Marrakech, Morocco
Basic info:
Airport:
Language🗣️:
Arabic is the main language, there is also a regional language called Berber, and French is also widely spoken.
Currency💱💶💷💵:
Dirham (AED) €1= 4.13 AED ($1= 3.67 AED)
Bring cash! At times I was able to use my card but cash is better and always accepted, while card isn’t.
ATM in the city square:
Phone service🤳:
GET A SIM, I know this might seem like common sense but my friend and I did not get one (I don’t know what I was thinking) so we relied 100% on the Wi-Fi in our Riad and any Internet cafes around. The result of this was getting lost…a lot and having to try to communicate with locals who mainly speak Arabic and French (I speak Spanish and English). Do as I say, not what I did 🙏🏽you can buy a cheap SIM in the airport so take advantage of that!!
I’m writing this in July, but I was in Morocco early April. The weather was between 60’s (at night) up to 85 degrees. I DON’T recommend going in the summer. The sun here is very harsh even in milder temperatures. Protect your skin and bring sunscreen.
How to dress:
I personally chose to dress more modestly but not completely covered. There were some tourists who dressed in tighter, more revealing clothes and it didn't seem to be a problem. I still wore tops that showed my shoulders, but opted for linen pants and long skirts. Wear what makes you feel comfortable, but also remember to be respectful. Overall there's no "rules" on how to dress, it really is a personal decision, but this is just how I decided to dress.
Recommended:
-Hat (sun is BRUTAL)
-Fanny pack
-Comfortable sneakers or sandals
-SUNSCREEN
Don't accept unsolicited help:
The locals are super nice and helpful, but there are those who take advantage of tourists. The receptionist at the riad (hotel) warned us that if we get lost, and someone offers to help, to decline. Why? because they will harass you for money. Even if you deny their request for help they will keep pushing, so be aware of this. Anyone that I had asked for help did so without asking me for money.
What I did:
Day 1: Explore Marrakech
Day 2-4: Desert tour
Day 5: “recovery day” (more like recover my passport day 🙃)
Day 6: early morning flight
How I would do it again:
Day 1: Marrakech city tour
Day 2: more exploring of city. Buy at markets, take it easy.
Day 3-5: desert tour
Day 6: recovery day
Day 7: early day trip to waterfall, recover at night.
🛏️ Lodging: Riads
What is a Riad?
The hotels you will stay at will be Riad- style, a traditional Moroccan home (or palace) with a garden and courtyard inside. Basically, one of the prettiest places you will ever stay at.
Getting from the airport to your riad:
Riads offer to send a taxi to you for about €20. You can find plenty of taxis outside, but I recommend coordinating with your Riad since the streets are narrow in the city and taxis can’t take you directly in front.
Where to reserve:
All accommodations were booked through booking.com (link above ⬆️) I recommend using them and making an account so you can unlock discounts and special offers. Note: this is an affiliate link
Stayed the first two nights, and they offer a cab to wait for you at the airport and take you to the riad. We arrived at 2 am so an employee from the riad waited for us to help lead us down the streets where the taxi was unable to fit.
Pros ✅: breakfast included. Staff was friendly and spoke English
Cons❌: not a terrible con but, the location is a little further from the city center, but you can take a 10 minute taxi for €5
PRICE💶:Two nights: €146,80 for two people with taxes and breakfast included
Pros✅: super great location, just minutes away from city center and easy to find your way (important for me since I didn’t have service 🥲). Great communication between me and the owner. Breakfast included.
Cons❌: Though the owner was easy to communicate with, he was not present in the riad at the time. Therefore, the lady who was in charge did not speak English or Spanish and all the guests happen to all be French so we struggled a little bit there. Since we had Wi-Fi I remembered that google translate offers a feauture where you can speak directly into it and it will speak in the translation. Utilize that feauture! Marrakech is a very fast-paced, a little chaotic at times city so being in the middle of that was overwhelming for my friend and I.
PRICE 💶: €130 ($146.02)/ 2 nights for two people, breakfast included. Paid extra €20 for a taxi to take us to the airport.
One that I was unfortunately not able to stay at because it was booked during my stay is:
This was HIGHLY recommended by three people I know. Sad I didn’t get to experience it myself, but I hope you are able to!
In the middle of the main city square:
(Lamb Tagine)
Hole in the wall
This was my favorite!! came twice (could have come here exclusively). Super affordable, friendly staff and AMAZING food. Everything came out of the smallest kitchen I’ve seen but they feed many guest, I was blown away!
Luxury on a budget
This one made me feel súper luxurious! It had these gorgeous lemon trees in the middle with the roof open. We were seated rooftop able to look over the houses.
Our rooftop view at Limoni
Activities:
Tour of Marrakech with Jamal:
This was a great first day activity. It was a 4-hour tour of the city which was a great way to be acquainted with your surroundings before exploring solo. Jamal was a great guide :)
PRICE💶: €21/person ($24 )
What you see:
Landmarks: Koutoubia Mosque, Medina, Jamaa Elfna Square
3-day * All-inclusive Desert Tour from Marrakech
PRICE💶: €100/ person ($89)
Request my tour guides: Mustafa & Yoness ( speaks Arabic, French, Spanish, and English)
What’s included?
-Transportation + fuel (There's Wi-Fi in the van)
-Breakfast and Dinners
-Accommodation in Hotel Rose Valley and in the Merzouga desert camp
-Sand-boarding
-Camel ride
Not included:
-Lunches, bring about €10-15 (€30-45 for 3 days worth).
-Local guide in Aid Ben Haddou Kasbah
-Any tips and gratuities
Pros✅: Amazing tour guides, they spoke 4 languages, it was super impressive. Great way to meet other people from around the world. I could have stayed in the desert for an entire month, no joke. It was so peaceful!
Cons❌: The van was not super well ventilated. If you are sitting in the back two rows it can get hot, which is why I suggest going in cooler months.
Atlas Mountain & Three Valleys Waterfalls & Desert Day Trip
Disclaimer: I was unable to do this tour because of some misfortune events (caused by me, oops), so I didn’t have the time to go but a few people I met on the desert did this tour and had a great experience, with some amazing photos to prove it!
PRICE 💶: €23 ( $26)/ person
Final thoughts 💭
This was both my most chaotic and peaceful trip I've ever taken. I loved the food, it was very fresh and flavorful. If you are vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free there's a lot of options to chose from. For those who are female solo travelers, I would say, at times, it can feel intimidating but I would feel comfortable going again alone. I went with only one other person and we felt safe 95% of the time. There was only one occasion where we didn't. Overall this was a great experience and different from what I had done before. Do not skip this country (:
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