category, it would begin with me as well as Marrakech getting off on the wrong foot. I shown up in the city’s medina just before midnight, as well as i couldn’t discover the location where I would be staying. totally conscious of all kind of scams that have grown rampant in the city, I ignored anybody who approached as well as provided to help. however this medina is a maze. It’s as well intricate, as well complicated, as well insane. It’s as though maps don’t work here, as though this location is a huge sphere of confusion. even after asking a number of vendors for directions, I still might not discover it.

Despite my refusal, a regional insisted on walking me to my destination. I had a poor feeling about it however coming from a full day of traveling — I came from Istanbul, had a stopover in Amsterdam, landed in Casablanca as well as then took the train to Marrakech — I provided in. as well as I was right. He demanded that I pay him a not-so-small amount. barely an hour in Marrakech as well as I was already scammed.

But like in many like stories, I discovered myself slowly falling in like with the city. as well as in the end, I might not get myself to leave.

WHAT’S covered IN THIS GUIDE?

Understanding Marrakech
Best Time to see Marrakech
Visa-Free Morocco
How to get to MarrakechManila to Morocco
Marrakech flight terminal to Medina
Casablanca flight terminal to Marrakech Medina

Train travel in Morocco
Where to stay in MarrakechSearch for much more Marrakech Hotels

Where to eat in MarrakechMarrakech Food Tour
Cafe Clock

Things to perform in MarrakechJemaa el-Fnaa
Koutoubia Mosque
Saadian Tombs
Ben Youssef Madrasa
El Badi Palace
Souks

Tours from MarrakechEssaouira Day Tour
Ouarzazate as well as Aït Benhaddou Day Tour
Sahara Desert Tours

Marrakech Scams
Sample Itinerary
Other suggestions for the bad Traveler
More suggestions on YouTube ⬇️⬇️⬇️Related Posts:

Understanding Marrakech

Marrakech (or Marrakesh) isn’t Morocco’s funding or largest city, however it is the most prominent among tourists. In 2017 alone, it welcomed over 2.5 million visitors. Its appeal is a product of a number of factors. Its rust-colored medina, which earns the nickname “The Red City,” is a UNESCO world Heritage Site. It is likewise at the extremely heart of the country, located north of the southern foothills of the Atlas Mountains as well as not fairly close to the edge of the Sahara Desert. Its central place makes it an suitable jumpoff point for other destinations like Medina, Casablanca, as well as Essaouira.

Other information you requirement to know:

Language: Arabic is the official language of Morocco. In Marrakech, the Arabic that is commonly spoken is the Moroccan Arabic dialect “Darija,” which is heavily influenced by the French language. French is likewise commonly spoken. many indications are written in Arabic as well as French. however don’t worry. many of the people you’ll encounter — hotel staff, vendors, stewards — most likely comprehend as well as speak English too.

Currency: Moroccan Dirham (MAD, Dh). It is a “closed currency,” which implies it can only be traded within the country. mad 10 is around USD1.06, EUR0.9, PHP56.2 (as of June 2018).

Modes of payment: many establishments choose money payment. however mid-range to high-end hotels as well as restaurants accept credit rating card transactions.

ATM: numerous ATMs accept foreign cards as long as they have Visa, Mastercard, or Cirrus logos. I discovered that many machines are in French by default. Some have English translations.

Electricity Info: common voltage, 220V; common frequency, 50Hz. type C as well as E sockets.

Best Time to see Marrakech

December to May. Marrakech is bursting with tourists all year round, however December to may is high season for a reason. It is the period with the most suitable weather condition for sightseeing. even when the sun is shining brightly, the great air makes checking out comfortable. In particular, December-February temperatures can decrease to cold levels particularly at night. However, crowds thicken around Christmas as well as the days leading to Marrakech Grand Prix.

June to August is when Marrakech sizzles. summertime can get so hot, practically intolerable in mid-day. The locals we spoke with dread the summertime as much as the Starks do winter. Yet, it stays quite packed. If you can’t assist going to within this period, just prevent beingin the sun between midday as well as 3pm as well as keep yourself hydrated.

September to November is when temperatures as well as hotel rates fall, suitable for budget plan travelers!

