The city of Marrakesh skillfully blends the old and the new. The name of the city served as the inspiration for the name of the entire nation, underscoring the significance of this place throughout time.
The main tourist draw of the medina is simply taking in the ambiance, as snake charmers and slick shop salesmen compete for your attention amid a noisy, colorful bustle that captures Morocco’s lively character.
The finest spot to shop in Morocco is in Marrakesh, where you can find the whole range of the nation’s handicrafts, while some of the most well-known landmarks are scattered throughout the medina and are elaborately painted historical structures.
Additionally, Marrakesh serves as a starting point for activities like as hiking, mountain biking, climbing, and many others in the High Atlas region of Morocco. On one of the several Marrakesh day tours available from the city, you may get a flavor of mountain life even during a brief visit.
Best Places to Visit in Marrakech
Our selection of the top attractions and activities in Marrakesh will help you explore everything the city has to offer.
1. Browse the Souks in Medina
The maze-like medina (old city) quarter of Marrakesh is the main draw for tourists. The narrow lanes will undoubtedly be the trip’s sightseeing highlight because they are a kaleidoscope of hues, scents, and noises.
There are numerous shopping possibilities where you can don your haggling hat and haggle to your heart’s content in addition to simply walking (and getting lost) around the busy maze.
2. Visit Djemaa El Fna at night
The hub of Marrakech life is this sizable square near the entrance to the medina. The Djemaa El Fna, also known as the “assembly place of the nobodies,” is a bustling center of souvenir shops, musicians, storytellers, fortune tellers, and snake charmers that comes to life every day in the late afternoon and doesn’t stop until after midnight.
It is a really Moroccan experience to spend an evening here ambling between the acrobat troupes and regional musical ensembles.
3. Stay in a hotel in a Medina Riad
The Riad hotels in Marrakesh offer a unique travel experience, and for many tourists, a trip here is as much about the hotel as it is about the city.
A riad is a typical residence in Medina that is built around a courtyard. Many have been renovated, and reopened as boutique hotels during the past few decades, often in the luxury and mid-range level (although Marrakesh even has a backpacker hostel housed in a renovated riad).
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Some are palatial with their Moroccan artisan characteristics and historical ambiance, while others combine modern and traditional design elements.
4. Observe the Koutoubia Mosque
The stunning, 70-meter-tall tower of the Koutoubia Mosque, which is visible for miles in all directions, makes it the most well-known landmark in Marrakesh.
According to a local Marrakesh tale, when this mosque was first constructed, the muezzin—the person who calls the faithful to prayer—had to be blind since the tower was so tall that it overlooked the ruler’s harem.
The mosque, which was constructed in 1162, is regarded as one of the finest examples of Almohad architecture.
5. Explore Majorelle Gardens
The artist Jacques Majorelle created these lush, tropical gardens, which are covered in ferns, cacti, and palm trees.
Majorelle, who was born in Nancy, France, moved to Marrakesh for health concerns. He later gained fame for his paintings of Moroccan life in the region.
However, this garden and the vivid blue painter’s studio he resided in on the property—a color now known as Majorelle blue—were his most well-known creations.
6. Head over to Medersa Ben Youssef
One of Morocco’s best examples of Saadian-era art is the lavishly painted Medersa of Ben Youssef. This theological institution, which was finished in 1565 and is situated next to the Ali Ben Youssef Mosque, previously housed 900 students and served as the nation’s principal Quranic research facility.
The maze of rooms that originally housed students are arranged around little internal courtyards in the manner of traditional Islamic architecture, but the main interior courtyard is the major attraction here.
7. Take a Hammam bath
The medina can be difficult to navigate because of the heat, dust, and crowds, but fortunately, there is a traditional way to unwind and revive after your touring and shopping is finished.
A hammam is a classic community bath with various domed interiors that is used for bathing (commonly referred to as a Turkish bath). The simplest kind of the procedure is heating, cleaning, and exfoliating your skin, with a brief massage as an added service.
8. Let Bahia Palace awe you
Built-in the late 19th century as the home of Grand Vizier Bou Ahmed, who served Sultan Moulay al-Hassan I, this exquisite house is shaped like a peacock.
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The interior decoration is a stunning exhibition of Moroccan craftsmanship that combines zellige tiles, painted ceilings, and intricate wrought-iron embellishments to depict the rich lifestyles of those who were influential with the sultan at the time.
9. Flying over the Marrakech countryside in a hot air balloon
In Marrakesh, a number of businesses provide morning hot-air balloon flight excursions that offer sweeping panoramas of the city, the neighboring palm groves, the parched plateau, and, in the distance, the spine of the Atlas Mountains.
The stunning landscapes are definitely worth the early morning start for photographers. The majority of flights depart shortly after sunrise, last an hour, and include a picnic meal of traditional Berber delicacies served after the trip as well as return transports to the city center.
10. Ride a bike or a horse in Palmeraie
The Palmeraie (palm groves) region of Marrakesh is located immediately northwest of the city. The Palmeraie, which has many villa-style luxury boutique hotels, is an alternative to lodging in central Marrakesh and has about 50,000 date palm trees.
Even if you aren’t staying at the Palmeraie, you can still take a break from the city in this peaceful, shaded refuge because it’s a well-liked spot for camel rides, horseback riding, quad biking, and cycling excursions.
Conclusion
Marrakech, a beautiful city in Morocco, welcomes visitors with magnificent mosques, charming castles, and expansive gardens. As the seat of the Berber Empire, Marrakech is a historic city that enjoyed considerable popularity during the Middle Ages.
Marrakech welcomes everyone with open arms thanks to its colorful medina at its center, as well as its souks, bustling streets, and busy lanes.
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