Marrakech Medina: Transformative Sensory Walking Tour

Amazing to walk through old city and see shops and people working like 100 years ago. Walking through history on walkways existing over 100 years. See rugs being made by hand looms.

A fun place to walk through. Unlike the Medina in Fez, the alleyways in Marrakesh are wide enough for motorbikes/motorcycles/ scooters and you will see a lot of them zipping around. The drivers are good at avoiding hitting people, but I did see some real close calls. I did not feel unsafe, but the group I was traveling with had our guide plus we picked up another person who walked behind us to protect our rear. We went early which was good because it was cooler and less crowded, but not all stalls were open yet.

We did the walking tour with a lovely group of people and a great guide taking us to the tombs, bahia palace, showing us many sights and sharing history as we went. We had a lovely lunch and then ended in the medina and having a little time to explore on our own before meeting up again and heading back to the transport provided. We felt safe and comfortable with our guide helping to make sure we were not taken advantage of whilst purchasing from the souks. I believe he was called Safi (sorry if I have the name wrong, I'm terrible with names, he's in the pictures) all in all me and my mum enjoyed the experience. Was a long day of walking but an incredible experience we wouldn't have done on own. Would 100% recommend. We booked through jet2.

The main medina/souq/market is a must see part of a Marrakesh visit and is enormous. Miles of alleyways lined with stalls/shops selling virtually everything. Overall the place felt pretty safe but as always keep close hold of your bag and valuables. Haggling is fully expected so be prepared to bargain hard for the final price. There are specific areas for spices, vegetables, etc, so leave 3-4 hours for a good look round. The main open square also has snake charmers and other entertainers. Lots of restaurants and food stalls throughout the market.

It was a pleasure to spend the day with our guide Medhi. Cultural sites, history, artisans, and food! This place is alive!!!

PLEASE DO NOT ENGAGE WITH THE MONKEY AND SNAKE KEEPERS The Medina is vibrant and full of interesting markets, but the constant harassment from locals makes it hard to enjoy. The worst part is the mistreatment of animals in Jemaa el-Fnaa square- monkeys are chained and dragged, while snakes appear lifeless, likely drugged. Tourists taking photos fund this cruelty, so please avoid engaging. While the Medina has its charms, the aggressive atmosphere and inhumane animal treatment are hard to ignore.

This was a family trip, and it featured a fairly comprehensive stay in Marrakech (5 days), with a two-day tour around the Atlas mountains, around Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate. As a side note, we had thought of going as far south as Merzouga to see the desert (I have done that in Jordan, Tunisia and Egypt already), but decided not to do it, and we are in hindsight very pleased with that decision. These booming "desert experiences" are the typical tourist trap, pretty much everywhere, and they are designed to suit the average tourist - most people visiting Morocco are sadly falling into that category. On Marrakech. We stayed in a very central, and surprisingly fairly quiet Riad, very close to the main square - Jamaa el Fna - and therefore walking distance from most attractions. It is fair to say that we had a chance to explore the city in depth, even outside the city walls. My view of Marrakech as a travelling destination is not too positive though. The whole of the city centre feels far too much like a tourist trap, where little or nothing is actually genuine, and most attractions (from the shopping to the actual sites) are designed to attract the average western idiot (the accidental tourist mentioned earlier). Much of what is for sale for instance has little to do with local craftsmanship and trade (there is more in that sense around the Atlas). As an illustration, you go to an antique dealer, and it's all junk from Mali, Burkina Faso, Northern Nigeria. You talk about rugs, and there is no reason not to go to Istanbul instead. Above and beyond this, the medina is polluted like no other city, the result of an endless stream of scooters and mopeds that run around the narrow alleyways as if there were no tomorrow! The result is unbreathable air, and the sheer impossibility to actually admire that otherwise interesting web of lanes. Overall, this is an interesting, but underwhelming experience. I would point to other cities in Africa, that in my view represent a much better experience: Mombasa, Stone Town, Cape Town, all rank much higher in my view.

Medina itself is full of wonders. Its like a giant maze of magic and terrific merchandise. There are loads to see and loads to buy. The only downside are the vendors, they can be a bit forceful and pushy. They will try to rip you off if you are naive and do not know anything about haggling you are doomed. Many people will try to approach you offering help but it comes with a payment. Its just sad that some people ruin the beauty and magic of the medina.

The best tour ever the architecture and the monuments tells so many stories the decor the precision of the tile, wood and metal work is just amazing but really the best of the best are the people very vibrant very nice very accommodating and always with a smile the people of Marrakech Medina are one of a kind thank you for your love and wonderful hospitality

Marrakesh is amazing . I loved the sights the food and the hustle and bustle . What I hated seeing was the poor defenceless monkeys chained up and the starved snakes which is why they react as they do . I really hope tourists and locals speak up about this so that it soon disappears .