Morocco: a desert nation in Africa filled with spectacular gates, attractive tiles, pink partitions, the beginning of the Sahara, scrumptious delicacies, and vibrant marketplaces. There are infinite fascinating issues to do in Morocco – from beautiful cities to go to, to scrumptious meals to eat, to unbelievable experiences to have.
So let’s dive into the record! Listed below are 15 unforgettable issues to do in Morocco:
Discover Outdated Fortified Cities
Within the desert and the Atlas Mountains east of Marrakech is an space generally known as the Highway of 1000 Kasbahs. A kasbah is a big, fortified dwelling, and usually has 4 towers within the corners. This a part of the Moroccan desert was a part of the salt highway, and kasbahs dot the panorama. Sometimes, you’ll come throughout a ksar, or a fortified village.
Probably the most well-known of those fortified villages is the Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou, a shocking fortified village constructed into the hillside of the desert. Ait Ben Haddou was an vital cease on the Salt Highway, and thus hosted many vacationers and needed to chase away many bandits. Right this moment, just a few households reside within the historic city, however you possibly can stroll by means of and uncover the various alleys, church buildings, granaries, and outlets.
You may additionally discover throughout your go to that they nonetheless use the identical strategies of building in Ait Ben Haddou at the moment as in years previous, creating bricks from mud and straw.
Haggle within the Souks
The souks and marketplaces of Morocco, are vibrant, bustling locations, filled with fascinating items and colourful wares. You could find all kinds of issues to buy and convey dwelling as souvenirs from Morocco, like conventional Moroccan kaftans or djellabas (lengthy “attire” that each women and men put on, with hoods), tagines (the dish that many Moroccan meals are cooked in), leather-based footwear and purses, contemporary pressed argan oil, ceramic bowls, platters, and plates painted in a wide range of colours, buckets heaped full of colourful spices, shiny teapots, and extra.
Wandering by means of the souks is an expertise, each due to the issues on the market and on show, but in addition as a result of the salesmen are continually calling out to you, inviting you to look at their wares. And in case you are thinking about making a purchase order, don’t anticipate finding any costs listed. As an alternative, the store proprietor will quote you a value, and then you definately’ll have to haggle the worth all the way down to a suitable level.
In Morocco, haggling is nearly like a pleasant dance. They quote a value, and then you definately fake to contemplate, and say, “oh wow, that’s quite a bit. How about this a lot as a substitute?” They usually say “oh no, no it’s very top quality/I have to feed my household/or another line.”
This goes backwards and forwards for some time till you attain an agreeable value. Whereas newcomers is usually a little intimidated by the haggle recreation, simply bear in mind – be pleasant however stick with your weapons (we normally aimed to pay 50% of the unique asking value) and simply lean into the method.
Keep in a Riad
A riad in Morocco is a conventional guesthouse that normally has only a few rooms, with an open-air courtyard within the center and exquisite decorations. Staying in a riad is an absolute must-do when visiting Morocco – it actually appears like a cultural expertise in its personal proper.
There are, in fact, riads that may match into any price range, however even essentially the most fundamental riads have lovely archways and sometimes some lovely tilework inside. Many riads really feel like little museums in and of themselves, with mosaics, columns, plunge swimming pools, heavy materials, and water options.
Specifically, the riads of Fes are completely unbelievable artistic endeavors, with lots of them having carved stucco and cedarwood and being coated in mosaics, at a really cheap value.
Marvel on the Bahia Palace
Morocco, and Marrakech particularly, has many completely attractive buildings crammed with intricate tiles and mosaics, and are completely beautiful. Visiting the Bahia Palace is among the most unbelievable issues to do in Morocco to take pleasure in these visible masterpieces.
This historic palace is sort of giant and has many rooms you possibly can wander by means of. There are giant and small courtyards and gardens, plus adjoining rooms, crammed with carved cedarwood, stained glass, water options, and symmetrical layouts.
The Bahia Palace is among the most well-known sights in Marrakech and one you’ll not need to miss!
Desire a hassle-free approach to see all of it? Take a look at non-public Morocco excursions that allow you to discover the most effective spots with a neighborhood information—completely versatile and far more enjoyable than attempting to determine it out by yourself.
Go Glamping within the Sahara
The Sahara desert begins on the very jap fringe of Morocco, and one of the epic issues you are able to do in Morocco is to spend an evening (or two!) within the Sahara sand dunes.
