Marrakesh

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Marrakesh - Medina - s.k. photo

Marrakesh is a very popular tourist destination; you could argue that it is too popular when you are thrust up against sweaty American and German tourists, as you often try to navigate the souk without success. However, it's not just tourists, even in the touristy areas, there are plenty of locals going about their daily business that you can be thrust up against, though when thrusting, remember this is a Muslim country. (Alan Durant, 2025)

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Best things to see: Where to start, well, where everyone else starts and sometimes stops, Place Jemaa El Fna, otherwise known as the big square. During the day, it’s mostly juice stalls and the occasional sleepy Cobra. At night, it’s full of food stalls. Unfortunately, we were there during Ramadan when there was a set meal arrangement. Still, usually there is a variety, albeit the same sort of variety that you get everywhere, plus sheep heads. There is music, and snake charmers trying to get you to their stall. The whole thing is pretty atmospheric. Musee des Confluences. Like many other super places, it conforms to a pattern dominated by an interior courtyard and geometric tile work. It specializes in ornate woodwork, both in the fabric of the building and in the exhibitions—entrance 100Mad. There is an excellent coffee shop inside here. Go to the front desk and request a reservation, which is always full. They will give you a beeper to tell you when there is a place. Usually, you get about an hour to look around, and you can continue afterwards. Musee de la Musique de Mararakech. This is the music museum, which is also a lovely building in the traditional style, with a fascinating exhibition of ethnic musical instruments. There are various drums, African stringed instruments, and Ouds you can actually try to play! Unfortunately, the string instruments are not in tune, though I suppose if you know the tuning, you could soon rectify that. A good little snack bar is in a pleasant setting on the roof. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evening, there is live music, African or Berber. Medersa Ben Yousef. This is a lovely building, an ex-Muslim clerical school, probably my favorite. Also, the Koubba Almoravide monument next door is worth a look. Secret Garden. It was not so secret that I had to queue up to get into the charming gardens on different levels. A couple of snack bars, and in one, they will even sell you beer. I didn’t have one, especially as it was daytime Ramadan, and I didn’t want to upset cultural norms. Badi Palace. Significant and interesting even though some previous Sultan stripped out all the marble. Palace Bahia. It’s probably really nice except that they were in the middle of renovating it when we were there. We went to look around the Jewish quarter, which is nearby, but the well-known Synagogue was shut as it was Saturday. On the way out, I saw some carpets hanging on a wall by a tiny shop. The guy persuaded us to go inside, and we found ourselves in a huge Aladdin's cave of carpets, a beautiful palace. In the past, it had been a synagogue. We were there for ages looking at the carpets on the wall, and they ripped them off and hurled them across the courtyard, crying flying carpet, with glee. Saadian Tombs. Have to queue for a long time as only two people can fit it the doorway to look at the tombs. Worth seeing, but not as spectacular as I had expected. Last but not least, the Majorelle Gardens and the Yves Saint Laurent museum are nearby. The garden is excellent and well worth a visit. I was dragged into the Yves Saint Laurent. Fashion was not my thing, but there was a good display of bird paintings. You probably need a Taxi to get out there. Have a good sit in the gardens, soak in the atmosphere, and even watch the terrapins and gold fish. I passed on the Berber museum, there was a long queue, and I was pretty Berbered out. All in all, Marrakech is not the prettiest town, but you won't get bored, stay calm, and be fine. As much as anything else, I enjoyed the views of the snow-topped Atlas Mountains from some of the rooftops. ENJOY. (Alan Durant, 2025)

