Marrakech: the city of 1001 nights, one of the royal cities, located in the west of Morocco. At about 4 hours flying time you are really in a completely different world. From this colorful chaos it is easy to move into the Atlas Mountains, but the city itself also has a lot to offer and is therefore a very popular travel destination.
Djemaa El Fna
You should definitely see the Djemaa el Fna square, where there is an authentic Moroccan market in the morning. The square is literally the center of Marrakech. It is a huge square that leads to dozens of streets and souks. Especially in the evening it is great fun to enjoy the sunset on one of the roof terraces around the square. From 5 am, Djeema El Fna also turns into a huge open-air restaurant. For a few cents you can eat the most delicious Moroccan meals in the open air. Take your steel can with you if you don’t want to come home with all kinds of knick knacks!
Medina
Like many Arab cities, Marrakech has a very beautiful and old medina. Although now also a bit touristy, you can still catch a glimpse of the ‘old’ Marrakech here. From fresh vegetables to the most beautiful ceramics and colorful herbs; you will find it all there. Walk into the medina without a map and let yourself be carried away through the narrow streets.
Staying in a riad
Spending the night in Marrakech is best in a typical riad in the medina. There are a lot of these, even if you don’t really notice it from the outside. The riads are all behind walls in the streets. Remarkably enough, in such a riad you experience an enormous peace and quiet, which gives a great contrast to the bustle of the city.
STAY IN A
TYPICAL RIAD
ENJOY THE
VIEW ON THE MEDINA
The gardens of Marrakesh
There are two famous gardens in Marrakech: Le Jardin Secret and Jardin Majorelle. The latter is well known for the Yves Saint Laurent Museum that is housed there. Both gardens are very impressive in their own way and well worth a visit. You pay a maximum of ten euros to visit the gardens.
You can recover from a hectic market day in one of the traditional bathhouses, after which you feel completely reborn. You can go to a real hammam, wherever the locals go, and get a scrub for next to nothing. But it is more fun to visit a slightly more luxurious hammam and let yourself be pampered. Because these luxury hammams are actually not that expensive at all. For about €40 you have an extensive treatment, a manicure and pedicure treatment. These are the most beautiful hammams in Marrakech!
Watching the sunrise or sunset from a hot air balloon over Marrakech is an experience in itself! The start is in the Palm Grove where a great adventure awaits you. An hour from the busy center of Marrakech, you will experience a serene silence here. As the first half of the group floats through the air, the other half of the group follows the balloons across the road. Then there is an exchange. When everyone is back on their feet again, breakfast follows in the nearby village under the shelter of a tent.
GET LOST IN
LE JARDIN MAJORELLE
Eating in Marrakech is quite an experience. There are plenty of nice restaurants with beautiful courtyards, rooftops and more importantly: delicious food! Moroccan cuisine is really delicious, but you can also find dishes from other cultures. Fun fact: you get (almost) everywhere a basket of bread with your food. Some restaurants even keep refilling this continuously. There are often dips and hummus on the menu that you can order to eat with that bread. Recommended!
Here you will find some tips for nice restaurants that you should definitely visit during your stay in Marrakech.