Morocco: a desert nation in Africa filled with spectacular gates, beautiful tiles, crimson 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 unimaginable experiences to have.
So let’s dive into the checklist! Listed here are 15 unforgettable issues to do in Morocco:
Discover Previous Fortified Cities
Within the desert and the Atlas Mountains east of Marrakech is an space often called the Street of 1000 Kasbahs. A kasbah is a big, fortified residence, and usually has 4 towers within the corners. This a part of the Moroccan desert was a part of the salt street, 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 shocking fortified village constructed into the hillside of the desert. Ait Ben Haddou was an essential cease on the Salt Street, and thus hosted many vacationers and needed to beat back many bandits. As we speak, just a few households dwell within the historic city, however you possibly can stroll via 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 will discover all kinds of issues to buy and produce residence as souvenirs from Morocco, like conventional Moroccan kaftans or djellabas (lengthy “clothes” that each women and men put on, with hoods), tagines (the dish that many Moroccan meals are cooked in), leather-based footwear 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 via 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 continuously calling out to you, inviting you to look at their wares. And if you’re considering making a purchase order, don’t anticipate finding any costs listed. As an alternative, the store proprietor will quote you a worth, and then you definitely’ll must haggle the value right down to a suitable level.
In Morocco, haggling is sort of like a pleasant dance. They quote a worth, and then you definitely faux to contemplate, and say, “oh wow, that’s rather a lot. How about this a lot as a substitute?” They usually say “oh no, no it’s very prime quality/I must feed my household/or another line.”
This goes forwards and backwards for some time till you attain an agreeable worth. Whereas newcomers is usually a little intimidated by the haggle recreation, simply keep in mind – be pleasant however keep on with your weapons (we normally aimed to pay 50% of the unique asking worth) 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 seems like a cultural expertise in its personal proper.
There are, after all, riads that can match into any funds, however even essentially the most primary riads have stunning archways and sometimes 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 artistic endeavors, with lots of them having carved stucco and cedarwood and being lined in mosaics, at a really affordable worth.
Marvel on the Bahia Palace
Morocco, and Marrakech specifically, has many completely beautiful buildings stuffed with intricate tiles and mosaics, and are completely beautiful. Visiting the Bahia Palace is without doubt one of the most unimaginable issues to do in Morocco to take pleasure in these visible masterpieces.
This historic palace is kind of giant and has many rooms you possibly can wander via. 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 without doubt one of the most well-known sights in Marrakech and one you’ll not wish to miss!
Go Glamping within the Sahara
The Sahara desert begins on the very japanese fringe of Morocco, and one of the crucial 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 expensive 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 night time, collect across the campfire to take heed 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 shall be one of the crucial memorable nights of your life and is completely top-of-the-line 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 metallic teapot and pour it for you into glasses that resemble a big shot glass. The fashion of the pour is extremely essential – you need 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 an identical hustle and bustle as Marrakech, however with out the crimson partitions. There have been extra lined passageways in Fes, and the streets felt much more slender and winding than in Marrakech. And whereas Marrakech does have tanneries, the tanneries of Fes are indisputably the largest, finest, and oldest within the nation.
Observing the tanneries is without doubt one of the most fascinating issues to do within the metropolis. There are a couple of leather-based outlets with terraces overlooking the tanneries, and shopowners are very completely happy to let guests come observe on the terraces. You’ll see males working hides in vats of coloured liquids and chemical compounds, taking the hides via the method to show them into advantageous leather-based merchandise.
In fact, the shopowners are all too completely happy to point out 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 footwear, poufs, wallets, jackets, and extra). This is without doubt one of the most iconic spots in Fes and value a cease, significantly if you’re considering making a leather-based buy.
Wander the Blue Metropolis of Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen is called 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 variety 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, doing a little buying, and taking footage of the streets with colourful pots or baskets on them. For an incredible 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. Nonetheless, 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 permits non-Muslims to enter. There are a number of guided excursions of the mosque accessible every day, the place you possibly can enter the mosque, study its building and historical past, and study extra about Islam.
The mosque is completely 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 places 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 frequent 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 essential constructing in Morocco, these madrasas are artistic endeavors, with intricate tilework, arches, and water options within the giant gathering rooms of the outdated colleges.
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 due to 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. As we speak, Volubilis has a number of actually well-preserved ruins, and a few 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 without doubt one of 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 seems 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.
Moreover browsing, a couple of 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 a couple of 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, 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 buying the souks part, above) and is mostly composed of rooster 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. Nonetheless, you could find couscous on many menus within the nation which can be accessible all through the week.
Wander the Pink 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 attraction you’d anticipate plus the frenetic tempo, smells, and sounds you’d anticipate from a vibrant metropolis. It’s a stunning metropolis, stuffed with crimson 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 one in every of Morocco’s must-see locations.
Go Mountain climbing within the Atlas Mountains
There are lots of climbing alternatives within the Atlas Mountains, which showcase a variety of totally different terrains – tall gorges, crimson rocks, valleys, waterfalls, and mountain peaks. One of many nice factors of climbing 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. 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 supply unimaginable climbing alternatives within the red-orange canyons, via palm and olive groves, and over the tops of hilly ridges.
Finest 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 checklist at the moment!