To ask how to fill 3 days in marrakech?

[Singingwiththepain]

Once travel restrictions allow and Morocco opens up again, I'm tempted to pay for my parents to visit Marrakech. They've talked about it for a while and I've found a deal with a fabulous riad for 3 nights.

I visited Marrakech a few years ago and really wasn't keen but they want to go. I spent most afternoons at the hotel pool due to the heat, but this riad doesn't have one.

So is there enough to do/see for 3 days? My dad is mid 70s so can't do loads of walking or visit a really hilly place.

Thanks!

Try TripAdvisor?

We stayed somewhere with a pool - which to be honest was nice so is there another deal somewhere with a pool? it's quite full no so it was nice to have somewhere to relax.

We also hired a guide via the hotel - which was fantastic - he was an economics professor and him and my husband, who is an economics nerd - got on like a house on fire. He took us on a very leisurely trip round the sites.

My favourite part was finding a seat with a view above the big square and drinking mint tea while watching the action.

Booking them somewhere good to eat might be a good shout.

We hired a guide but to be honest it’s the least favourite place I’ve ever been and I felt uncomfortable as 2 women travellers for the only time in my extensive travelling life. We saw the university, the mosque, the tombs but there’s little information to be had on those things. It’s not somewhere I’d go back to either and I LOVE travelling.

Its totally gorgeous but just check that the Riad is ok if your dad has limited mobility as we've stayed in a couple with very steep steps, low walls around the roof etc ect. The market area and old town is a maze but flat and reasonably easy to navigate and the main sites can be accessed ok. I did find it too much in the summer so maybe book spring or autumn. Our best stay was mid October. I think theres so much to see that they will fill the time with ease. You could easily spend half a day at the Villa Majorelle for example. Its easy to arrange a relatively hassle free taxi trips into the Atlas Mountains and there's plenty of desert banquet themed events if they like that sort of thing

One of the BBC Remarkable Places to Eat programmes is about Marrakech and probably worth a watch.

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000k4f1/remarkable-places-to-eat-series-2-1-marrakesh

Second the comment about looking for somewhere with a pool unless they're going at a cooler time of year, if there is one.

We went to Seville one April and didn't get a place with a pool because it added a lot to the cost and many were booked up we thought we were going in a 'pleasantly warm' time of year, rather than 'hotter than the surface of the sun' but there was an unseasonal heatwave that was basically July weather 3 months early and being able to have a cooling afternoon dip would have made a big difference to our enjoyment of the holiday.

Thanks everyone, really useful advice!

The Anima Gardens are well worth a visit. I was really impressed with them and I don't usually like gardens that much. Loads of interesting things to see. You could easily spend a whole morning or afternoon here, if not longer.
Plus there is the added bonus of a free shuttle bus which leaves from just behind the Koutoubia mosque, located in the main square.

www.anima-garden.com/

I wouldn't stay anywhere without a pool and as someone else said riads are often not ideal if someone has mobility problems.
We were there as a part of a tour but places like the Square, the Marjorelle gardens are my main memories, Jules Verne Grand Tour of Morocca mentions other places in its itinerary. www.vjv.com/africa-tours/morocco/grand-tour-of-morocco/#Itinerary
It is probably worth getting a guide, the riad should be able to help you

@BarbaraofSeville

One of the BBC Remarkable Places to Eat programmes is about Marrakech and probably worth a watch.

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000k4f1/remarkable-places-to-eat-series-2-1-marrakesh

Second the comment about looking for somewhere with a pool unless they're going at a cooler time of year, if there is one.

We went to Seville one April and didn't get a place with a pool because it added a lot to the cost and many were booked up we thought we were going in a 'pleasantly warm' time of year, rather than 'hotter than the surface of the sun' but there was an unseasonal heatwave that was basically July weather 3 months early and being able to have a cooling afternoon dip would have made a big difference to our enjoyment of the holiday.

I was going to recommend this programme as well, some good tips in it I think.

Well if they’ve talked about it for a while - why do they want to go there, and what do they want to do?

Honestly, I’d let them research it themselves. As they’re the only people who will know what will appeal to them.

I definitely wouldn’t book a riad without a pool though.

Oh I loved Marrakech after thinking i was going to hate it - I was expecting to be terribly hassled but I guess they've really cracked down on it and we didn't feel hassled at all.
Strolling through the souks and sitting above the square people watching are great - except where we sat was the one place we got terrible service and hassled for a tip for it! A beautiful restaurant we really enjoyed (but not at the square) was Limoni.
The Saadian tombs are beauiful, the Bahia palace is lovely, there's the madrassa (but it was closed when we were there) and koutoubia mosque (we had a lovely rooftop dinner opposite in a place we found on tripadvisor). We stayed at Le Riad Jasmine. Small pool, really beautiful, run by a lovely young French couple.

