Please tell me about Marrakesh!

[Thingsthatgo]

We are going to Marrakesh in October. We have been given the holiday as a birthday gift from family and I am so excited! What do I need to know? (I am not widely travelled!).
Do I need to cover up? And my 12 year old DD? I think I need some jabs, and I need to sort insurance.
What else? DC’s passports run out in March, is that ok? Gives us a clear 3 months.
Tell me all the things that I might not have thought about!!

Everyone I’ve ever known has hated it and said never again!

Marrakesh is fab, just go with an open mind, and don't expect it to be like Europe.
Yes, dress modestly in public - you'll be OK in swimwear by a hotel pool.

If you are fussy about "hygiene", then broaden your horizons!

Surely you need 6 months on your passports?

Embrace the different culture and you'll have a brilliant time.

A pp did bring up a good point. Someone with reasonable french is helpful.
We wandered late at night, ate in the Medina, didn't do guided tours in the souks and stayed in a bit of a down market hotel.
We didn't get ill or have any bother - I feel less safe in London!
I do honestly believe that showing respect in wearing appropriate clothing very much improved our experience. I actually felt the men were quite respectful of me as a middle aged woman!
Can I go back immediately please? 🙏

Enjoyed it as part of a tour group. There's some really interesting bits like the traditional leather working area, which smells horrible.
When in the souk, stay on the main street or limit yourself to going into one side street at a time otherwise you will get lost. If you buy anything, be prepared to just take it once you've paid otherwise the traders need to pop next door for a bag/ paper/ whatever and lead you into somewhere else.
Keep moving unless really interested in something. Leatherwork is good, pottery is lovely. Don't buy expensive spices, they'll be ripping you off for being a tourist.
I would not have wanted to be in a female only group. Cover up. If you're blonde, you will get worse harassment.
I would try to find a reputable tour company.

It’s a love hate thing. I was there 20 years ago and it might have changed since. I loved it, it felt magical, BUT it was also hard work. We experienced quite aggressive sale techniques. Not by the official sellers in the souks who were all quite nice and polite, even though they push for a sale, but on the street. Like a PP said, we also got an unwanted henna tattoo just put on our hand and then they demanded 100 € for it. We kept our valuables well hidden but carried a small handbag with change, and handed out this change when needed to escape a situation.

Like a PP said, we also got an unwanted henna tattoo just put on our hand and then they demanded 100 € for it. We kept our valuables well hidden but carried a small handbag with change, and handed out this change when needed to escape a situation

I genuinely think that wouldn't happen now. The fine for hassling tourists and the automatic assumption of guilt, makes it not worthwhile to any local.

The tourism police van is parked on the square 24/7 so if anything like that henna trick happened, all you'd have to do is walk up to the van and report it.

We loved Marrakech too. We had booked a balloon trip but it got cancelled due to bad weather, such a shame.

Go here, have breakfast and watch the main square https://maps.app.goo.gl/gnv62FhXeg546N828?g_st=ic

Wonder through the Souks, haggle, buy pottery and lamps!

Book ahead for https://maps.app.goo.gl/w7G5SpteZF2DRG579?g_st=ic

I did not find it a dangerous place, however if someone helps you with anything including directions they will want paying!

I went a few months ago. Didn’t love it but didn’t hate it either. I’ve travelled quite a bit but my teenager who hasn’t found it a bit of a shock.

The traffic is dreadful….

We stayed outside the centre so we had to take taxis to get there but had a break from the intensity (and smells) of the centre. We did a few things like an organised city walking tour, day in tbe desert and also booked some nicer restaurants for one evening.

I wouldn’t rush back as I didn’t think there was that much to see but I wouldn’t turn a free trip down either!

It's a mad place!
We stayed inside the Medina which was a really nice place. The narrow passageways have motorbikes as well as pedestrians squeezing through so watch out. As always, keep your valuables safe, and keep your shoulders covered. We were told to keep walking and don't stop at all the first time you go through the market. Then on the second day, when you're a bit more familiar, then you can try and haggle to purchase stuff.
We didn't have any injections, but check the passport requirements.
There is animal abuse in the main square.

We have been about 3 times over the years, its a mixed bag, hassle can be totally horrendous, friend refused to leave hotel room for few days as had blond hair and local lads decided he was jewish so spat at him etc...got locked into carpet shop and had to pretend to vomit into a bag to get let out etc..gardens are lovely and worth a trip, i wouldnt go back, only went as super cheap deals with flight and hotel, essaouria is much better and no hassle etc. friends love marrakesh but stay in a 7 star gated resort and never leave it !!

