Solo travel in Marrakech can feel like a daunting task. It may seem like a risky affair, but is it? Traveling solo in Marrakech isn’t inherently dangerous, but it is exhausting.
A walk through the winding streets of the Marrakech medina is a sensory overload. Peculiar, picturesque scenes around every tiny corner are distracting. The intoxicating smell of Moroccan food, in all of its underrated glory, combined with whiffs of (what I assume is) sewage or donkey excrement, adds another level of intrigue. The sound of motorbikes, construction, music and, of course, touts yelling at passing tourists adds another layer to the complex nature of Marrakech.
All of this may seem overwhelming for someone considering a solo travel adventure to Marrakech, but there are still plenty of reasons to visit Morocco’s popular tourist city. The city has a long history, beautiful buildings, great food and remains a solid budget travel destination. Here’s everything you need to know about solo travel to Marrakech, from popular attractions worth a visit to eating, shopping and avoiding scams:
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Tourist Highlights
Jemaa el Fna
Jemaa el Fna is the center of tourism in Marrakech. This is the main square in the medina (a ‘medina’ is the name for the old city in North Africa). Every visitor to Marrakech will find Jemaa el Fna, likely sooner than later.
The only reason to visit this main square is to see it. There isn’t any significant history here, and it isn’t the most picturesque scene in town. That being said, a visit to Marrakech is not complete without a stroll through the square.
Jemaa el Fna is on every list of important attractions in Marrakech, but it should come with a special warning for solo travel. Solo travelers are an easier target for touts (aggressive salesmen) looking to sell anything and everything. There is also a plethora of scams being run in Jemaa el Fna – no, the nearby police do not care – and individuals need to be on high alert. See more on scams below.
My best suggestion for visiting Jemaa el Fna is to have a short walk through the area. Get a feel for the action at street level, then move on to something more interesting. If you wish to linger or see more, GO UP. Pick a touristy restaurant with a rooftop or balcony overlooking the square. The prices are higher than normal, but still cheap. They are also perfectly fine with visitors having nothing more than a coffee. In other words, you can get the view and breathe without ordering a full meal.
The entire square below is devoted to tourism. If you’re looking for Moroccan authenticity, it will not be found in Jemaa el Fna. However, if you find a rooftop, it is an excellent place to comfortably watch it all unfold below.
Solo travel in Marrakech is an exhausting affair, and Jemaa el Fna is the perfect example. Tourists have to be on high alert – the local man running my hostel/riad advised all guests to mind their pockets and carry bags on the front of their body – because Jemaa el Fna is little more than a large, chaotic tourist area.
Bahia Palace
Bahia Palace is the nicest palace in Marrakech. Much of the intricate, original design is intact. It is a beautiful palace and a wonderful example of North African architecture and style. This is the place to go to see stunning Moroccan tile work and astonishingly detailed ceilings.
The entrance fee is 70 dirhams (about $7 USD), a fair price depending on the time of day. This palace gets busy, so visiting when it opens or later in the afternoon are best. At midday, expect thick crowds and an aggravating number of wannabe Instagram models.
Bahia Palace is also a nice escape for a solo traveler. The grounds are well-protected, and no one will bother you within the walls. When you want to see something pretty and escape the hustle of solo travel in Marrakech, Bahia is a good place to visit for an hour or two.
Gardens of Marrakech
To the surprise of many – to the absolute delight of this weary solo traveler – Marrakech has some fantastic gardens. The gardens, many of which are essentially well-manicured parks, vary from free public parks to fancy gardens with an admission price of 70 dirhams.
The Majorelle Garden (Jardin Majorelle) is one of the most famous gardens in Marrakech. It is a small space featuring beautiful landscaping and a couple of museums, paying homage to its French creators and local heritage.
The Secret Garden in Marrakech (Le Jardin Secret) is not much of a secret, but it is a beautiful greenspace. This small garden also has excellent landscaping, but like Majorelle, it is very popular and often full of crowds.
Closer to the airport is the Menara gardens park. This park is a nice, open area with great views of the Atlas Mountains on clear days. Menara gardens is not as fancy as Secret or Majorelle gardens, but it is pretty nonetheless. And it’s free.
Near to the medina is another nice park. The oddly-named Cyber Park is a short walk north from Koutoubia Mosque. This is my favorite park in Marrakech. It is nice, quiet and free. Cyber Park is the perfect place to quickly escape the medina for some peace, calm and greenery.
