Marrakech is the perfect spot both for those looking for a city-break and lose themselves in the souks and those looking to evade from the buzz and explore the Atlas mountains or the Sahara desert.
Those who choose to explore this vibrant city can walk through the Medina of Marrakech, or visit the Mosque and the minaret Kutubia, and of course museums and palaces such as Dar Sid Said or the Palace of Bahia.
Those who wish to explore the outside will find many daytrips to the mountains or the desert, where you will be able to have a camel ride or drive a quad through the dunes of the Sahara among other activities.
What everyone will want to see is the country’s most famous souk, the one in Jemaa el Fna square, where visitors will find a wide range of products such as clothing, spices, furniture and many more.
Walking through its streets is a true adventure!
This festival, celebrated since 1959 wants to preserve and portray the rich culture of the country in all its forms. The perfect event to get to know all about the music, art, cinema, gastronomy or the traditional jobs of the country. The event usually takes place at the end of June or beginning of July, the perfect dates to start the summer holidays surrounded by culture.
Usually taking between November and December, this festival created in the year 2000 is the greatest event in cinema of Morocco. Many local and international films and artists compete to become the best movie, or the best maleo r female leading role of the year. International stars such as Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Bill Murray or Jason Clarke, among others have attended the festival either as contestants or judges of the event.
The square holds the most famous souk. Portrayed from all angles by thousands of photographers every year, the souk in the Jemaa el Fna square has everything any visitor could wish to find. Getting lost in its streets means finding clothes, shoes, spices, food and teas, jewelry, furniture and souvenirs of all colors and sizes among many others. Furthermore, there are some restaurants surrounding the area, letting you enjoy the buzz from a more relaxed perspective.
Many tourist travel to the north of Africa and want, among many other things, to have their camel ride around the arid lands of the continent. The exotic conveyance, the most used by the locals historically, has nowadays become a touristic attraction itself. In the area of El Palmeral, in the surroundings of Marrakech, some daytrips are organized and camel riding is one of the attractions included. Some even include a transfer from and to the hotel.
These traditional Arab baths, where the steam and exfoliation are the key features, are also a meeting point, specially for women. Nowadays there are plenty of hammams for tourists, and some still work traditionally, and it is important to know the differences. The traditional hammams are usually close to the mosques and do not allow men and women to stay together. This is accomplished through different rooms, or specific schedules for each gender. Although they are not free, the entry fee usually costs around 10dh. Massages are not included and have a astarting price of 50dh aprox. The touristic hammams are similar to the SPAs we can find everywhere, and allow men and women to be together, very practical for couples. Their treatments and facilites are modern. These kind of Hammams can be found around Jemaa el Fna, and the tratments are significantly more expensive than those in the traditional ones, usually having a starting price of 150dh.