So many mixed reviews gah

There are far nicer places tbh I wouldn’t go back to Marrakesh unless I wanted a fly and flop in a luxury hotel and never left the compound . The weather was good .

For the poster who says tourists wouldn't be hassled now, we went at Christmas and we definitely were (family group). Can't recall seeing the police.

Positives - riad in the medina was beautiful, sunrise balloon trip was fabulous.

Negatives - everyone appeared out to scam us. Family member had their wallet stolen by a staff member on a tour (was "found" the following day with everything except the cash). People trying to give us directions, pull you into a shop, show you something, add things to a bill. Even riad changing cost of airport transfer after reservation. Have never felt so on edge. Souks are just selling fake branded goods now and quite touristy leather / pots etc. Food isn't great, lots of riads / restaurants don't serve alcohol.

To the poster saying its only people who haven't travelled widely who'd feel like this - no.

Go prepared OP, I feel like its somewhere I wanted to try but I won't go back.

Essaouira is much nicer but I liked Marrakesh - my DH hated it. Not sure I would take my blonde DD16 there though.

I've been to Turkey, Egypt, India etc so no stranger to challenging places but Marrakesh just sounds like hard work

Agree with this.. it’s a great place to visit, when I went I didn’t get harassed or pressured to buy anything

Nope.

Scared every time we left the hotel. Then got awful food poisoning from the hotel.

Ive travelled all over Morocco and the MIddle East as a solo female. Including Iran and Syria. Its fair to say that I wore long loose gowns and covered my hair up. One man did follow me in the soukh at Marrakech so I went into a cafe. He was hanging about outside so I told the cafe owner. He got his male relative to escort me to the taxi rank and shoo him away. That's the only time Ive had minor trouble in an Islamic country. Marrakech can be very intimidating if you dress like a tourist. I only stopped travelling when I got mobility issues but I would go again tomorrow otherwise.

I went last year for 5 days and loved it. We broke the time up with:

• whole day trip to Ouzoud waterfalls
• hot air balloon at sunrise with breakfast
• quad biking/camel ride/mealnwith fire show and music/dancing

(All booked with getyourguide)

In between these pre arranged trips we visited:

• YSL Garden (book in advance)
• Jardine Garden
• Palace
• souks
• college

And ate lots of bread. Bread with everything!

No low cut tops, short shorts.
Alcohol is limited and expensive.
Dont stop on the square or take pics if you arent willing to part with cash.

Check you are up to date with rabies, tetanus and hep jabs.

To us (two women travellers) the city felt surprisingly safe. Opposite of what we thought.

That's untrue. I've travelled extensively in all sorts of non Western countries and I too, thought Morocco was unpleasant and unsafe, especially as a female.

I was travelling with a male friend, covered up, took all the advised precautions and was still hassled/harassed and spat at.

There were a few good moments and we laugh looking back, but omg, I'd never put myself through thst again. Very hard work.

I'd rather stay at home than go there

How would a young tween/teen girl get on? My daughter is pale, green eyes, long curly blonde/brown hair. Would she get grabbed and pulled at? Me and my husband have travelled all over and experienced all sorts - but as adults. Our kids have only been to Europe, so this would be a culture shock.
My teen son is autistic, would he be grabbed and spoken to or generally left alone?
They both love visiting new places and learning about history and culture so I think they'd love it but I'd be worried they'd also find it overwhelming in different ways.

I wouldn’t risk travelling on passports with only 3 months left. I’m not sure about Morocco but many countries wouldn’t accept 3 months on a passport.

Marrakesh itself is lovely, but prepare to be harassed, even grabbed. You need to have your wits about you and stick together. Be careful standing and watching any street performers as they will expect to be paid. Unofficial guides will try to adopt you and expect to be paid, they can be very hard to shake off. You must be firm (but kind). The Atlas Mountains are fantastic if you’re able to travel

OP has not come back. If she is staying in one of the European/US owned hotels outside the city most of the advice here won’t be necessary unless they plan to go into the city outside a guided tour ( and I really wouldn’t recommend doing it alone).

I loved it and will go back at some stage, it is intense so if you are able to match it with a stay further out do, we stayed in The Atlas Mountains and completely decompressed.

Shake off any English reserve and practice a polite but firm no thank you and keep walking. They can’t hassle you if you keep moving.

I bought two pairs of the most fabulous leather flip flops which I still wear to this day from a tiny shop in the souk. The pottery bowls are fabulous and they will carefully wrap them for you to transport if you ask.

The night market in the medina is fabulous and the food amazing. There was the most wonderful roof top cafe where you can while away a very pleasant hour or so taking in the medina from above.

Enjoy it is a fabulous place.