Stuart Forster experiences a city break in Marrakech and outlines some of the top things to do during a short break in the Moroccan city.
Disclosure: Stuart was invited to travel as a guest of Jet2holidays, which offers city breaks to Marrakech. Some of the links and banners below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
I travelled to Morocco with my partner and enjoyed a four-day Jet2CityBreaks trip to Marrakech. That was long enough to orientate and get a good feel for the place, which in recent years has become a popular tourism destination.
City break in Marrakech
Tourism to Morocco is booming and, after a short break in Marrakech, it’s easy to understand why. Jet2 operates flights to Marrakech from airports across the United Kingdom, so it was easy to get there from our home in northern England.
Marrakech was founded in the 11th century and became the capital of the Almoravid dynasty. With historic sites and plenty of insights into modern Moroccan life, the city offers much for travellers interested in embracing local heritage and culture.
We enjoyed a range of experiences, including visiting several of the top attractions in Marrakech, eating and drinking in rooftop cafés and restaurants, and spending time in the hamman – a style of traditional steam bath popular in Morocco. We did that at our base in Marrakech, the excellent Demeures D’Orient Riad de Luxe and Spa. Our accommodation at the riad was excellent.
Riads in Marrakech
Seeking an authentic Moroccan experience, I chose to stay in a riad in Marrakech. A riad is a house or palace with a courtyard or garden that has been converted to provide accommodation. It proved a good choice for our city break in Marrakech.
Our base was the Demeures D’Orient Riad de Luxe and Spa (10 Arset Ben Nasser), a beautiful property close to the city’s heart with attentive staff. Staying there meant walks of up to 30 minutes to Marrakech’s key attractions. Had we preferred to be driven to places of interest, taxis waited in Trik Jazouli, a nearby street.
With a swimming pool and a rooftop terrace, the Demeures D’Orient Riad de Luxe and Spa was a lovely place to relax after sightseeing. On our final night, we enjoyed a body scrub in the riad’s hammam,
Each morning, breakfast was served at poolside tables. Along with a choice of tea or coffee, it included pastries, yoghurt, fruit, boiled eggs, a basket of bread and msemen, a type of flatbread that my server described as “Moroccan pancake”. Topped with local honey, the msemen was delightful.
The room we were allocated (107) was traditionally decorated, comfortable and quiet. Every day, rose petals were strewn on the bed and in the bathroom, enhancing the romantic atmosphere of our Marrakech riad.
Marrakech in winter
Located in North Africa, a region known for soaring summer temperatures and year-round sunshine, Morocco is an ideal destination for short breaks and winter sunshine.
In July, the daytime temperature in Marrakech averages around 39°C (102°F). Yet the Marrakech weather from November into March is far milder, with average daytime temperatures peaking at between 19°C and 23°C (66°F to 73°F).
We visited in December, when it was a pleasant to stroll about visiting outdoor attractions such as the Jardin Majorelle and Le Jardin Secret and viewing stalls in the souks of the Medina. With a hoody or jacket, it’s also warm enough to sit out and enjoy rooftop cafés and restaurants as dusk becomes night.
Orientating in Marrakech
Koutoubia Mosque, near Jemaa el-Fnaa, is the largest place of worship in Marrakech. Its 77-metre (253-foot) minaret, built in 1195, is the highest point of the city skyline.
Non-Muslims are not permitted to enter the mosque but the nearby park, Parc Lalla Hasna, offers fine views of the historic minaret. To gain insights into traditional architecture, the Madrasa Ben Youssef (Rue Assouel) is one of the historic buildings in Marrakech that are worth visiting.
Visiting Le Jardin Secret (121 Rue Mouassine) early in a Marrakech city break allows you to climb its tower and look out towards the Atlas Mountains and urban landmarks. Exhibits in the garden’s pavilions outline the recent restoration.
Signage also explains the khettara drainage system, which first supplied water to Marrakech’s riads, mosques, fountains and hammams almost 1,000 years ago.
With lemon and orange trees, the quietude of the garden contrasts with the bustle of the Medina’s streets. Outside there’s little to suggest that a botanical garden is beyond the high walls.
Meandering in Marrakech’s Medina
The Medina is Marrakech’s Old Town. Established in the 1070s it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. Pink city walls contain the Medina, whose maze of streets must have been far more confusing for visitors to navigate before the use of phones with Google Maps became common.
Shops line the cobbled lanes of the Medina and their goods are displayed outside and on the walls. Some display fixed prices but haggling is common. If you can negotiate, you may come away with a bargain. Expect to see the likes of hand-painted signs, ceramics, leatherware, colourful lamps and clothing. Be prepared for knock-off goods too, including designer watches and bags.
