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We didn’t really know what to expect when we travelled to Marrakech. We’d seen all the fantastic imagery and the things to do across this vibrant city, which was enough to entice us to visit.
However, there were things we wish we’d known before we arrived, to lighten some of the surprises lurking around the city. Here are those Marrakech travel tips to ease you into this chaotic, but fantastic Moroccan city.
1 | Book a Riad
It almost goes without saying that you should stay in a riad when visiting Marrakech, so we won’t beat this drum too loudly. We have a post all about riads, and the Riad Oriental Glory, where we stayed during our visit to Marrakech. They offer a traditional Moroccan stay that will serve you far better than a hotel, given their location, price and decor.
2 | Book an Airport Transfer
We’ve heard that taxi drivers can be scammers, so if you prefer not to haggle or don’t want to be taken advantage of, taxis are best avoided. We booked a return airport transfer for roughly £20 through Booking.com, which is a bargain. Not only do you avoid the hassle and awkwardness of haggling and paying over the odds, but you also get a lovely car and excellent service (because they want their 5-star internet reviews!).
3 | Currency Exchange & ATMs
We opted not to exchange any cash before arriving in Marrakech. We’d prebooked transfers from the airport to our riad, so it wasn’t a problem. There are several currency exchange places near Jemaa el-Fna, but most only accept cash.
If you prefer to withdraw money via card, as we did, then there are plenty of ATMs around the Medina. Some belong to banks, and some belong to Euronet. Depending on who you bank with, your best bet might be to find a bank and withdraw from there, declining the exchange rate offered by the machine.
We bank with NatWest, which charges no fees for overseas withdrawals on our particular account. The NatWest app even advised us that we would be better off declining the rate from the machine. Either way, you will be better off withdrawing money in Marrakesh than you will in the UK, especially at UK airports.
According to our research, we were approximately 25% better off by withdrawing cash in Marrakech than at the airport. To put that into perspective, approximately £85 would have given 1,000 dirhams at the local ATMs. From the Change Group at Gatwick Airport, £85 gave approximately 730 dirhams.
4 | Navigation & Google Maps
Navigating the souks in Marrakech can be a little crazy. If you aren’t in a rush, it’s best to embrace the labyrinth and keep wandering until you come across somewhere familiar or pop out of the edge somewhere. If you are in a rush and don’t have roaming enabled on your phone, as we didn’t, then download the offline map on Google Maps. Although it can’t use live navigation, it will provide a good route because, impressively, it identifies almost all of the alleys.
5 | Walk on the Right
I don’t know how many times we got told off by the locals for this. Walk on the side of the flow of traffic. By traffic, we mean the motorbikes that come whizzing around the Medina. Some travel at speeds far beyond what you would reasonably expect for the width of streets in the Medina. Incredibly, more people aren’t hit; however, you’ll be doing yourself a favour by keeping to the sides of the alleys.
6 | Haggling
Haggling is part of the culture in Marrakech, according to our tour guide.
It’s not simply a tourist thing. Our guide suggested aiming for 50% of the merchant’s price; however, you’ll need to judge this on the fly. Before buying anything, we recommend browsing the souks for items with price tags to get an idea of what you might pay for a specific item.
Our tour guide also mentioned that items with prices on generally aren’t haggled over, but those without prices are fair game for a haggle. To sum this up, Stace bought some sandals for 130 dirhams. The same sandals were in another souk shop for 300 Dirhams, which she declined and then left. When she spoke with the next shopkeeper about the price, he offered 150 dirhams and commented that he hadn’t started the haggle at 300 dirhams in the first place.
You need to be the judge of whether you think you are being taken advantage of or not. However, remember that haggling is part of the process, and although you may find it awkward, the shopkeepers are accustomed to it. Be courageous and embrace the fun.