The various gardens in the city offer a much-needed respite for the mentally taxing nature of solo travel in Marrakech.
Koutoubia Mosque
Koutoubia Mosque is the dominating feature of Marrakech, with its 250-foot high minaret visible from far away. The mosque is over 800 years old and is open to the public outside of prayer times.
As the largest and oldest mosque in Marrakech, Koutoubia is an important landmark in the city. It is also a good point of reference in the event your wanderings lead you astray. The interior of the mosque is nice, but personally the exterior is the more impressive feature.
El Badi Palace
El Badi Palace is another popular attraction for tourists visiting Marrakech. El Badi is older than Bahia Palace, but its age is clearly apparent – visibly old, not in a good way.
Thousands of tourists are drawn to El Badi Palace because it is on every list for top attractions in Marrakech. However, most of the pretty features of El Badi were stripped away centuries ago. As other places became more politically important, new sultans wanted to build their own stately homes. El Badi was dismantled and raided to build another palace, and the remaining structure is a lackluster set of walls and boring ruins.
The bereft El Badi today is a tourist attraction because everyone says so. Despite being an historic structure, it is not anything spectacular in its own right. I love a good set of ruins, but El Badi Palace is not particularly interesting or attractive. Save your time and money. Skip this attraction.
Saadian Tombs
The Saadien Tombs is another attraction you can skip. Like El Badi, people line up to visit the Saadien Tombs just because it’s on a bunch of lists. Well, I can save you some time.
The Saadien Tombs have some cool bits of Moroccan architecture, and same lovely designs, but that’s about it. The attraction is small and crowded. There are other places that offer better examples of Moroccan styles and beautiful local architecture that are larger and not as busy. Save your 70 dirhams and skip this attraction.
Museums
The Marrakech Museum (Musee de Marrakech) is, for some reason, often recommended to tourists. The experience is tedious for most visitors. For a museum marketed towards foreigners, it is only useful for French-or-Arabic-speaking individuals. Aside from the lack of information, the building is nice, but there is very little to see inside. Personally, I do not think the visit is worth 50 dirhams.
The Dar Si Said Museum is a much better choice for travelers looking to add a little culture to their adventure. This museum has beautiful mosaic walls, the always-attractive Moroccan ceilings and an interesting display of carpets. To make Dar Si Said Museum even more attractive, entrance is 30 dirhams.
Navigating the Marrakech Medina
Navigating the Marrakech medina (old city) and souk (market) is an intimidating task for solo travel. Jemaa el Fna, the de facto center of the medina, is a madhouse, but at least it is an open space. The narrow, crowded streets that wind through the medina are even more exhausting.
The streets of the Marrakech medina are a labyrinth, absolutely jam-packed and slightly claustrophobic. The same guidelines for Jemaa el Fna apply here in the medina:
- Hold on tight to your bags. Thieves in crowded, tight quarters are opportunists, waiting for a tourist to have a momentary lapse in judgement.
- Always mind your pockets. If you have anything in your pocket, make sure it is in a secure pocket. This is absolutely the kind of place to wear SCOTTeVEST travel clothing for extra security, peace of mind and an “anti-pickpocket guarantee.”
- Watch out for motorbikes, even though it makes no sense to allow them here. They aren’t likely to run you over, but they can and will sneak up on you.
- If (when) a shopkeeper begins to hound you to buy something, politely and firmly decline. Continue walking or simply ignore them. Touts in the Marrakech medina can be relentless. They have a sixth sense that knows when you throw even the quickest glance at their wares. Walk with purpose, discipline and determination.
Eating in Marrakech
The best part about Moroccan food is that it is delicious. I’ll be the first to admit that I found it difficult in the city to find something especially local and unique to Marrakech, but the basics do not disappoint. Another bonus of eating in Marrakech is that it’s cheap. Even the overpriced tourist restaurants are cheap.
Moroccan food is famous for couscous and tagine. The country also has a decent bread culture and some tasty pastries. All of this is great, but the “local specialties” I read about in Marrakech were either hard to find or not much different than the greater national cuisine.
So what’s good about food in Marrakech?
