Marrakech Travel: Do’s and Don’t’s You Should Know!

What not to do in Marrakech (and what to do instead): Marrakech Travel Tips

“I’m so excited about visiting Marrakech”, my colleague told me.

She was heading to Morocco in two weeks and was euphoric with anticipation. “I’ve seen all these exotic photos on Instagram and I can’t wait to visit myself. It looks like such a magical place!”

It was kind of mean when I (otherwise an absolute angel on most days) burst her little bubble, but you know what they say, better safe than sorry.

If you’re visiting Marrakech, I’m here to give you a very real picture. And it’s sans a lot of the dreaminess you see on Instagram.

Marrakech Travel Tips: What NOT to Do

Not that the city isn’t beautiful on its own. I mean, I came back a huge fan. I had a splendid time in Marrakech.

But if you’re visiting for the first time, here are some Marrakech travel tips you must keep in mind about things to avoid doing, if you don’t want your experience to be tarnished.

Thing is, Marrakech has a certain pace, a sort of energy that could be overwhelming to someone visiting from the West.

And if you follow my advice, you’ll LOVE the city 100%. It’s the antithesis of most cities in the West.

I’ll also give you tips on how to travel to Marrakech responsibly. So make sure to read till the end. Also, yeah, you’re welcome!! 😉

1. Don’t NOT Stay in the Medina

The Marrakech medina is where all the action is, and you’ll mostly find yourself coming back here throughout your visit.

While Marrakech also has a newer part called Gueliz, which has the standard chain hotels, staying in the medina will ensure a better Moroccan experience.

You’ll be able to savor the hustle and bustle of the city from a vantage point. You’ll get to witness the everyday grind of the locals, the pace of their routine, and their way of life.

Don’t book one of those standard hotels outside the medina; Hilton in every city looks the same.

Make sure you book a riad (quintessential Moroccan residence with a courtyard) for an authentic stay.

Booking.com

2. Don’t Be Afraid to Get Lost

Walking through Marrakech’s medina is like finding your way in and out of a gigantic puzzle.

You can literally picture the Maze Gods chuckling away as they watch mortal humans perplexedly staring at their phones, trying to figure out the way to their riads. And banging their heads against a wall, figuratively or for real.

Okay, I’m exaggerating. It’s not as big a deal but, while Google maps work mostly, there’s a chance they’re not accurate (at times). Or the connection may be poor. And it MIGHT get difficult to find your way.

But it’s also a part of the experience. You don’t have to get your panties in a bunch if you think you’re lost.

The medina can be confusing but you’ll eventually make it to your riad.

Just keep your cool, and keep the phone number of the hotel/riad, too, in case.

Get your nose out of your phone, look up, and try to recognize landmarks along the way to/from your riad. A signboard, peculiar graffiti, a small souk or hole-in-the-wall restaurant, etc.

P.S. – Watch out for scooters in the medina. They show up out of nowhere and they’ll zip right past you and knock you off your feet. Somewhat like the cyclists do in Amsterdam.

P.P.S. – A lot of people will offer help to take you to your riad. DO NOT indulge them. More on this in point 3 below.

3. Don’t Accept Unsolicited Advice/Help

So you’re walking through the medina, eyes filled with wonder and looking every bit like a tourist.

A boy in his early 20s approaches you and offers help. You say you don’t need assistance, and smile. And this guy says things like, “wait don’t go in that direction, there’s nothing up ahead”.

Or you arrive in the medina and a few guys offer to carry your luggage, and you assume they’re just being nice and helping you.

I wish I had a bigger way to raise alarm in text format but AVOID TAKING HELP FROM STRANGERS.

Yes, shouty capitals in bold. Even that doesn’t suffice to drive home the significance of this.

It’s incredibly common in Marrakech for people to offer help and then charge money for it. It’s part of a very common scam.

A lot of these young boys tried all these tricks on us, but we were better prepared. We had read up a lot, and done our homework. But I know so many people who visited Marrakech unprepared and fell prey to similar ruses.

A friend of mine took help from a random passerby when she couldn’t find her way. This guy took her to a squatter community, and when she suspected something was wrong, and tried to get out of the situation, the guy got four of his friends to join and they all cornered her into paying 100 euros.

This is no joke. If someone offers help, decline and keep walking. Or even better, don’t say anything. Just ignore and keep moving along.

 

4. Don’t Mind the Aggressive Salesmen

I’ve never seen such a crazy level of aggressiveness in salesmen pushing for their products.

When you’re in Jemaa el-Fnaa, the calls from zealous henna artists (mostly women), juice truck guys, and street hawkers can often get louder than the otherwise usual cacophony. People can stop you in the street and casually offer drugs. Everyone’s just trying to grab a piece of your wallet.

