Marrakech is the jewel city of Morocco, a destination to add to your bucket list, if you are a traveler at heart. From museums to the strange cuisine, from shopping sprees to discovering the cultural legacy, there is not one moment for you to get bored while strolling through the whimsical streets. Even 24 hours can turn into a complete adventure. Read the following 5 things to do in a one-day trip to Marrakech.
1. Chill out in one of the famous bath houses
Also known as a hammam, these local bath houses may seem quite strange, if not a bit awkward to a westerner. However, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it,.It may become your favorite ways of relaxation or it will end up as a funny story to recite to your friends back home.
Be aware that taking part in this cheeky custom means stripping down all your clothes and getting into the same room with plenty of other naked people (men and women stay separately). You’ll benefit from a professional massage with a scrub like you’ve never had before, and the experience of a lifetime. Leave your shyness at the door.
2. Sample the local food
If you’ve got only one day to indulge in the moroccan cuisine, then you must do it right. Start as the moroccans do with zaalouk, a cooked vegetable salad and wash it down with the famous soup they, usually, break their fast with: the harira. You can also try the couscous or, if you can’t have a meal without meat, go for the kefta tagine, a special kind of meatballs. This eccentric cuisine is the perfect blend of spices and flavors that makes us guarantee a unique spoiling of your senses. Really want to wine and dine like a local? Order the moroccan whisky: a glass of mint tea sweetened with sugar and made from gunpowder tea. Delicious. Morocco is also famous for the orange trees that grow everywhere. If you want to taste the best orange juice in the world and change your taste buds completely, this is the place!
3. Visit a the Koutoubia Mosque
It’s Marrakech’s most famous symbol and a must see. Visible throughout the city, it is 77 meters high, the largest mosque in Marrakech and holds four copper globes at the top. It is not only a tourist destination, but is still used as a house of worship by the locals. The building, which was raised in the twelfth century, is made out of red stone, bricks and sandstone and it holds 6 interior rooms, with the prayer hall in a T-shape. The design of the building was intended so that people would not gaze upon the kings harems. Definitely, a place for architecture buffs and curious minds altogether.
4. Get a sight of the tombs
No, we’re not sending you to live your very own horror flick, but witness an amazing sight of abundance. Ahmed al-Mansour edDahbi, a saadian sultan, made his tomb as luxurious as he possibly could with imported italian marble and decorations made out of pure gold. It is not just him resting there.
Princes, chancellors and their wives, trusted advisers earned their permanent spot, though none is as lavish as his own mother’s mausoleum that rises in the courtyard. The tombs have been walled up by one of its predecessors decades later, but was discovered through aerial photography in 1917. Come, visit, be amazed!
5. Make your shopping dreams come true in a bazaar
Get lost in the chaos and between hundreds of people that visit the souks (the moroccan bazaars), hagle and find hidden treasures when you least expected. The Marrakech experience would not be complete without a tour in one of the enchanting marketplaces. From handcrafts, jewelry, ceramics and clothes, you can spend hours exploring and talking to local vendors and think that only minutes have passed by without getting a hint of monotony. One last tip: always bargain on the price and do not give into their persuasive nature. Be firm and polite and you will go home with amazing treasures.
There is no better place for new experiences and the chance to make amazing memories. A one day trip to the perfect city of Marrakech can turn into a lifetime of stories. Are you excited to live like a moroccan.
Photo via Visual hunt
