This 1000-year-old city below the Atlas Mountains and at the edge of the Sahara Desert has so much to offer its visitors whether it be haggling for treasures found in the souks, enjoying delicious Moroccan cuisine, or exploring some ancient sites.
It’s therefore very difficult to narrow down what to see in just a few short days. That being said, I don’t like to shy away from a challenge, so I’ve put together what I consider the top sites to see and some great places to eat if you only have a weekend to explore Marrakech.
Where to stay
Riads are large traditional houses which are built around a central courtyard. Wandering through the streets of the medina, riads don’t look like much from the outside, other than a door, but upon entering you find yourself in this tranquil oasis. Ours was complete with an indoor pool as well as a roof terrace and a small outdoor pool. It was the perfect place to enjoy a relaxing breakfast each morning.
There is no shortage of riads to be found, so it all depends on where you want to stay and how much you want to spend. Staying within the Medina will put you right in the heart of the city and near the many tourist sights. In general, the closer to the central Jemaa El-Fnaa Square, the livelier and noisier it will be.
The riad we choose was on the edge of the medina, very quiet, safe and a short quick 10-minute walk to Badi Palace and Bahia Palace, and 20 minutes to Jemaa El-Fnaa Square.
Where to eat
I would recommend making reservations for dinner, as we found many of the places were booked in advance. As this is a Muslim country, not all restaurants will have alcohol on their menu, so you will need to do some research if you are looking to enjoy drinks with your meal. The traditional dish you can find in almost every restaurant is a Tajine, which is a rich stew cooked in a clay or ceramic pot. These tajines are best served with couscous.
Les Trois Saveurs – This restaurant would be considered more on the expensive side, but for two mains, a half bottle of wine and a dessert we paid £100, which I would say was quite good value for the quality of the food and the gorgeous venue this restaurant is found in. I will also say this was my second visit, as the food was so delicious.
La Pergola
This restaurant and jazz café is found on the rooftop of Riad Monceau, right off the Jemaa El-Fnaa Square. You definitely need to book ahead, but it’s completely worth it! We enjoyed some incredible falafel starters and a Medina Poke bowl that was absolutely incredible! Sitting on the rooftop enjoying lovely cocktails, delicious food and listening to live jazz made for a perfect evening.
Le Tanjia Oriental
This restaurant is found in the Place des Ferblantiers, and offers both rooftop and courtyard seating with some gorgeous ambiance. We chose this as it was quite close to our riad and had a good selection of veggie options.
Kosy Bar
This is a rooftop bar found in the corner of Place des Ferblantiers about 10 mins from the centre of the Medina. They do serve food here but we chose to enjoy some cocktails and watch the sunset.
Shtatto
We stumbled across this rooftop café after our visit to the Ben Youssef Madrasa and thought it was such a hidden gem. This place is quite popular but seems to get customers in and out quite quickly so we lucked out and didn’t have to wait long! There is no alcohol served here but wonderful coffees and some tasty nachos with homemade tortilla chips! This Texan was very happy to enjoy these!!
What to see
Many people use Marrakech as a hub for exploring areas outside of the city, but there is actually plenty of things to see and do while in Marrakech. We used our two days here to make the most of the city.
Bahia Palace
The Bahia Palace, whose name means brilliance, is quite new, having only been built in the 19th century. It was set up by Sid Moussa, grand vizir of the sultan, for his personal use, and was intended to be the greatest palace of its time. It was used as the Royal Palace when Morrocco gained its independence from France in the late 1950s and was subsequently transferred to the Ministry of Culture to be used a tourist attraction.
As part of the visit, you will be able to explore the many rooms and courtyards with intricate mosaic floors and doorways. It’s a beautiful example of Islamic and Moroccan architecture. The gardens throughout were built in the traditional style with orange trees and splashing fountains. Rooms that lined the gardens have colorful stained-glass windows create colorful patterns when the sun hits. I would recommend arriving to the palace as soon as it opens before the main crowds arrive, so you can enjoy the visit without having to compete for space and photos as you go through.