Tagine in Marrakech – more accurately, tagine anywhere in Morocco – is excellent. A tagine is basically a dish cooked in a clay pot. These clay pots come in various sizes, from individual servings to tagines big enough for a feast. In Marrakech, it’s hard to find a bad tagine. The abundance of local spices and vegetables assures that it’s going to be good. Personally, I recommend a lamb or kefta (Moroccan-style meatballs in tomato sauce) tagine.
Couscous in Morocco is not the couscous you’ve had at home. Moroccan couscous is a dish served with heaps of local, fresh vegetables piled on top of a mound of couscous. This is one of those foods that make me think vegetarianism wouldn’t be so bad. Of course, adding meat is always an option. I recommend adding lamb, as the drippings from the meat create an extra layer of savory bliss.
Moroccan bread ranges from pretty good to excellent. There are several types of bread in Marrakech, but the most common in my feedings was khoubz. It is a simple, round bread with grains or seeds on top. Khoubz is a staple of Moroccan cuisine, but it is mediocre. Other Moroccan breads, such as msemen (soft flatbread) or harcha (cornbread or kind of like a ground couscous bread) are much better.
Food in Marrakech is cheap. Prices are higher in tourist spots in and around the medina, but even the inflated tourist prices are fair. 50 dirhams for couscous or tagine is higher than the local price, but it still yields a huge meal.
Marrakech has a night market in Jemaa el Fna. Here you can find street foods that look and smell wonderful. And the prices are cheap, too! The hygiene standards are poor, though, so be careful what you eat. Apply the advice from this guide to safe eating in Southeast Asia before you decide to pig out on the streets of Marrakech.
Drinking in Marrakech
Drinking in Marrakech is fairly straightforward. The first rule is simple and serious: don’t drink the water. Unless you have a reliable filter or purifier on hand, bottled water is the way to go.
The most famous beverage in Marrakech is tea. Drinking tea is a huge part of the culture in Morocco. The common tea is green tea, often steeped with a bit of mint, and loaded up with sugar. Mint tea is not something I typically seek out, but not only is this the local way in Morocco, it’s pretty tasty thanks to all that sugar.
Thanks to the abundance of fruit in Marrakech, there is a lot of fresh juice available. The medina is full of vendors selling fresh squeezed orange juice and pomegranate juice. There is no doubt that this is a delightfully refreshing treat. Personally, I avoid these juicers in Marrakech. Some travelers may escape unharmed, but the juice flowing through poorly cleaned machines (if cleaned at all) is not so kind to many tourists.
Alcohol in Marrakech is a frustrating subject. It is technically illegal for (muslim) Moroccans to drink alcohol, so most of the already-limited supply is there for foreigners and tourists. There are a few places in Marrakech to have a drink, but these are typically hotels or riads. And the prices are high for substandard beer. Finding beer in a mini-mart or supermarket will be a challenge.
I understand alcohol is religiously taboo in Morocco. That is fine. What baffles and irritates me is that it is easier to find hash in some places than beer. It is often more socially acceptable to smoke hash than sip on a beer. That is absurd. However, despite the lax feelings towards getting stoned in Morocco, I strongly urge travelers to exercise caution regarding smoking weed in any form in Morocco. It is still technically illegal.
Scams in Marrakech
Marrakech is well known as a hub for tourist scams. These scams go beyond simply overcharging tourists for trinkets and other junky souvenirs. These scams are well-orchestrated and effective.
There are several common scams in Marrakech, and it’s important for travelers to be aware and prepared. The best advice I have for visitors is to not trust anyone. It sounds harsh, but tourism is the lifeblood of the economy in Marrakech. Unfortunately, there are many people here looking to take advantage of “rich foreigners.”
To avoid being bothered (as much), walk with purpose and ignore people who yell at you. Other prudent practices include carrying secure bags, minding your pockets and never flashing money.
For more specifics, check out this detailed post on scams and safety in Marrakech.
In short, don’t trust anyone who says that a road is closed. Always agree on a price before hopping into a taxi. And never take pictures of the “wild” animals in Jemaa el Fna, unless you want to make the dumb mistake I did.
Solo travel in Marrakech often involves being the target of a scam. In my experience and conversations with others, there’s hardly a backpacker or solo traveler who visited the city who was not the victim or attempted victim of a scam.
Shopping in Marrakech
In my view, there is a shopping advantage with solo travel in Marrakech and elsewhere. For one, you don’t have to wait on another person who may be drawn in by some silly little trinket. Perhaps this is my general aversion to shopping speaking. But, in practice, I find it easier as an individual to haggle with a salesman.
