A First Timer’s Guide To The Markets of Marrakech

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!

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, and as I said, these are one of the top things to do in Marrakech.

You should also note that there’s a third type of shopping experience to be aware of within the markets of Marrakech. They also have what’s called Caravanserai, which 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.

You might be interested in: Stay organized when planning a trip to Marrakech with my travel guide and checklist. Includes travel tips, packing lists, top things to do checklists, and what to eat and where!

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 I had ZERO data, in the middle of the souk, without anyone else around. This can definitely be kind of unnerving, not really knowing where you are, in dark and ruined alleys.

I quickly learned from my mistakes and downloaded the maps that night at my hotel. Google Maps worked so much better after that. Granted it was also my second pass through the market, so I also 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 you’re a bit unsure about venturing off into the depths of the Marrakech markets on your own (which is totally normal!), a good idea is to book a walking tour of the markets of Marrakech first.

This was my original plan, but my tour was cancelled because it was the holiday Eid. So I had to re-book the tour instead for my second day in Marrakech. I can’t tell you how much better I felt getting around the market after the tour compared to before.

My guide also brought us to more remote areas within the alleys that I would never have dared go on our own. Book a walking tour of Marrakech with Viator.

Read more: Is Marrakech Morocco Safe According To A Wary Traveler?

The Marrakech Market Seems Bigger Than It Is

For some reason, on Google Maps, the marketplace seems huge. I thought there was no way I could walk through it all…. but everything is actually closer than it seemed. In fact, I 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 I somehow managed to walk by both those destinations several times a day!

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 I visited, the main alley market was packed. But one turn off the main street, and I found myself in a dark desolate alleyway with boarded up doors, completely destroyed roofs and not a soul in sight… And just a heads up, it’s always in these desolate areas that Google Maps can’t find your location and it’s 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!

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

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. I made this mistake my first time in the Moroccan souks in Marrakech.

Let’s just say, 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. 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.

Be Prepared For Quiet Scams If You Get Lost

Quiet scams are scams that you don’t realize are happening until the very end. Unfortunately, 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. It’s important to be aware of what the “scam” is, and how to handle the situation…

If you look like you’re lost, someone might approach you offering help to find your way out of the market. But along the way, it may turn into more of a tour before taking you where you wanted to go. And at the end, they may ask for a tip.

I 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 me to a pop up cooperative nearby, which I declined.

The second time was while I was taking a taxi to the Jardin Majorelles. My taxi driver found out I had some extra time before it opened so turned his taxi around and was about to give me a tour of the area. I politely declined and he immediately got back on route to the gardens.

At least from my experience, they were never aggressive. When I said no, they listened and let it be and it wasn’t brought up again.

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 if you do end up involved in a quiet scam, you are still 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. Read my full guide on how safe I felt in Morocco as a wary traveler!

Shopping At The Marrakech Markets

Getting around the markets is one thing, actually shopping in Marrakech markets is another, and you’ll definitely want to shop here for some traditional Moroccan souvenirs!

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 the seller gives you for an item you’re interested in buying. Then, 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…

Pro Tip: you don’t need to haggle for food or at restaurants… if you’re interested, see my top Moroccan foods you need to try!

P.S. Learn To Walk Away When Shopping in Moroccan Souks

One of the oldest tricks in the book is to learn to walk away when haggling a price. If you aren’t getting the price you want after haggling a bit, start to walk away.

Remember, you’ll most likely find what you want at another shop in the market – and the vendors are well aware of this! So if they want your money, ninety-nine percent of the time, they’ll call you back inside with a lower price.

Read more: 20 Moroccan Souvenirs To Look For In The Markets

Have Small Bills On You

You also want to have small bills when shopping in the markets in Marrakech to be able 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.

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

Pro tip: 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 only show vendors you have less is to separate your money as much as possible. 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 also evenly 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.

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

You might be interested in: My complete Marrakech travel planner, with a souvenir checklist and more!

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. These shops will 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.

I was brought to these shops on my 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! But if I walked off the main street, then it felt deserted and creepy…

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 (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 in other cities better.

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.

Must-Haves for a Trip to Morocco

There are few things you’ll want to pack for your trip to Morocco that I didn’t think of in advance.

You want to bring a white noise machine with you to Morocco. That’s because prayers are recited over loud speaker from every mosque. Regardless of where you’re staying in Morocco, you will hear the prayers, and they’re loud, and happen when you may want to be sleeping. The exact times will vary, but will happen five times a day at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and at night. I have the Hatch white noise machine, I know it’s for babies but I like how small it is making it very transportable.

Depending on where you’re traveling from, you might also need a European plug adapter. I like this TESSAN US to Europe adapter that gives you 4 outlet converters and 3 USB ports.

It’s also HOT in Morocco, no matter when you visit. I always make sure to bring a refillable water bottle with me. Although the tap water is safe to drink in Morocco, every restaurant will give you bottled water. I would always fill my water bottle with the leftovers. Or if I bought a water bottle I would still put it in my own bottle to keep it cool. I love Thermoflask water bottles, and always bring my 1.2 L bottle (40 oz) to share between my partner and I throughout the day (but they also have smaller sizes!).

And of course, to combat the heat bring sun essentials like a good hat and sunscreen (and don’t forget to reapply!).

Read More Related Posts

• 20 Moroccan Souvenirs To Look For In The Markets
• 10+ Tourist & Authentic Moroccan Marrakech Things To Do
• What To Wear In Morocco? A Simple Packing Guide For Women

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