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"Cheeky, pushy vendors and self-appointed tour guides. Tourism has completely ruined the character of the locals, making them greedy chancers. I'm not a big animal rights person, but the animals used for stunts for tourists are kept in obviously atrocious conditions. On the other hand, the colors, the atmosphere, the scents, the palace courtyards, and the surprisingly large number of quality restaurants are all stunning."
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"It is no coincidence that this city is known as the Pearl of the South: after a while, it begins to enchant you with its atmosphere and its many masterpieces of Moorish architecture – the mosques, minarets, palaces, harems, cavalcades of religious schools, reservoirs, fountains, secret gardens, and tranquil olive groves, as well as the hustle and bustle of the old town its many streets, markets, workshops, cafes, and restaurants.
And not all Muslim women wear traditional attire, as Morocco is the most 'Western' Eastern country." (2017)
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"It was a pleasant surprise for us that the locals were very kind. Of course, there are some more insistent vendors, but they should be ignored. Many people helped us find our way without asking for payment, and we didn't encounter any pickpockets, either.
We didn't like the main square, and we didn't photograph the monkeys, cobras, or anything else – not only because I would have had to pay for the privilege, but mostly because I think it's animal cruelty and I don't support it."
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"Marrakesh is the real East, and I mean the EAST: it's noisy, smelly, dirty, colorful, interesting, delightful, cheerful, crazy, aggressive, and friendly, all at the same time. Everyone is selling something, the market is awash with Chinese goods, and the real Moroccans have been pushed to the edges of the market. We visited three museums, a former madrasa (a Quran school), a museum of old objects, and a water extraction pool."
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"Marrakesh was my favorite city in Morocco. If you roam the hidden corners of the city in a few days, you will understand more of life than in years spent elsewhere."
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"Marrakech is a degree or two more European than Fez. There are fewer guys who only want to show us the way, advise, help, and inform us. It's a little cleaner and tidier, and the downtown is not so jungle-like. But here, too, you can easily step in puddles whose contents you don't want to know anything about. You can come to an alley with a slum at the other end, dirty-walled houses, rubbish in the corner, and a lingering stench." (2018)

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“With a full stomach and, in the end, a sweet taste in our mouths, we set off to explore the city by day as well. Right away, we got lost in the narrow, crooked alleys. Since not only the locals but practically everyone still seems to sleep soundly at around 9-10 in the morning, we found that except for some pretty sick-looking cats and a few other early-rising tourists, we almost had the streets to ourselves.
Understandably, tourists rise earlier: we too were awakened by the sweet singing of the muezzin but found it hard to go back to sleep asleep after such an unfamiliar, brassy sound in the morning. Marrakech, in any case, looks good in any light, and without people, the city is really magnificent. A million shades of salmon or coral, though the buildings have a lot of very plasticky ornamentation.
The zigzagging street plan takes you back to a different age, from which only the occasional, anachronistic scooter, traveling at an insane speed, brings you back to reality.” (2019)

Practicals

Transport

There are a lot of cheap flights from various parts of Europe and, I suppose, America, so it’s pretty easy to get there. This holds for Marrakesh; other places can be more difficult. I booked flights and accommodation as a package, flying from Budapest. This is the first time I have booked through a travel agency, which I put down to laziness. This, as it turns out, was a big mistake. They don’t tell you that they can pass the booking on through a third agency when you book through a travel bureau. As you can imagine, this increases the scope for mistakes, oversights, and discrepancies. There may be an argument that it guarantees it. On arrival on an early flight from Budapest, as it turned out earlier than it needed to be, at 6 am. We started one of the many tricky navigations we came across.
There were later flights, but no one pointed this out, thank you, travel agent. We were supposed to be met at the airport by a taxi. Having gone through immigration, customs, etc., we arrived at an area in the terminal thronged with taxi drivers, names on cards, waiting for people but not, as it appeared, for us. Eva went to check outside while I guarded the bags. Guarding bags seems to have become my default position, sometimes including sipping a beer in a bar, but not in Marrakech. There were even more taxi drivers outside, but alas for us, there was not even a trace of ours. Eva tried to come back into the building, which was a significant bit, but she wasn't allowed in. Eva’s being Eva’s, she wasn't taking this and was pushed by the security guard, who pursued her into the hall and was extremely rude to her, me, and probably anybody else. I hoped this was not an example of the locals, but as luck would have it, this was the exception to the rule. Remember, don’t leave the arrivals terminal unless you are sure you won’t want to go back in. It might be possible to manhandle the security staff, but as they seem to have no sense of humor, or maybe just sense, I’d strongly advise against it. Note to self: claim money back for the non-existent taxi.
I didn’t know this then, but a pattern was beginning to develop. Luckily, when you go outside, there is a kiosk for taxis. You tell them where you want to go, you pay them, and they give you a receipt for the taxi driver. We paid in Euros, which we had with us as chance would have it. It cost us 16 Euros to get to the nearest gate in the Medina wall to our Riad. The change was in Dirhams; they spoke some English, French, Arabic, and Berber, but I cannot make the difference. The taxi cost was par for the course.
Doubtless, the locals pay less, but life is too short to argue over small amounts. The taxi took us to our local Bab (gate) L’Ayadi. What they don’t tell you is that when you enter these gates into the Medina (Old City) you are confronted with a labyrinth of alleyways seldom with a name and with no numbers for the houses. The local kids will offer to help you find your Riad, (most accommodation in the Medina is in Riads a sort of courtyarded house, larger or small as the case may be). The problem is that they will offer help, even if they have no idea about the place you are going to, and will recruit other kids and passersby to help. This comes at a price, albeit a small one. Eventually, dazed and bewildered, you will arrive, with luck. (Alan Durant, 2025)

