Location: Marrakech, Morocco

Want to visit Marrakech but have no idea what to do?  I’ve got you covered!  I was so excited for this trip I did tons of research and we opted to spend all of our time in Marrakech to really get to know the city!  I’m breaking these ‘What to do in Marrakech’ posts into what we did each day.  We already want to come back to Morocco to explore the desert and other cities, but for now it’s all about the Red City: Marrakech.

Relax in your Riad

If the chaos of Marrakech begins wear on you, your perfect oasis in the middle of the city hustle will be your riad.  A riad is Morocco’s version of a bed and breakfast.  All have rooms centered around a courtyard with a pool or fountain, great rooftop terraces with gorgeous views, and are a great place to relax and unwind.

We split our time between two riads and first up was Le Riad Yasmine.  I am SO glad we stayed here first because not only is it gorgeous, the staff was so very helpful.  They picked us up from the airport and we were dropped off at the front door.  After some mint tea by the pool, they gave us a ton of good information on how to navigate the city, which admittedly may be daunting at first.  We immediately knew we were in good hands and later understood how valuable their information was!  We explored Riad Yasmine in the morning after a breakfast of fresh fruit and Moroccan breads.

 

Haggle in the Souks

After exploring our beautiful riad, it was time to explore the Medina, or walled old city!

Riad Yasmine is an easy ten minute walk to Marrakech’s famed souks, which have been in Marrakech about as long as the Medina has been around.  I was absolutely blown away at the explosion of colors and goods to be found in the souks and had fun haggling for our prices.  I loved every second of it and didn’t find the souks to be as daunting as I expected them to be, but I think it helps to know what you’re getting into before you go.

There are so many beautiful things to buy in the souks, but you’ve got to be comfortable with haggling.  It takes some practice so I recommend buying small items first and working your way up to larger purchases.  Nobody is good at it in the beginning, but the goal is to have a happy buyer and seller in the end.

The key is to determine a price you’d be willing to pay for the item before you go in.  The shopkeeper will offer a high price, and you go low.  Don’t make large jumps in your bargaining.  I think it’s better to stick to around what you want to pay, and inch up from there (or not).  If you start with a low price but immediately jump up 200 dirhams, they’ll know you don’t know what you’re doing ; ) .  If he’s trying to get you to go over your pre-determined price and you’re not comfortable paying that, you can walk away.  The shopkeeper is never going to sell if he doesn’t make money, so you have to be happy with the deal!

Haggling might sound stressful, but remember that this is their way of shopping and it can be fun.  Joke with them, share a few laughs, get to know them, share mint tea.  It should all be in good fun.  We did all of our Christmas shopping in the souks and I do have to say you need a lot of patience and it can be time consuming if you’re hard set on getting a good price.  These Berber men know what they’re doing!  A good deal is when both the buyer and seller walk away happy.  I think we managed well for our first time in the souks!  Things you may want to buy in the souks are leather shoes called babouche (I bought the most beautiful pair and wore them the next day), pouffes, leather bags, gorgeous lanterns, scarves, argan oil, beautifully scented parfumes, hand woven blankets, and of course, Berber rugs.

Lunch on a Rooftop

After a few hours in the souks, lunch was very appreciated.  We had reservations at Nomad, which is right in the Place des Épices.  If you want to sit on the rooftop (and you do), be sure to make a reservation.  We loved our meal here and the all around favorite was the Nomad Couscous.  We had a nice long leisurely lunch soaking up the view, drinking mint tea, and feeling lucky to be in Morocco.

 

Explore Ben Youssef Madrasa

Besides souk shopping, Ben Youssef was at the top of our must-do list.  This used to be a school for Islam, the largest in all of Morocco actually, and is now open to the public.  The intricate design and tile work here is stunning (serious #tilegoals).  The design lover in me had a field day here, and well, pretty much everywhere in Marrakech for that matter.  We arrived in the afternoon about an hour before the sun started to go down and the place was virtually empty.  I recommend visiting at this time if you don’t want crowds of people in your pictures!

 

Get Clean at a Hammam

A full day in the Medina may leave you feeling a little dusty 🙂 so after Ben Youssef we hopped over to a Hammam to get scrubbed down and relax.  The traditional hammams are what the locals use and only 10dir ($1 USD) to use, where men and women go at different times of the day, or you can choose to go to ones at a higher price point with private rooms so you and your significant other or friend can go together.  We opted to go together and went to Assal Hammam and Spa.  You go to a room where they scrub your skin all over with a rough kessel glove and black soap and wash you in warm water.  Your skin will never feel softer.  We opted for a massage after and left feeling oh-so-relaxed.

Dinner with a Side of Party

The most fun dinner we had was on our very first night with friends at Le Comptoir Darna in the new town.  I would go as far as to say it was the most fun dinner I’ve ever had!  Marrakech consists of the old town (Medina) and new town, and the two sides of town are pretty striking in their differences.  While the Medina is made up of twisting alleys, markets, mosques, and no alcohol (plenty of delicious fresh pressed juices instead, I loved it), the new town is made up of wide boulevards, lots of hip bars, and Le Comptoir Darna.  It’s a swanky dinner spot with a ‘live show oriental’ of belly dancers, dancers with candelabras balanced on their heads, bongo players, and more.  It was fabulous.

There’s a grand staircase separating the downstairs dining room and upstairs dining room and you’ll be right in the action no matter where you sit.  We made dinner reservations for 21:00 (9pm) which I would recommend.  In the beginning they had live oriental music on the staircase, and around 10:30 or so the dancers came out.  The party didn’t seem to stop from there!  If you happen to go to Marrakech, you must make a reservation at Le Comptoir!  Thank me later : )

More from days two and three in Marrakech to come.  I’m curious, would you consider going to Marrakech?  It was my favorite trip we’ve ever done.

Get there:

Fly into Marrakech (RAK).  TAP Portugal now flies to Stuttgart and has great routes Stuttgart – Lisbon – Marrakech.  We had our Riad send a car to the airport to pick us up.

Do:

Explore the medina and a night or two in the new town!  You can also opt for day trips to the coast, the mountains, or a multi day trip to the Sahara desert, like our friends did.  Your riad will help you organize any day trips or excursions you’d like, and will answer any of your questions as well.

Stay:

At a riad.  We can highly recommend Le Riad Yasmine, you probably have seen a picture or two of them on instagram and they’re well liked for a reason!

Know:

Marrakech is safe.  Make sure to read up before your trip so you know what to expect including how to dress for ladies, and do yourself a favor and download the app ‘Maps.me‘.  Even if you have phone service, Google maps does not work in the Medina for walking directions.  Thankfully the wonderful staff at Riad Yasmine told us this upon entry and it was a lifesaver (you will get lost without it!!!).