Marrakech

Marrakech (?????) (also known as Marrakesh) is a city in Morocco.

Get in

By air

Most international flights arrive in Marrakesh, and plenty of low cost companies now fly to Marrakesh, though some companies arrive in Casablanca and require a plane change for the 45 minute flight to Marrakech. The Marrakesh airport is just 10 minutes from town and small taxis are plentiful. You can fly from several European cities direct to Marrakech on Atlas Blue http://www.atlas-blue.com which is an offshoot of Royal Air Maroc http://www.royalairmaroc.com .

If going by petit taxi, make sure to have the driver use his meter or agree the price beforehand. As you exit the airport terminal, there is a sign which actually gives you an idea of how much the taxi ride should cost. As to whether you can convince or bargain with the driver to use these prices is another matter however. It really all depends on the number of taxis and potential passengers that are around.

By train

Trains arrive from Casablanca hourly, and regularly from other destinations such as Rabat. The train station is located in the recently developed ville nouvelle. Frequent local buses leave from just across the street into the medina and modern tourist area. 'Petit taxi' drivers will also be quick to offer their service, but pay no more than Dh 10 - 15 for this short ride.

By bus

Most CTM and private bus lines arrive at the long distance bus station near Bab Doukkala, a 20 minute walk (Dh 15 - 20 by petit taxi) from Jema el-Fna. Supratours and Eurolines buses, however, will arrive at the main train station.

Get around

Once in the medina, everything can be seen on foot, though you'll be doing a lot of walking. For exploring more of the city, buses and 'petit taxis' are plentiful. Almost all buses stop at Jema El Fna and Place Youssef Ben Tachfine and fares range from Dh 2 to Dh 5 depending on the distance. Important municipal bus lines are:

See

While not considered as well preserved as other Moroccan cities such as Fez, Marrakech offers several historical and architectural sites as well as some interesting museums.

Buy

Marrakech is home to a large tanning industry, and leather goods of high quality can be bought here cheaply. Check out camel leather items especially - jackets, round poufs, and handbags.

Also of interest would be items made of the local cactus silk, which is apparently made from weaving cactus fibres mixed with a small amount of silk, and dyed with vegetable dyes. On offer are scarves, handbags, tablecloths, bedspreads and throws in stunning colors.

Be sure to wander round the potters' souk, and look for brightly coloured platters and bowls, as well as tagines in all sizes

Remember that bargaining in souks is expected. Start with 50% of the asking price, and work from there. A good negotiation can be a fun experience.

Eat

The main night market at Jema El Fna is definitely worth a visit, and the food is priced on menus. In little back streets the ambience is more quiet, although the price is higher and the quality may vary a lot. In the square itself there are some locals such as:

Take care eating the offered food on the main market place Jema El Fna and the other cheap restaurants. Many of the dishes, including goat heads and bowls of local snails (hot and tasty) may seem too adventurous for the Western palate, but the main problems are salads, which can cause diarrhea.

Vegetarians will find that there are few options outside the ubiquitous Tagine avec Legumes.

For more upscale eateries, and especially for non-Morroccan cuisine, you will have to go outside the Medina to Ville Nouvelle.

Drink

Hot sweet mint tea is served in all restaurants and cafes. Note that women may feel more comfortable have a drink or snack at a pastry shop or restaurant as cafes are traditionally for men.

Street vendors offer fresh orange juice (jus d'Orange) by the glass for Dh 2.50. Try it with a dash of salt like the locals, but be wary of vendors who try and water the juice down with potentially dodgy tap water.

Wine and beer will rarely be found outside of restaurants catering to tourists.

Sleep

There are three main zones to sleep: Medina, Guéliz and the surroundings of the city. The Medina has the highest concentration of very cheap hotels and ryads or small palaces.
Guéliz is much more quiet, and most of the hotels are mid price (including showers in the room, breakfast service...). Going to the medina from the Guéliz by taxi costs about 10-15 DH.
The surroundings have all the huge touristic hotels, the ones that usually come with the travel agencies offers. They can be far, but have big swimming pools, restaurants, and many services.

Medina

The Medina is packed with Riads (old grand houses converted into hotels and inns.) While more expensive, these are a wonderful place to stay to get a feel for life in Marrakech. Most can be booked in advance via RiadsMorocco.com=>.

The budget conscious will have more luck in the streets and alleyways south of Jema El Fna, which are packed with discount hotels offering singles from Dh 50. Popular options with backpackers include:

Private rooms are available with a maximum per person price of 160 Dirham per night inc b/fast, free internet and a daily traditional Hammam. Hotel Ali have just launched a website with both email and secure credit card reservations at http://www.hotel-ali.hostel-marrakech.co.uk

Guéliz

Get out

Marrakech can make a good base for exploring the Atlas Mountains or for organising one to four day Sahara treks. While there are countless agencies on Ave Mohammed V that will organise such tours for those seeking the comfort of an air-conditioned 4x4 and have money to spare, budget travellers may want to check out the Marrakech stalwart Sahara Tours (Rue Bam Marme et Mouahidine, Tel (044) 42-79-77 / 42-97-47 . fax (044) 42-79-72) who offer three day tours from Dh 950. Most hotels in the medina are Sahara agents and will be able to provide information on these treks.

The impressive 110 meter waterfall, the Cascades d'Ouzoud are about 160km away and are well worth a day trip visiting.

By Air

Marrakech is connected by air to other domestic destinations such as Agadir, Casablanca (daily), Fes (daily), Ourzazate, Al Hoceima and Tangier. Contact Royal Air Morocco http://www.royalairmaroc.com (Tel: 43 62 05; 197 boulevard Mohamed V) for more details.

By Train

Train connections are available from the train station (Tel: 44 77 68; Avenue Hassan II) to Casablanca and Rabat, which connect on with most domestic rail destinations in the country. There is a train hourly during all the day. As always, first and second class differ only in the amount of people and that seats are not reserved in second class, but since Marrakech is the first station, you'll find place if you arrive with time to the station.

By Bus

From the long distance bus station, CTM and private bus companies service destinations such as to Agadir, Safi, Casablanca, El Jadida, Essaouira, Fes, Meknes, Ouarzazate, Rabat and Taroudant.

Stay safe

Scams

Aside from the usual scams listed on the Morocco page, watch out for tourist touts that offer to take you to the medieval dye pits which, unlike the popular dye pits in Fez, are not worth the visit. Note that the touts work in pairs. The first takes you to the dye pit (which you could probably manage with a map) and then introduces you to his "friend" to guide you round the pits. They both expect to be paid, and are prepared to follow you incessantly for a very long time if you do not give them enough money.

This text of this article is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0. It has been slightly modified to fit the general design of this website. The authors of this document are Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel, Evan Prodromou, Gaik-Khim Hng (Khim), Wikitravel user Doctor F, Wikitravel user Rickawho, Yann Forget and the following WikiTravel users: Allyak, Cjensen, DanielC, Darsh, Maj, Nils, Nzpcmad, Pstng, Rgtanjuakio. The original version of this article can be seen at http://wikitravel.org/en/Marrakech.