Marrakech (Morocco): our travel guide and tourist reviews - 2021

We tell you about our vacation in Marrakech: from preparation to impressions.

Dates: November
Term: 3 full days
Company: 2 people

I studied Arabic language, culture, history at the university for four years. Was in the Arab quarters of Jerusalem and the workers' outskirts of Dubai. But even with this input, Marrakech managed to amaze me.

What exactly? We'll have to read the text. I tried to write it as interesting and useful as possible :)

Why did we choose Marrakech?

Such a photogenic wall - in the courtyard of the hotel La Sultana / "Welcome" tea
in our riad Riad Palais Sebban

We went on our own to Morocco and from Barcelona. Why? Well, because…

…We had:

• vacation of 10 days in Catalonia, which we know far and wide,
• long-standing desire to step on the African continent with at least one foot
• and a selection of cheap flights from Barcelona with Skyscanner

After typical European countries, we saw him ... a flight to Marrakech from the Ryanair low-cost airline for 4000 rubles round trip! From the fifth to the seventh - i-de-al-no!

True, the plane from Morocco to Barcelona was leaving at 7 am, and we decided to overpay 8,000 rubles and fly on an evening flight - in order to spend more time in Marrakesh. Looking ahead, I will say that we regretted :)

How to get there? Flight to Morocco

Arrived in Morocco with Ryanair low-cost airline from Barcelona

So, our flight Barcelona-Marrakech-Barcelona cost 8000 rubles per one. It could have been for 4,000 rubles, but you've already read about that. Likewise, you can fly inexpensively from Porto, Pisa, Madrid and Athens.

Ticket search engines help to dilute (and organize) European (and any) travel:

• Skyscanner
• Aviasales

Flights from Russia to Morocco are more expensive.
Good price for a round trip from Moscow - from 9,000 to 12,000 rubles... This is with a transfer anywhere in Europe. Now such successful tickets are provided by the Portuguese airline Tap.
There is a direct flight from our capital to Casablanca - it costs from 25,000 rubles, it is not Aeroflot that flies, but the Moroccan Royal Air Maroc.

When is the best time to go on vacation in Morocco?

Since Morocco is in Africa, and the Sahara Desert is nearby, then it must be incredible heat there. In principle, it is. Snow falls only in the mountains, and the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean cool down to + 16 ° C in winter. In general, the climate is varied.

Season in Morocco similar to the UAE... The periods when it is best to rest fall on:

• spring (March, April and May)
• and autumn (in October, November and December).

Temperatures are tolerable in these months - like on a fine May day in Moscow.

We were in early November. The weather in Marrakech, as the forecast convinced, was sunny. At noon, tourists walked in shorts (and I would have liked it, but limited myself to a dress)! But after sunset it became chilly, arms and legs stretched out for a jacket and jeans.

Still, rest in winter is more preferable here than in summer - it's better to sleep under three blankets than to wander around the medina at + 45 ° С. No?

Visa to Morocco for Russians

Visa to Morocco is not required, ordinary stamps are placed on the border

Need not. You can stay up to 90 days every six months.
By the way, if you are flying to Morocco from Russia with a transfer in Europe (for example, in Lisbon), then a Schengen visa is also not needed if you are not going to leave the airport.

How to get from the airport to the city?

In this matter, I rely on the power of Google immediately upon arrival. But the inexplicable happened in Marrakesh - the search engine did not give anything worthwhile. We tensed a little, but there was only one way out - and it was from the airport.

1. Taxi.
The first thing you see from the outside (and at which airport is it different?). A pleasant moment: the authorities, apparently, decided to curb the hot Arabian disposition, which, in combination with taxi driver habits, is simply dangerous for the tourist's wallet, and introduced fixed price for the trip.

In the afternoon:

• to Medina (old town) - 70 dirham
• to the area of ​​al-Nahil (Annakhil) - 100 dirham

At night (from 20:00 in winter and from 21:00 in summer):

• to Medina - 105 dirham
• to El Nahil - 150 dirham

2. Bus number 19.
Further, behind the rows of taxis (so that not every tourist will notice), there is a bus stop. Landmark - Hertz rental, right behind him.

