Morocco: a desert nation in Africa stuffed with spectacular gates, beautiful tiles, purple partitions, the beginning of the Sahara, scrumptious delicacies, and vibrant marketplaces. There are countless attention-grabbing issues to do in Morocco – from gorgeous cities to go to, to scrumptious meals to eat, to unimaginable experiences to have.
So let’s dive into the listing! Listed here 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Discover Outdated Fortified Cities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 Street 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. Often, 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 surprising fortified village constructed into the hillside of the desert. Ait Ben Haddou was an necessary cease on the Salt Street, and thus hosted many vacationers and needed to push back many bandits. Right this moment, just a few households dwell within the historic city, however you possibly can stroll by means of and uncover the various alleys, church buildings, granaries, and retailers.
You may additionally discover throughout your go to that they nonetheless use the identical strategies of development in Ait Ben Haddou at present as in years previous, creating bricks from mud and straw.
Haggle within the Souks
The souks and marketplaces of Morocco, are vibrant, bustling locations, stuffed with attention-grabbing items and colourful wares. You’ll 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 sneakers and purses, recent 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 consistently calling out to you, inviting you to look at their wares. And in case you are concerned about making a purchase order, don’t look forward to finding any costs listed. As an alternative, the store proprietor will quote you a value, and then you definately’ll have to haggle the value all the way down to an appropriate level.
In Morocco, haggling is nearly like a pleasant dance. They quote a value, and then you definately faux to think about, and say, “oh wow, that’s rather a lot. How about this a lot as an alternative?” 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 sport, simply keep 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 standard 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, after all, riads that can match into any price range, however even probably the most primary riads have stunning archways and infrequently some stunning 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 unimaginable artworks, with a lot of them having carved stucco and cedarwood and being lined in mosaics, at a really affordable value.
Marvel on the Bahia Palace
Morocco, and Marrakech particularly, has many completely beautiful buildings stuffed with intricate tiles and mosaics, and are completely gorgeous. Visiting the Bahia Palace is likely one of the most unimaginable issues to do in Morocco to get pleasure from 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, stuffed with carved cedarwood, stained glass, water options, and symmetrical layouts.
The Bahia Palace is likely one of the most well-known sights in Marrakech and one you’ll not wish to miss!
Need a hassle-free technique to see all of it? Take a look at non-public Morocco excursions that allow you to discover one of the best spots with a neighborhood information—completely versatile and far more enjoyable than making an attempt 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 vital 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 along with your guides within the city on the fringe of the Erg Chebbi sand dunes, climb aboard your camel, after which journey the 1.5 hours into the desert, arriving at an expensive desert camp earlier than watching the solar set on the horizon.
You’ll get pleasure from your individual, spacious tent, full with an actual mattress, carpets on the ground, electrical energy, and a full toilet, and sumptuously ready meals the place you possibly can dig your ft into the sand whereas consuming your tagine.
At evening, collect across the campfire to hearken to the lads 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 vital memorable nights of your life and is totally among the best 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 convey 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 model of the pour is extremely necessary – you should maintain the teapot excessive above the glasses, creating an extended 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 attention-grabbing metropolis for a lot of causes – it has the same hustle and bustle as Marrakech, however with out the purple partitions. There have been extra lined 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 largest, greatest, and oldest within the nation.
Observing the tanneries is likely one of the most attention-grabbing issues to do within the metropolis. There are just a few leather-based retailers with terraces overlooking the tanneries, and shopowners are very comfortable 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 high-quality leather-based merchandise.
After all, the shopowners are all too comfortable to indicate you their items whereas taking you again out of the store (and actually, there are such a lot of unimaginable leather-based items to purchase – from sneakers, poufs, wallets, jackets, and extra). This is likely one of the most iconic spots in Fes and value a cease, notably in case you are concerned about making a leather-based buy.
Wander the Blue Metropolis of Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen is named the “Blue Pearl of Morocco,” as your complete medina is painted various shades of wealthy blue! Whereas the origins of why the 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 a whole lot of sights within the metropolis – the town IS the attraction.
You possibly can spend a beautiful day wandering the streets of Chefchaouen, discovering all the lovable little corners and spots, performing some procuring, and taking photos of the streets with colourful pots or baskets on them. For a fantastic view over the 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 note mosques and minarets in each city and metropolis you go to. Nevertheless, the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca is the largest mosque in Morocco, and it’s the seventh largest mosque on the planet, with the third tallest minaret.
It is usually the one mosque in Morocco that enables 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 development 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 unimaginable factor to do in Morocco and for certain must be part of your Morocco itinerary.
Really feel Tutorial at Madrasa Ben Youssef and Madrasa Al Attarine
Most of the bigger cities of Morocco have been areas for universities beginning within the 1300s, and at present 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 frequent room, with smaller rooms tucked off to the aspect. Then, go as much as the above ranges to see small school rooms and the “dorm rooms” the place college students slept. Like each necessary constructing in Morocco, these madrasas are artworks, with intricate tilework, arches, and water options within the giant gathering rooms of the outdated faculties.
Learn additionally: Per week in Marrakech and the Sahara Desert
Discover Roman ruins at Volubilis
Not removed from the town of Fes in northern Morocco are the traditional Roman ruins of Volubilis (do you know that Morocco had a Roman affect?). Volubilis was a rich and busy metropolis in Roman occasions because of the fertile area that surrounds it, and it was an administrative middle of the Roman empire in that area.
At its top, as much as 20,000 folks lived right here! However after the Roman empire, and several other earthquakes, Volubilis was deserted and destroyed. Right this moment, Volubilis has a number of actually well-preserved ruins, and a number of the constructions have been excavated and reconstructed, together with the basilica, capitoline temple, and triumphal arch.
The ruins are actually stunning and exploring the ruined buildings is likely one of the most attention-grabbing 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 significant fishing port, and you may see the enduring blue fishing boats lined up within the harbor and the place fishermen are busy at work bringing of their catch of the day.
Apart from browsing, just a few well-liked issues to do in Essaouira embrace exploring the charming outdated medina, the place buildings are painted blue and white, or strolling the town ramparts overlooking the ocean. You possibly can simply spend only a few hours in Essaouira and get a style of the town, or spend just a few days wandering round and hanging out on this stunning 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, probably the most well-known and ubiquitous being tagine. A tagine meal is made in a tagine cooking dish (as we talked about within the procuring the souks part, above) and is mostly composed of hen or beef and greens. You can too have a vegetable-only tagine. The tagine dish acts as a steamer to prepare dinner the meal.
Couscous is one other extremely frequent Moroccan meals that’s historically ready on Fridays, the holy day for Muslims. Nevertheless, you could find couscous on many menus within the nation which are obtainable all through the week.
Wander the Pink Metropolis of Marrakech
In some ways, Marrakech is probably the most basic and recognizable model of Morocco – there’s all of the unique really feel and allure you’d anticipate plus the frenetic tempo, smells, and sounds you’d anticipate from a vibrant metropolis. It’s a stunning metropolis, stuffed with purple partitions and arched openings, intricate doorways, attention-grabbing 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 mixture of all these components makes Marrakech one in every of Morocco’s must-see locations.
Go Mountain climbing within the Atlas Mountains
There are numerous mountain climbing alternatives within the Atlas Mountains, which showcase a whole lot of totally different terrains – tall gorges, purple rocks, valleys, waterfalls, and mountain peaks. One of many nice factors of mountain climbing in Morocco is that the majority 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. One 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 provide unimaginable mountain climbing 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 countless enjoyable and attention-grabbing issues to see and do in Morocco. Put this cool African nation in your bucket listing at present!
