Solo travel · Marrakech · Morocco
Solo travel in Marrakech
How to enjoy Marrakech at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Boris Macek, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Marrakech is manageable alone with some preparation: riads are sociable, cooking classes and day tours are easy to join, and Gueliz offers a calmer base. The touts and attention in the medina can be tiring, especially for women travelling alone. Many solo travellers base themselves in Gueliz.
Key facts
- Base
- Gueliz
- Getting around
- Walking
- Emergency number
- 19 police, 15 ambulance and fire
- Language
- Arabic (Darija), Tamazight (Berber) and French
Solo travel tips
- Choose a riad with good reviews from solo travellers and ask it to arrange your airport pickup.
- Join a cooking class, food tour or small-group Atlas trip to meet other travellers.
- Walk with purpose, decline help with a firm 'la, shukran' and ask shopkeepers or your riad, not strangers, for directions.
- Women may face persistent comments; modest dress and ignoring remarks usually work best.
- Use petit taxis after dark rather than walking quiet medina lanes alone.
Where to stay
$$ · Best for solo travellers, nightlife, shopping and budget
Gueliz
Laid out under the French protectorate in the early 20th century, Gueliz is Marrakech's modern centre, with Avenue Mohammed V, café terraces, art galleries, wine bars and supermarkets. Jardin Majorelle and the YSL Museum are on its edge, the train station is nearby, and the medina is a 20–30 minute walk or a short taxi ride away.
- Good
- Easy to navigate, with fewer touts; Bars and modern restaurants; Close to Majorelle and the station
- Watch out
- Less atmosphere than the medina; Taxi needed for the main medina sights
- Nearby
- Jardin Majorelle, Musée Yves Saint Laurent, Marrakech train station, Avenue Mohammed V
Great on your own
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Religious site · Medina
Koutoubia Mosque
Walk through the rose gardens behind the mosque at sunset, when the call to prayer carries across the square.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- After dark
Palace · Medina
Bahia Palace
Arrive at opening; tour groups fill the courtyards by late morning.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Photo spot
- Iconic
Garden · Gueliz
Jardin Majorelle
Book the first slot of the day and pair it with the YSL Museum a few steps away.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Couples
- Photo spot
- Art
- Nature
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Historic site · Medina
Ben Youssef Madrasa
Combine it with the Marrakech Museum and the Maison de la Photographie, both a few minutes' walk away.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Iconic
- Photo spot
Museum · Gueliz
Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech
Buy a combined ticket with Jardin Majorelle and see the museum first while the garden is at its busiest.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Historic site · Kasbah
Saadian Tombs
Come early or late in the day; the queue to look into the main chamber is longest at midday.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
Meeting people
- Jemaa el-Fnaa food stalls — From late afternoon, rows of numbered grill stalls set up benches in the square, serving grilled meats, fried fish, sausages, salads and harira. Choose busy stalls with a high turnover.
- Cooking class — Many riads and cooking schools run half-day classes that start with shopping in the market and end with a tagine, salads and bread you have made yourself.
- Jemaa el-Fnaa — Musicians, storytellers and food stalls fill the square every evening until late.
- Gueliz — Wine bars, cocktail lounges and restaurants around Avenue Mohammed V.
Sensible precautions
The most common problems are persistent touts, unofficial guides who claim a lane is 'closed' to steer you to a shop or tannery, and pickpocketing in Jemaa el-Fnaa and the souks. Scooters speed through the medina lanes, and summer heat can be extreme, so carry water and rest at midday.
- Emergency number
- 19 police, 15 ambulance and fire
- Staying connected
- Local SIM cards from Maroc Telecom, Orange and inwi are inexpensive and sold at the airport; riads and cafés usually offer Wi-Fi.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Marrakech good for solo travellers?
Marrakech is manageable alone with some preparation: riads are sociable, cooking classes and day tours are easy to join, and Gueliz offers a calmer base. The touts and attention in the medina can be tiring, especially for women travelling alone.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Marrakech?
Gueliz: French-built new town of cafés, galleries and modern hotels.