A dream destination for my bohemian, out of your comfort zone kinda travelers. Marrakech instantly became one of my favorite places in the world and I am already planning my trip back to finish all the things that are still on my bucket list to do in this beautiful country. If I were traveling to Marrakech for the first time again, I would do this trip the same exact way so here are my recommendations for the Morocco beginners like I am. The 9 The Best Things to do in Marrakech Morocco…

Palais Badi

Built by Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur of the Saadian dynasty in the 1500’s. It now exists as a museum of the times. Walk around the vast grounds and explore the multiple pools, dungeons, and the ways of life back in ancient Africa. I promise you’ll learn something and feel a unique perspective on the culture in Morocco. You can purchase tickets at the gate or purchase before online. Click here to learn more about Palais Badi.

Make sure to check out other epic places of architecture in the area including Palace Bahia, Le Jardin Majorelle, and Dar Si Said Palace. But really you can walk around all day and probably throw a rock and hit something super old and historic. Make sure to use the Mosque and Squares as landmarks to not get lost in the souks. Which you will so just be prepared and don’t get scammed into someone saying they can help you find things.

Cooking Class at BE Marrakech

By far this was my favorite day in Marrakech. Once we arrived to Riad BE Marrakech, we were lead into the Riad’s main courtyard that had a massive pool in the middle. When I mean my jaw dropped, MY JAW DROPPED to the ground. The deep green velvety tile, the vintage record player, the tropical plants, and the welcome mint tea…. I was smitten.

Ashely didn’t chose to come shopping with us in the market, but one of the riad staff lead me to a small park of the souk known for having the most fresh veggies that they use in their restaurant. We hand picked out our veggies and I even got behind the counter and cut my own piece of lamb for my tagine. Once we had gathered our food, we headed back and prepped all the ingredients for lunch.

Lunch was served on the rooftop with Ashleigh, me and their two rooftop tortoises. We took our time and laid around after lunch listening to the call to prayer and random noises of the surrounding city. No one is in a rush here unless you are on a motor bike and it was one of the most relaxing days I have had given the irony of the hustle and bustle outside the walls. 1000000/10 recommend.

Click here to book your cooking experience.

Hammam and Massages

The day was so good over at BE Marrakech, in fact, we booked a hammam and massage there the next day as well. A hammam is a centuries old Moroccan tradition that occurs in a steam room. They use black olive based soaps and exfoliate the f*** out of you. I have never been so smooth, uncomfortable, and relaxed all at the same time before. The massage after was absolutely heavenly. Then hot tea next to the pool in the riad made for the perfect self care afternoon. 100000/10 recommend everyone experiences this in their lifetime. Click here to book or ask at the desk when you are booking your cooking class too.

El Jardin Secret

While walking in the medina after checking into our Riad, we stumbled upon Le Jardin Secret. The gardens were build in the 16th century by Sultan Moulay ‘Abd-Allah. It has a complicated history from there on our leaving the mystery of this now public space super seducting. You can wander around in the two different gardens uniquely designed with billowing window treatments and ancient cacti.

You can snag tickets at the entrance that cost 80 dirham (around $7 USD). Click here to learn more about this historical spot to plan this into your trip, or just stumble upon it like we did.

Photoshoot with a Local Guide

It is hard to take a bad photo in Marrakech. Every turn has a new door, cute animal, unique rug pattern or vibey ass riad. But if you wanna step up your game a little bit and get iconic photos of the century, hire Nazih on his Airbnb experience here. Not only was he open to shots we wanted, he provided a unique perspective of the town and gave us an hour to chat to him about the actual cool things to do outside of the tourist traps.

Le Jardin Majorelle

This Museum and botanical desert garden is the perfect spot to get that high fashion, luxury Instagram photo. Le Jardin Majorelle was erected by French artist, Jacques Majorelle & Paul Sinoir, and is the former home of high fashion designer YSL. The cobalt blue cube just beyond the dwarfing cacti reflection pool is now home to the Berber Museum. You can also tour the home. This is a very popular tourist spot and probably lowest on my list where I wouldn’t return back to, just because it was a bit pricey. Click here to buy your tickets ahead of time. Morning light is best!

Day Trip to the Atlas Mountains

One evening we were sitting at dinner figuring out what we wanted to do the next day and spontaneously book this Airbnb experience. A day trip up to the Atlas Mountains and ride camels. I truly enjoyed the experience exploring the small Berber mountain towns with local guide, “Potato” aka Mohammed. He guided us through his hometown, teaching us about the history of the people, and how life works away from Western culture.

I did have quams with the camel ride however. The camels seemed skinny and they said it was “because of the pandemic”. I understand the other side of the world does not always have the same access to resources as we may think but I think this may not be the most ethical animal experience. Thankfully theses are short ride and they do get lots of love. It was a $30 experience so I guess you get what you pay for but we were gone all day and exhausted at the end of it.

Overall a 7/10 experience! Click here to read more about it and decide for yourself if this is something you’d wanna see!

Shop in the Medina

Once you exit the cab, you are thrust right into the thick of it. PRO TIP: prearrange transport with your riad or travel group so you do not have to maneuver your large bags through crowded confusing street patterns. That is the magic of the souk though. Every turn has food, rugs, bags, pillows, spices, and everything in between. You won’t find a Kroger or superstore in the heart of the medina and I encourage you to get lost and get money out of the ATMs.

Lunch at Nomad

One of the best spots to eat was one of the first stops we made in Marrakesh, Nomad. I had seen photos of their rooftop restaurant on Instagram overlooking s small square in the medina and knew I needed to make reservations. This is a super hipster and now Insta famous restaurant so make sure to make your reservations here.

Other places we loved to eat were: Le Jardin, Limoni, Dar Essalam

Here are the 5 best rooftops in Marrakech

And there you have it… the 9 Best Things to do in Marrakech Morocco. I cannot wait for our second trip back because I think we will be overnighting it to the Sahara desert which is a hike to get to but a super bucket list experience of mine. So follow along as we explore more of the wonderful country of Morocco on all my socials and make sure to check out my other destination guides if you enjoyed this article! Peace my dudes.