There’s a lot of “Excuse me” and “Ola” and “Hallo” and, basically, any language you can think of. These guys are pretty good at what they do!

Don’t let this get to you. Like I said earlier, ignore them and keep walking along. Don’t stop and smile.

One night, Pratyush (my amazing husband) and I were scouting for food at the Jemaa el-Fnaa and many solicitors outside various food stalls urged us to stop and eat there. They definitely make a commission on the number of visitors brought in. We were following the golden rule of ignoring everyone, when this one guy basically blocked our way and (almost) started harassing us to eat at his food stall. I raised my voice a little and told him to please let us go. I think he got a bit alarmed and backed off.

So, yeah, I guess that works too. If someone’s really getting to you, shaming them a bit might help. But the best course of action is to avoid making eye contact and walking away.

5. Don’t Fall for This Sneaky Trick the Juice Guys Use

“The Juice Guys” sounds like the name of a super cool boy band. Or a low-budget porno. Totally debatable.

But if you like fresh fruit juice, Marrakech is where all your juicy dreams will come true.

There’s a bunch of stations at the Jemaa el-Fnaa, where you get fresh fruit juice. In any fruit you fancy. And it’s really cheap and unfiltered and it’s AWESOME.

I’ve literally never drunk so much juice in my life.

But here are a few things you might want to keep in mind (I personally didn’t find them on any blog, so thought these could be of use):

• You’ll see all these juice sellers at different stations animatedly beckoning you to buy from theirs. All the stations have the same prices, so it’s really about who’s the loudest and who can catch the buyer’s attention.
• The mixed juices mostly have 80% orange and 20% of the fruit you pick. I guess oranges are cheaper there.
• Most of these stations have a big menu displayed, with really low prices. But when you order, they’ll just make your juice in a bigger size and charge you more. When you ask, they’ll guide you to the ultra-small font on the menu that says that the bigger serving of juice costs more. Typically it goes up to MAD 15 tops, which is still cheap. But I feel it’s done on purpose. So always specify the quantity you want, beforehand.

Also, please skip the plastic. Ask to be served in a glass, or carry your own bottle. If the plastic glass is unavoidable, skip the straw and lid. And drink your juice straight up.

6. Don’t Do the Camel Ride

There’s a very high chance that you’ll be going to the desert during your visit to Marrakech.

By all means, do that. But most of these tours offer a camel ride as a part of the experience.

Believe me, I’ve ridden a camel as a kid (I’m from India). And if it failed to impress me as a kid, it’s not going to be this mind-blowing, life-transforming experience for you as an adult, either.

Besides, it’s cruel. These animals don’t get any breaks in between carrying different groups of tourists. Yes, camels are used to carrying weight but they also deserve to take a break whenever they’d like, don’t you think?

Don’t be an ass on a camel. Ditch the camel ride and be a superhero for the animals. I’ll be rooting for you!

7. Don’t Pay for Animal Abuse

Djemaa El-Fnaa is a fantastic, chaotic square with so much happening all the time.

While I loved it on the whole, one thing was a downer for me: there are monkey dances, snake charming, birds in cages, etc.

And it’s SO UNNECESSARY. I fail to understand why we consider it our prerogative to use and treat animals the way we’d like.

Please don’t pay for these unnecessary activities. There are so many other ways to be entertained, right? How does a monkey dancing, and being whipped in the back repeatedly, qualify as a source of entertainment?

8. Don’t Dress Like a Tourist

Okay, to set this straight, Instagram is a big fat lie.

You see pictures of women in gorgeous settings wearing a bikini or one of those flowy, summery dresses; your visit is going to be nothing like that.

Morocco is an Islamic country and it has a slightly conservative sense of dressing. And this is conspicuous: You’ll see most local women wearing a hijab, and almost 70% of them wearing a burka.

I’m not telling you to clad up in a full-body suit, but being a little considerate of the local culture doesn’t hurt. If you show up in the medina in a pair of hot pants or a plunging neckline, you’ll stick out in the crowd like a sore thumb.

Besides, there is a certain amount of catcalling as well. Especially if you’re white, you look exotic. While you can’t eliminate looking different, the least you can do to avoid unwanted attention (and potential trouble) is to dress modestly.

So the rule is: no cleavage, no dresses above your knees, no sleeveless or strappy tops or tops, (ideally) nothing that accentuates your curves in a very obvious way.

You can still wear maxis and flowy blouses and jumpsuits – my limited fashion sense is failing me in a very obvious way. You get the point, though?

9. Don’t Stop at Couscous and Tagine

When you think of Moroccan food, a lot of meat-based preparations come to mind.

If you’re vegan or vegetarian, you might think your choices will be limited. But that’s not true!