This 16th century palace was built during the height of the Saadian dynasty, by the Sultan known as the golden king. With its many rooms and gardens constructed of the finest materials such as gold, onyx, Italian marble, it was once home to the Sultan’s harem which was over 500 women!
The palace is now in ruins, but you can still discover the remains of the many rooms that were found throughout. Some great examples of the colorful mosaic floors are still partially intact. The inner courtyard consists of one large pool which provides amazing reflections of the large red stone arched doorways. Along the outside walls on the remaining pillars, you’ll see large nests occupied by storks that often chatter to each other. A visit to this palace costs 70 MAD a person and will need to be paid in cash. You can expect to spend about an hour wandering around the palace and gazing at this once lavish complex.
These tombs are tucked behind the Kasbah Mosque and could be easily missed if you aren’t looking for them specifically. They date back to the time of the Saadian dynasty, particularly to the reign of Ahmad al-Mansur (1578–1603), who was noted as one of the most powerful and wealthy of the Saadian Sultans. The complex contains the tombs of the Sultans, their wives and family members. Outside in the gardens, are tombs of many of the Sultans’ soldiers and servants as well.
The highlight of the visit here is the view inside The Chamber of the Twelve Columns, with its incredible design and the exquisite intricate detail found in western Islamic and Moorish architecture. There is a small doorway that leads into this chamber , providing a view into the main chamber and a glimpse into the adjoining chambers. As the doorway is so small you may find there will be a queue of visitors lined up to wait their turn to peek inside. Don’t be put off by this as it does move quite quickly and it is worth the wait. There is another small burial chamber to view as you walk through the gardens, but the overall complex is small and won’t take too long to visit and see everything.
I have to say this is one of my favorite sights in Marrakech. It’s an historic Islamic college that dates to the 14th century and was at one time the largest Islamic school in North Africa. It is now a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the most visited places in Marrakech. I might be a bit biased here as I absolutely love Moroccan architecture, but I think there is no better example of that then the Ben Youssef Madrasa. The inner courtyard walls are lined with colorful tiles placed in geometric patterns which complement the beige walls with all their hand carved designs. You will also find a pool in the center of the courtyard, providing beautiful reflections of the arched doorways and surrounding colors. The feel here is just so peaceful, well… apart from the vast number of tourists, that it’s hard to not just spend hours here in awe of the beauty that surrounds you.
No visit to Marrakech would be complete without visiting these beautiful gardens. This 2-acre garden is a botanical wonder with approximately 3000 species of plants and flowers to see and explore. The gardens were created by French artist Jacques Majorelle in the 1920’s after a convalescence in Morocco where he fell in love with the city’s vibrant colours and people. He initially purchased the property to build a traditional house in the Moroccan style, and gradually purchased additional land surrounding it, creating the gardens you see now, which became his life’s work.
As you walk through the complex and the gardens it’s hard not to miss the distinctive intense blue colour that is found throughout. This colour has been trademarked Majorelle blue by the garden’s creator. The property was purchased in the 1980’s by French designer Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Berge, who restored the property. I advise to book your tickets ahead of time and if possible, get a time slot at the beginning of the day or last slot of the day. Due to popularity, admission is limited to a certain number of tourists per time, so it can get quite crowded. Despite the crowds, it’s simply a must see and you can take your time to wander around and enjoy the beauty surrounding you. We even managed to walk around the whole complex twice – attempting and thankfully managing to get a few incredible pictures with no one around!
This was my second trip to Marrakech and knowing that I only had 2 days to spend I decided to focus on seeing the sights and enjoy just being in Marrakech, and honestly, I’m sure I could have filled another entire day with more things to see and do in the city. The city provides no shortage of amazing food, warm friendly people, and interesting sights.
If you are in Marrakech longer, I would recommend booking a day trip whether that be out to the Atlas Mountains, a hot air balloon ride over the city or enjoying a camel ride or dinner in the desert. There are plenty of options for excursions, so all just a matter of preference.
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