Top Marrakech Attractions
Introduction of Marrakech
The edge of the Sahara pulses with unusual, surprising energy. Pink packed-earth palaces stacked against snowcapped mountains on one side. Sahara’s unending dunes to the other. Marrakech stands, an amalgamation of French, Middle Eastern, and African cultural influences that have stood for nearly a thousand years. Before we tell you the best things to do in Marrakech, here is a little history.
Founded in the 11th century by a huge confederation of tribes called the Almoravids. This confederation built an empire that spanned throughout West Africa and Islamic Spain at the time. The Almoravid’s military prowess and religious zeal helped them built an exceptionally steadfast empire. So steadfast, in fact, that they were able to found and build the capital hub city of Marrakech.
The first of Morocco’s four imperial cities, Marrakech once gave its name to an entire empire that surged from its influence. It has served as a military and cultural capital for numerous Middle Eastern Dynasties, alongside sustained occupation by both British and French colonists at various points.
The vibrant Jamaa el-Fna market square sits at the core of this city, nestled between beaten clay buildings that themselves sit within swaying palm trees. The 1000-acre Agdal gardens also sit near the city, an incredible monument to the horticultural ability of the city’s original architects.
These gardens maintained by an irrigation system and created all the way back in the eleventh century. Marrakech still carries with it this rich cultural history into the current day. A multitude of cultural influences can be seen when exploring the city.
This is not a city you can properly experience from behind the safe windows of a cab, looking on at the messy and beautiful day-to-day life from afar. It is a city that you need to wander through, melding with those around you, finding yourself lost in some tiny coffee shop overlooking the market square or stuck at the dead-end of some winding road, but still being able to appreciate the intricate architecture.
In fact, an entire section of the city is so ancient and precious it was marked as a UNESCO world heritage in 1985. This section is called the medina, and it is worth a visit if you get a chance. In this guide of the best things to do in Marrakech, we will guide you down those twisting streets.
First, we will look at what most tourists seem to think are top tourist attractions. After giving you a breakdown according to most tourists, we will take you through the important bits: the food.
The Best Popular Spots in Marrakech
This next section will outline some of the most flocked-to areas of Marrakech, choosing the ones that are of note and worth.
Some travel guides will admonish travelers for daring to even consider the well-trodden tourist hotspots of a city – this is not one of those.
Undoubtedly immense value found in the absent-minded wanders into the unknown throughout a city’s labyrinthine streets. However, sometimes the question “what to do in Marrakech” can be best answered with “visit the Atlas Mountains” or “explore the Jamaa el-Fna market square.”
Hustle and Bustle: The Jamaa el-Fna Market Square
This busy market square has not halted its commercial sensibilities since the 11th century. It hustled and bustled all that time, and still going now. Continue to do so long after you finish reading this article.
Sometimes also referred to as the Djeema El Fna square. Lined with Souk merchants trading in everything from basic every day groceries to the finest silks and textiles.
The market square often cited as the beating heart of Marrakech. It is not hard to see why. Voices call in a multitude of languages to the rhythm of constant footfall. With coin and wares being swapped and redistributed at the speed of thought.
Walking the market lines of the Jamaa el-Fna market square gives you a real sense of how Marrakech exists both in terms of tourism and authentic, local life. The two sit together in a restless, but comfortable chaos.
The unruly harmony of clashing cultures, ideas, and sales tactics make this the premier place to people watch in Marrakech.
As well as walking and sampling the wares, we recommend picking a coffee shop nearby, taking a seat on a second or third-floor balcony, and enjoy a traditional Moroccan mint tea as you watch this busy world pass you by.
Our only warning is that you may not even notice an afternoon fly past you at the speed of all the traders and people you watch making their daily living.
As such, a lot of local guides recommend looking for more out-of-the-way souk traders to buy from, as you will often get better value for money from them.
Worship and World History: The Medina and Mosque.
The Medina is a protected world heritage site, first enshrined as such by UNESCO in 1985 due to the historic buildings (famed mosque included) within it.
For a very reasonable price, the tours here will walk you through the storied paths of the medina. This tour is entirely complete with a guided commentary to explain the historical and cultural significance of your every step.
The journey begins at the previously mentioned Market Square and then pushes through into all the different areas of the medina. Concentrated in the market square, you are liable to find the occasional stall throughout the medina.
Recommended to avoid eye contact with stall owners unless you really want to buy something. As their impressive array of assertive sales tactics may be slightly disruptive to your tour.
There are two important mosques that this tour takes you two. One is the Koutoubia Mosque; the other is the famed Kasbah itself. Both have stood for a rumored 9000 years and are monuments to the cultural history of Islam and its global staying power.
The central spire of the Koutoubia mosque stands a staggering 290ft in the air, so join expert guides in this journey through the ancient history of Marrakech and marvel at its many heights.
Snow Topped Trek: The Atlas Mountains.
The Atlas Mountains flank the ancient city of Marrakech, casting an imposing shadow over the city and separating the sprawling Sahara Desert from the Mediterranean Sea.
Peaks of the range, including Toubkal, stands at nearly 14 thousand feet high, a towering defense that implies one of the many reasons Marrakech was such a desirable military capital.
Cultural groups that founded Marrakech, like the Berber, still thrive within these mountains. Exploring them is a fascinating way of getting to know the people who used to inhabit the great city.
If you are lucky, you may be invited in for tea in one of the many Berber villages. Expect to find homemade flatbread with butter churned from the neighborhood cow.
Best Places and Ways to Dine in the Moroccan Metropolis
If you are stuck for what to do in Marrakech, then an easy answer is always “look for some snacks.”
Marrakech’s rich culinary traditions could easily fill entire libraries of cooking books, so it is a great idea to sample as much as you possibly can.
The best advice for eating in cities around the world may be cliché – but it is true. Avoid tourist-filled areas, look for more secluded spots that you can see groups of locals visiting.
Even better, get a local guide to show you the best spots.
Find tours with great deals where an experienced local foodie will transport you around the hidden delicacies and taste bud teasers of Marrakech.
You will experience a range of culinary delights, from savory to sweet, from fine honeyed pastries all the way to saucy meatballs.
My mouth is watering just writing about it.
If you are ever stuck for food options, our advice is to find somewhere secluded and order the local tagine, flatbreads, and olives with some local honey. True ambrosia right there.