Morocco: Navigating the Marrakech Souks

No visit to Marrakech would be complete without visiting its famous souks! But beware… you may get lost while trying to find your hidden treasures amongst the twisting, maze-like streets.

History

Due to its strategic position in the middle of Morocco with easy access to the rest of the African continent (as well as to sea routes and beyond), Marrakech has always been an important trading hub. Merchants from far and wide came to sell their wares and thus, the largest marketplace in Morocco was born.

These marketplaces are called souks. Souks are similar to bazaars in that they are markets of an Arabian origin, but souks are typically found more in the west and tend to be more open-air than enclosed.

The souks are located in Marrakech’s Medina – the old city. The Medina contains the souks, the citadel, the tanneries, the oldest houses in the city, and more! You can tell when you’re in the Medina because you’ll be surrounded on all sides by the old city walls, huge orange and pink-hued brick walls with 14 entrances.

Preparing for the Souks

General Info

• The Marrakech souks roughly open around 9am and end around 9pm, but it varies by shop.

• Feel free to take pictures but be careful with what subject you chose to capture. A storefront? That’s fine. A storefront with the owner in clear view? Ask permission first.

• Be sure to haggle! The owners expect it and the first price they offer is likely inflated in anticipation of their customers arguing for a lower price.

• Moroccan currency is called the Dirham. 1 American dollar would be around 9-10 Dirham and 1 Euro would be 11 Dirham. It’s good to have both Dirham and Euros on hand, as some people actually prefer Euros.

• Realize when someone offers you something, or offers help, it’s likely not going to be for free. For instance, if you’re approached by a man in the Medina trying to put a snake over your shoulders, he’s not just doing it for a laugh, he wants you to take a picture and then he’ll charge you for it. Or, say you’re lost and someone offers to get you out, they’re likely expecting to be tipped for their services.

• Be careful of pickpockets and of carts or bikes in the alleyways. They’ll have no qualms about running you over.

How to Dress for the Marrakech Souks

Although there is no dress code in Marrakech, most of its citizens follow the Islamic religion and therefore those who visit should be ready to dress in a manner respectful to their religion – even in the hot summers.

Tip! – When in doubt, always pick a more conservative option.

The rule of thumb is to have your shoulders and knees covered, avoiding anything low cut or extremely figure-hugging. Footwear is up to you, but comfortable closed-toed shoes are best because the souks are VERY dusty and busy.

I myself did not have a good wardrobe for Morocco, as I had not planned ahead for it. The dresses I had were too heavy for the heat and my tiny shorts were out of the question. Finally I chose leggings and a loose tank top with sneakers. The leggings, although tight, covered everything and the tank top had a high neck and could be paired with a light scarf to cover my shoulders. And yes… this was the best option I had. Luckily, it worked out well and I seemed to be as much or even a bit more covered up than some of the other tourists there!

Tip! – Light scarves are a great way for women to cover up their shoulders during the summer and not overheat.

For bags, try a small crossbody purse that can’t be easily opened. Pickpockets are rampant in the souks so backpacks or flimsy purses aren’t a good idea.

Do people really follow this unofficial dress code? Well… tourists don’t really anymore, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. This is especially important for women, especially women traveling alone. Even fully covered, you’ll garner some stares and some cat calls. The key is to avoid being harassed as much as possible, so keep your tiny shorts in your suitcase and bring out some maxi dresses or long pants.

Navigating the Marrakech Souks

The Division of the Souks

The Medina is split into different souks (among other sites). The ones listed below are some of the most prominent:

Souk Semmarine – The largest souk and the most geared to tourists. Among the keychains, magnets, and other little kitschy things, you’ll mainly find a large variety of shoes, occasionally some clothes and jewelry as well.

Souk Ableuh – The souk specializing in herbs and spices. Other souks sell spices as well, such as the Souk Attarine.

Souk Kchacha – The souk where you’ll get all your dates, nuts, fruits (mainly dried fruits).

Souk Smata/Babouches – As the name implies, this is where you’ll get your babouches, also known as a Moroccan style slipper. It also sells fabric, belts, and such.

Souk Cherratine – This souk is all about leather. Bags, belts, purses, jackets, you name it.

Souk Haddadine – This is where the gorgeous Moroccan lanterns are (and is where I spent a lot of time with my Uncle). They also sell ironworks and some pottery.

Souk of the Bijoutiers – The higher-end jewelry souk. For a cost-effective selection, try the Souk Siyyaghin.

Criee Berbiere – The souk where you’ll find the largest assortment of carpets and textiles (although, you’ll see shops with these in nearly every souk).

Keep in Mind – There are other souks in the Medina not listed here. The souks tend to mix and blend and emerge in confusing ways so one might sell jewelry, but also has a good spice shop or a high end carpet store. And in the end, you’re likely to find them by stumbling upon them, rather than finding them purposefully.

Finding Your Way

Stepping into the Marrakech souks is like stepping into the most hectic ride of your life.

