Morocco was a dreammm. It’s a part of the world that gives an experience that you can’t describe unless you’ve been. I put together a few of my top to-dos hoping that it might help some of you.

Where we stayed

We stayed in the city of Marrakech at a hotel called Les Jardins de la Koutoubia. It was right in the middle of everything. The hotel had security, a nice spa, and multiple restaurants to choose from. The room provides a quiet place to rest at night but you are right in the middle of all of the action when you walk out of the lobby.

Things to do

Jemaa el Fnaa- If you want the real Moroccan experience… this should be your first stop. Fortunately for us this was immediately outside of our hotel so we went everyday. Jemaa el Fnaa is the town square / city center where everyone goes to hangout. I liked to call it the ‘North African food court’ LOL. There were a ton of music circles, snake charmers, and vendors for whatever you could think of. It’s extremely lively and you can’t pass up the chance to go BUT… it’s hectic. Be prepared to be harassed by people who want your business, or someone looking for their next pickpocket victim.

2. Souks- The souks are also right outside of the town square and can be described as an outdoor market. Here you can find spices, carpets, knock off designer items, and more. Its a must-see as long as you are careful not to fall into tourist traps

3. Caliche ride- We were a bit jet lagged one day so we decided to hop on a horse carriage and see where it took us. We ended up getting a tour of the city landmarks for a pretty cheap price. I would recommend doing this on your first day so you can see the areas you’d like to go back to.

4. Camel ride/ ATV excursion- We found a tour through our hotel that brought us countryside (about a 30 minute ride) and it ended up being the highlight of our trip. Most people think of camel rides when they think of Morocco but this went above and beyond. We started out with an ATV ride through the desert mountains (gear provided) for about an hour. The ride took us up to the top of a mountain where we found our camels (outfit provided) for another hour. After the camel ride, hot tea and treats were provided on site. After the ATV ride back to our starting point, we were taken to the most beautiful resort isolated in a gorge between mountains. This by far was the most memorable part of the trip. There are a lot of options out there depending on how long you want to be gone for and how many activities you want to do.

5. Tour La Mamounia- The most amazing, upscale hotel you will ever see in your life. This hotel is featured in films and gives off the luxury scene of Marrakech…. the total opposite feeling you will get from the town square. It’s good to see both! It’s free of charge to go in and look around unless you get lured into the Yves Saint Laurent store of course. It would be amazing to have a relaxing spa day at!

Extras
- Tour the Yves Saint Laurent museum
- Subsite the carriage ride for the hop on- hop off (2 day) bus pass
- Visit the Koutoubia mosque . You can find a small cafe to sit at and people watch.
- Have a drink at the rooftop bar at the Pearl Hotel Marrakech. You will never want to leave

Tips

Bring warmer clothes. It might be forecasted to be warm outside but it is always chilly in the morning hours and cool after the sun goes down. Wear layers.
Dress conservatively unless you want to be gawked at.
Bring a bag or purse that zips and you can wear in front of you.
Don’t fall into the tourist traps. Prices are always negotiable. People will pretend like they know you and that they work for your hotel to try and talk you into their tours.