Know before you go : Marrakesh Edition

In this article, I’ll make an overview of everything useful to know before going to Marrakesh, including some travel tips.

You’ll find : 

Marrakesh is a city located in central Morocco at the foot of the Atlas Mountains. The country shares borders with Algeria and Mauritania.

The capital of Morocco is Rabat, and Marrakesh is the fourth largest city in Morocco. The city is located inland, south of Rabat and Casablanca

Marrakesh is nicknamed “the red city” or “the ochre city” in reference to the red color of many of its buildings and houses.
The medina (old town) is the heart of Marrakesh.

The city covers 230km² and Marrakesh’s population is around 930 000.

The best time to visit Marrakesh and Morocco would be either : 

• Spring : March through May
• Fall : September through November

We went in October and it was a great weather (max 28 degrees). I absolutely do not recommend trying to come in July or August as the temperature are really, REALLY high.

The currency in Marrakesh is the Moroccan Dirham (MAD) and the current exchange rate (February 2025) is 1 MAD equals 0,09 €.

Some restaurants and museums accept the card for paiements, but I strongly recommend withdrawing money (you can go at Societe Generale near Jemaa El Fna for a better conversion rate).

The prices for restaurants really vary depending if you go to touristy areas or more local places.

As we prefered to try local food (tajine, couscous…), the restaurants we went to weren’t expensive (between 7-10€ per person each time).

Regarding the places to visit such as the various gardens or the different palaces, the entrance was 6-8€ for people younger than 25, otherwise around 10€.

Regarding accomodations, you can find most Riad in the medina around 50€ per night for two people.

Clothing : I would suggest packing first a hat or a cap as well as sunglasses and sunscreen because the sun is always strong in Marrakesh.

I also recommend bringing pants that cover your knees (women AND men) and shirts covering your shoulders. But choose light ones to handle the heat. 

If you plan on spending a night in the desert, bring a sweater because the temperature can drop there.

For women, you can bring a headscarf in case you want to visit the mosque. 

Adapter: Slovenia uses Type C and F power outlets, like most European countries. Travelers from outside Europe will need a plug adapter. A power bank is also handy for keeping your devices charged during a long day of exploration !

There’s so much to bring back from Marrakesh ! 

Traditional items : When exploring the different souq, you’ll come across really cute tableware (plates, bowls, trivets…), but also you can find a lot of lamps, pottery, carpets, cushions, and every decoration you can think of !

Food and drinks : In the souks, you can buy all the spices you can think of (curry, Ras al Hanout, saffron…). The tea is also a great thing bring back, especially mint tea or berber tea.

The official language is Arabic (Modern Standard Arabic), but the most commonly spoken language is Moroccan Arabic (Darija). French is also widely spoken, and English is growing in popularity as well.

Here are a few Moroccan Arabic (Darija) phrases that might come in handy:

Hello: as salamou aleykoum [as-sah-lah-moo ah-lay-koom]

Thank you: choukran [shoo-kran]

You’re welcome: bla jmil [bila jameel]

I (don’t) understand: afham / la afham [af-ham / lah af-ham]

Sorry: asf [as-saf]

My name is…: Ismiyti… [is-mee-tee]

Yes / No: Wakha / La [wakh-ah / lah]

As we came from France, our mobile plan did not included internet and calls in Morocco. 

When you arrive at the airport you can buy a SIM card at Maroc Telecom (a blue and orange SIM card), they have great data plan for tourists and it’s not expensive at all.

If I had to highlight one advice among all my marrakesh travel tips it would be to buy a data plan and use Google Maps. You get lost all the time in the little streets of the Medina !

If you are planning on visiting only Marrakesh, you absolutely don’t need a car. But if you plan to visit more of Morocco, I saw great deals on Kayak or RentalCars.com.

There’s a lot of things to see in Marrakesh ! You can spend a day in visiting the palaces, wander in the souks, spend a morning at Jardin Majorelle …You won’t be bored a second !

Here’s a list of the best things to do in Marrakesh :

That’s it for my Marrakesh travel tips ! To have a lot more information and pictures about these places, you can read my ultimate Marrakesh itinerary.

I have also made a detailed post about the best palaces to visit, one about the food specialties to try out and another one about the Jardin Majorelle.