February 11, 20196 yr Heading to Marrakech in March with my wife and two BILs. I’ve been so busy with a house remodel that this trip seems like it isn’t happening. But it’s coming quick. Any tips or restaurants? Places to go and to avoid?
February 13, 20196 yr I'm interested in this topic as well. I'm heading to Marrakech for a few days in April. I plan on taking a day trip to the Atlas mountains one day. Half day tour of the Medina and other historical points of interest including the Majorelle gardens and YSL museum. Evening food tour in the Jemaa el-Fnaa Hammam scrub and massage. This restaurant looks interesting, https://www.alfassia.com/our-restaurant/ employs mainly women. I'll be staying in the Medina at Riad Les Clos de Arts. The Riad has been very helpful booking and planning some of my excursions. Looking forward to the trip! New continent for me.
February 13, 20196 yr its awesome. hit up the souks as much as possible. i stayed in the medina too, which was awesome the main square is amazing. go at night and eat there. like every night. i've never been anywhere in my life like that.
April 5, 20196 yr Author Lite recap. It was awesome. I learned a lot. The people were amazing. We went to the souks too much as far as I was concerned. The first days we went we had guides and we’re pretty much left alone. The next couple times we went (and at night) we didn’t and it was a different experience. I’m glad we went without the guides to get that experience, but it got old. Food was good. Atlas Mountains were amazing. I’m a rug collector now. My wife is a terrible negotiator. My BIL got so pissed at her it was awesome. Her “mom will like that, you should buy it for her.” As he’s trying to negotiate for it “she’ll love it, just buy it.” I thought about pulling her away but it was too entertaining. Buying the rugs was an experience in its own right. Store was Dar Mejbar. I had looked it up and read about 3 rug shops and the guide took us to this one. We eventually walked out after no deal on 3 rugs. Came back an hour later. We pulled them back out, changed some out. Ended up coming together on 4. If they would serve alcohol, they would have more success. Negotiating is a sport to them. Signed the rugs and they made it home a couple days after us. If you need a guide, Youssef was our favorite and I have his info.
July 27, 20214 yr After nearly two years of no real vacations, finally getting around to planning one in mid-September and thinking about Marrakech/Atlas Mountains. Tentatively looking at 3 days in Marrakech (looking for a very local Riad as opposed to a hotel), 2-3 days in Atlas/Foothills and 4 to 5 days back in Marrakech to just unwind and relax with soon pool time at one of the nicer hotels - Mandarin, 4S, Royal Mansour, etc. Anyone have advice on how much time to spend in the Atlas Mountains - 2 nights vs. 3? Looks like there is quad biking, some mild hiking/walks, etc. to do but wondering how difficult it is to fill 3 days there. Edited July 27, 20214 yr by Doug E. Fresh
July 27, 20214 yr We stayed at this riad in Marrakech: http://www.riadkniza.com/ It's just inside the walls of Old Medina, so all the old city stuff (souks, historical sites, main square, etc) is very walkable, and it's also easy to leave the walls to check out the "modern" side of things which you'll likely want to do for some dining options. We did the hammam experience on site which was really cool, and they have a nice rooftop. The owner was very nice and served as our guide on a walking tour (not free, but worth it). I would not say he helped much on the haggling front. That was left to us. That can get stressful, but we had fun with the experience for the most part. Last thing I'd say is 7-8 days in Marrakech sounds like a lot to me unless you really are just planning to sit by the pool for a good portion of that, or if you plan on doing a ton of shopping. We were there during Ramadan. I would recommend trying to avoid that. It's weird eating and drinking during the day in front of people that can't. We didn't go anywhere else in Morocco as this was the end of a month on the road (spent mostly in Spain), so I can't help with the other questions.
July 27, 20214 yr We stayed at this place outside of town : Sirayane Boutique Hotel https://www.sirayane.com/en/ a few years ago with the kids and we loved it. It wasn't in town but they had a shuttle when you wanted to go in to the Medina and het hassled to buy crap... Took the train to Casablanca to visit friends living there after a few days in Marrakech which was pretty cool as well...
July 27, 20214 yr 55 minutes ago, Rudiger said: I liked Fez over Marrakech. Also, avoid snail soup. It’s nasty. Agreed other than the smell of the leather tanning pits... The Roman ruins at Volubilis west of there are pretty cool as well.