Souks specialising in specific product types exist and may be worth browsing if you are in the market for jewellery or spices. The Souk Sammarine – a broad covered area in the heart of the Medina – offers a broad range of wares.
Be prepared to dodge handcarts being pulled along the streets and to see motorcyclists weaving between pedestrians. If asked to write a dictionary definition for the word ‘bustling’, I might be tempted to offer: “A street in Marrakech’s Medina midway through an average afternoon.”
The Medina is busy but is packed with character (and characters). Strolling through it is a way of getting a feel of the city’s soul and is well worth doing during a Marrakech city break.
Jemaa el-Fnaa
Jemaa el-Fnaa is a large public square and marketplace in the Medina of Marrakech. Busy throughout the day, it seems to take on an additional surge of energy after nightfall.
Vendors sell freshly pressed juice from stalls lent colour by the fruits that they use. Women offer to paint henna patterns on the hands of tourists and representatives of food stalls tout the dishes they cook, from tantalisingly spiced shawarmas to pots of snails in broth.
Snake charmers tootle on wind instruments as serpents sway and onlookers gawp. Circles of people gather for performances by drummers, musicians and locals listen engrossed while lamplit storytellers recount tales.
In 2008, UNESCO inscribed the Cultural space of Jemaa el-Fna Square on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. On the square’s edge, the Jemaa el-Fnaa Museum of Intangible Heritage tells the story of what goes on.
Taking a seat in one of the restaurants overlooking Jemaa el-Fnaa is a great way of observing its rhythms and people. I enjoyed sipping mint tea on Café de France’s terrace (Avenue Jemaa El Fna) while looking out onto the square.
Bahia Palace
Constructed in the 1860s for Si Moussa, the Grand Vizier, Bahia Palace (Rue Riad Zitoun el Jdid) was expanded in the 1890s. It became the home of the Resident-General while Morocco was a French Protectorate. Today it’s a popular tourist attraction and proved well worth visiting.
I enjoyed looking up at the intricate woodwork and patterning on the ceilings of Bahia Palace. The courtyards and ornate arched doors are a joy to photograph.
We also visited the nearby El Badi Palace, a historic site currently undergoing restoration. If you have time to visit just one, I would suggest spending time at Bahia Palace.
Visit early in the day to stroll through the complex while the historic palace is still relatively quiet. That places you a short walk from the Moroccan Culinary Arts Museum, which has cooking lessons at various times, including from 11.00 am – ideal for lunch.
Moroccan Culinary Arts Museum
The Moroccan Culinary Arts Museum or Musée De l’art Culinaire Marocain (Rue Riad Zitoun el Jdid) is housed in an 18th-century palace and is a gorgeous place to spend time.
Like so many of Marrakech’s grand buildings, the Moroccan Culinary Arts Museum looks fairly unassuming from the outside but is ornately decorated. Drawn in by the museum’s attractively presented shop, I meandered through to the tea salon and then into the courtyard, which has a fountain as its centrepiece.
The first floor has a free-to-visit museum displaying cooking utensils and traditional ingredients while introducing the story of Moroccan cuisine. It’s also the location of a cooking school with classes three times a day.
Le Douar Medina, the museum’s rooftop restaurant, has a la carte options in addition to a set lunch menu. We opted for the menu. Between us, we were served a well-presented selection of dips, tagine and couscous-based main courses, and a couple of delightful desserts.
Restaurants in Marrakech
Spending a few days in Marrakech brought several opportunities to try traditional Moroccan cuisine, which is characterised by the use of fragrant spices (but is not ‘hot’ through the use of chillies).
Nomad (1 Derb Aarjane; tel. +212 5 2438 1609) is one of many rooftop restaurants in Marrakech that prove popular with tourists. We visited without a reservation and were fortunate to be allocated the last remaining rooftop table as dusk fell on the city. It was beautiful to hear the evening call to prayer from nearby minarets and to see the city’s lights come on as we dined.
While at Nomad, we shared a chicken pastilla with toasted almonds, a classic example of Maghrebi cuisine, and Agadir calamari served over braised aubergine and squid ink. Service was good and we sipped freshly squeezed fruit juice with our dinner.
An upscale restaurant in a restored 17th-century riad, Dar Zellij (tel. +212 5 2442 6463) is ideal as a venue for a blow-out dinner or romantic occasion while musicians play. Dar Zellij has a rooftop area for pre-dinner drinks. Traditional Moroccan cuisine such as tagines, couscous and slow-cooked tangia Marrakchia feature on the menu.