The bus costs 30 dirhams for one. BUT: if you go back to the airport within the next 14 days, travel is free (keep your ticket). It works, we tested it.

Picks up and delivers from / to the following stops:

• Near the main square of Djemaa el-Fna, across the street from KFC
• Near the Station road to Marrakesh bus station (it is marked on Google maps), across the street from the park
• Gare Train ONCF, opposite the Marrakech railway station.

On the way back from Djem el-Fna, lay at least 40 minutes, traffic jams. Although the airport is only 10 km from the city.

3. Transfer.
I will explain why. If you can get to Marrakech by taxi at a fixed cost, then there is no written rule for taxi drivers from the city to the airport, and they can break prices.

In this case, you can order a transfer from KiwiTaxi (Russian service) in advance. They will be picked up from the hotel door and taken to the desired location. It is more expensive, but not critical - 16-20 euros for a car for up to four people, and 25 euros if the company is larger.

Lodging

Photos of our riad, I advise!

VERY IMPORTANT MOMENT IN MARRAKECH!
After all, a dwelling is:

- your refuge from hell from outside,
- your piece of oasis, where you can relax the whitened knuckles that gripped the bag, and breathe really freely.

Oh, without recommendations anywhere.
We were right with the hotels - both riads were excellent:

• Riad Palais Sebban - the first night we spent closer to the main square. Luxury by the standards of Marrakech, but it's worth it - the most authentic hotel, a continuous location for beautiful photos. Delicious breakfasts are included! It is downright tempting to come back here after a busy day in the medina.
  It cost us 7000 rubles / night
• Riad Spa Sindibad - on the second night we moved closer to the Majorelle garden so as not to take a taxi. This riad is simpler, but also cute. I liked the shampoo gels - a wonderful aroma :)
  It cost us 4300 rubles / night

By the way, the main problem of Marrakech hotels is a weak drain in the bathroom. And two minutes will not pass, as a pool is formed under your feet from what was washed away. And the shower device itself is strange, you will see.

But what saddens and immediately gives the impression of the country: you are a tourist, wandering through the labyrinths of the medina, looking for a riad without a sign or any designations ... "He's a heaven-sent chance to earn extra money!", Think Moroccans and turn into obsessive helpers. For money, of course. If you refuse, they smile good-naturedly and say, "Well, okay, your right, go over there, there is a hotel." And pointing in the wrong direction.
Sad. The attitude of the locals towards tourists can be expressed like this: "I didn't pay - I hurt myself."

Prices for holidays in Morocco - 2021

One of the nooks and crannies of the market in the medina

Another discovery was that this is not such a cheap country, Morocco. I did not expect to see a dish in a cafe at a cost like in Barcelona.

I talk about prices using the example of Marrakech, as the main tourist city, but in general, this situation is developing throughout the country.

Tour prices

I completely forgot to mention a less dreary and more organized way for Russians to get to Morocco! These are tours to Agadir, a resort town with sandy beaches on the Atlantic coast.

Tour operators offer a tour package from Moscow with flight + accommodation + insurance + transfer. You can view the options on online aggregators:

• Travelata
• Level.Travel
• Onlinetours

Holidays in Morocco in 2021 for a voucher cost from 90,000 rubles per season for two for 8-9 nights. Worthy.

Prices in a cafe

Tajine and veg couscous from La Cantine Des Gazelles / Mint tea at Café De France
overlooking Djemaa el-Fna square

In Morocco - dirhams. 1 dirham (MAD or dh) ≈ 6.5 rubles.

