Some cities, some countries, begin as a romantic daydream, almost as a love affair. They are a promise; they have a fantastical place in your mind before you even see them (and even if you never see them). Marrakech, Morocco, was one of those places for me. While everything we saw, did, and ate in Marrakech was phenomenal, our time was far too short. Marrakech the place was even better than Marrakech the daydream, and I wanted more.
For years, every time I would “drive” by a travel blog on the Internet, I’d be looking at Marrakech content. Pinterest read my mind and knew I was daydreaming hard, serving me up pin after pin of the city.
As I went through those posts, I swear I could smell the spices sitting out in barrels on the sidewalk. I could feel the dust, I could see myself getting delightedly turned around in back streets that twisted and held so many surprises. After reading the Caliph’s House, I wanted to be among the Moroccans. I was ready.
As a discoverer and explorer (an Enneagram 7), Marrakech is heaven. It would take years to get to know it all. The promise all over was intoxicating to me. It felt safe, raw, real…. it was everything my daydreams promised.
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We took the “kids” with us. While I love traveling solo or also with a good friend (it hurts our family cash flow way less), this was one I am grateful I did with my people. Of course, the trip would have looked very different had I not also had to parent while doing it. And also, of course, it’s not like teenagers fully understand or appreciate the experience at the time.
But giving a good gift to someone is more rewarding to the soul than receiving a gift. And giving the gift of Marrakech to my family was one of the most rewarding moments of my life.
Where to stay in Marrakech
We stayed at Riad Mur Akush. We loved it. We had one big family room that was the perfect size, and access to a large rooftop deck. The breakfast was delicious, and the service was lovely.
There are so many riads in Marrakech, it can be hard to pick. We started with location and pricetag, and narrowed things down from there. We also knew that for this particular stop we wanted one large room for our family.
The only downside? No pool to cool off after a long day walking 15,000 – 20,000 steps around the city.
We really appreciated staying inside the medina walls. The medina is the old, historic city of Marrakech, surrounded by a wall. While I would never want to drive in it or try to park a car, staying inside it was perfect. We were able to walk everywhere (even to the Jardins des Majorelles, which is outside the medina walls) very easily. Walking was by far the least stressful and easiest way to go.
Best Things to see, do, and eat in Marrakech, Morocco
I’ll start by stating we did this tour of Marrakech, booked through Get Your Guide.
While one place on the tour was not our favorite (see below), I am really glad we did this. (I love a walking tour, and when I think back to stops like Barcelona, Milan, Brussels, and Lisbon, I recall how much they add to us getting to know a city.)
Table of Contents
Madrasa Ben Youssef
This was my favorite spot we visited in Marrakech. The Madrasa was a large Islamic school, built around 1565. According to records, it could fit around 800 students.
It officially closed in 1960 and underwent extensive renovations before it opened to the public in 1982, and another round of renovations in 2018 before reopening in 2022.
It is known as one of the most important structures in Marrakech, and predominantly so for its architecture. It is what you think of when you think of Moroccan design.
We went at the end of the day, near closing, and the crowds were thinning out. Although there were still plenty of people there, it didn’t feel elbow-to-elbow. In fact, there were even moments where we had tiny cubbies and nooks to ourselves, debating which room we’d want if we were a student there.
We did not have a guide so likely missed a lot of the history and interesting tidbits here. But the structure itself was gorgeous.
We loved how much freedom visitors are given to simply wander and explore the rooms.
- Find information about Ben Youssef Madrasa at www.medersabenyoussef.ma
Les Jardins Secret
This was a quick and easy visit for us, one we did on our first evening in Marrakech. Very easy to get to in the medina (close to Le Jardin restaurant, see below), it was a good introduction to Marrakech.
The original gardens that stood on this site were destroyed at the end of the seventeenth century. A wealthy man bought the property and decided to reinstall a garden in the spirit of the old Saadian dynasty. Alas, he was killed by the Sultan with a poisonous tea.
The property exchanged hands a few times after that (circumstances involved the Sultan’s exile, but no more suspicious teas) and eventually fell into disrepair. What stands today is a restored building and garden that opened to the public in 2012.
There isn’t a ton to see here, to be honest, and the space isn’t large. It is certainly an oasis from the dust and crowds of the Marrakech medina, but it doesn’t quite feel that way when it is packed with other tourists.
There is an entrance fee to get in, so linger here – bring a journal, take a lot of photos.
We took time in the courtyard cafe drinking fresh juices and Coca-Cola, which gave us more time to take in the oasis nature.
- Get more information at www.lejardinsecretmarrakech.com.
Wander the souks
You are probably going to get lost. And that’s the beauty.
The streets in the medina are obviously not on a grid pattern. They snake and weave, narrow into smaller and smaller tunnels, and go back further than the eye can see. It is enchanting and so wonderful.
In some nooks, you will see the craftsmen working diligently on making the items they sell (shoes, purses, clothing, jewelry). I loved it.
We didn’t buy anything – I am really not a shopper. But if you do find something you want to bring home, remember that these are places where negotiation and bargaining are expected.
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Bahia Palace
The Bahia Palace is probably the most popular tourist destination in Marrakech. When we were there (2026) it was still recovering from the devastating earthquake that shook it. But so much is still intact and worth the look.
The Palace was begun in the 1860s, and when it was finished had 150 rooms. The entire place was meant as basically a commune for the vizier’s family. Wives, concubines, and children were not to leave – instead, everything needed was in the Palace. Lodging was determined by which wife you were in the line of favored wives, and if you were a concubine/gift from another family, you lived off the massive courtyard in the back.