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Taxis and cars don’t operate in the Medina except for the odd “road”. You might want to get one outside from one Medina gate to another. In general, they don’t rip you off, but ask how much before you get in. Typically, I was paying about 100 MAD, which was probably well over the odds, but I hardly used taxis. (Alan Durant, 2025)

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“At heart, I’m a motorcyclist. Either I plow the asphalt on my own bike, or else I rent one when I travel. I had a contact here, too, and wanted to pick up a bike, but when we arrived in Marrakesh and left the train station, a car crashed into a moped with such force that I think the unfortunate passenger on the back of the moped died. He twitched for a moment on the asphalt, then went still. The girls say he sat up later… All I can say is I didn’t see it. It was a clear sign that maybe I should give biking a miss here.

The traffic on the roads is crazy! I’m not the sort to complain about everything, and I tried to work something out here, too, but I won’t force it if it doesn’t work, and they drive like idiots!

Taxi drivers set their own fares, which was usually not too much of a problem. However, they can be unpleasant. They would take any clueless tourist to the cleaners! Even at the best of times, foreigners pay triple rates. Only in the capital, Rabat, did we meet a taxi driver with a meter in his cab. He was working for pennies.

Luckily, in Marrakesh, we ran into a taxi driver, Yusuf, who drove us around the city for a flat rate of 400 dirhams, took us to all the sights, and waited for us everywhere, even for hours. AND there was no “baksheesh” here ... he wasn’t interested in that – at most he took a certain percentage of us from the restaurant because it was a relatively expensive place, but the experience was fantastic!

We asked him to take us to the right place where traditional Moroccan food is served, comfortable, and where they don’t mind that it’s Ramadan. He communicated well in English, which is again a rarity. Not unknown, but rare. He spoke well in English, which is also a rarity. Not strange, but rare.”
(Bv, 2017)





