Twenty Four Hours in Marrakesh, Morocco

I'm writing this post snuggled up under a blanket which should seem like a world away from Marrakesh but surprisingly, it is very similar due to the bad weather we got to experience (along with the freezing cold temperatures).

We did however manage to get good weather for two days, one of those was when we were in Marrakesh and so we crammed as much as we physically could into 24 hours.

We arrived in the evening on a direct flight from Manchester and settled into our beautiful Riad named Emberiza Sahari located north of the Old City.

The following day we started with a lovely breakfast of fresh fruit on the patio before our exploration of the city began.

The first stop was the Maison de la Photographie which showcases the first pictures known to be taken in Morocco. The exhibit was stunning and after making our way up to the top floor we headed to the roof top which overlooked Marrakesh whilst drinking tea which was the perfect start to the day.

The next stop was the Medersa Ben Youssef. After winding through the streets we finally found the entrance.

The building was stunning with tiles of all shades and beautifully carved windows that opened out into the courtyard.

The building used to be an Islamic college that has since been restored to its full potential. After wandering around the Medersa we headed out into the winding streets of the city.

We managed to get ourselves completely lost, we saw all sorts of sides of the city that most people probably never see but eventually we made it to the main square where we grabbed lunch in one of the little cafes.

After a quick bite to eat we headed into the Souks, wandering through the beautiful stores with so many amazing smells and colours at every turn. We located the spice square as well and bought some incredibly scented bars from the stall in the corner (102, if you ever want to visit).

After experiencing the markets we headed to the Palais El Badii, notorious for its nesting stalks in the summer time. The palace is huge! Although now stripped of its grand tiles, marbles and elaborate artwork it was still very impressive.

Our next stop was the Tombeauz Saadiens, hidden away from the main street and only became known to the public 100 years ago. The tombs date back to around 1578 and holds around 60 members of the Saadi Dynasty family which is certainly an impressive number of people!

Last but by no means least we wandered to La Mamounia hotel passing the Minaret de la Koutoubia.

The hotel has to be the most extravagant place I have ever entered with a Dior and Prada shop inside and cocktails more expensive that some of London's top bars!

It still is worth a visit though. Sadly the light had already vanished by the time we got there but the hotel is known for its impressive gardens that would have been lovely to wander around.

After a taxi back to our hotel and a quick freshen up we then headed out again for dinner at a restaurant just around the corner called Limoni which was situated behind an impressive old door.

The food was delicious, I opted for a chicken and apricot tagine which I could happily eat again right this second (PLEASE)!

After walking over 15km throughout the day I was certainly ready to head to bed. 24 hours in Marrakesh had certainly been a whirl wind experience of hustle, bustle and culture but so much fun as well!

Have you ever been to Marrakesh? What city would you like to visit?

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