I'll start with "what to try?" These three positions are the most popular in Morocco and can be found in any cafe. And they should cost within the specified limits. Everything above is objectively expensive:

• Mint tea - 10-16 dh (65-100 rubles)
• Tagine with meat - 65-80 dh (420-520 rubles)
• Couscous with vegetables - 60-70 dh (390-450 rubles)

A joke that we heard 3 times: Moroccan tea is like Russian vodka, everyone drinks it! I mean this mint tea (on the menu it goes as mint tea).

• Shawarma in a stall on the street - 20-30 dh (130-195 rubles)
• Baklava - 3-10 dh (20-65 rubles)
• Freshly squeezed juice - 10 dh (65 rubles)
• Venti cappuccino at Starbucks - 30 dh (195 rubles)
• Cheeseburger at McDonald's - 13 dh (85 rubles)
• McFlury at McDonald's - 23-25 ​​dh (150-160 rubles)

In the medina (that is, in the old part of Marrakech) with a cafe not very much. They are concentrated around the Djemaa el-Fna square. Further, the square continues with branches of narrow streets, where they sell Chinese junk, smells of sewage and exhaust gases. Taking anything edible there is a bad idea. Yes, and on the square itself I want something tested stomachs of others.

Therefore, all 3 days we dined in one institution, drank tea in the second, bought desserts in the third. I share!

Where to eat in Marrakech?

• La Cantine Des Gazelles - oh-oh-very popular tourist destination with normal prices. The cuisine is both local and European. We took tajin (delicious with chicken!) And couscous as a standard - it cost 125 dirhams (810 rubles). I warn you: there are no seats in the evenings, they are reserved in advance. But from 12 to 14 - no one.
  The street where La Cantine is located is packed with cafes. Therefore, if you don't have a table in the evening, go to any decent looking one. So we sat down in Bakchich Cafe - less tasty, but once normal.
• Agnaoue - here in the evenings they took baklava ...
• Hotel Restaurant Café De France -… and went here to drink mint tea and meet the sunset with a panoramic view of Jemu.

As the sun goes down, the square turns into night markets. The Moroccans take out their pots and pans and begin to sculpt the crown dishes - both fried meat, and incomprehensible soups, and msemmen cakes (and this is like, but we tried them in the riad).
All this is accompanied by wild barking and grabbing the hands of any moving creature, so we did not dare to spy on the price tags. But for sure it's cheap, there are a lot of Marrakech people eating there.

* I advise you to book a hotel with breakfast, as restaurants and cafes in Marrakech open at noon.
** alcohol is prohibited in local cafes.

Food Prices in Marrakech - 2021

Went to the Carrefour supermarket and bought water, tangerines,
avocado, cream cheese and baguette

All major supermarkets are outside the old town. We went to Carrefour. In the medina, there are only small shops with prices "I am the owner, I will appoint myself."

Prices in Marrakech in the store:
* for rubles we multiply by ≈7

• Yogurt in a jar - 3-5 MAD
• Chicken fillet, kg - 66 MAD
• Snickers small - 5 MAD
• Slicing cheese, 100 gr - 10-14 MAD
• Philadelphia, 150 gr - 30 MAD
• Baguette - 2-3 MAD
• Potatoes, kg - 6-7 MAD
• Eggs, 12 pcs - 20 MAD
• Milk, l - 9-10 MAD
• Spaghetti, kg - 13-20 MAD
• Couscous, kg - 15-18 MAD
• Water, 1.5 l - 4-5 MAD

Alcohol is not for sale. Well, it's a Muslim country.

Fruit prices (per kilogram):

• Avocado - 13 MAD
• Mandarins - 6-10 MAD
• Garnet - 13.5 MAD
• Persimmon - 18 MAD
• Plum - 14 MAD
• Apples - 10-20 MAD
• Pear - 22 MAD

There is nothing unusual on the shelves. But at the checkout there is - plastic bags are not used in Marrakech! At all! Even the fruit is weighed in a paper bag.

What to see in Marrakech?