July 28, 20214 yr I went to Marrakech in 2019 and stayed here, https://www.leclosdesarts.com/ just inside the medina. It was really nice. I enjoyed staying in the old quarter, but damn that place is a maze. Great experience though! The people whizzing by you on their scooters in the narrow alleyways takes some getting used to. There appear to be no traffic rules near the medina. Cars can be 8 across on a small street and you might have a horse and carriage on one side and a dump truck on the other. I only did a day trip to the Atlas mountains with a driver. Just stopped at various overlooks and took pictures. Also did a private tour of the medina, which was really nice. The Majorelle Gardens are worth a stop. Eat a bunch of weird shit! I used to watch Bizarre Foods, which did an episode in Morocco. I had my riad make me khlea (preserved meat) one morning for breakfast. Sheep's head, including the eyes, cooked right in the ground close the Jemaa el-Fnaa square. And of course a bowl of snails. I did a food tour through the medina one evening which I highly recommend. https://marrakechfoodtours.com/ I also did a hammam, which was a cool experience and would do again. You basically get a napkin to cover yourself. Have fun!
July 28, 20214 yr i was there 20 years ago so i am sure shit has changed quite a bit. i would add what another poster said - that much times seems like quite a bit. i would do like 4 or 5 nights max. If i was to do that trip again i would figure out how to buy and ship shit back with you. so much fun shopping there. i am sure with some google searching you can get some tips on what to buy, what not to buy, etc and end up with a fun time on your hands. in the area i thought that Essouira was the coolest place i went to. lovely little fishing village with an artistic culture.
July 28, 20214 yr On 2/13/2019 at 12:56 PM, staboner said: its awesome. hit up the souks as much as possible. i stayed in the medina too, which was awesome the main square is amazing. go at night and eat there. like every night. i've never been anywhere in my life like that. lol said the same thing re: shopping. just so much fun in the souks
July 28, 20214 yr Thanks for the feedback, all great stuff. We have done Fez before, around 10 years ago, so are familiar with the vibe (and chaos) inside the Medina. We are also looking into Essaouira or other beach area but haven't researched it much yet. The main goal would be to avoid anything that is a bit of a tourist trap (lower risk during Covid, probably) with pretty nice accommodation. I guess we need to decide how much pool/resort time we want in Marrakech as that will determine 4/5 days versus 8. Part of the goal of the trip is just to get away and unwind for a bit without being on the go and sightseeing all the time.
August 3, 20214 yr And Morocco just extended their curfew hours to 9pm. Time to find plan B for holiday travel. What a shitshow.
October 1Oct 1 Bump, headed out for Morocco tonight, here’s our itinerary over 13 days … Merzouga is a night of glamping in the Sahara. pretty stoked! Edited October 1Oct 1 by scramblyn
October 3Oct 3 First night and day in Marrakech … row of herb sellers, the mint was unbelievable. Side street in the Medina after dark no hustle and bustle here but the main thoroughfares were packed. Today negotiating for rug and leather goods at a tannery / co-op. And a picture of the tannery. Looks like slave labor and horrific conditions to be quite honest. finish with a busier night market street shot, and the stairwell and roof top restaurant we stayed at our first night in the Medina. First dinner was an unbelievable chicken and vegetable tajin. The chicken fell of the bone it was so good. people are kind and lovely at least those in hospitality but they do negotiate for sport. Let’s say I consider myself good at it, these guys are the top recruits for sure. Sheesh. We landed at about 25-30% off their ask who knows if we did great, we like what we got though. on the train to casa Blanca to start our trip, we finish back in Marrakech for two more days. I expect the tour we are with will not take part in Marrakech in as gritty of a way as we did this first day. Edited October 3Oct 3 by scramblyn
October 5Oct 5 I spent 5 days in Marrakech in January and the food may have been the best I've had in any country I've visited. And so cheap. It's very touristy, but charming. Just watch out for the idiot mopeds careening through the narrow lanes.
October 5Oct 5 On 2/11/2019 at 11:45 PM, kmac30 said: Guess not. Am I missing something? Let’s just say the plumbing on trains leaves something to be desired.
October 5Oct 5 We were in casa Blanca for a day and a half and headed up to Rabat then to Fez for 2.5 days. only mosque non-Muslims can enter in the Islamic world, it’s in casa Blanca it is huge and an architectural masterpiece.