Visa-Free Morocco

Nationals of over 70 countries as well as territories can go into Morocco without a visa. many — like the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, as well as all the member specifies of the European Union — can stay for as much as 90 days. Singapore passport-holders can stay for as much as 30 days.

Here’s a quick snapshot of the Wikipedia list.

This generous visa policy makes Morocco an suitable holiday destination.

How to get to Marrakech

Marrakech has its own airport, the Marrakech Menara Airport, found around 15-25 minutes from the Medina. It links the city mainly to Casablanca, Doha, as well as European cities including Amsterdam, Vienna, Madrid, London, Paris, Geneva, Frankfurt, Brussels, Copenhagen, as well as Barcelona.

However, fares are typically higher for direct flights to Marrakech than to the bigger Casablanca Airport. Hence, numerous backpackers select to fly to Casablanca instead as well as just travel by train to Marrakech.

Manila to Morocco

If you’re coming from Manila, our random browse exposed that Gulf Air (with stop in Bahrain) as well as Etihad (with stop in Abu Dhabi) offer the lowest fares! The most affordable I discovered are Wednesday flights to Casablanca through Etihad, which amounted to only USD696 (PHP37,000) roundtrip as well as including taxes as well as fees. One method is only at USD349 (PHP18,500).

Marrakech flight terminal to Medina

If you opt to fly directly to Marrakech, inspect whether or not the hotel you booked provides flight terminal pickup service. This is particularly practical if your hotel or riad is within the Medina, which as I stated earlier, is a huge red maze. If it’s your very first time right here as well as your riad is deep into the medina, you will get lost. If they offer flight terminal transfer, then good, that’s one less thing to concern about.

Otherwise, take public transportation. You have two options: taxi or bus.

Cu autobuzul. The cheaper, much more practical method to reach the city center. Take Bus #19. There’s one every 30 minutes from 6:15am to 9:45pm. It makes a stop at Koutoubia Mosque, close to Jemaa el Fna in the Medina. Fare: 30Dh one-way or 50Dh roundtrip. just pay as well as get your ticket from the driver.

Cu taxiul. The quicker option. As soon as you emerge from the terminal, you’ll be greeted by overzealous chauffeurs trying to get your attention. Fare: Petit Taxi (up to 3 pax), 70Dh; Grand Taxi (up to 6pax), 100Dh. You can show other tourists to split the cost. Unfortunately, numerous of the chauffeurs are going to persistently request extra fee, which is why the bus, although slower, is much more hassle-free.

By the way, make sure you have some money before leaving the airport. There are currency exchange booths as well as four ATMs inside the terminal.

Casablanca flight terminal to Marrakech Medina

If you select to fly to Casablanca instead, here’s exactly how to reach Marrakech from the airport. note that the flight terminal is typically referred to in French as Aeroport Med V.

Go to the flight terminal Train station at the basement of the flight terminal terminal building.

Purchase 2 tickets separately: one from flight terminal to Casa-Voyageurs Station, as well as the other from Casa Voyageurs to Marrakech. All trains to Marrakech from the flight terminal involve changing at Casa Voyageurs Station, however if you book airport-Marrakech tickets at once, your train choices will be limited. Booking them individually will provide you versatility as well as guarantee you have sufficient transfer time between rides.

Board the train to Casa Voyageurs Station. travel time: 32 minutes. Fare: 60Dh, very first class; 40Dh, second class.

At Casa Voyageurs Station, transfer to your train bound for Marrakech. understand that sometimes, the routine as well as platform project modification at the last minute so make sure you double inspect the platform’s overhead screens before boarding your onward train. travel time: 3.5 hours. Fare: 148Dh, very first class; 95Dh, second-class.

Alight at Marrakech Station.

Ia un taxi. If your hotel is within the Medina, you can ask to be dropped off at Jemaa el Fna. Fare is only 20Dh. It’s extremely close! Some chauffeurs will try to offer to take you for a higher fare, however firmly insist on 20Dh. That’s what I did.

Train travel in Morocco

Some notes about traveling by train in Morocco.

First class vs second class. Trains in Morocco are split into traveler compartments with two rows dealing with each other. (Think Hogwarts Express!) First-class compartments are much more comfy as well as can fit as much as 6 pax. Each first-class traveler has an assigned seat number that you can reserve. Second-class compartments can fit as muchas 8 pax, as well as seats are on first-come first-served basis.

