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A First Timer’s Guide To The Markets of Marrakech

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Categories Africa, Morocco, Travel

One of the top things to do in Marrakech is to walk through and shop in the many markets within the Medina.

But it can be quite overwhelming, especially if it’s your first time. I know I was!

So here’s everything to know before you venture into the markets of Marrakech. I’ll cover everything from how to get around and how to shop / haggle with vendors!

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

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Moroccan Souks, Markets, Or Medina – What’s The Difference?

A souk is another word for market. It’s common to call a marketplace a souk in North Africa and the Middle East, so that goes for Morocco as well!

So Moroccan souks are the markets!

The Medina though, is the old part of the city. In Marrakech, the Medina is within the old city walls, and modern Marrakech is on the outside.

I’m focusing on the markets of Marrakech in the Medina.

the outside walls of the marrakech medina, old city. They aren't tall, have a yellowish hue during golden hour, a large round doorway to enter through. There are three lonely palm trees in the concrete courtyard leading up to the walls.

You should also note that within the markets of Marrakech are what’s called Caravanserai. Caravanserai translates to the meeting point.

Back in the day, the Caravanserai was where vendors came by camel to sell and buy good, but also to rest for the night.

Today Caravanserai are still in the markets of Marrakech, but you won’t spot any camels. It’s simply a inner courtyard off the main market streets for even more shopping in Marrakech.

Related

Is The Club Med La Palmeraie The Best Way To Visit Marrakech?

caravanserai example in the marrakech market. A courtyard off of the main market street. It has a two story building open to the center on every side. There's no roof, but there are four strips of fabric going across the top offering a bit of shade. there are a few items set up for sale
An example of a Caravanserai in the Morocco markets Marrakech

Tips For Walking Through Moroccan Souks

Before you embark on your journey through the Moroccan markets of Marrakech, there are a few things to know.

Download Offline Maps Of Marrakech Medina Morocco!

I always recommend downloading maps offline before any trip, but this is especially true for the Marrakech market.

There were points were we had ZERO data, in the middle of the souk, without anyone else around.

It can be kind of unnerving, not really knowing where you are, in dark and ruined alleys.

a dark and somewhat unnerving Marrakech market street. Although it's quite wide, and you can see the exit. There's no one close to you, and the shop doors are all closed on the right side. There are a few shops open on the left. There's a removable rooft, made out of bamboo maybe? But the sun can still peak through. After the opening, it's a lot brighter, and you can see people walking there.

We quickly learned from our mistakes and download the maps that night at our hotel.

Google Maps worked so much better after that. Granted it was also our second pass through the market, so we felt a bit more comfortable walking through.

Which brings me to my next tip…

Go on a walking tour of The markets of Marrakech first if possible!

If are are a bit unsure about venturing off into the depths of the Marrakech markets on your own, a good idea is to book a walking tour of the markets of Marrakech first.

a creepy dark, ruined alley in the Marrakech markets. The ground is cement, but there are dirt piles near the walls. There's some graffiti on the wall. It's like a dark tunnel with some light at the end. You know you're still in Marrakech because the ceilings are rounded.
Just an alley in the Marrakech market… I’m very happy to have wandered here on an organized tour… Aside from our group, there wasn’t another person in site!

This was our original plan of action, but our tour was cancelled because it was Eid. So we had to book the tour instead for our second day in Marrakech.

We felt so much better getting around the market after that.

Our guide also brought us to more remote areas within the alleys that we would never have dared go on our own.

Book a walking tour of Marrakech with Viator.

a vertical image: A woman is trailing behind a group of people, as they walk through a street in the Marrakech medina. Although it's bright, there isn't a roof letting in the warm yellow sun, the walls are VERY tall. And besides for the group, there's no one else here.

The Marrakech Market Seems Bigger Than It Is

For some reason, on Google Maps the marketplace seems huge.

We thought there was no way we could walk through it all…. but everything is actually closer than it seemed.

In fact, we walked by the same points of interest several times just in one day in the end.

For example, the Secret Garden seems so far from Jemaa El-Fnaa, but we somehow managed to walk by both those destinations several times a day!

the bustling square in the middle of the mazes of the marrakech market. There are straw bags for sale in the bottom of the image. Beyond that everything melds together: people walking, shopping, and selling goods. There are umbrellas set up for shade. Buildings, with rooftop terraces, along the edges and in the background. There's a lonely tree standing out in the centre of it all.

Don’t Be Afraid When You Get Lost, It Will Happen

You have to embrace getting lost in the markets of Marrakech, and it won’t always be the most comfortable environment…

At least when we visited, the main alley market was packed.

But one turn off the main street, and we were one a dark desolate alleyway with boarded up doors, completely destroyed roofs and not a soul in sight…

the less than ideal areas of walking through the market in marrakech. you can see two alleys, but both don't look great.The fabric roof is completely ripped up, which at least lets in some natural sunlight making it feel less terrifying.