You’ll meet up together with your guides within the city on the fringe of the Erg Chebbi sand dunes, climb aboard your camel, after which experience the 1.5 hours into the desert, arriving at an opulent desert camp earlier than watching the solar set on the horizon.
You’ll take pleasure in your personal, spacious tent, full with an actual mattress, carpets on the ground, electrical energy, and a full rest room, and sumptuously ready meals the place you possibly can dig your toes into the sand whereas consuming your tagine.
At evening, collect across the campfire to hearken to the boys play conventional Berber music, which is heavy on drums and rhythmic beats. Within the morning, you possibly can go ATVing, go sandboarding, or simply take your self on a stroll into the undulating, orange dunes.
An expertise doing a Sahara desert tour will probably be one of the memorable nights of your life and is totally the most effective issues to do in Morocco.
Drink Mint Tea
Mint tea is the popular drink of virtually each Moroccan, and you may be provided mint tea when arriving at your riad and at most restaurant meals. It’s a poignant custom to take part in, because it comes with some spectacular rituals.
Mint tea is definitely inexperienced tea that has been steeped with mint leaves. Your server will carry the ready mint tea to your desk in a shiny, engraved steel teapot and pour it for you into glasses that resemble a big shot glass. The type of the pour is extremely vital – it’s essential to maintain the teapot excessive above the glasses, creating a protracted arc of tea into the cup.
Loads of sugar cubes can be found on the desk so as to add to your tea – Moroccans love their tea candy!
Observe the Tanneries in Fes
Fes is an fascinating metropolis for a lot of causes – it has the same hustle and bustle as Marrakech, however with out the pink partitions. There have been extra coated passageways in Fes, and the streets felt much more slim and winding than in Marrakech. And whereas Marrakech does have tanneries, the tanneries of Fes are indisputably the most important, greatest, and oldest within the nation.
Observing the tanneries is among the most fascinating issues to do within the metropolis. There are just a few leather-based outlets with terraces overlooking the tanneries, and shopowners are very joyful to let guests come observe on the terraces. You’ll see males working hides in vats of coloured liquids and chemical substances, taking the hides by means of the method to show them into effective leather-based merchandise.
After all, the shopowners are all too joyful to point out you their items whereas taking you again out of the store (and really, there are such a lot of unbelievable leather-based items to purchase – from footwear, poufs, wallets, jackets, and extra). This is among the most iconic spots in Fes and value a cease, notably in case you are thinking about making a leather-based buy.
Wander the Blue Metropolis of Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen is called the “Blue Pearl of Morocco,” as the complete medina is painted various shades of wealthy blue! Whereas the origins of why town was first painted blue are unknown, you possibly can’t deny that it’s extremely aesthetically pleasing. Chefchaouen is a smaller city nestled within the mountains north of Fes, so there aren’t quite a lot of sights within the metropolis – town IS the attraction.
You may spend an exquisite day wandering the streets of Chefchaouen, discovering all the lovable little corners and spots, performing some purchasing, and taking photos of the streets with colourful pots or baskets on them. For an incredible view over town, do a brief hike as much as the Spanish Mosque, which sits on a hill overlooking the city.
Stand in Awe on the Hassan II Mosque
As a predominantly Muslim nation, you will notice mosques and minarets in each city and metropolis you go to. Nonetheless, the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca is the most important mosque in Morocco, and it’s the seventh largest mosque on this planet, with the third tallest minaret.
It is usually the one mosque in Morocco that permits non-Muslims to enter. There are a number of guided excursions of the mosque obtainable every day, the place you possibly can enter the mosque, study its building and historical past, and study extra about Islam.
The mosque is totally beautiful, with intricately carved stucco and cedarwood adorning the partitions, ceiling, arches, and columns all through the mosque. Wealthy carpets are on the ground, colourful mosaics are on show, and the rooms are giant, with hovering ceilings.
Visiting the Hassan II Mosque is an unbelievable factor to do in Morocco and for certain must be part of your Morocco itinerary.
Really feel Educational at Madrasa Ben Youssef and Madrasa Al Attarine
Lots of the bigger cities of Morocco have been areas for universities beginning within the 1300s, and at the moment these historic universities, or madrasas, are open to the general public. In Marrakech, you possibly can go to the Madrasa Ben Youssef, and in Fes, you possibly can go to the Madrasa Al-Attarine.
