4-day Marrakesh itinerary – a complete guide

Marrakesh is definitely a shock for everyone visiting it, and a challenge even for experienced travelers. Here’s our 4-day Marrakesh itinerary – a complete guide for you to discover this melting-pot like city! Till we get to the point, make sure you check our article about what you should know before heading to Morocco.

How to get from Marrakesh airport to Djemaa el-Fnaa?

Our love-hate story with this city started from the very first minutes we exited the airport. The weather, the sun, the palm trees were so amazing coming from freezing Romania. We started looking for the bus station towards the city. From Menara airport to Djema el-Fna, the main square, you have 2 public transportation options: normal buses (L11, L12, L20, L33) which cost 3.5MAD one-way and the airport bus (L19) at the price of 30MAD. At first we didn’t understand the huge price difference and of course we aimed for the cheaper ones.

Soon we were already having our first contact with Morocco’s crazy traffic. We waited for around 10 minutes to cross a multiple-lane avenue. Nobody seemed to respect neither the green traffic light, nor the zebra. They just wouldn’t stop and not even slow down. Eventually some locals crossed the street just by casually jumping in front of the cars and we unconsciously followed them 🙂

Once we reached the bus station, I quickly understood it. Not in a million years would I ever get in one of those buses! They were PACKED. And by PACKED, I mean the bus was driving with the doors wide open and people were sitting on the steps with their legs hanging outside, throwing us some rather unpleasant looks. After two or three of those buses passed by, we decided we should turn back to the airport coach station and go for the L19. This bus was nothing like the other ones: modern, clean and almost empty – just a few tourists like us around. Another aspect shocked us. While we were waiting to get in, the driver knelt down on his mat on the bus floor and started to pray.

Taxis inside Marrakesh

We got off near Djemaa el-Fna and tried to find our way towards our accommodation. We usually don’t take taxis over fairly short distances, for multiple reasons. Previous bad experiences, higher prices and most important, we really like exploring by foot. So the 3km walk to our accommodation didn’t scare us at all. Here comes the first tip when travelling to Marrakesh. Don’t go by foot while looking lost, take a cab. They are safe and cheap if you are up to bringing up some necessary bargaining skills.

Marrakesh scams: “the map is wrong”, “that road’s closed”

Now, as I relive those moments, I find them quite funny. But damn, at the moment I was truly terrified. On our way to the Riad, while moving further away from the Medina center, people wouldn’t stop approaching us with phrases like “the map is wrong”, “that road’s closed”, “I help you get there”, “my friend, road closed, come this way”.

Don’t get me wrong, we had done our homework. We already knew these people were trying to deceive us. They usually want to get you lost so they can ask for money afterwards. However, nothing can describe the feeling you have being closely followed for minutes on those narrow, dusty streets, even if you politely explained you don’t need any help. It all escalated when a guy chasing us, probably amused by how uncomfortable and irritated we were with the situation, stopped and shouted “Welcome to Marrakesh!”, bursting out into a devilish laughter.

The price of people’s “kind help”

Eventually being very close to the Riad, we couldn’t spot the front door. Google Maps was simply useless on the Medina’s narrow streets with its tall walls. A small child came by asking if we were searching Riad Alwane, we acknowledged and he disappeared around the corner. All I could think about was “No fucking way am I following you on a dead-end alley”. I waited on the “main” road while Vlad followed him. Even if he was gone like 15 seconds, it felt like hours to me. He found the entrance, so we paid the child 20 MAD for his help. So far I hated every second in this country. I nearly thought about booking a ticket on next plane back home and getting the hell out of there.

From the point we got to the Riad things started to improve considerably. The owner drew us a map of the surroundings and taught us how to use the taxi to get downtown. He told us how much it should cost to the main square, indicated us where we can find taxis and so on.

Day 1: Djemaa El-Fna

Right on the first evening of our 4-day Marrakesh itinerary we had a taste of the Djemaa el-Fna vibe. This was insane! The place is home to a lot of eateries as well as to all conceivable means of entertainment. Although late after dark, people were singing and dancing in the main square. The atmosphere felt so incredibly lively and authentic. For a few Dirhams, they would accept you in their groups to take part in their ceremonies. They would even allow you to take pictures and have fun along them.

Under the burning sun at noon, snake charmers gather and try to make a dime at the expense of nosy tourists. We also had to learn another valuable lesson: how to turn down on people. Peddlers will try to sell you all kind of objects and services you can imagine. From excursions and henna tattoos to pictures with chained monkeys on your shoulder, everything to make some money from tourists. If you are not interested make sure you refuse firmly and don’t look back!