Marrakesh - Jemaa el-Fna - horse-drawn carriage - s.k. photo

Marrakesh - city bus and medina bikes - s.k. photo

Marrakesh - traffic jam in an alley - s.i. photo

Marrakesh - Medina - s.k. photo

Accomodation

Our Riad was down an unprepossessing alley. We were greeted with the experience of trying to make headway against building work detritus and water being washed down the internal steps. To add to this, and not wishing to labor the story, the en-suite room we had booked was still being renovated and was booked from the next day anyway. The room we were shown to might have just accommodated a swung cat, but only just. It had no cupboards whatsoever and, critically, no en-suite bathroom. This is important. When choosing where you stay, get as close to the big square as possible, and place yourself near Jemma El Fna. Also, think about how you will get back at night. You don’t want to walk down dark back alleys at night, so try to get one on one of the internal roads. They are also big alleys, with no cars allowed, but they are generally lit with people. The big square is supposedly noisy, but it seemed fine to me. Also, try not to get a place where you need to go through the Souk to get to it. If you can, get a place on one of the bigger alleyways from the big square. The only way I could reliably navigate a lot of the time was by finding the big square first. Our initial Riad cost approximately 1500 Pounds sterling for two people for 25 days, including air fare from Budapest. I now realize this was much too cheap. It was absolutely miles from anywhere as well. The heating didn’t work correctly, and the place was shabby. After three nights we decided enough was enough and at four in the morning I booked somewhere better. Unfortunately, most places were booked and we ended up in a one-time palace for 3947 Pounds for 22 days. This place was, as you can imagine, a four-star. However, four stars are as fours star does. Remember, it was March. The heating didn’t work correctly, and the bathroom's underfloor heating didn't work. They did provide us with a radiant heater, which was a big help. We didn’t realize that it was the heater for the receptionist who sat behind her des,k shivering for the rest of our stay. The place was, however, spectacular if somewhat worn at the edges. I enjoyed sitting in the foyer while passersby peeped in through the massive open wooden doors. I could have convinced myself I was a Pasha in my palace if not for everywhere being fairly cold and the distinct lack of dancing girls. The courtyard for breakfast was chilly and dark, but when the weather is decent, they retract the roof to let the sunlight in, which is a big improvement. Not sure how typical the breakfast was, but for a four-star hotel, it was pretty poor. No fruit, just plain or cheese omelet. An Englishman asked for onions, which he eventually got, and a couple of cherry tomatoes on top, but not in. The coffee was indifferent, and you had to get a croissant quickly, if there were any at all. If they went, that was it, and you had a sad selection of pancake things and lentil soup. I didn’t expect bacon and eggs, but even so. Randomly, the local lentil soup was served, which was a bit of a unique idea for us for breakfast, but on the days the chef was with it, it was the best. (Alan Durant, 2025)



“Most tourists arriving in Marrakesh take a taxi to somewhere near their accommodation, but hostels and riads (accommodation in old houses in the old town) on narrow streets are usually not fully accessible by car. You, the unfortunate tourist, say goodbye to the taxi driver, then start looking for the address, which according to Google maps is here around the next corner, but within a few minutes you get lost in the maze of the old town, i.e. the medina. This is when a helpful local enters the picture and offers to accompany you to your accommodation. This he does, but often by making a significant detour, and then after the walk he announces that this little help costs 10-20 euros – which, of course you, the astonished tourist, are puzzled by, and perhaps angry too, but in the end you give some money anyway. Still, it’s very annoying, meaning you’ve started your stay with a bad first impression. So, in my personal experience, your peace of mind is worth the price of an airport transfer.” (2018)

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“It was hard to choose accommodation from Marrakesh’s many, many riads, since each seems more beautiful than the last. The word riad literally means garden, but in practice it means a traditional Moroccan house with an enclosed courtyard in the middle, where there are plants, a fountain, and possibly a pool. Almost every riad has a rooftop terrace where breakfast is served and where you can relax.” (2018)

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“For practical purposes, a riad is a type of accommodation comprising a house built around a courtyard, opening from there onto the various private rooms. Most accommodation in Moroccan cities is comprised of riads, and they are shown in very eye-catching photos on the hotel booking pages. In reality, however, everything is one or two degrees more modest: the ornaments are mostly carvings made of plaster, but they still look quite nice. On the other hand, the fact is that sound insulation in these old houses is practically non-existent, and thermal insulation also leaves something to be desired, given the fluctuations in the local temperature. It is a special local curiosity that in most places the bathroom is only separated from the bedroom by a mesh curtain.” (2019)

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I booked a bed in a female 8-person room in a riad (a traditional house type with an open garden in the middle) which was a very good choice. It had its own roof terrace, bar, restaurant, cozy interior, swimming pool, palm trees, en-suite bathroom, and practical beds. The only negative was the location – right in the middle of the bazaar.” (2020)



