Let me just say this from the get-to: Marrakech might well be the most love-it-or-hate-it place in Morocco.
By that, I don’t even mean that different people might take a liking to it, but that you could end up loving and hating it about equally within the same trip. Depending on when exactly you ask, I myself will alternate wildly between completely opposing feelings on Marrakech — and it seems I’m not the only one.
While I think Marrakech is highly worth visiting, it’s important to know what to expect, as well as to arrive prepared with some useful tips that can help reduce potential frustrations.
And.. guess what? That’s exactly what I’ll be sharing here! Let me break it down for you.
What to expect from Marrakech
Marrakech can put a real spell on you at first, giving you a huge surge of initial excitement.
Suddenly, you find yourself dropped inside a seemingly infinite maze of little alleys lined with all manner of shops and market stalls. The smell of exotic spices and herbs hangs in the air while you can explore in any direction, not knowing what the next corner will reveal.
The Islamic architecture inside the palaces is utterly enthralling, the traditional tajines and couscous are a delight, and in many ways, Marrakech resembles the exotic Adventures of Tintin version of Morocco you may have imagined.
But in all honesty, the city also has a real way of overstaying its welcome. At least, this has been my experience, which seems to be echoed in a lot of the feedback I hear from other travellers.
After just a day or two, you might start getting a lot more annoyed. Why do motorbikes drive at high speed through little streets that should clearly be pedestrian-only? Why is it seemingly impossible to escape the oppressive crowds and get some peace and quiet for once? When will the salesmen finally stop trying to scam you — or just leave you alone?
I’ve now visited Marrakech twice about ten years apart. This has given me two rather different perspectives on the pros and cons of visiting this city.
The first time I was backpacking solo through Morocco and the city honestly didn’t click with me at all. I did like the beautiful palaces and gardens, but the pushy salesmen drove me absolutely nuts, I got scammed left and right, and I couldn’t wait to head back to the desert or mountain areas where things are a lot more relaxed.
Scams aside, the markets of Marrakech weren’t so compelling to me anyway because I had little reason to shop for anything — at the time, I was living in a 10-square-meter room and wasn’t really in dire need of a new tea set or rug.
In 2025, I returned on a family trip with my partner and our 3-year-old daughter. I was not on a budget backpacking trip this time, but on a holiday where I didn’t have to count every last dirham. This is when Marrakech proved to be a far better experience.
I already knew to expect the behavior of salesmen, so it bothered me far less. Since we had just bought a new house, we had plenty of reasons to stop by the little shops to look for some decorative items or ceramics.
Buying a pink djellaba, scarf, and a colorful hand-woven purse for our daughter was super fun and her completely Moroccan look made her an absolute favorite with the locals. Yes, Marrakech was still chaotic and overwhelming as always, but the vibes were on. For 3 days, I had a (mostly) great time.
Having experienced both sides of the coin, here are a few tips that may help you have a better stay in Marrakech.
Survival tips for Marrakech
Just have fun with the salesmen
My most important tip for Marrakech is this: treat the shopping experience as more of a game than anything else. Take it too seriously and it can be utterly frustrating, but take the pressure off and it can still be a wonderful experience — perhaps involving some scandalous prices or ridiculous haggling that you can tell your friends about later.
Just know that casually browsing is not so much a thing here. As soon as a salesman detects any kind of interest in their wares, they will be 100% on you like a leech. Learn to use your peripheral vision to scope out the wares, or simply feel free to ignore a seller’s initial approaches unless you’re genuinely interested.
Shopping in Marrakech is a bit like going to the casino knowing the house always wins. It’s often said that the people having the best night out at a casino are those bringing some cash they fully expect to lose. It’s a bit like that here, except in the end, you’ll still walk out with some bags of mint tea or a rug you may actually love.
The sellers are extremely slick and experienced so you’ll probably never get an amazing bargain, but let go of that expectation; you can still have a great time shopping.
Need a break? Find a rooftop
The crowds and chaotic traffic within the medina can truly make your head spin. But if you’re hoping to turn a corner somewhere and maybe find a cute courtyard or a calm terrace where you can quietly sip a drink for a recharge, that’s not so much a thing in Marrakech. (Essaouira is where you’re far more likely to encounter such vibey places at street level.)
The secret to Marrakech is that it’s actually a lot more vertically oriented than you may at first realize. To escape the madness, my advice is to look for a rooftop cafe or restaurant, of which there are countless all over the medina. Either look for stairs with signs beside them or consult your map for clues on where to find them.
Marrakech takes on a different shape when seen from above, as you look out over the layered roofscapes and see the minaret of Koutoubia Mosque in the distance. Best of all, the noise level drops by at least a few dozen decibels, and the air is fresher, letting you take a literal breather.
My favorite rooftop food finds in Marrakech
For traditional Moroccan food, I loved the rooftop terrace of Café Restaurant Dar L’hssira.
The multi-level Henna Art Cafe is also a fun and cozy place to escape the busy shopping streets.
For awesome African-Berber fusion, be sure to mark BlackChich on your map, where you can break the (eventual) monotony of tajines with maybe a Kenyan red curry or a marinated camel steak burger.
These are just a few examples, and you’ll no doubt discover many of your own.
Bring a map not to get lost
Speaking of maps, having one on your phone is definitely recommended before you dive in. If you won’t have mobile data while in Morocco, be sure to download the MAPS.me app — a traveller’s favorite because of its excellent offline maps.