Find an vacant seat. In second-class train cars, there may still be vacant seats even when people are standing in the area between cars. For our Casablanca-Marrakech, we had a second-class ticket. since the area near the door was so full of passengers, we presumed the compartments were full. one of the locals discovered that we were tourists as well as asked what our destination was. When we stated Marrakech, they stated we ought to go in as well as discover a seat. as well as to our surprise, there were great deals of totally free seats! Apparently, they were standing there only since they were getting off after only a few stops.

Most indications as well as labels are in Arabic or French. Often, they have NO ENGLISH translations. Yep, even ticket machines. I’m just lucky since I had French classes back in college so I can comprehend fundamental travel words in French. Hence, download the Google equate app before your trip as well as save offline French translations.

Where to stay in Marrakech

There are three major areas where you can stay: Medina, Ville Nouvelle, as well as the outskirts of the city. The outskirts are where big, contemporary hotels stand. Ville Nouvelle, aka Gueliz, has mid-range hotels. The medina is a labyrinth of souks, restaurants, as well as so-called “riad.”

A riad is a conventional Moroccan home with a courtyard or garden in the middle. The medina has great deals of these riads, repurposed as little shop hotels. I strongly suggest staying in one not just since of the experience however likewise since the medina is where many historic attractions are located.

We stayed at Riad Les 2 Portes. It wasn’t our very first choice, however our trip was not truly organized so we booked at the last minute. There weren’t that numerous riad spaces available. however we were delightfully surprised! like many riads in the medina, it was a bit challenging to find, however our stay was outstanding overall. The space was clean, as well as the personnel was absolutely friendly as well as helpful.

Riad Les 2 Portes
Here are the top-rated riad choices as placed by Agoda reviews.

Riad Konouz. inspect rates & Availability.

Dar Daoud. inspect rates & Availability.

Rooftop Hostel. inspect rates & Availability.

Mosaic Hostel. inspect rates & Availability.

Backpackers Grapevine Hostel. inspect rates & Availability.

Boho 27 Hostel Marrakech. inspect rates & Availability.

Search for much more Marrakech Hotels

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Where to eat in Marrakech

Our guide Youssef as well as our new friends
I wasn’t as well delighted in the beginning. Cumin as well as cinnamon are the only two spices that I detest, as well as both are essential in Moroccan cuisine. The restaurants surrounding Jemaa el-Fnaa are likewise typical at best, as well as some are understood to take advantage of tourists.

Marrakech is likewise notorious for restaurant scams. There have been reports of some restaurants charging tourists twice much more than what’s on the menu or offering “complimentary appetizers” that would turn out on the expense later. So yeah, I wasn’t as well excited.

But it rapidly altered as soon as we joined a food tour. It was the very best decision we made on this trip.

Marrakech Food Tour

Marrakech Food trips organizes an evening street food trip around the medina. It’s a four-hour walk, hopping from one food location to another. I didn’t catch the name of the restaurants, however below are the dishes that we completely loved:

Tangia. The term refers to the urn-shaped clay pot as well as the stew that is cooked in it. While the rest of the country is understood for tajine, Marrakech in specific takes pride in their tangia, a lamb stew that is oven-cooked for hours. This is the best-tasting lamb that graced my palate in this part of the world. At the exact same restaurant, we were served sheep’s head, as well as our group had a worry element moment particularly when it was turn to taste the eyes. (You can completely avoid this if you’re not that adventurous.)

Hout Quari. The concept of a sardine sandwich isn’t truly that appetizing, however this was surprisingly delectable. We had ours from a humble stall deep into the medina.

Couscous Tfaya. the very best couscous I had in my life. We were led to a home of a woman, who is understood as the mom of couscous in the area. Although couscous is a typical product at Moroccan restaurants today, typically couscous is prepared by the women in the household on Fridays. utilizing conventional methods, the prep takes an entire day. No meat, just vegetables as well as tfaya or caramelized onions.

We had a number of other stops including an olive stall, a dessert house, as well as a conventional donut kiosk, however the three above were the genuine highlights of the evening.

Do this trip on your very first evening in Marrakech to ensure that if you like a place, y