7 | Avoid the Jemaa el-Fna Square Food Stalls
You will hit Jemaa el-Fna Square to experience the chaos and the buzz of the place at night, which is quite something. It’s pretty overwhelming for the senses, with tons of tourists and hordes of people trying to sell you things, including a few very skilled hustlers trying to pull you into the food stalls. We fell foul of these hustlers.
They will get you chatting and show you a menu with prices which seem very reasonable.
You might as well throw it on the floor, because when you come to pay, the list will be four times as long as you expected it to be, and 10 times more expensive, all written on a piece of paper at the point of payment.
The staff will place dishes in front of you that you may think are part of the meal. They are not, hence the higher-than-expected price. If you don’t want to feel taken advantage of or uncomfortable, politely decline their invitation by saying you have already eaten and quickly move on.
8 | Politely Decline Help
If anyone offers you directions or suggests looking inside a riad, palace, or tannery, they are expecting money in return. To avoid getting stuck in conversation, politely decline their help, stop engaging, act confident and keep walking. They won’t be offended. It’s all part of the game in Marrakech.
9 | Taking Pictures of the Locals
The people of Marrakech are fiercely private, and most don’t appreciate a camera in their face. It’s not customary to snap away willy-nilly. The locals are typically friendly and approachable, so it’s best to ask for permission first. Alternatively, if you have a guide, they will grease the wheels for you to take pictures, or expect to pay a few dirhams for the privilege.
10 | Tipping Etiquette
Tipping in Marrakech is expected in some places and varies depending on the type and quality of service. You may not consider it tipping, but as mentioned above, you may have to tip to take someone’s picture or pictures of their things. We paid people for their photos, ranging from 5 to 8 dirhams. Not once was there rejection.
In restaurants, consider tipping around 10%, and you may want to give staff at your riad a similar amount, depending on the quality of service. If you book an airport transfer, consider giving the driver a few dirhams, depending on how crazy they drive.
11 | Finding Alcohol
Alcohol isn’t widespread across the Medina, despite what you might read. We didn’t see it at any kiosk in the Medina, nor did we see it in any of the riads we entered. We saw it in a few restaurants, with varying price points; however, it’s not cheap. The closer you are to Jemaa el-Fna, the more you will pay, especially once you hit the rooftop bars.
We met another couple who had bought alcohol in the duty-free shop at the airport and taken it to their riad. If you choose to do this, note that you can take up to one litre of wine or spirits per adult into Morocco.
12 | Be Prepared for the Animals
Coming from the UK, it’s rare to see animals on the street in poor condition, so you should prepare for what you might see on the streets of Marrakech. It’s clear that the Marrakechi people, by and large, like the cats. You will find shops with huge bags of cat food being scaled by even the smallest kitten. However, most of the cats are stray, and some slip through the net. We saw several dead cats around the city, which thankfully were quickly removed.
Beyond the cats, you’ll find snake charmers and monkey handlers in Jemaa el-Fna. We’re not sure why the snakes don’t slither away, but the endangered Barbary macaque monkeys are chained to handlers, often dressed in infant clothing. The idea of both of these animals is to exploit them for money as props for tourist photographs.
There is debate over whether the animals are appropriately cared for, but the choice is yours to decide whether you support their actions.
Last but not least are the donkeys. Donkeys are still used throughout Morocco, particularly in Marrakech, to transport goods through the narrow streets of the Medina, especially building materials. Although you may disagree with their use, they are the livelihood for the people who rely on them. By and large, they are cared for, but on occasion, you may see the odd laceration where the harnesses have rubbed. Donkeys are very stoic animals, and thankfully, there are vets available to help care for them.
13 | Learn Some Lingo
The official languages in Morocco are Modern Standard Arabic and the Moroccan dialect of Berber. If you are British, you may not be familiar with Arabic. However, you may recall some basic French from school, which can be helpful, as French is widely spoken in education and business throughout Marrakech. So, get your Duolingo app back in use and learn a little French to help get you by. Failing you know zero Arabic or French, plenty of people around the bazaars know enough English to engage with you.
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