And it’s always in these desolate areas that Google Maps can’t find your location and hard to tell on the map which way is the right way.

Just remember to stay calm and you’ll find your way out eventually!

But again, this also brings me to my next tip!

Related

10+ Tourist & Authentic Moroccan Marrakech Things To Do

a creepy street in the market of marrakech. All the doors are closed (they look like brown painted garage doors), on one of the walls, you can see it painted Medressa Ben Youssef with an arrow pointing to the right, so you know you're actually supposed to be here. It's a tad less creepy because the ripped fabric roof ends, and you can clearly see the blue sky and sunlight coming in

Don’t Enter The Market If You Have Any Times Constraints

We made this mistake our first time in the Moroccan souks in Marrakech.

Because you’ll likely get lost at one point in the maze of the Marrakech market, you don’t want to make it worse by also having a time constraint.

If you have somewhere you need to be when you get lost in the maze of the market, it will become very stressful, very fast.

So don’t try to be fancy and take a shortcut through the market if you have somewhere you need to be. Just stay on the main market street.

an example of one of the main bustling market streets in the Marrakech market. People are walking through a wide covered street with vendors on either side. The roof isn't completely covered, so some light is getting through the wood strips.

Be Prepared For Quiet Scams If You Get Lost

Quiet scams are scams that you don’t really know are happening until the very end.

Marrakech is riddled with these so-called quiet scams, especially in the Medina.

A popular quiet scam in Marrakech takes place within the marketplace, as so many tourists get lost in the maze.

So if you look lost, someone might approach you offering help to find your way out. Along the way, it can turn into more of a tour, before taking you where you wanted to go. And at the end, they may ask for a tip.

an unassuming dark alley off that's easy to miss of a main street. It's like a tunnel, with a rounded roof above it, and not a lot of light. It's next to a closed wooden door, an what looks like a fancy restaurant with a motorcycle parked outside

We didn’t experience this within the marketplace, but did experience two potential quiet scams in Marrakech.

The first time was at the Koutoubia, a very nice local offered to take us to a pop up cooperative nearby.

The second time was while we were in a taxi to the Jardin Majorelles. Our taxi driver found out we had some extra time so started turning around to give us more of a tour of the area. We politely declined and he immediately got back on route to the gardens.

At least from my experience, they were never aggressive. When we said no, they listened and let it be.

a street in the Marrakech Medina. There's no one around. There's an attempt at a plant based roof, attached to the buildings on either side of the street. But the plan seemed to be dead, it's all brown instead of green. The buildings go an extra story above the roof, and you can see the setting sky above it. Below the roof you can see two Marrakech doorways, with the rounded entryways.

So if you find yourself in the midst of a quiet scam, it’s important to keep in mind that you can say no before they take you anywhere.

But you are always getting something for your money, you just might not have realized you were paying for the service when you “agreed” to it.

P.S. Is Morocco safe? During these potential quiet scams, I never felt “in danger” once, as I said, they were never aggressive when we decline. I knew they just wanted more money, and to be honest, the extra cash probably makes more of a difference in their lives than mine.

Shopping At The Marrakech Markets

Getting around the markets is one thing, actually shopping in Marrakech markets is another!

a vibrant shop at the marrekech market i morocco. The vendor has set out outside of the shop different spices, yarn, and very vibrant powders. The shopkeeper is sitting outside talking on a cellphone while tourist are inside his shop

To Haggle Or Not To Haggle

The main thing to note about shopping in Morocco is that you need to haggle. Whether you like it or not.

And unfortunately, there isn’t an exact science to haggling.

Pro hagglers online recommend starting at about half the price they give you. You’ll most likely end up settling at around a third of the initial price.

But again there aren’t any rules, but there are some tricks that you can use…

P.S. you don’t need to haggle for food or at restaurants.

A less busy street in the Marrakech medina. There's a thin black cloth roof, that you can still see the sky through. The right side of the street, are all closed wooden doors. On the left, there are some vendors selling jewellery. In the distance you can see some tourists walking

Learn To Walk Away When Shopping in Moroccan Souks

One of the oldest tricks in the book is to learn to walk away.

If you aren’t getting the price you want after haggling a bit, start to walk away.

You’ll most likely be able to find what you want at another shop in the market, and the vendors know this too.

So if they want your money, ninety-nine percent of the time, they’ll call you back inside with a lower price.

Related

20 Moroccan Souvenirs To Look For In The Markets

a woman's back is in the middle of the frame as she walks through the market street in marrakech. She's wearing a straw sun hat, a black tshirt, and a floral skirt. There is a roof on top of the market, that still lets in some natural sunlight. On either side of the alley are shops with vendors trying to sell their goods.

Have Small Bills On You

You also want to have small bills when shopping in the markets to haggle as much as possible.

An easy way to haggle a lower price is to say that you only have a certain amount of cash. It would be awkward if you then pulled out your wallet with way more than you said you had, or imagine you needed change!

You really want to be able to give the seller the exact amount that you haggled.