Vegetarian dishes are widely available in Marrakech. Where wine and other alcoholic drinks were available on menus prices tended to be comparable to those in the UK or slightly more expensive.
Visiting the Jardin Majorelle
Jacques Majorelle, a French artist and Orientalist, developed the botanical garden that carries his name in the 1920s. With colourful pavilions and a Cubist villa in the bold hue known as Majorelle Blue, the Majorelle Garden (Rue Yves St Laurent) is 2.5 kilometres (1.55 miles) from the Jemaa el-Fnaa square.
Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé bought the garden complex in 1980 and had it renovated. Today it is one of the main tourist attractions of Marrakech.
The Jardin Majorelle houses the Pierre Bergé Museum of Berber Arts, which introduces the art and culture of North Africa’s Berber people.
The garden is a couple of hundred metres from the Yves Saint Laurent Museum and combined tickets are available. Tickets can only be bought online and provide timed entry to the popular attractions.
Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech
Located conveniently near the Majorelle Garden, the Yves Saint Laurent Museum (Rue Yves St Laurent) is worth visiting while exploring Marrakech’s Ville Nouvelle or ‘New Town’. With our flight to Manchester departing at teatime, we scheduled this for our final morning in Marrakech.
The museum is in a striking building designed by Studio KO. It outlines Yves Saint Laurent’s frequent visits to Morocco and how it inspired aspects of his work. It also showcases examples of the fashion designer’s work and houses an auditorium and library.
Saadian Tombs in Marrakech
As someone who finds both history and architecture fascinating, visiting the Saadian Tombs (400 Rue de La Kasbah) was on my wish list of places to visit during my short break in Marrakech. The ornate royal tombs date from the 16th century and have the Chamber of the Twelve Columns at their heart. They are in the Kasbah district of the city, by the historic Moulay al-Yazid Mosque (also known as the Kasbah Mosque).
However, sometimes, less is more when it comes to travel. Losing yourself in the moment and enjoying the place that you are in is one of the joys of travelling. Browsing the souks, sipping mint tea while observing daily life in Marrakech and enjoying more time at other attractions meant I didn’t get to the Saadian Tombs.
Along with visiting the Maison De La Photographie (46 Rue Ahl Fes), the tombs remain on the list for the next time I visit Marrakech. A short break with Jet2holidays proved an enjoyable way of getting impressions of a city with lots to see and do.
Day trips from Marrakech
Had we stayed longer, we would have considered booking excursions to some of the key places of interest near Marrakech. Hiking at the Ouzoud Waterfalls, quad biking in the Agafay Desert and hot air balloon rides in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains all caught our eye as we passed tour operators on streets around Jemaa el-Fnaa.
During winter it’s possible to ski at Oukaïmeden, a resort in the Atlas Mountains, a couple of hours’ drive south of Marrakech.
Is Marrakech safe?
Inevitably, many first-time visitors ask if Marrakech is safe. As in all cities, it makes sense to be aware of your surroundings and to stay conscious of potential risks, such as pickpocketing on busy streets.
We felt welcome and enjoyed exploring the city. We experienced nothing of major concern but, dubiously, a couple of times men warned us not to carry on walking along streets in the Medina. Both told us that the gate further along was closed for the night and we should turn around. We disregarded what they said and continued, despite their insistent warnings. In each case, the street was open and we reached where we wanted to go without incident.
Keeping your wits about you and following your instincts about the people you meet is part of travelling safely, wherever you are in the world.
Check the UK Government website for up-to-date foreign travel advice relating to Morocco.
Before travelling to Marrakech
It proved useful to download a Google Map of Marrakech before travelling to Morocco. Doing so meant we could easily locate ourselves and find major attractions, even while offline.
Using data while international roaming in Morocco would have been expensive with my mobile phone provider. To avoid high roaming charges, I chose to leave my phone in flight mode for the duration of our Marrakech city break. In hindsight, purchasing an eSIM card would have been worthwhile.
As with all travel destinations, ensure you have valid travel insurance for city breaks to Morocco.
What to pack for Marrakech
Your packing list for Morocco should include:
Comfortable footwear – Marrakech is a city where you can rack up thousands of steps a day. The most we registered was over 24,000 and the lowest was more than 17,000.
Suncream – Even in winter carrying SPF30 suncream is useful as Morocco is known as a winter sunshine destination.
A hat or cap – Always comes in handy on sunny days.