Majorelle Garden / Bab Agnaou Gate

I will list the must-see attractions in Marrakech and then give my opinion.
* mark on the map in your phone:

• Djemaa el-Fna square and adjacent market
• Koutoubia Mosque
• Bab Agnaou gate - the oldest entrance to the medina
• Tomb of the Saadites
  Entrance - 70 dirhams
• Ben Yusef Madrasah - now under reconstruction
• Marrakech Museum
  Entrance - 50 dirham
• El Badi Palace
  Entrance - 70 dirham
• Bahia palace
  Entrance - 70 dirham
• Majorelle Garden and Yves Saint Laurent Museum
  Entrance - 70 dirham

There is not so much to see in Marrakech, a tourist will say.

And thank God! - I will say. I remember only the last spot - the Majorelle garden - and that, because it is uninstagrammed and beautifully colorful.

We visited the Bahia Palace / We walk along the central square of Djemaa el-Fna

Everything else is ... nothing. Far-fetched. Far-fetched to the status of "attraction". And expensive enough! I am sincerely sorry for the money spent on the entrance to the palaces and the tomb. The mosaic of the random door on the street is more interesting than in the Bahia Palace. And in the labyrinths of the medina, you will find more exhibits than in the Museum of Marrakech.

But I understand where my gloomy impressions come from, they are from independence. It is clearly necessary to get acquainted with Marrakech with a guide - as enthusiastic Europeans, led by a guide, do. They will tell you about the locations, and contacts with the local population are minimized.
In Marrakech, surprisingly, there is a sightseeing tour (and more than one) with a Russian-speaking guide - on the Tripster. I love this service, it works even where you might not expect.

Djema el-Fna is the most unpleasant place in the city. Collected here:

A huge number of people in the square ...

• the lines of the people,
• annoying masters of henna painting on all parts of the body,
• demonic juice extractors,
• fortune tellers,
• beggars
• refugees pushing African shirts,
• craftsmen to play any instrument,
• snake charmers,
• excursion sellers,
• signaling cars and scooters.

Oh, here's a tourist wallet at gunpoint! Inflated entertainment all around. Most of all, balalaischiks and snake charmers are annoying - they will not leave behind to beg for money if the camera is directed at least a degree in their direction. By the way, the latter are a farce of pure water, they blow not for cobras, but for onlookers. The snakes simply have their teeth pulled out.

Excursion prices

Excursion to the Atlas Mountains

Where to go from Marrakech?

- Popular 3-day excursion to the Sahara Desert - from $ 120 per person
- Hot air balloon flight - from $ 200
- A trip to the Atlas Mountains with camel riding - from $ 20
- Essaouira in one day - from $ 30

Excursions from Marrakech are booked either on GetYourGuide or on Airbnb in the Experiences section. We used the latter - we took a day tour to the Atlas Mountains for $ 25 per person. The program included a lot of mint tea, camel riding, a Berber village, a Berber lunch (no satisfying!), Mountains, desert (but the dunes are not sandy, but rocky) and sunset. Good activity. Dispelled from stuffy in every sense of Marrakech.

Transport

How to get from the airport is already described in the corresponding section.

If you move around Marrakech by public transport, then the choice is limited in 2 ways:

• ALSA bus - there are several routes, we have not studied them. All a handful near the stop at Djem el-Fna, the fare is 3-4 dirhams.
• Taxis - you catch them on the streets, as usual. You negotiate a price, you haven't seen a taximeter. We paid 40 dirhams for a trip of ≈ 4 km.

For intercity there are:

- Bus CTM - tickets can be bought at the ticket office of the bus station of the same name. They, of course, have a website where online purchase is available, but our payment did not go through.

• Marrakech-Agadir - 95 dirham
• Marrakech-Casablanca - 100 dirham
• Marrakech-Fes - 75-125 dirham

- The ONCF train is more expensive, but more comfortable.

A separate item will go Rent a Car.

A popular activity in Morocco is to travel the entire country, capture both the coast and the main cities.
It's good that the RentalCars service got here, and you can rent a car in a civilized way and in advance.With the distributors themselves, Marrakech, I would be afraid to contact.