Food

I touched on food prices earlier; suffice it to say, it is cheap. Also, I was told not to drink the water or the squeezed fruit. I didn’t risk the water, although I talked to people who had and suffered no ill effects, and the fruit juice was excellent and gave me no problems. The main thing I noticed, besides the inevitable burger and chips, was that the variety of food was limited. Tajeen, beef with prunes, chicken, lamb, kofta, vegetarian, and couscous are in the same sort of varieties. Try to find a place that doesn't serve the couscous too dry. My favorite was Mazel next to Bab Laksour. It’s a bit of a dump with an upstairs terrace that looks out over a chaotic road junction. If you like watching traffic wars, it’s the place for you, but the food is good—prices 60, 70, or 80 Mad for cous-cous or Tajeen. I particularly liked the Beef Tajeen there. Also, Fatima near Badi Palace has an excellent lemon chicken tajeen. Add to that and a few other things, and of course, meat on sticks, and that’s about it, without searching for more variety. We had a set Ramadan meal after sunset in one of the posher eateries at the main square, which offered a better variety of interesting local food in the form of a buffet, it was twice the usual price, but it was worth it, as we also had a view of the night main square cavalcade.

(Alan Durant, 2025)

Morocco - Marrakesh - ornate restaurant - Krista photo

Marrakesh - Medina- eatery - s.k. photo

Marrakesh - Medina - Cafe Caravan - s.k. photo

Marrakesh - rooftop cafes - s.k. photos

Marrakesh - Jemaa el-Fna - street food vendor rousingly invite tourists to eat mixed skewers - n.e. photo

Shopping

For those of you familiar with the film Life of Brian, “What, five shekels for a bread? You must be mad.” You’ll have an idea. In general, though not always in practice, you should be able to get what you want for something approaching half the asking price. Start very low and hold your nerve. Making an effort to walk away always helps. If you get the right place, you can enjoy half an hour, an hour, or two days of haggling. The Souk: Yes the souk. I want to point out that again, GPS doesn't work properly in the souk. This means that you will get lost. In general, don’t let someone “guide” you out. You can ask the stallholders and use your judgment about which ones. I asked for directions to the big square, Jemaa El Fna. If you can’t say it, and let's face it, who could, people will understand Big Square. Also, get a paper map. Remember, though, don’t go into the souk at night. It’s not that Moroccans are any more criminal than anyone else; it's just that the souk is a perfect place to rob somebody. The best thing about the souk is that its vast size means that there are areas for different things and areas with everything, and the amount of stuff is bewildering. People will always be trying to sell you stuff, but if you politely say, No, thank you, they mostly leave you alone. There are parts where people are making things as well. You should be aware that you walk on the right of the passageways in the souk, and if stepping to your left, always look over your shoulder first. This is because a motorbike or donkey cart is nearly always approaching, often at speed. If the motorbikes don’t get you, the silent bicyclists, or even donkey carts, might. Stay alert at all times. When you are hopelessly lost and exhausted, there are juice bars where you can sit down and ask directions, but do not be led.

(Alan Durant, 2025)