In Marrakech, the key to shopping is to haggle. The initial quoted price is ALWAYS going to be excessively high. For starters, never pay more for an item than you would at home. If a salesman starts at 200 dirhams, go low. Really low. Counter at 40 or 50. They will scoff at you, but it’s merely a tactic. Don’t pay more than you want or should.
These shopkeepers are pros. They do this almost every day of the year. If you want to score a great deal, don’t be intimidated.
Second, ignore the stories about how the particular object is an antique, of the highest quality or made by starving artists. Remember when I said you can’t really trust anyone in Marrakech? Well, this applies to shopping, too. The sob stories and incredulous tales of how this particular trinket came to this shopkeeper are not true.
The most important part of the haggling process is the part where you walk away. If you don’t like the price, walk away. Almost every time, the salesman will let you walk a bit, then come down on the price. I have personally walked out of a shop FOUR times because I refused to pay higher than a certain amount. In the end, I got (what I felt was) a good deal.
Don’t worry about the shopkeepers. They aren’t going to sell things at a loss. It’s all part of the process. Stay strong and have fun!
Is Visiting Marrakech Worth it?
In short, no. For the average solo traveler, I cannot honestly recommend visiting Marrakech. The attractive aspects do not outweigh the negatives.
Marrakech is not off the beaten path. It is a hugely popular tourist destination. If you’re seeking authentic Morocco, look elsewhere. For instance, one very talkative local waiter told me, “This is not the real Morocco. This is touristic Morocco – not good.”
As mentioned before, the touts in Marrakech are exhausting. It’s hard to understand how screaming at someone is an effective sales tactic. Nevertheless, they yell. It’s unpleasant, and so many tourists look pissed or terrified, yet the touts keep on yelling.
If you have respiratory issues, you may want to avoid Marrakech. Fumes, smoke and dust is widespread, and you can feel it after a few hours. Luckily, the parks offer a nice escape, and the air in Morocco outside of the cities is totally fine.
There are a few positives of visiting Marrakech. Flights are often cheap to fly into the city. If you like shopping and haggling, this is a great place. The city is also a great launching point for more interesting places in Morocco, such as the desert or the coast. I recommend that travelers quickly get out of Marrakech and find a better, more authentic Morocco.
If you really want to visit Marrakech, then go! But travel prepared. Rather than traveling solo, I believe it will be a better and more enjoyable experience to visit Marrakech with someone. Solo travel is great, and I absolutely loathe group travel; but there are some places where solo travel is not as enjoyable, and Marrakech is one of those places.
Transportation
Transportation in Marrakech is adequate. Inside the medina, there isn’t much need for a taxi or public transportation. The streets are so small and crowded that walking is likely faster than any sort of vehicle.
The airport in Marrakech is nice. It is near the city center, and, aside from traffic, it’s easy to reach. I prearranged airport pickup with my hostel prior to my arrival. It wound up costing about $10 USD, but I was happy to pay a few dollars more for peace of mind after an early morning flight.
If you’re traveling on from Marrakech, it’s easy. Buses and trains in Morocco are surprisingly nice.
Trains will comfortably take you to other big cities, and the train station in Marrakech is also nice. The area around the train station is different from the medina. It is nice, clean and calm.
Buses from Marrakech can take you almost anywhere. Local intercity buses are okay, but can be a little crowded. For a few dollars more – sometimes as little as 20 or 30 dirhams ($2-3 USD) more – you can take a much nicer bus. CTM and Suprabus are the more comfortable bus lines in Morocco. The buses are generally newer with WiFi and larger seats. Worth it.
Marrakech is an experience. Solo travel in Marrakech is an entirely different experience. There are moments of awe and excitement. The food is wonderful. The architecture is unique. Wandering the medina is even a little fun. The city has a wild, exciting and untamed feeling at times.
And then the bad. Solo travel in Marrakech means being a target. It means worrying and constantly being on high alert. Traveling solo in this city is exhausting.
I’m not anxious to travel solo back to Marrakech anytime soon, but, overall, it is a decent place to visit. I would happily return to the city if it meant continuing to another destination in Morocco. And I would welcome a kefta tagine in a heartbeat. When you go to Marrakech, travel prepared with an open and aware mind.
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