Casual but modest clothing – Most people in Marrakech dress fairly casually. Locals recommend long trousers or skirts and clothing that covers shoulders.
A hoody or sweater – During our December short break in Marrakech it was useful to have a warm hoody so we could enjoy rooftop restaurants and stroll the streets at night without feeling cold.
A light raincoat – Rain was forecast on one of the four days we were in Marrakech. Despite feeling a few light drops, my jacket remained in my backpack. But it was there if I needed an additional layer.
Cash in Morocco
Card payments are accepted in many restaurants and cafés in Marrakech but cash is still used widely. It’s useful to carry cash to pay for taxis, refreshments and purchases from stalls in the Medina and Jemaa el-Fnaa.
ATMs are available in Marrakech Menara Airport and around the city. Expect to pay a transaction fee but, depending on your bank account and charges for withdrawing cash abroad, that may still work out better value than exchanging cash at a bureau de change.
It’s worth pointing out that cash is not king everywhere in Marrakech. Payments must be completed online for tickets to enter the Yves Saint Lauren Museum and nearby Le Jardin Majorelle.
Tipping in Marrakech
A popular tourist destination, Morocco has a tipping culture. It’s customary to reward good service by the likes of taxi drivers and servers in restaurants and cafés with tips in the region of 10 per cent.
Flights to Marrakech
We travelled to Morocco on flights from Manchester Airport to Marrakech operated by Jet2. The flight had a duration of three hours and 45 minutes.
Marrakech Menara Airport
Marrakech Menara Airport has the three-letter International Air Transport Association (IATA) code of RAK.
It makes sense to arrive at Marrakech Menara Airport well ahead of flights, in case queuing for security and passport control is necessary. We found that arriving three hours before the scheduled departure time ensured our airport experience was stress-free.
It allowed plenty of time to enjoy a coffee airside. The airport’s food and drink outlets accept both euros and Moroccan dirhams (MAD). However, be prepared if you plan on shopping at the airport to use your local currency, the duty-free shops do not accept dirhams.
Ahead of the flight, I received a text message from Jet2 warning me that there would be congestion at Marrakech Airport, meaning longer queues in immigration. That helped me to prepare mentally and physically for the 40-minute wait to get through passport control. Toilets, should you need them, are situated just before the immigration hall.
I was also sent a text message ahead of my flight home, warning of possible congestion at the passport control. As it turned out, there was very little waiting. However, it is necessary to go through three levels of security before flights to the UK. Firstly, all baggage is scanned on entering the airport. After checking in and dropping checked luggage, it’s necessary to go through the usual scan. At the boarding gate, I was then hand-scanned and patted down.
Transport from Marrakech Airport
The airport is approximately six kilometres (four miles) from Marrakech city centre.
A bus service (Number 19) operates every 30 minutes between the airport and Marrakech city centre. But being unfamiliar with the city’s layout, we opted for the door-to-door service a taxi provides.
The booth to book pre-paid taxis to Marrakech city centre is a few paces from the arrivals hall’s exit. We showed the name and address of our riad, paid MAD150 (around £12) and were given a ticket showing a taxi number. The car was in a car park across the road from the booth and the journey into the city took less than half an hour.
We would undoubtedly have had trouble finding our accommodation on our own. The service provided by the taxi driver was excellent. Uncertain exactly where it was, he called our riad when we were near it and clarified where we needed to go.
To return to the airport, we asked at the reception of the Demeures D’Orient Riad de Luxe and Spa if they were able to book airport transfers in Marrakech. They duly did so.
Map of Marrakech
Zoom into the Google Map of Marrakech below to locate places of interest around the city:
Google Map of Marrakech, Morocco.
Books about Marrakech
Planning a city break in Marrakech? You can purchase the following books from Amazon:
Lonely Planet’s Pocket Marrakesh: Top Experiences, Local Life.
Inside Marrakesh: Enchanting Homes and Gardens by Meryanne Loum-Martin.
The Modern Tagine Cookbook: Delicious Recipes for Moroccan One-Pot Meals by Ghillie Basan.
Further information
See the Visit Marrakech website for more information about things to do in and around the Moroccan city.
Thank you for visiting Go Eat Do and reading this post about a city break in Marrakech, Morocco. If you are looking forward to sampling Moroccan cuisine, you may also appreciate reading posts about the best restaurants in Tenerife and traditional food in Malta.
Basedin the north of England, Stuart Forster, the author of this post, is an award-winning travel writer. His work has been published by the likes of The i-Paper, Selling Travel and Wanderlust Magazine.
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