It was fascinating to go on a guided tour through the Palace as we heard so many stories about the wives, especially the dynamics of First Wife.
Honestly, it was so packed it was nearly impossible to take in the architecture and what life there might have been like. But the history lesson was fantastic.
PRO TIP:
This is one of the most popular spots to visit in Marrakech. You will definitely want to be sure to either book in advance or get a guided tour that includes a skip-the-line ticket (as we did). I highly recommend a guided tour to understand the significance of what you are seeing.
- Find Bahia Palace online at bahiapalace.com
Walk up to the Koutoubia mosque
Unless you are practicing and worshipping, you can not enter the mosque. But it operates as a beacon, and the calls to prayer can be heard all over.
We enjoyed walking to the plaza in front of the mosque, peering in (without being obtrusive), and walking next to the walls.
- Find the mosque on maps at Koutoubia, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco.
Jardin Majorelle
Three words, one name: Yves Saint Laurent. (That is three words, right?)
The house and gardens were originally created by a French painter, Jacques Majorelle. He loved the blue color, which is now a defining feature of the buildings in the garden. In 1980, Laurent and his partner Berger bought the place. Laurent was known for his passionate dedication to Marrakech and Morocco, finding inspiration here. In 2022, House Fresh magazine named it one of the most beautiful gardens in the world. Today, it hosts over 600,000 visitors a year.
There is a YSL museum as well, dedicated to the man and his fashion genius, and you can buy a ticket pack that includes both the garden and the museum if you want.
PRO TIP:
Purchasing online tickets in advance of your visit is required. When you purchase your online tickets, you will choose a time. That is your entry time. Visitors for your entry time arrive and line up as early as 30-minutes before entrance. And don’t be late! If you arrive 30-minutes after your allotted entry period, you will most likely be denied entry.
- Get your tickets and learn more at www.jardinmajorelle.com.
Jemaa el-Fnaa
Jemaa El-Fnaa is the huge square that bustles with life, cafes, restaurants, vendors, and street performers. Frankly, it is wildly overwhelming. We met up with our guided tour here, and walked through it after the tour ended, but didn’t spend much time in the square otherwise.
There were beggars and snake charmers, food carts and farmers’ stalls. The word widely circulated is that the cafes off the square are ridiculously overpriced, but the people-watching would be fantastic if you opted to do that.
PRO TIP:
There are a lot of street performers, staged animal shows (think snake-charming and caged monkeys), and people selling their crafts here. Because of that, it can be quite a sensory experience. For thoughts on proper etiquette, what to expect, and things to be wary of here, read this post on Jemma el-Fnaa Square.
A note on the Saadian Tombs
The Saadian Tombs were part of our guided tour, although we had to pay a separate entry fee to get in. Honestly, we were underwhelmed, especially for the pricetag, and disappointed in this experience.
The primary site is a large room to peer into where the tombs are situated. But it is generally a long line to get up to the door frame, and absolutely zero shade while standing in that line. The architecture and tile work around is beautiful, but we saw a lot of that elsewhere in Marrakech, too (such as Ben Youssef Madrasa). We ended up getting so hot and cranky we left our spot in the line after a while (even though we paid) and went to a nearby cafe. We felt this was a skip due to the crowds, wait times, and price.
- Read more at saadiantombs.com
A note on going to the desert or Ait Ben Haddou from Marrakech
As I shared in my post rounding up our itinerary and why we made the decisions we did, we spent a night in Ait Ben Haddou and we also went to a different area to experience the “real” desert.
Yet many, many tourists do both of these as separate trips out of Marrakech. It is possible to go to Ait Ben Haddou and back in one day; there are many glamping desert experiences in the Agafay, outside of Marrakech.
With more time -
- A hammam! I love a good hammam, as I realized in Istanbul. There are many in Marrakech, as well, and it would have been worth the extra time.
- A hot air balloon ride. I’ve been hot air ballooning twice now (here at home and in Cappadocia) and this is not a cheap experience. So we skipped it during this trip, but it remains incredibly popular.
- More eating.
- More time enjoying the place. We had a fairly small amount of time in Marrakech. I wish we had more time to leisurely take in the streets, the souks, the people, the sights… all of it. It felt luxurious and simple all at once.
Where we ate (and what to eat)
Our riad provided us a fantastic breakfast every morning, with fresh fruits, bread, juices, and more. We appreciated this.
We ate tagine dishes whenever we could, and lamb and chicken were the most often recommended meats.
We did not drink the tap water and, as I shared in my earlier post, alcohol is hard to come by, but there is a fancy Western-style bar in Marrakech that is very popular.
We, did, however, drink a lot of mint tea and I grew to love that custom.
PRO TIP:
Make reservations! If you know a place you want to eat, make a reservation as soon as you can. Many places fill up during high tourist season and turn visitors away.
Unbeknownst to us at the time, these are sister restaurants. Les Jardin was far more casual, Nomad more upscale. These are the restaurants we ate at in Marrakech with our teenagers:
- Le Jardin lejardinmarrakech.com, located at 32 Souk Sidi Abdelaziz, Marrakech Medina, Morocco.
- Nomad nomadmarrakech.com, located at 1 Derb Aarjane, Medina of Marrakech, Morocco. This popular rooftop restaurant was a great experience as we watched the busy market below and listened to the call to prayer echo off the buildings.
Marrakech has now moved from my daydream to my bedtime dreams. I have real-life experiences with this beautiful city to return to over and over again. I feel imminently grateful to have experienced it. And if I try hard enough, I can still smell the mint tea and the barrels of spices.
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