Athletic-Minded Traveler

One of my new favorite travel destinations is Marrakech, Morocco. Why? Friendly people, good food, and a much more unique city-vibe than many spots in Europe or North America. The Muslim culture is positively present and welcomes respectful Westerners. Arabic and French are most commonly spoken, but many folks also know enough English to get by. (You'll get extra points if you can sprinkle a few French pleasantries in your dialogue--it's not that hard.)

WHAT TO DO?

Plan on spending three full days in Marrakech, then return home (short trip) or extend your Moroccan visit to Casablanca and/or the Sahara Desert. Delta Airlines is starting nonstop service between Atlanta and Marrakech in late October 2025. We flew JFK to Paris to Marrakech on Air France/Delta.

To maximize coverage of the city, divide your three full days as follows:

Day 1 - explore the museums and landmarks in and around the Medina;

Day 2 - revisit the Medina's narrow lanes and alleys but now focus on shopping (bring cash);

Day 3 - head outside the city for adventures at gardens/museums, a 30-minute camel ride, and high-speed gokarting. Mapping apps (Apple, Google, etc.) work great and are NECESSARY in the Medina. Bring a portable cellphone battery charger too. You'll use it.

Day 1

Start early at Dar El Bacha Palace and line up outside the front door at 9:30am (it opens at 10am). Likely, you will not be first in line. Once the doors open, purchase a ticket to the Bacha Coffee Cafe located inside the palace and walk to it (just follow the crowd). Put your name on the list with the host and hope (pray) that it's less than an hour wait. A typical wait is 2 hours in the middle of the day, hence the reason for getting here early. While waiting you can walk around the palace and take a few photos for your IG story.

Next, head to Le Jardin Secret (5-minute walk) for a small greenscape experience.

Then, move on to the Madrasa Ben Youssef (10-minute walk). Entry fees are charged. Pay with cash. Here you will get some great photo opportunities of Moroccan architecture and history of this former school. Be prepared to walk with crowds of people from all over the world. (We enjoyed it.)

Work up your appetite with the longest walk of the day. It's a little more than a mile (20-25 minutes) to the Saadian Tombs. Entrance is around the corner of a large-walled building. Pay to enter here as well and plan on spending 10-15 minutes inside. Click on our links for detailed information.

Hopefully, you're now hungry again and previously made a lunch reservation at La Sultana Hotel's rooftop Le Table du Souk. The property is conveniently located around the corner from Saadian Tombs. Enjoy a relaxing meal with excellent service and delicious food preparations. Alcohol is on the menu here as well (not always the case in this Muslim city). And, you can get an overhead view of Saadian Tombs as well.

After an hour or so eating lunch, walk to the Bahia Palace. Another entry fee and a few more photo opportunities of a historical palace. At this point, you'll begin to see the design similarities of these landmarks, so plan on spending only 15-30 minutes here. (Note, the exact location of Bahia Palace can show up slightly misplaced on Google maps.)

Last winding walk of the day is to the Jewish Cemetery. Pay the small entry fee and wander this massive burial ground. Read the description on the way in as well to better understand its significance.

The Jewish Cemetery is located on a busy street with taxis driving past frequently. Hail a cab, tell them your next destination (hotel?), ask if they know it, and negotiate a price before stepping inside the vehicle. You may need to show your hotel's destination on a cellphone map.

Day 2

Today is not complicated, but it is complicated. Start with a filling breakfast at your hotel and stuff your pockets with plenty of cash. There's really no way to organizationally wander the narrow alleyways and streets of the Medina, so just pick a place to start and dive in. You might get lost but as long as you have your cellphone charged, you'll find a way out without problem. We debated hiring a guide to take us through the Medina, but decided against it and are glad we did. It wasn't necessary and exploring at our pace and direction is always preferred.

We loved the unique experience and bought quite a few items--bracelets, belts, a handbag, some luxury clothing, and a few trinket souvenirs. We bargained on price a little, but after a while, attempting to save a couple bucks felt silly--especially knowing that these entrepreneurs need the money a lot more than we do. Two of our favorite upscale boutiques are RAQAS and OUBAICH (3-minute walk from each other). You'll also see live chickens beheaded for cooking, recently caught fish, and other meats on display. Wrap up the walking with a stroll through Jemaa el-Fna--the main (large) square in the Medina where monkeys on leashes and Cobra snakes await with slightly pushy "entrepreneurs". The treatment of these animals is questionable, at best, but a true travel experience observes the good and not-so-good parts of a society.

End your day with dinner on the rooftop at Nomad. (5-minute walk from the main square.) Definitely make a reservation several days prior to ensure a table with a view.

Day 3

Adventure awaits today. Splurge on a car/driver (arrange with your hotel) because you will be going across the city. Begin with a reserved tour at Jardin Majorelle. Purchase your time-specific tickets weeks ahead and choose one of the early morning times, e.g., 9am. You will need to taxi here and arrive within 25 minutes of your entry time. If buying a student ticket, make sure to have the ID with you or a photo image of it because they will check. We are not fashion buffs, so we skipped the YSL museum. At the end of the gardens tour, eat breakfast outdoors at the tasty cafe--omeletts, crepes, fresh juice and good coffee (and wonderful service).

A few boutiques line the blocks around the garden entrance. Feel free to browse and buy.

Reconnect with your car and have the driver take you to camel rides in Palmerale (near the Hotel Riu Tikida). Thirty minutes is plenty of time on camelback. Hold on tightly when the camel stands up as it can be somewhat jarring. They will provide traditional garments to wear during the ride. Cost will be around $20 per person. Give the guide who walks with you a $5-10 tip.

Last drive of the day will take you to MARRAKECH KART RACING. Here you'll drive gokarts approaching 35mph on a long outdoor track with straights and turns. Each race is ten minutes long and a scoreboard displays your fastest lap times. 16+ to drive. Your teenagers and young adult children will love this experience. One, ten-minute, high speed race, was enough for us, but you may pay for as many as you like. They supply a helmet and very limited instructions so it's on you to drive and drift safely. Cost was approximately $20/race. Faster and longer course than typically found in the USA.

Safe Travels and Enjoy!