You’ll be swept along with the foot traffic and pass stalls filled with ceramics, jewels, clothes and the owners shouting at you to buy them. Then you’ll be whisked past higher-end clothes stores hidden in secret nooks where only the smart can find them. Until finally you’ll be let out in the wider open-aired spaces where shady men thrust chameleon’s in cages at you with smiles that unnerve you.

And it doesn’t end there… for even outside of the jumble of stalls and stores, the rest of the souks are a confusing mass of tiny, dusty passageways, intricately painted doors, and staircases leading up and up. But here, in these tucked away empty places, you’ll find the most beauty.

There’s a lot to see, and a lot to look out for. It’s truly a once in a lifetime experience, so you need to be prepared.

My advice? – Get a guide!

You can find guides online of course, and in this way you’ll be able to see reviews on who you’re asking for. But the other option is that all hotels, hostels, and alike will have guides that they can either recommend or are employed by them. You can use these guides, as I did, but keep in mind that the kind of place you’re staying can reflect the type of guide they employ – for good or for bad.

Luckily for me our guide was great, and was a big help in navigating us around to the typical hotspots while also catering our tour to what we were most interested in seeing and buying.

A Note – If you tell guides what types of things you want to see or buy, keep in mind that they’ll will likely take you to places of people they know, not necessarily places with the best prices. If you feel that you are not getting the best bargain, tell them flat out and leave, they’ll take you somewhere cheaper. But also sometimes you have to understand that they’ll know what the best price for the best quality is – it all depends on the type of guide you get and how much you trust their word.

There are three big pluses for having a guide:

1. You won’t get lost (although sometimes that can be fun). If you don’t have a lot of time to look around, your guide will save you hours of time, especially if you’re looking to buy something specific that would be hard to find on your own.
2. Your guide will haggle down prices for you. This can be HUGE, especially if they know the person (as mentioned in the note above).
3. Their English proficiency level will likely be high and they’ll be able to explain the history of the souks and of other buildings in the Medina to you – something that I absolutely loved!

If you choose not to have a guide, that’s fine too! For some people, wandering aimlessly around the souks can be their greatest pleasure in Marrakech.

Keep in mind – Cell service in the souks can be sketchy at best, so relying on your phone to find your way will likely result in failure and certainly in frustration. You can try a handheld map, but again, the souks seem to shift and change of their own accord and a map will likely be useless.

Shopping

So what are the most popular items to buy in the souks?

• Lanterns

The famous Moroccan lanterns, seen over and over again in Instagram feeds featuring pretty girls with long breezy skirts and giant floppy hats.

Sadly, I don’t have the face for giant floppy hats nor the temperament (those things are annoying as hell). However, I do have an amazing uncle with killer skills!

My uncle came to the Marrakech souks to purchase lanterns in bulk for use at a party he was designing. Moroccan lanterns are highly coveted because while beautiful on the outside, they really shine in the inside (bad pun, sorry). Once you light the lantern, the light filters through the stained glass and detailed metalwork to create spectacular patterns on the walls.

The price of these lanterns vary depending on size, design, and the type of metal used. Our guide helped us haggle, but my Uncle also was able to negotiate shipping and packing prices as well as discounts on buying in bulk.

• Carpets, Textiles and Rugs

These are among the most expensive items to buy, but are still very popular. Moroccan rugs are famous for their gorgeous colors, patterns, and durability.

The experience of buying a carpet can be rather enjoyable in the souks. Shops that specialize in rugs will give you tea or even sweet treats to try while they parade out a variety of their more popular choices.

• Leather

Another product that Morocco takes pride in is its leather. For centuries it was imported to Europe to use in book binding due to its strength and surprising malleability.

Fun fact! – The leather is usually made of sheep, calf, or goatskin.

The Marrakech tanneries are in the Medina but aren’t next to the souks in order to keep the smell away from the tourists. Once goods are transported to the souks, you can find the traditional book covers, but the more popular leather options are gloves, shoes, and belts.

• Spices

Moroccans love their spices. They love them so much, their famous spice mix Ras el hanout is a mix of roughly 14 different spices!

Fun fact! – The spices in Ras el hanout can vary depending on personal taste and region, but typically include: clove, paprika, chili pepper, mace, cardamon, nutmeg, peppercorn, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, and more! Saffron, salt, garlic, and other spices can be included but are typically added in dishes separately.

If you’re a spice fiend like the Moroccans are, then load up in the souks!

• Clothes/Shoes/Other odds and ends

Colors, colors, colors! Moroccans might dress more conservatively, but they certainty make up for it in rainbow hues and exquisite details.

Both men and women should be on the lookout for babouches (slippers) and maybe a traditional djellaba or kaftan (loose fitting dresses/robes of varying lengths).

Conclusion

Journeying into the souks of Marrakech was an experience I won’t soon forget.

This mystifying haze of dusty alleyways filled with abundant treasure should be a must-see on any traveler’s list. But as with any new adventure, it is always best to be prepared in advance. Thus, I hope my article has helped you for your journey!

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Any questions? Contact me or comment below!