Day 2: Koutubia Mosque, Saadian Tombs, Bahia Palace, Menara Gardens

The tasty breakfast at our Riad fueled our energy. Our second day started with the usual morning taxi ride to the main square. Marrakesh is by no means an ordinary city where you can just cross tourist attractions out of your list. Every street, every corner is so different from what we, Europeans, are used to. It would take thousands of lines to describe everything as it remained impregnated in my mind. The smells, the food, spices I’ve never tasted before, the (mad!) traffic, the air – barely breathable from all the scooters, the people, carrying on with their daily lives while we observed them. It was the point we opened our minds and tried to blend in that our trip became much easier and more fascinating.

Koutubia Mosque is the largest mosque in Marrakesh and one of the most iconic landmarks of the city. Only Muslims are allowed to go inside. However, you can surround the outside areas and take a stroll through the beautiful orange trees gardens around it.

The Saadian Tombs with their glorious interior artwork are the royal necropolis of the Saadian Dinasty. The ticket price is 10 Dirhams but you can only take a glimpse of the decorations from outside through a window-like crack. You can’t actually step inside. Despite that, the waiting queue was quite long.

Bahia Palace is considered one of Marrakesh’s grand palaces – awesome Moorish architecture with strongly visible Andalusian influences. The entrance fee: 70 Dirhams. I recommend you see the place with a guided tour to show you the clear picture of the palace’s history.

Exploring the streets outside the Medina. Escape from the Medina and take a walk towards Menara Mall and Menara Gardens. These places will make you notice how deep the financial gaps between the social layers of Morocco are. Outside the tall walls of the old city you will find luxurious buildings, expensive-looking cars, fancy rooftops and overall an entirely different world.

Day 3: Camel ride in Palmeraie, Jardin Majorelle, El Badi Palace, Marrakesh Souks

At the time we visited Marrakesh we were younger and not fully aware of all the harm animal tourism is doing. Planning this trip, I was so eager to see the camels. The owner of our accommodation arranged a camel ride for us. We paid 500 MAD both in return for this experience, including private transfer from our Riad.

Once we arrived in Palmeraie, our guide welcomed us with traditional Tuareg clothes and mint tea. The place is a large oasis with more than 100.000 palm trees. We were more than ready to get it started with our camel rides. The animals seemed well looked after and their caretakers treated them nicely (no shouting or hurting). We really enjoyed the bumpy ride and nothing felt suspicious regarding the animal’s well-being. However, I’m not sure we would do it again now that we’ve seen the dark sides of animal exploitation for tourism.

Majorelle Gardens is a splendid botanical garden purchased in 1980 by some French fashion designers(Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé). The gardens are situated next to the Yves Saint-Laurent Museum, so make sure you don’t miss that either if you are into fashion history. Admission price for the garden is 70 Dirhams and 30 Dirhams for the Museum, but take into account that lines can be huge. As far as I remember, we waited around 45 min to get in.

Another highlight of this trip was El Badi Palace. The palace had exhibits and lots of educational materials displayed inside the rooms. They really help you comprehend the history behind the ruined walls and the way Moroccan people used to live in the past. It also has an enormous courtyard with an orange tree garden. You can just lay there and imagine the greatness of the place back in the day!

Marrakesh Souks

I guess the Marrakesh Souks don’t need any introduction. The souk begins north of Djemaa el-Fna and goes further on in a winding labyrinth. You can find all kinds of souvenirs here and I’m sure you won’t leave the place without buying something. We picked a tajine, a traditional earthenware pot designed for cooking the dish with the same name.

If you are a bargaining master, this is your paradise. You will rarely see prices on display for the goods. Your touristy appearance will certainly make the vendors ask for an initial outrageous price (4-5 times the value). So please do not fall into this trap! We are genuinely not big fans of the negotiating process (I personally hate it). However, in Marrakesh there is no way around if you don’t want to be ripped off :). By the end of the trip, we were dealing with the sellers for each and every object we wanted to buy.

Day 4: Day trip to Essaouira

When you feel like you’ve had enough of the Marrakesh madness, well, it’s time for a day trip. Essaouira is a pretty little harbour town on the Atlantic coast. If that sounds appealing to you, check our article about how to get to Essaouira and what to do there. If you are a fan of Game of Thrones series and you want to visit the real-life Astapor you must take a trip to Essaouira. It will turn out to be the best way to end your 4-day Marrakesh itinerary.

Cool other things to do near Marrakesh

Last but not least – there is so much more to see and do than we were able to in our 4-day Marrakesh itinerary. You can choose from a wide variety of day- (or several days) trips such as: the blue city of Chefchaouen, the ancient fortress of Ait Ben Haddou (home to some Game of Thrones scenes), Ourika Valley and the Ouzoud Falls, hiking in the Atlas Mountains or an authentic berber experience in the Sahara Desert. All these make good reasons to spend at least 7 to 10 days in/near Marrakesh. We’ll surely be back to discover all these places!