In these madrasas, you first enter into a big widespread room, with smaller rooms tucked off to the facet. Then, go as much as the above ranges to see small school rooms and the “dorm rooms” the place college students slept. Like each vital constructing in Morocco, these madrasas are artistic endeavors, with intricate tilework, arches, and water options within the giant gathering rooms of the previous colleges.
Learn additionally: Per week in Marrakech and the Sahara Desert
Discover Roman ruins at Volubilis
Not removed from town of Fes in northern Morocco are the traditional Roman ruins of Volubilis (do you know that Morocco had a Roman affect?). Volubilis was once a rich and busy metropolis in Roman instances because of the fertile area that surrounds it, and it was an administrative middle of the Roman empire in that area.
At its peak, as much as 20,000 folks lived right here! However after the Roman empire, and a number of other earthquakes, Volubilis was deserted and destroyed. Right this moment, Volubilis has a number of actually well-preserved ruins, and among the buildings have been excavated and reconstructed, together with the basilica, capitoline temple, and triumphal arch.
The ruins are actually lovely and exploring the ruined buildings is among the most fascinating issues to do in Morocco.
Benefit from the Solar and Sea at Essaouira
Essaouira is a charming city on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. It’s about 2 hours from Marrakech however appears like a totally totally different world. In distinction to the busy and frantic tempo of Marrakech, Essaouira is laidback and chill and is a haven for browsing and windsurfing, particularly between the prime months of April-November.
Essaouira can be a serious fishing port, and you’ll see the long-lasting blue fishing boats lined up within the harbor and the place fishermen are busy at work bringing of their catch of the day.
In addition to browsing, just a few well-liked issues to do in Essaouira embody exploring the charming previous medina, the place buildings are painted blue and white, or strolling town ramparts overlooking the ocean. You may simply spend only a few hours in Essaouira and get a style of town, or spend just a few days wandering round and hanging out on this lovely Moroccan metropolis.
Eat Tagine and Couscous
One of many funniest issues to do in Morocco is to pattern the native delicacies! Morocco has many very conventional dishes, essentially the most well-known and ubiquitous being tagine. A tagine meal is made in a tagine cooking dish (as we talked about within the purchasing the souks part, above) and is usually composed of rooster or beef and greens. You can even have a vegetable-only tagine. The tagine dish acts as a steamer to cook dinner the meal.
Couscous is one other extremely widespread Moroccan meals that’s historically ready on Fridays, the holy day for Muslims. Nonetheless, you’ll find couscous on many menus within the nation which can be obtainable all through the week.
Wander the Crimson Metropolis of Marrakech
In some ways, Marrakech is essentially the most basic and recognizable model of Morocco – there’s all of the unique really feel and appeal you’d count on plus the frenetic tempo, smells, and sounds you’d count on from a vibrant metropolis. It’s a lovely metropolis, crammed with pink partitions and arched openings, intricate doorways, fascinating cultural and historic websites, and exquisite mosaic tiles and flooring.
Among the many architectural wonders are the Saadian Tombs, the El Badi Palace, the Jardin Secret, and the Jardin Majorelle. The mix of all these elements makes Marrakech certainly one of Morocco’s must-see locations.
Go Climbing within the Atlas Mountains
There are numerous mountaineering alternatives within the Atlas Mountains, which showcase quite a lot of totally different terrains – tall gorges, pink rocks, valleys, waterfalls, and mountain peaks. One of many nice factors of mountaineering in Morocco is that almost all spots and trails are fairly off the crushed path.
The Ourika Valley is just not removed from Marrakech (about 1 hour away) and has a number of paths to hike. Some of the well-liked hikes is the path to the 7 Waterfalls of Setti Fatma.
Farther away from Marrakech (about 4 hours away) are the Dades Gorge and the Todra Gorge, which each supply unbelievable mountaineering alternatives within the red-orange canyons, by means of palm and olive groves, and over the tops of hilly ridges.
Greatest Issues to Do in Morocco – The Wrap-Up
For anybody who loves the unique and a little bit of journey, Morocco is a dream vacation spot. There are virtually infinite enjoyable and fascinating issues to see and do in Morocco. Put this cool African nation in your bucket record at the moment!
