Marrakech: Forget the Tourist Traps, Here is the Real Deal

Welcome to the Madness

Listen, if you're coming to Marrakech, you need to know what you're walking into. It's loud, it's chaotic, and there are motorbikes everywhere in the narrowest alleys you've ever seen. But man, is it incredible.

The Medina Survival Guide

First rule: you are going to get lost. Just accept it. Google Maps is completely useless once you're deep inside the souks. When you inevitably lose your way, don't look confused. Just keep walking until you hit a main road. If you need directions, ask a shop owner, not a random guy offering to 'show you the way' (unless you want to tip him for an unplanned 20-minute detour).

Where to Actually Eat

Skip the cafes directly overlooking the main square for dinner. They're great for a sunset mint tea, but the food is mostly overpriced and mediocre. Instead, head into the Gueliz neighborhood for amazing modern Moroccan spots, or eat at the food stalls in the square at night. Stall 14 is famous for fried seafood, and Stall 32 makes incredible sausages. And please, try the Tanjia. It's beef slow-cooked in a clay jug in the ashes of the hammam baths. It melts in your mouth.

What to Pack

Bring comfortable shoes. I cannot stress this enough. You'll be walking on uneven cobblestones all day. And bring layers—it gets shockingly cold at night, even in summer.