The little windy streets of central Marrakech can be extraordinarily disorienting. Many times you will no doubt end up stuck somewhere you don’t want to be. That’s all part of the fun of exploring, but it’s nice to know you can always pull the ripcord on your parachute and extract yourself from the infinite maze if needed.
Just one thing: don’t rely on locals to show you the way. There are a lot of scammers who will pretend to help you or even personally guide you and then extort you for unreasonable amounts of money. These ‘fake guides’ are a known issue in Marrakech and should be avoided.
Enjoy the random exploration, but make sure you can find your way out on your own. If you’re staying within the old centre, be sure to carefully mark the location of your hotel.
Definitely stay in a calm Riad
And this brings me to your choice of accommodation. Marrakech can bring a lot of sensory overload, so it’s a good idea to have a tranquil oasis to retreat to.
Doing so will really balance out the experience and make this city far more tolerable.
Your best option is to stay in a traditional riad, which is a kind of mini-palace built around a central courtyard.
Their inwardly focused design (following Islamic principles) makes them almost like a little world hidden inside the big city — and stepping through the front door is a bit like stepping through a portal.
The home-like atmosphere, utterly calm courtyards, and rooftop terraces are just what you need after a long day of Marrakech madness.
There are hundreds of riads in Marrakech spanning every possible budget, so to help you out, I put together a guide with my favorite riads in Marrakech. Not only will a stay in a riad add some calmness to your stay, but it will also add a traditional Moroccan element that is truly an experience in itself.
Jemaa El-Fna is overrated
I’m sorry to disagree with Lonely Planet here — who always seem to paint Marrakech’s main square as some kind of quintessential experience — but I think Jemaa El-Fna is one of the weakest aspects of exploring this city. I know this is more of a subjective point, but for what it’s worth, let me share my opinion.
Firstly, the animal attractions around this square seem truly from a different era, including snake charmers and chained monkeys forced to perform tricks for tourists. I’m really not a fan.
The market stalls offer buffet-style food here at night, which would maybe be a good backpacker option if it weren’t for the restaurant-level prices. The night market with its many lights does create a nice atmosphere, but I would recommend eating elsewhere, such as the restaurants around the square with rooftop terraces, or just elsewhere in the city.
I think the central square often attracts some of the worst elements of Marrakech, like dishonest sellers or unwanted attention. Yeah, it’s a ‘sensory experience’, but Marrakech offers enough of that already not to have to linger here for too long. Not to mention, it’s notorious for its pickpockets.
While waiting for my partner to finish some haggling at a market stall, I even spied one obviously scanning for his next target. Be sure to watch your belongings closely.
Be aware of potential scams
It’s an annoying reality that Morocco, in general, and Marrakech, in particular, is rife with scams. The good news is that if you read up on them in advance of your trip, you’re much less likely to fall foul and more likely to have a positive experience.
For starters, when using taxis, they will not always use a meter. If this is the case, my essential tip is to always suggest a price first (and make it as low as you can!) and not to wait for the driver to suggest one. If you get in a cab, just say “it’s 5 Dirham to such-and-such, yes?”, which is how you’re far more likely to get the fair price.
Always check the quality of any goods you’re thinking of buying. Morocco does genuinely have a good local artisan industry making leather goods, ceramics, rugs and other textiles, herbs and spices, and cosmetics like argan oil. However, some of it is clearly of lower quality, so it’s worth inspecting everything with care.
Some products are downright fake: virtually all fossils you see for sale are mass-produced, and almost all colorful geodes are either manufactured or they’re basic white quartz that’s been painted over. You can actually wet your finger a bit and touch one of the crystals to see the paint come right off.
It’s worth staying skeptical at all times and not to rush into any purchases.
With a baby or toddler? Bring a stroller
This one’s just for the parents out there. We were initially wondering if uneven surfaces might make a stroller impractical in this city. However, we were very glad we brought our compact travel stroller, which became an essential tool.
Experiencing Marrakech involves a lot of walking, which our daughter often needed a break from. More importantly, the stroller gave us a break from having to be super vigilant for any motorbikes or scooters speeding through the little alleys. Using the stroller reduced our stress levels from traffic tremendously and enabled us to be far more browsey and relaxed while making our way through the many souks.
Expect it to be very busy
Marrakech is not only lively with locals, but it’s also crawling with tourists, often in close quarters inside the palaces or pacing slowly through the narrow streets in the souks.
As long as you don’t expect to be alone and don’t have a chip on your shoulder about things being ‘too touristy’, you can enjoy Marrakech to the fullest. During my most recent stay in 2025, I didn’t find the crowds too bothersome, though after three days, I must admit I was getting eager to move on to somewhere a little quieter. The utterly calming seaside town of Essaouria can be the perfect antidote, but other small towns in the Atlas region will also surely hit the spot.
To a cynic, Marrakech’s medina may feel a lot like one big tourist trap. For a mustache-twirling travel snob (ahem) like me, it may not always deliver on expectations of ‘authenticity’, mainly in the local interactions that are almost always about money.
But while there are plenty of ways to frame Marrakech unfavorably if you want to, I will happily admit that Marrakech can be a lot of fun. It’s a multisensory experience you’ll not soon forget, it has some terrific sights (especially the palaces and gardens), some wonderfully rewarding exploration, and the city is ideally sited near both the coast and the mountains for kicking off a broader trip in Morocco.
Remember, you can ignore the sales pitches any time you want. Let the chaos wash over you and enjoy the stark colors and contrasts of Marrakech, a city unlike any other.