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"In the souk (market) behind the square, we only encountered the "usual" Arab hospitality. There is no excessive intrusion, and while, of course, they want to sell everything, they do it in a much more cultured way. The Marrakesh souk is enormous, and you can find practically everything there. Spice shops, leather makers, carpet makers, lamp makers... All fit nicely next to each other.
In the narrow alleys of the market, it is worth lingering for a long time, getting lost a bit and surrendering yourself to the atmosphere of a real Arab market, interwoven with pleasant spice scents. Be careful, for though impossible to drive into the alleys by car, possible with a moped. Watch out, and get out of the way of anyone on aske, like the locals do." (2018)
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"It was as if we had been dropped into the tales of One Thousand and One Nights: a sea of people selling lamps, rugs, leather bags, jewelry, and colorful, fragrant spices. The vendors are really pushy, and if you look at something a little more closely, they'll definitely jump in and be very helpful right away, but it's not impossible to get rid of them. We bought a leather bracelet and haggled the price down by a third. We probably should have bargained for a lot more – the smile which followed the deal was too broad!" (2018)
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"The bazaar starts on one side of the square. A mazy network of small shops where everything is available, from commercial products to eye-catching artisanal wares. Beautiful cashmere scarves in attractive patterns, shiny leather shoes in fantastic colors, artisanal lamps, tea sets, richly inlaid jewelry, beautifully crafted bags, colorful and fragrant spices, teas, fine-textured soaps, ballgowns, etc.
The vendors here no longer speak to us so intrusively; rather, they watch the crowds swarming up and down with calm monotony, have tea, or play board games with the merchant at the next stall. Until you stop to look at their stalls… because then they appear at your elbow and eagerly recommend your wares, you can take a quick, close look and decide if you're really interested."
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"When the dealer told me how much that particular scarf cost, I told him that "in my country" this can be bought for so much and so much (and I said a ridiculously low price, about a third of the real sum). Slowly we edged towards an understanding, plus I agreed to buy more than one, and in the end, we finally agreed somewhere around half the price originally stated. I'm sure the dealer made a good deal, but I was also happy with the scarves, especially when I look at how much I would have paid for the same at home."

Morocco - Marrakesh - bazaar - Krista photo

Marrakesh - shop - s.k. photo

Marrakesh - denture options - s.k. photo

Marrakesh - non-touristy shops in the city - s.k. photo

Marrakesh - Mellah (former Jewish quarter) - n.e. photo

Fun

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Marrakesh - professional exchange of snake charmers - s.k. photo

Public safety

Is it safe? Kind of yes. At least not really any worse than most big cities. The difference is that you will be disoriented and probably lost, especially in the Souk (market), which is an absolute labyrinth. I had the usual experience of someone offering to show us out of the Souk when we were lost, and I was a bit worried. A stall holder said his friend would show us, then he turned up on a motorcycle. They showed us the way, which seemed much longer than I imagined, and then asked for money. The guy on the motorbike did say to me, “You’re old, I could have left you there to die.” I ended up giving them the equivalent of 8 dollars between them.
There were lots of people around and we didn’t feel threatened. Note: GPS is very unreliable in the Souk. I was told a couple of less pleasant stories. A British couple, she was of Indian descent, had a similar scenario, but they took them to an isolated part of the Souk and demanded they hand over all their money. The girl confronted them and said that a good Muslim would not do a thing like this. They then just decided to go away. Maybe it was Ramadan that helped, or perhaps they were just ashamed. The other story I was told was an English chap (why always the English) who had the same thing happen and was confronted by two guys in the depths of the Souk. When they demanded his money, he said they were welcome to try to come and get it. As he was large and heavily built, they thought better of it and left. Don’t let this put you off. In general, the locals were very polite and helpful. If you can, always be calm and very courteous; it helps. Too many tourists misbehave, and the Moroccans seem to value politeness highly. If you are lost, in general, stallholders will help.

(Alan Durant, 2025)


"There were two of us, both women. In the alleys of the old town, people spoke to us almost every thirty seconds, saying this and that in their own language. But they never insulted or touched us. We got used to the stares pretty quickly (though we were dressed very modestly), and we felt safe at all times." (K.a., 2017)
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"The monkey shows: a monkey sits on the man's shoulder and is so cute that you can't help but look, but if you do, the handler will appear next to you and catch you… One of the guys caught my sister's arm in just this way, and she had to shake him off with a decisive gesture.  We quickened our pace.

We later saw what the trick was with the monkey: the monkey is chained by the neck, and they put the chain around the tourist's wrist, so and you they can get their cute monkey photos… of course for money.

