Marrakech is one of Morocco’s grant Imperial cities and its sprawling medina has changed little in hundreds of years. Recently, Marrakech holidays have grown in popularity thanks to the city’s enticing blend of exoticism and glamour and year-round balmy weather. So let’s get into all that you need to know to enjoy your next holidays to Marrakech!
A visa is required for most western travelers to visit Marrakech, but they are easily available upon arrival at Marrakesh Menara Airport. If it’s your first holiday to Marrakech, it’s highly recommended to coordinate an airport-pickup with your hotel. The city’s medina is vast and maze-like, with many streets having no names at all. Finding your hotel, especially at night, is an amazingly daunting process. If you’re more comfortable with the lay-out of the city, skip the overpriced taxis and take the airport bus headed for Jemaa el-Fnaa.
Jemaa-el Fnaa is a massive square at the entrance to the historic media and a great place to begin your holidays in Marrakech. It’s full of snake charmers, gnaoua musicians, storytellers, food vendors, and locals coming to enjoy the grandest public spectacle in the world. You can’t travel to Marrakech without sampling some of the local fare (especially the roast lamb) at the food stalls in the square. Afterwards, you can head to your Riad (traditional and luxurious Moroccan hotels) in the historic media.
You’ll want to spend a few days of your Marrakech holiday exploring the souks of the medina, eyeing the spices and perhaps haggling over some handmade leather goods or clothing. Visit the Ben Yussef Madrassa or head south of the Koutoubia and see the ancient El Badi Palace, the Bahia Palace, and the stunning Saadian Tombs. But don’t let all the sightseeing keep you from enjoying one of the best parts of Marrakech tourism: simply wandering the media, sipping a mint tea now and again, and enjoying the chaotic souks of one of the unique cities on Earth.