I Went To Marrakech For The First Time & Here’s Everything I Learnt (The Hard Way)

Marrakech had been on my list for years, and after six days wandering its souks, sipping fresh pomegranate juice on rooftop terraces, and getting lost in the Medina, I finally understand the hype. It’s chaotic, beautiful, overwhelming and completely addictive, sometimes all within the same five minutes. But it’s also a city that rewards a bit of local knowledge. So here’s my honest, first-timer’s guide to Marrakech: what I got right, what I got wrong, and everything I’d do differently next time.

What sets Marrakech apart

Marrakech isn’t a destination you passively enjoy. It asks a little more of you than a standard beach holiday, and it gives back tenfold if you meet it halfway. It’s a city of contrasts: ancient medinas sitting next to buzzing modern cafés, total sensory overload in the souks followed by total calm on a riad rooftop. Nothing about it is passive, you’re haggling, navigating, tasting and getting pleasantly lost, often all before lunch. That mix of chaos and charm is exactly what makes it so addictive, and exactly why it’s unlike anywhere else I’ve been.

Must-see sights & things to do

Where to stay

If there’s one non-negotiable for a first Marrakech trip, it’s this: stay in a riad. Traditional Moroccan houses built around a central courtyard, most have their own small plunge pool right at the heart of the building, which becomes a genuine lifeline once the afternoon heat sets in and you need somewhere to cool off between souk sessions.

The other reason to book a riad is breakfast. Most lay on a proper traditional Moroccan spread each morning: a mix of small fresh breads, honey, olives, and jam, eaten on a rooftop terrace or down in the courtyard. It’s a gentle, unhurried way to start the day before the Medina outside gets going, and honestly one of my favourite parts of the whole trip.

Where to eat (& what to order)

Marrakech more than delivers on food, and the variety genuinely surprised me.

• Hyuna House Café & 19 Grams – Both excellent for coffee and pastries before the Medina fully wakes up. Good spots for a slow start to the day.
• Street vendors – Keep an eye out for warm, honey-covered mesemen, a flatbread I fell completely in love with and would happily eat every day of the week.
• Palais DONAB – A firm favourite for proper Moroccan cooking. Order the tajine and couscous, and don’t skip the fresh carrot juice, it became a bit of a daily ritual for us.
• Petanque Social Club – The one to go to if tajine and couscous start to feel like too much of a good thing by day four or five (it happens). The wood-fired pizzas were a brilliant, unexpected highlight, alongside a genuinely fun, relaxed atmosphere.
• Nomad – The standout of the whole trip. Right in the heart of the Medina with absolutely breathtaking rooftop views. Don’t skip it.
• Le Jardin – Right at one of the entrances to the Medina, with a beautiful candlelit courtyard that makes for a lovely, calmer dinner setting. Directly opposite is a brilliant hole-in-the-wall leather shop where you can get shoes made to your own design, including custom babouches, well worth popping into before or after your meal.

Explore fully before you commit to buying anything. The souks are enormous, and near-identical items turn up again and again at wildly different prices as you move through different sections. We made the mistake of buying a bag on day one, only to see the same style for noticeably less a few streets over, and again the next day in a completely different part of the Medina. Do a proper lap first, note down what catches your eye, and only buy once you’ve got a real feel for the range of prices on offer.

Don’t be afraid to walk away. Sellers in the souks are intense and persistent, it’s just part of how business is done there, so you need to stand your ground. Once you land on a price you’re both happy with, you’ll almost always end up shaking hands warmly and parting on good terms. Going in too polite and too eager to please, like I did on day one, is the real mistake.

Research your hammam before booking. This is the one I wish someone had told me before I went. I booked a hammam and massage at what turned out to be a tourist-oriented spa, and was told my husband and I could go together as a couple. A few days later, a local told me that traditional hammams would never mix genders like that, that’s specific to spots set up for tourists. I also found out afterwards that I’d paid roughly ten times what locals typically pay for the same treatment, and while it was relaxing, it felt quite clinical and staged rather than the traditional, communal experience I’d been imagining. If I went again, I’d ask my riad to point me towards a smaller, local hammam rather than booking the most visible tourist option, and go with a same-sex group as is traditional. If you do want to do something as a couple, a couples’ massage is a better bet than a shared hammam. One thing I don’t regret at all: I picked up some traditional black soap to bring home, and it’s genuinely life-changing.

The verdict

Go in ready to haggle, stay in a riad with a pool, do your research before booking a hammam, and say yes to the rooftop dinners, the street-side mesemen and the cultural history. That’s when Marrakech really shines.

Go in ready to haggle, stay in a riad with a pool, do your research before booking a hammam, and say yes to the rooftop dinners, the street-side mesemen and the cultural history.