The red city is the most popular city in Morocco and the most visited. Yves Saint Laurent once said: “A visit to Marrakech was a great shock to me. This city taught me color”. Its old medina, vibrant souks, spectacular Jamaa Ellfna square and new modern town Gueliz give every traveler a great exotic experience. 2 days in Marrakech are not enough to experience everything in the city, moreover, you can stay in Marrakech and take daily trips to interesting places like atlas mountains, Berber villages, the Auzoud waterfalls, etc ….
What can you do in Marrakech in 2 days?
you can start the first day with a visit to the old down called medina
Jamma Elfna Square
the famous main square of the medina was listed in 2008 in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (originally proclaimed in 2001), it is the most important part of the medina it represents a unique concentration of popular Moroccan cultural traditions performed through musical, religious and artistic expressions.
The square during the day
when you visit the square for the first time you will really feel a different vibe during the day there are monkey trainers who have trained the apes to climb all over tourists and snake charmers, as well as dentists that expose the teeth they have recently extracted. Don’t miss the orange juice stands that are unmissable, they have a lot of fresh juices as well orange juice it the most known one.
you will find women making henna tattoos for travelers and locals, others read in the lines of the hand or in the cards the destiny
Insider tip: when you are in the square you might experience hustle, make sure to always ask permission before taking people’s picture or their animals. avoid black henna tattoo as it is not natural and might cause allergic reactions, ask for green henna that turns to orange afterward, regarding the price they have a little book with prices for each tattoo style if they refuse to show you prices go check spas or henna cafe, these two places are more secured and have fixed prices matching the quality of the tattoos.
The square at night
At night the square is totally different from day time busier with people especially in the weekends’, it is the number one destination for locals to hang out and eat. The ideal is to be there at sunset where you find many terraces and coffee shops with view on the square and Koutoubia mosque, you can try Le Grand Balcon du café glacier, Hôtel Restaurant Café de France or Argana and capture a fascinating sunset.
After the sunset, the square is full of artists. don’t miss to order min tea.
Halqa (street theatre) dates back to the 11th century, communal games, musical performers, and slapstick comedy acts, the music and Gnaoua troupes.
At night the square is transformed with up to 50 food stalls which freshly cook a whole range of local foods and specialties. there is your typical Moroccan dinner from tajine to Tanjia or even the famous soup Harira.
Admire the Koutoubia (the Great Mosque of Marrakech)
In less than 5 minutes walk from the square you will be amazed by the tallest mosque in Marrakech la Koutoubia, it is not allowed to go inside of the mosque for non-muslims as it is used mainly for prayers, but the view from outside still totally worth the visit it has a relaxing garden park behind.
Visit Majorelle Gardens
Exploring Marrakech is not complete without a visit to Majorelle garden, it is one of the country’s most popular sites, the Majorelle gardens is located in the new part of Marrakech outside the medina. its vibrant colors and its shade of blue has become iconic and universally known for “Majorelle Blue”. It’s a heaven for lovers of art, nature and the best place to take your best Instagram photo in Marrakech.
Explore the souks of Marrakech
when you start walking northern part of Jamma el Fna square and spreads through many streets and alleys with shops of Moroccan goods from clothes, food, spices, leather, fabrics, pottery, carpets, jewelry, and more.prices are not fix, get ready to bargain and negotiate in shops to get a price.
The souks are not to be missed even if you don’t want to buy anything, it is just fascinating to walk and get lost in their streets.
Visit the Bahia palace
the Bahia palace is one of the most beautiful monuments to visit is an excellent example of Eastern Architecture from the 19th century that represents trends and standards of the wealthy who lived at that time. The building has eight hectares and 150 rooms that lead to various patios and gardens. The most interesting part of the visit is the harem of Abu Bou Ahmed’s four wives and 24 concubines. You can spend around 45 minutes inside the palace.
How many days in Marrakech are enough?
For the city itself, I would recommend 3 days and you can extend it to 6 or 7 days to take daily excursions from Marrakech, a lot of interesting things are nearby and can be done in one day. the things and activities you can add when you extend your stay are :
Experience Moroccan hammam and massage
a great time of relaxation and treatment, discover the authentic Moroccan hammam to remove the dead skin and have the unique Berber massage in a half-day od Spa.
The Atlas Mountains And Agafay Desert Day Trip To Berber Villages
leave the hustle and bustle of Marrakech city and go visit 3 different high atlas valleys in the High Atlas Mountains. Enjoy your day with the change of views and landscapes from rocky desert to mountains snow caped.
Camel ride at the palm groves
No need to go to the desert for a camel ride. You can also play nomads during a camel ride in the palm grove of Marrakech. Ride the ancestral mount of the inhabitants of the desert through the splendors of the palm grove of Marrakech with its magnificent sites, its Berber villages and its desert plateaus.
One Day Trip to The Ouzoud waterfalls
Take a private tour to the Ouzoud Waterfalls, located in the heart of the Middle Atlas in Morocco’s most coveted mountain range.
These waterfalls are the highest in the country and the most fascinating at about 100 meters high.
We invite you to discover the Ouzoud Waterfalls with your own driver, fully qualified and accredited, which will allow you to discover this natural wonder at your own pace and in the best possible way.
Essaouira, the city of the wind, You will have the opportunity to discover the fishing port of Essaouira. Cross the old medina with its souks and traditional stalls and discover authentic art galleries and carpentry workshops.
Explore the art of cedarwood inlay and enjoy the beautiful objects presented by craftsmen through the alleys of the medina.
Are 2 days in Marrakech enough?