October 5Oct 5 Do you consider Istanbul to be the Muslim world? Because I visited several mosques there. Beautiful as well.
October 5Oct 5 1 hour ago, seven said: Do you consider Istanbul to be the Muslim world? Because I visited several mosques there. Beautiful as well. Maybe it’s in Morocco then, or maybe it’s bullshit. it’s what we were told and I’ve seen many “non-Muslims not allowed” at others around here. Islam isn’t my jam and Morocco is my first predominately Muslim country to visit, though there are a half dozen others I would consider. edit - after further searching it appears he said or meant the only mosque in Morocco as several sources suggest or outright state it’s the only one in Morocco non-Muslims can visit. I’m sure exceptions can be made. Again, not my knowledge domain so it’s just what I’ve read or was told. Edited October 5Oct 5 by scramblyn
October 5Oct 5 Yeah it doesn't matter, and I didn't intend to "well ackshuly". I really enjoyed Istanbul, and part of that was the mosques. I had been considering morroco for a while and appreciate the thread.
October 5Oct 5 Total wild cultural experience at a rest stop headed to fez just now seeing the men and women using the designated sinks for ritual Wudu. Kinda wild actually.
October 5Oct 5 2 minutes ago, seven said: Yeah it doesn't matter, and I didn't intend to "well ackshuly". I really enjoyed Istanbul, and part of that was the mosques. I had been considering morroco for a while and appreciate the thread. Glad to be corrected and look it up. I don’t want to spread misinformation.
October 5Oct 5 Long travel day from casa Blanca to Rabat to fez in the Medina now at the Riad Fez a converted royal home turned Relais & Chateaux. Here for three nights. lobby pics …
October 5Oct 5 Side streets in the fez Medina off of which we find this spectacular gem of a boutique hotel…
October 5Oct 5 Roof top bar vibes (and muted sounds) with the sun down call to prayer from at least 3 mosques. Fez (Medina) is bitchin’ cool. IMG_7946.mov Edited October 5Oct 5 by scramblyn
October 6Oct 6 I don’t recall the name but there are some great Roman ruins about an hour west of Fez back towards Rabat.
October 6Oct 6 5 minutes ago, Grimas said: I don’t recall the name but there are some great Roman ruins about an hour west of Fez back towards Rabat. Volubilis
October 9Oct 9 On 10/6/2025 at 1:33 AM, Grimas said: and check out the Versace villa when you go back to Marrakech We did and then made it out to the desert … a few choice pics… the land headed to the ruins very much an arid Tuscany, cypress imported by the Romans and possibly the olives I can’t remember but in any event the ruins and the guide’s talk was impressive. We had lunch at a hotel out here, a relais & cheataux. Edited October 9Oct 9 by scramblyn
October 9Oct 9 I’m futzing around with iPhone pic formats and didn’t get some pics through the surly software… here’s the Tuscany-esque countryside and the hotel / winery and lunch…
October 9Oct 9 Medina in fes is unreal. You MUST get a tour guide. The Medina absolutely comes alive. we saw one of the oldest universities in the world, a Quranic university, had lunch in an amazing converted home, stopped at one of the tanneries, visited a primer rug co-op. We bought rugs in Marrakech which were really nice but there are museum quality rugs at this one. 14x16 rug we looked at was $22,000 USD (we had an Arabic guide who negotiated all our deals with us to avoid the white face premium). You can get rugs for much less but nice ones can run you a few thousands to be sure. We did not buy that rug for $22k lol. Edited October 9Oct 9 by scramblyn
October 11Oct 11 I’ll Photo dump from the Sahara desert camp and surrounding areas later, but dropping this Marrakech lunch spot for folks (we’ve come full circle), loved the food here … IMG_8277.mov
October 13Oct 13 Love music scene in Marrakech ain’t half bad either … and titties… Arabe Moroccan restaurant and jazz club. IMG_8249.mov Edited October 13Oct 13 by scramblyn
October 13Oct 13 Kabana for non Moroccan food was good. Interesting drinks and the Cantonese fried rice was pretty good, nice change of pace after 10+ days of tangine and couscous…
October 13Oct 13 Hotels… this one in Marrakech… another relais & chateaux just outside the Medina (like 5 min walk down the street and turn right).
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