Of course this isn’t exactly true, but it makes it way less awkward.

an example of Moroccan currency: dirham. A woman is holding a 100 dh bill and two 10 cent coins in her hand. The bill is a rusty orange colour with camels on it. The coins are silver on the inside with the moroccan emblem and a gold rim

On top of that, some vendors won’t accept larger bills. We tried to break up even our 100 Dirham bill at a cafe and they were very unhappy we gave it to them.

P.S. this is why the best place to get Dirham is actually at the airport in Morocco, they’ll be able to give you smaller bills. There’s a currency exchange conveniently located at baggage claim.

Separate Your Money In Different Pockets & Between People

An easy way to have more cash on hand but show vendors you have less is to separate your money as much as possible.

a circular currency exchange booth in the middle of the baggage claim at the airport. People are standing at the booths exchanging money. On the rim around the top it says they accept visa and mastercard, and $ and €

Place only a certain amount of cash in your wallet, then hide then rest in different pockets throughout your purse.

If you’re travelling with a few people, you can even divide your cash among the people in your party.

And of course this also helps with pick pockets in the markets…!

You Will Get Scammed And Always Feel Like You Over Paid

Whatever price you end up paying, you’ll still feel like you over paid or you left with more than you wanted. At least I always ended up feeling this way.

25 silver moroccan teapots for sale sitting on a silver tray table. Most of an imprinted design, some rest on silver legs, and others have a tassel at the top of the teapot cover. They all vary in sizes

I would walk out of the shops with my new souvenir in hand not knowing what happened.

Either I still paid more than I initially wanted (not understanding the currency exchange), or I bought more than I wanted (and hence paid more too!).

I went into a shop for a single teapot, and I left with a teapot, a silver plate, and six glasses… yes, I brought home an entire Moroccan tea set!

If you’re like me and like to see the price of an item to decide if it’s worth it, then you will not enjoy shopping in Morocco.

There are no prices on anything so you have no idea how much anything should be worth.

an outdoor vendor display of ceramic plates and tagines in the markets of marrakech. Every plate is a unique pattern and colour, there are probably over 100 plates here. Smaller plates are stacked in rows on the ground, and there are larger ones on a table behind, and even more hung up on display on the wall

You’ll Most Likely Need Cash, But Some Places Take Card

Although most shops in the market are cash only, the are some places that accept card.

They’ll most likely be more expensive, but I found they were a tad cleaner and more organized.

So I felt better about shopping at the locations that accepted card, especially for nicer items like my teapot.

We were brought to these places on our tour, so if you are unsure about where to shop in Marrakech, book a tour with a local guide. P.S. I tried to find them on Google Maps to recommend them, but they don’t exist!

Shopping In Marrakech Might Not Be For You

I found the shopping in Marrakech to be the most overwhelming out of any place in Morocco.

Even though most of the streets were quite wide, it felt claustrophobic. There were so many people and an overwhelming amount of souvenirs!

If you walked off the main street, then it felt deserted and creepy…

the market in Marrakech. It's a covered thatched roof letting in some sunlight. Vendors are selling goods on either side of the alley, but it is packed with people the entire way down

I enjoyed the market in Essaouira a lot more. The street was even wider than in Marrakech, and there was no roof, so it felt a lot more open and less crowded.

I even found a shop that had prices on the items so it was an all around better shopping experience for me (a wood box shop along Essaouira Sakala).

So if you’re traveling around Morocco, don’t feel obliged to buy anything while shopping in Marrakech. You might enjoy shopping other cities better.

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essaouria market through an archway. You can see both sides of the architecture of essaouira. Old stones on the left, and white and blue stucco on the right. There are shops on either side of the street, selling souvenirs
Essaouira Sakala: I found shopping in Essaouira was less hectic!

Book A Place To Stay In Marrakech

I stayed at the Club Med Marrakech La Palmeraie, and it was exactly what I was looking for – a mix of touring and relaxing without any of the stress that typical comes with travel.

But a more typical place to stay in Marrakech is in a Riad, a hotel with an open air courtyard in the middle. Sometimes there’s a pool, while other times it’s a lounge area.

Riad NayaNour has a few features that I appreciate compared to other Riads in Marrakech. For starters, the room and the courtyard pool are larger than most Riads I’ve looked at. Plus there’s also a rooftop for you to relax in the sun! If you’re a Booking.com Genius Level 2 member, you’ll also get breakfast included with your stay! See room rates and availability!

Riad Lyla is another good option in Marrakech, and it’s even more budget friendly! It offers a wonderful pool and rooftop for guests to enjoy and your booking even has a delicious breakfast included! See room rates and availability.

Or see more Riad and accommodation options on Booking.com.

the pool at the club med marrakech in morocco. It's large, and there are quite a few people in the pool and sitting on pool lounge chairs around it. There are open umbrellas on the other side of the pool in front of a large moroccan style tower. There are short palm trees all around the pool
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Last update on 2024-09-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API