I read in a blog post about how things like this happen: a blogger in the main square of Marrakesh ran into a snake charmer, and the man put the snake on his partner's shoulder ("photo, photo"). Later he said how much this photography costs, and it turned into a loud argument (then of course they bargained a lower price). If I understand correctly, there is a danger that the monkey/snake will not be taken off you until you pay." (2018)
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As I walked through the square with my sister – two blue-eyed, white-skinned European women (in long pants and high-necked t-shirts) – we soon received not only shopping recommendations but also marriage offers (especially my sister, who was soon being greeted at food stands with "Hello, Selena Gomez"). Here, the only way for us to survive – and reach the other end of the square – was to completely break the normal rules of courtesy. Don't speak, don't reply. Don't even look, just ignore them and look straight ahead. Because if you make eye contact, they will come after you to get you to buy something, and it will be hard to shake them off."

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"In Marrakech, for example, if we didn't shop at a vendor at the bazaar, he would typically shout something rude or obscene. There was a man who decided to join my girlfriend and me. We didn't ask for his help; he just figured he'd take us to his spice shop, but after his presence got too much of a drag for us and we tried to shake him off, he started aggressively asking for money for showing us around town. When we didn't want to and walked away, he jumped on a motorcycle and followed us.
A henna woman just caught my girlfriend's arm with some needle in the main square. We yelled at her that we didn't want anything and to leave us alone.
In Morocco, I felt a little bit that people were too pushy, too aggressive, at least in Marrakech." (2016)

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Health

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Marrakesh - These small balls with its scent supposed to deter the mosquitos - s.k. photo

Marrakesh - mobile pharmacy - emergency medicines - s.k. photo

Others

I made a point of writing down ten valid words in Arabic. The only one I used was (Shukran شكرا يون), thank you. Surprisingly few people speak English (even in our 4-star hotel) other than the usual “where do you come from, come and see my shop.” People often speak French, which can help, but be prepared to have your senses assaulted by every language under the sun. Prime the translator on your mobile. You can get a local SIM card for 20 euros, with lots of gigabytes, which was enough for our 20+ days. If I didn’t feel like being dragged into haggling over the prospective price of a camel, my system was to speak Hungarian, which is not an option open to everybody. Still, effective, as in general, Hungarians have no money. Ps don’t try speaking Hungarian, you could hurt yourself. We generally fall back on using the translation app on our phones. This, however, was not without danger. When asking in the first Riad for fresh towels, the first ones had been delivered wet. We were eyed very skeptically by the young lad who held his phone, written on it was “you want big lips?” It could have been worse.

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My experience is probably not the best guide, as it turned out, the flight from Budapest and 25 days of accommodation in a remote part of the Medina and very basic accommodation, 700000 huf, about 1500 Pounds sterling for two people. This turned out to be too cheap unless you are on a tight budget and young enough to endure discomfort. Although it's very touristy, things are generally relatively cheap in Marrakech. A meal in an inexpensive restaurant will cost about 100 Mad per person for a main, so it's pretty affordable, and juice is about 5 Mad. For museums and tourist attractions, you generally have to pay to get in, and most charge about 100 MAD per person. In Morocco, don’t be tempted to change money on the street. A great many places in Morocco don’t take credit or debit cards.
As a consequence, you will need cash. There are plenty of cash machines, but they can be unreliable. I preferred to get money from a machine attached to a bank when the bank was open. This way, you can go in if no money is forthcoming or, in my case, if you decide to eat your card. Slightly panicked, I rushed into the bank, waving my arms and miming a machine eating a plastic square. Eventually, after looking nonplussed, they pried open the back of the machine, ripped my card from its hungry clutches, and gave it back to me. “No work,” they said, but seemed unwilling to put a sign on the machine. Perhaps the odd panicked tourist breaks the monotony of working in a bank. All in all, Marrakech is cheap; check in advance how much it’s going to cost.

