Marrakesh is an amazing city to visit, steeped with culture and activities that will amaze western travellers. Most visitors will spend much of their time in the Medina (old city), and visit some of the other sites such as the colourful Majorelle Garden.
The Medina
The Medina, or old city, of Morocco is like another world. With its winding narrow streets, visitors will surely get lost at some point. But that’s part of the fun. Have a good GPS to find your way back to your hotel. The Medina is filled with crowded narrow streets that are taken up by shop stalls, pedestrians, motorcycles, and even donkey drawn carriages. This is all part of the fun.
Just outside the Medina is the Koutoubia Mosque. Tourists who are not Muslim are not allowed inside. Near the mosque is a beautiful esplanade leading the the main square, Jemaa el Fna.
Inside the Medina, this is one of the less crowded streets filled with locals getting on with their day.
Early morning is a great way to explore the Medina in Marrakesh. Tourists are not out, shops are closed, and you get a good feel for life as a local. In this photo, a local sweeps the street while cats meander the streets.
I was almost tricked into visiting a tannery in Marrakesh. Based on this glimpse, there is not much to see. See article on Marrakech tourist scams.
Throughout the Medina, several stands selling fruit shakes can be found. At a price of less than $1, these shakes are extremely popular as evident by the crowd in the background of this photo.
Majorelle Garden
A short $5-8 taxi ride from the Modena to Majorelle Garden. The Garden is a peaceful and intriguing place to visit, a masterpiece oasis in the middle of a dry and dusty Northern Africa city.
This fountain at the Majorelle Garden offers lush colors of blue.
This building, as part of the Majorelle Garden, houses a small museum. Admission to the museum is not included with admission to the Garden.
This is a popular spot for tourists to pose for a picture at the Majorelle Garden in Marrakesh.
Jemaa el Fna
Easily one of the most exiting places I’ve visited in the world, Jemaa el Fna is a public square during the day filled with snake charmers, monkeys and vendors. At night, the square turns into a giant foodcourt, with dozens of restaurants lining the square and offering amazing Moroccan cooking.
Street sign offering directions to Jemaa el Fna. It is easy to get lost.
Throughout the markets surrounding Jemaa el Fna, vendors sell spice of all sorts, including saffron.
Orange juice freshly squeezed from oranges is popular in Jemaa el Fna, both during the day and night times.
Heading to Jemaa el Fna through the night market, crowded with tourists and locals.
This is a typical menu from one of the many nighttime restaurants that overtake Jemaa el Fna in Marrakech.
Additional Tips for Visiting Morocco
- Marrakech Scams: Tourists should be aware of the many scams that are prevalent in Marrakech. This article provides a good overview of some of the popular tourist scams.