I visited Marrakech with a friend and was surprised at how little hassle we got, being two women. I think the city of Marrakech is a bit over rated, and depending on what time of year it might be a bit much with the heat; it was 36oc in the afternoons when we were there. Which was a bit of a struggle as we wore long sleeves and trousers when we weren't in the hotel.

My favourite part of the trip was when we went into the Atlas mountains in a jeep; there were options for limited walking if your dad will struggle. It was absolutely beautiful. We really wanted to return and do a walking holiday, but two women from Norway and Denmark who were camping in the mountains got beheaded by terrorists shortly after, which has put us off returning again.

I love Marrakech but a lot of restaurants and cafes are on the top floors of buildings with a lot of steep steps to climb so if your DF has trouble i recommend taking a walking stick to help. Wont stop me going back and i have bad knees. If they do want to try that restaurant mentioned in The food program they need to book 3-4 weeks before they go otherwise it will be booked up - i still havent managed to go yet!

I’ve been three times and loved it, the first time I went with a female friend, the second time with DP and DS and once alone with DS when he was 9.

I loved it.
My biggest tips would be to be firm with the hasslers, just say no, don’t smile and walk away.
Learn at least a little bit of french or Arabic, I speak fluent French and it definitely make a huge amount of difference to how you are treated, I also learned some basics in Arabic such as yes, no, please, thank you.
It definitely improved the service I received while there.
If you are going out and about in the city i would say it is essential to be respectful of the fact it is a muslim country and cover up, a long maxi dress, a light cardigan and a scarf to cover your hair when needed is essential, especially if you are blonde, my friend is blonde and she found that she was treated substantially better when she covered her hair.

For a three day trip I would probably spend the best part of one day getting lost in the medina and visiting the souks,
I would spend the other two days visiting some of the best and most beautiful places in the city,
Ben Youssef Madrasa, El Badi's palace, Koutoubia mosque and the Saadian Tombs (which are both next to each other) would be my top ‘must visit’ places.

We loved Marrakech, we took a tour up into the mountains in a 4x4 with a guide and we stopped off for lunch at a little town, was brilliant. We also spent an afternoon at a hotel with a pool just relaxing as we stayed in a riad. There is some beautiful gardens, not v big which were lovely to explore.

We did a food tour that was incredible, definitely a highlight. I enjoyed the peace of the YSL gardens plus there's an interesting Berber museum attached.

Oh we also did a cookery lesson in the kitchen of a Riad, then ate the food after.

I hated marrackech. I actually googled flights home the moment I got to hotel. The smell, noise, constant hassling, unable to get a taxi anywhere without being dropped off at the drivers brothers rug shop, I wore sunglasses everywhere to avoid eye contact with everyone. The rude restaurant owners shouting when we hadn't tipped correctly and the food positioning
only thing that made it slightly bearable was the pool at the hotel so booking one without would be an absolute no for me.

I've always been in October, it is a nice time to go. The Medina and souls are definitely fine to kill two days, if your Dad decides against anything else, other than a 4x4 trip. It's a shame that you went when it was so hot, you missed out on a lot. You are best checking out Trip advisor. There's loads of advice about tipping, even the tipping of toilet attendants. Where the western toilets are etc. I wore a maxi dress and kaftan the whole time, which was handy if it was only squat toilets, but your Parents will probably stay around were there are western toilets.

I loved it. Loved seeing the old buildings, walking and browsing in the souks (am totally unfazed by people trying to get me to buy stuff). We had a 8 month baby with us and omg it was like a passport to adoration. Bunch of street kids came up to us asking for money one evening, but we indicated the sleeping baby and they all smiled, apologised and tiptoed off.

Main tip would be don’t go when it’s going to be stupidly hot - that would be no fun! We went in February and it was lovely. I don’t understand the point of going to hot places when you are too hot to enjoy them. If you aren’t tied to school holidays, go at a better time of year!

Surprised by some of these posts; I loved Marrakech! We went in October and it was very hot but would be even hotter in other months, I guess.

We loved just wandering around the souks and absolutely adored the food.

We did a daytrip to the Ouarzazate (second largest waterfall in Afroca from what I remember, but I could be wrong), a couple of hours from Marrakech.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouarzazate

You could hire a paddle boat and there is a restaurant that made a Berber omelette (cooked in a tagine buried in the ground on coals!). Delicious.

Lots of films have been filmed there!

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