Three Days in Marrakech: A Travel Guide by Lex Eats

I’ve always wanted to go to Morocco, so when my husband and I scored a flight deal to Barcelona I couldn’t pass up the chance to throw in a few days in Marrakech! The flight was only two hours from Spain and it was well worth it for even only a few days. I thought this would be a good test to see how we’d fare in Morocco and I loved it so much I definitely have to plan a longer trip throughout the country. The city is full of energy and charm. It may be overwhelming for some, but I found it invigorating and quickly fell in love with Marrakech.

Where we Stayed in Marrakech

We stayed at La Sultana Marrakech, a small higher end riad in the Medina (the original fortified citadel of Marrakech, so like the old town city center). A riad is a traditional Moroccan courtyard found in homes. So four rooms would surround an ornate courtyard. It was maybe the most beautiful place I’ve ever stayed. Every corner had some type of gorgeous tile work or art or tapestry. I cannot say enough good things about the hotel. It had a lovely rooftop, the restaurants were delicious and service was top notch. It’s probably on the more expensive side for Morocco, but still reasonable. We booked using points from our Chase Sapphire card.

Where we Ate in Morocco

Because we loved our hotel so much we ended up eating several meals there. Breakfast was especially delicious! Our first night we did a small group food tour in the Medina, which was a great way to get aquatinted with the bustling city center. We also got to try a lot of local food that we wouldn’t have been able to find otherwise. I would highly recommend this tour, the guide was local and so nice, it was a small group and we tried a variety of food (so much food actually!) The next night we had dinner at Naranj, which was Lebanese food in the Medina and had a nice rooftop. On our last night we went to Limoni, which had both Moroccan and Italian food. Don’t get me wrong, Moroccan food is great, but it was nice to have some delicious pizza and pasta too! We tried to get into Nomad, but it was booked so did Cafe Des Espices, which also has a nice rooftop and had a great lunch.

What we Did in Morocco

Explore the Souks

The most popular thing to do in Marrakech and definitely my favorite. I could have spent days wandering the stalls of textiles, pottery, home goods, leather, rugs and more. People warned us that shopkeepers were very aggressive, but I didn’t have any troubles. There were a few that pressured us a tad to buy things, but I didn’t have any issues saying no thank you and walking away. You definitely have to haggle, I would say almost half of the seller’s starting number typically ended up being fair!

Jardin Majorelle

Yves Saint Laurent lived and spent a lot of time in Marrakech and you can now tour his private gardens. There is also a museum with some of his designs as well. This is a pretty popular spot with tourists, but I enjoyed it and found it a peaceful break from the Medina. Buy tickets in advance or you will wait in line for hours.

Hammam

A Moroccan Hammam is a spa with a communal steam room where people go to clean themselves. It’s typically a weekly ritual and a social activity in villages and towns. We did a more tourist-friendly version that was for couples at our riad and it was a cool and relaxing experience. The spa was beautiful to start with, a lounge room made entirely of pink marble. You’re taken into a room that’s a little bit larger than a steam room and were basically scrubbed down on every inch of your body. We went through a series of soap, charcoal body treatment, scrub and hair wash. I will say if you are super modest you may not enjoy this – you’re in the nude except for a paper thong and they scrub everything, ha. It ended with a massage. I really enjoyed the experience and found it very relaxing!

Bahia Palace

This is an old palace with lots of rooms and pretty tile work. I enjoyed it, but wish there had been a little bit more explanation and history shared. If you’re between this and the Badi Palace, I would recommend the Badi Palace.

Badi Palace

Remains of a 16th century palace. It was astounding how vast the palace was!

Desert Excursion

I will add that there are lots of excursions out to the dessert. You can ride camels, hot air balloon, do a more authentic tour etc. Dave and I did something similar in Dubai so we skipped this, but if we hadn’t we definitely would have booked something. I would recommend looking on TripAdvisor or Viator or most hotels can help you book something.