Morocco can be an adventure in many ways. Of all of the African countries listed on my bucket list, Morocco was at the top. I had been looking forward to visiting Morocco for a very long time. So, I tried to get the most out of my trip during a 10 day trek across the country.
There are so many things to do, see, and eat that it can be tough to get through everything in a short amount of time. I certainly did not get to see all of Morocco’s treasures, but I accomplished quiet a a bit. I was surprised by a lot of my experiences. And, each destination was so different from the other. While I have a love, hate relationship with Morocco, I have no regrets and will maybe return someday. Here are 10 things you must do in Morocco.
1. Visit Marrakesh
I started off my trip in Marrakesh. It is a bustling, crazy city. Even more so than I even imagined. To be truthful, Marrakesh was the highlight of my trip, but I am still glad that it was my first stop in Morocco. For many travelers, it is their preferred destination in Morocco and I can understand why. From its busy streets to chic restaurants, it draws people in. I do have some fond memories of walking the city and eating great food. I am hoping to go back someday to gain a greater appreciation for the place.
JARDIN MAJORELLE
Spend a little time in the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech, which is one of the most visited sites in Morocco. I think this was one of my favorite places in the city. Even though it is touristy, I felt calm and relaxed wondering through the gardens. Designed by French painter Jacques Majorelle, it took forty years of passion and dedication to create this enchanting garden in the heart of the city.
After a relaxing visit to the garden, you should then head over to the city’s crazy main square Djemma el Fnna (the “d” is silent). It can be super chaotic and is generally full of people enjoying each other’s company, food, and music.
2. Take a Cooking Class
My bucket list includes taking at least one cooking class on every continent. So, with Morocco being a culinarily powerhouse in Africa, I could not pass up an opportunity to learn how to cook some of the amazing food I had experienced. I LOVED the class I took at Faim d’Epices just outside of Marrakesh. They teach you how to prepare some of Morocco’s infamous dishes, explain many spices that make up Moroccan dishes, help you pick out authentic olive oil, and then you enjoy a big delicious meal.
3. Drive Through Atlas Mountains
If you have time, take 2-3 days and hire a driver to take you through the Atlas Mountains. It is a beautiful landscape and you will learn more about the culture and Moroccan people. I did a tour at Ait Benhaddou (a UNESCO site) and Ouarzazate. Both sites are filming sites to famous movies such as Gladiator, Mummy and TV series Game of Thrones.
4. Stay at Desert Camp
My camel trek into the desert and overnight stay at a luxury camp were highlights of my trip. Wow…it was so beautiful. Just me, the camel, and the guide surrounded by golden sand dunes. My camel was quite stubborn and did not want to walk, but it did not bother me at all. We made it to a great location in the absolute middle of nowhere where we hiked the dunes while we waited for the sun to set.
I decided to stay in the luxury tented camp. After so many safaris in Kenya, I could not imagine staying in anything besides a luxury camp. As the sole person at the camp for the night, it was a little strange but nice. I sat out in the quiet and took in the beautiful stars in peace. I would definitely do this again if I had the chance
5. Tour Fez Medina
CHOUARA TANNERY
Visiting the Fez medina is a must. It is a complex network of small streets that generally are impassable by vehicle. Donkeys and mules are the key means of transportation to move food and goods throughout the medina. It has an old world vibe where you can find butchers, bakeries, and seamstresses. I highly recommend that you get a tour guide if you plan to venture into the medina. Without a guide, you will almost certainly get lost and frustrated. I think this even more important if you are traveling as a solo woman or without men. A tour guide by your side will help keep down unwanted harassment.
Make sure to stop by the Chouara Tannery in Fez to see how leather is made. The smell is absolutely horrible, but it is cool to see how it is done and buy well made leather products.
INSIDE THE FEZ MEDINA
6. Food Tour in Fez
As I mentioned above, Morocco is a known for its delicious food. And, since I love to do food tours when I travel, I had to do one in Morocco. I chose to do it in Fez because there is so many food options all in one place in the Medina. It was a unique and great experience. I tried snails and preserved meet for the first time. I also had more “normal” things like beef tongue and cheek and lovely Ramadan cookies. A treat for me was the chance to taste 12 different types of Moroccan honey. Yummm!! They were awesome. I booked a private tour through Plan-it Fez. I highly recommend this company. They not only made sure I was well fed, but gave me a great history lesson of food culture in the Medina.
7. Eat Everything
Morocco food was a highlight for me. Even though food options were pretty much the same everywhere I we, I still loved it. I ate a lot of lamb, beef, or chicken tagine. Tagine is a Maghrebi dish which is named after the earthenware pot in which it is cooked. Inside of that wonderful pot, Moroccans prepare an aromatic stew. When properly cooked, the meat is super tender and flavorful. I never had a tagine dish that was not fresh, hot and delicious.
One dish I wish I had discovered earlier in my trip is pastilla. It is a wonderful meat pie based on a sweet and savory combination. The filling, which usually consists of pigeon or chicken, is enclosed in several layers of an extremely thin, crispy dough called warkaor warqa (sheet of paper, in Arabic). If you get the opportunity, you can see ladies making the dough in the market. Do not leave Morocco without eating this dish!
Do not forget to drink my three favorite beverages in Morocco; mint tea, fresh orange juice, and red wine. They make mint tea with Chinese gunpowder green tea and spearmints. Moroccans drink this tea with LOTS of sugar. They will usually add in the sugar for you, so let them know if you are like me and do not like super sweet tea. I drank this tea all the time while I was in Morocco.
Moroccans also are famous for their fresh orange juice. You will never buy orange juice out of the supermarket again once you have a taste of Moroccan OJ. Some say it is the best in the world. Best place to get it in the markets or medinas, but I am sure you can also get it at restaurants.
8. Visit Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen, the blue city! I loved this place because it is something I had never seen before. I stopped just outside of of the city to get a birdseye’s view. The city did not look very blue, so I thought my visit was going to be very disappointing. But, once we pulled up to the city, I was blown away. It is a very small town that you can visit on a day trip from Fez. Take your time and roam around the city. Its color will put a smile on your face.
There are a few theories on why the city is blue. Some say that Jews painted it blue when they fled from Europe in the 1930s. Others say it represents heaven. Whatever the reason, it is pretty cool.
9. Visit Meknes and Volubilis
I decided to visit Meknes and Volubilis in one trip. I enjoyed Volubilis quite a bit, but neither city were quite what I had expected. With so much history, I thought I would learn so much about these cities. However, my guides did not know much of anything or wanted to charge me extra money for information.That situation was just one of the things that surprised me about Morocco.
I thought I would see vineyards and beautiful landscape in Meknes, but it was just okay. The ruins in Volubilis were a little more interesting and surprising. I do think both cities are still worth visiting because they provide a slight contrast to the other parts of Morocco.
10. Buy Pottery
I did not expect to find such beautiful pottery in Morocco. A friend warned me to take an empty bag for my souvenirs. I did not listen and regretted it. I wanted to bring home so much more than I was able due to a lack of space in my carry-on luggage. There are shops in major cities around the country where you can purchase all types of pottery dishes. However, there is an art to buying things in Morocco. So, do some research on what you may want to purchase before your trip to have an idea of what things are worth before opening your wallet.