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Don't Get Taken by a Street Guide. ... Don't Pay the First Price Offered. ... Don't Feed the Snake Charmers. ... Don't Shop Without Change. ... Don't Forget You're in a Muslim Country

(Alan Durant, 2025)


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1. “You may want to buy a Maroc Telecom SIM card. It costs pennies, and for 30 dirhams, you get 5GB of data so that you can find your way around more easily. Here, too, Google is your best friend.
Don’t be surprised by the fact that you can’t really get a SIM card at the official Maroc Telecom store. Instead, you’ll find a lot of orange guys in vests labeled Maroc Telecom near the main square. I was mistrustful of them at first, but at the official store, or indeed any stall with Maroc Telecom signs, they’ll direct you to the guys in vests.” (R. T., 2018)

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2. “Based on both online reports and personal experience, we can say that it is worth changing money at Chez Ali or Hotel Ali, located on one of the streets running into the already well-known main square. This was where we saw the best exchange rates anywhere, although it’s also important to add that in most places there would probably be no problem paying with euros either. Still, better safe than sorry.

One more quick tip: you should be equipped with as many 20 dirhams – the smallest denomination – as possible. This is what we used the most. And if we get coins, we’re even happier, because they can be used in many arguments over price.” (2019)

Marrakesh - Bab Agnaou, one of the most famous gates of Marrakesh - s.k. photo

Marrakesh - s.k. photo

Background

Destination in brief

Marrakech is in the southwestern part of Morocco. It lies at the foot of the High Atlas Mountains.
Marrakesh is the most upscale tourist attraction in Morocco.  Its Old Town, the Agdal and Menara Gardens are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Marrakesh is one of the so-called royal cities, besides Fez, Rabat, and Meknes.

Population (in 2020): 1 million

Average net monthly salary (in 2020): 430 USD

The old town is locally called Medina. Marrakesh has a new, modern city part,  which is not as chaotic as the old town, but neither so exotic.

Marrakesh is the favorite city of the Moroccan king.

It is also called the "Red City" because of its red city walls.

Nowadays

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Marrakesh - Medina - s.k. photo

Marrakesh - street scene - s.k. photo

Marrakesh - city life beyond the medina - s.k. photo

Marrakesh - I'm tired of work now - s.k. photo

Marrakesh - Medina - s.k. photo

People

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Marrakesh - portrait - s.k. photo

Attractions

Medina

Thanks to Medina, that Marrakech became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Of course, it is a must-see attraction of the city.  How to describe?: a cavalcade of smells, scents, noises, mountains of colorful spices. We warn you that you'll find a lot of dirt, rubbish, it stinks here and there, but these are part of the adventure. If you insist on seeing a sterile environment only, don't visit Africa.

Marrakesh - Medina - s.m. photo

Marrakesh - Medina - s.m. photo

Marrakesh - Medina - Susanne photo

Marrakesh - Medina - s.k. photo

Marrakesh - Medina - like a movie scene - k-t. g. photo

Mosques

Marrakesh - Mezquita Koutoubia (The Kutubiyya Mosque or Koutoubia Mosque) - s.m. photo

Jemaa el-Fna


Marrakesh - Jemaa el-Fna - s.k. photo

Marrakesh - Jemaa el-Fna - s.k. photo

Marrakesh - El Fna - l.y. photo

Everyone should go out into the surrounding countryside and come to the desert. We had a one-day trip which cost about $22 each. The place we went was very interesting and atmospheric, the problem was it took three and a half hours to get there and, of course, to return. We were only there for about one and a half hours, nearer two because one of the coach parties got lost. When we were taken to the next town for lunch, although there were more interesting eateries in the first place, we were deposited at a film studio, which we didn’t know about and weren't particularly interested in. You had to pay to get in. Probably a good idea to check the itinerary if you are going on a trip. It was worth the hassle, but I would have preferred more time at the place we were supposed to visit, a UNESCO World Heritage site whose name I’d forgotten. Have some smallish money to tip the lad who shows you round, although he did go on a bit, and it was all too rushed. (Alan Durant, 2025)

Saadi Tombs

Marrakesh - Saadi Tombs - s.m. photo

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