Every restaurant/cafe puts its own little spin on the usual couscous and tagine. There are also other Moroccan delicacies you can try, like salads (SO GOOD!!), lentil soup, fried aubergines, pastilla (can easily be veganized), breads, teas, juices, etc.

And if you eat meat: for the love of God, please keep weird things off your plate! I saw camel meat on the menu at one of the stalls at Jemaa el-Fnaa. Also, they sell snails!! That’s not only cruel but also extremely disgusting.

There’s nothing macho about trying new animal meat. It’s basically dead animal carcass.

Need more advice? Wendy from the Nomadic Vegan has some excellent advice on what to eat in Morrocco as a vegan!

10. Don’t Take Photos Without Asking

By now you’ve already learned that there’s an array of tourist scams in Marrakech.

While in the medina, be really careful about taking photos of people or their souk display. They might get pissed and tell you off, or even worse, demand money for the photo. It’s quite possible!

That being said, I understand that Marrakech is like a live wallpaper album and there are beautiful colors and magnificent patterns everywhere. So if you’d like to get a picture, just ask. Throw in a few French words, and some of your irresistible charm, and your muse will most likely relent!

Things You SHOULD Do in Marrakech

Whew, we’re past the uncomfortable stuff! Once you make a note of the tips above, your Marrakech visit will be splendid.

Here are a few tips you can consider, as you work through your Marrakech itinerary, to make your travel more responsible and sustainable:

11. Book a Desert Trip

This is more like a corollary to point 6 above.

No, you shouldn’t ride a camel. But yes, you must book the desert tour!

Whether you’re headed to the Sahara for multiple days, or just going to the Agafay for a day tour, visiting the desert is definitely a part of the experience.

Besides, if you book with a local operator, you’ll help boost the economy. Here’s the Agafay tour we took, and it was SO MUCH FUN. We met a bunch of amazing people, and Aziz and Rashid were excellent hosts. 100% worth it!

 

12. Visit Jarjeer Mules and Donkey Refuge

40 minutes from Marrakech medina, Jarjeer is a safe haven for abandoned donkeys and mules in Morocco to live out their retired lives with dignity and comfort.

Working animals live an abused life in Morocco but it’s hard to blame the families owning them, as they’re themselves struggling to get by. Concerns like animal welfare take a back seat when you’re barely making ends meet.

If you want to help the donkeys and mules of Morocco, or understand their living conditions better, make sure to add a visit to Jarjeer in your Marrakech itinerary. Also try and donate a little bit, be it by buying supplies, or providing financial support. Every little bit counts.

Hop on to bus no. 45 from Sidi Mimoun stop and get off at Oumnass, which is a 40-minute ride away. Get in touch with Susan and Charles from Jarjeer – they’re super helpful and warm.

[You Might Like: A Visit to Jarjeer: Brays and Rosé]

13. Carry a Water Filter Bottle

This tip will also come in handy while on your travels outside of Morocco.

The tap water in Morocco is not drinkable.

Plastic bottles are ubiquitous and they’re very cheap. But the amount of damage they do to the environment is something we can all imagine.

Instead of buying an uncountable number of plastic bottles, invest in a good water filter that you can use to cleanse tap water.

Alternatively, you can buy this 36-ounce Brita water bottle that comes with an inbuilt filter. It is compact, extremely convenient, and inexpensive. I bought it recently from Amazon and can absolutely vouch for it.

14. Stay in a Riad

Remember how I said that you’ll be spending at least three-fourth of your time in the medina?

If you want to get a local experience, book a riad.

Back in the day, Morrocan locals stayed in palatial riads, which are these two-story houses with a beautiful courtyard in the middle.

Now, most of the riads have been converted to hotels, hammams and spas. I say that works for us, don’t you think? 😉

You’ve seen those Instagram pictures of women sitting daintily next to a pool in a bikini, with a cocktail in hand? (How do they look so relaxed? I look like a total wreck when I climb out of the pool)

I’m here to tell you, frenz, the riads are where your IG dreams can come true. A lot of these riads have built-in pools in their courtyards with zellige tile work encapsulating the whole frame in an effortlessly aesthetic setting. So if you’re not awkward max like me, you can get in on the Instagram action for realsies!

Staying at a riad will help you make the most out of your experience, learn about daily life in Marrakech, and also potentially meet some locals.

Booking.com

Conclusion

These Marrakech travel tips are meant to set you up as you venture into the sensory deluge that is the city. As long as you keep your eyes and ears open, hold your bearings while meandering through the streets of the Medina, and stay open to experiencing the Moroccan way of life, I promise you’ll have a baller of a time in Marrakech.

Hope you found this travel guide useful. Happy exploring!