The cost of gasoline in Marrakech is from 9.75 to 11 dirham per liter.

Our tips and tourist reviews for Morocco - 2021

He is ambiguous, Marrakech: if you read the reviews of tourists for 2019-2020, you will be horrified. Unfortunately (or fortunately), we did not watch them and drove with expectations of an atmosphere like in a cartoon about Aladdin. Therefore, the reality turned out to be even more impressive :)

What do we recommend?

• In the airport currency exchange rate worse, but for a bus or taxi a small change is necessary. Exchangers with a favorable rate and ATMs are located on the Djemaa el-Fna square. Withdraw enough at a time because a commission is charged. And do not rely on card payments, even tourist cafes are not accepted.
• Take pictures in the main square carefully... And then some clown will stick, like you took a picture of him - which means, shell out the money.
• What's on dress code for girls? Basically, everyone in jeans-t-shirts or dresses below the knee and with a closed top. Some tourists wear short shorts, mini and leggings. But there are few of them. I recommend NOT to dress like this, if only to avoid drawing undue attention.
• Base French helps! More than once I noticed that phrases in French command more respect. Apparently, the associative array of Marrakesh residents is as follows: English = American = stupid bag of bucks = you have to inflate.
• Beggars everywhere. They brazenly pull at their clothes and whine, "give me a dollar!". Especially children. But I know how confuse them - tell "Ena talib (" taliba "for girls), lyaysa li dirham" - in Arabic it means "I am a student, I have no money."
• Here terrible air... There is literally nothing to breathe, the exhaust gases from scooters and rattlesnakes are very annoying to the nasopharynx! I thought it was so only in the medina - because of the narrow streets and stones around - but no, in the modern part of the city the situation is the same.
• Be careful with traffic. The fullest disrespect for pedestrians both in terms of the absence of sidewalks, and in terms of "I will not miss it !!!" from drivers at pedestrian crossings and traffic lights.
• In Marrakech many European tourists... French, Germans, Spaniards. Ask them for help, not the Arabs.
• About security - in general, it is normal. But in the medina, keep your bags and wallets tightly with you. The negative from the locals is felt, especially when you catch a heavy look somewhere in the alley at 8 pm.
• I would not go here with kids... With teenagers - yes, but with those in wheelchairs, no. Too hectic, dirty, there are no sidewalks for walking and entertainment for the little ones.
• What to bring from Morocco? We took only Argan oil (100 dirhams for 70 ml in the cooperative, where they brought them on excursions). Working oil is a great gift :)
• BUT: on the market in medina sell china... Marrakech is not the right place to shop for Moroccan products.
• How much did you spend? For 3 days, it took us ≈ 9500 rubles for expenses on the spot for two (food, transport, excursion, entrance tickets).

And the last thing. It is good to visit Marrakech "richly": stay in a highly rated riad, walk around the city with a guide. In order to see the picture from the side, but not to experience contact with the local life on yourself. Believe me, it's better this way.

Pros and cons

Looking for our riad through the narrow streets of the medina / View from the 2nd floor of Café De France

+ The season in Morocco "flourishes" when we have a slushy nightmare in Russia.
+ Delicious food (albeit annoying quickly) and this magical Moroccan tea!
+ Cheap fresh juices
+ Beautiful riads, unusual type of housing
+ Cheap flights from Europe
+ Well, you don't need a visa to Morocco

- If you estimate the prices for vacations in Morocco - in 2021 they are comparable to those of a European country!
- Terrible gas pollution
- Crazy traffic
- Dirty
- There are malevolent personalities among the residents
- You have to pay for everything. For advice or hint, including
- Sights (in our opinion) are about nothing. One day was enough for us. On the third, we just left early for the airport.

Would we return to Marrakech? No way :) But to the country of Morocco - it is possible. Still, the plan - to drive along the coast, to see those red rocks with arches, to stop by the pearl cities of Essueiro and Chefchaouen (the blue city) - still beckons.