The square is where colour and chaos collide to bring you a true taste of Morocco. Snake charmers mingle with persistent street sellers, while acrobats and a choice of local delicacies vie for your attention.
Shopping is an interesting pastime in Morocco, with the souks of Marrakech providing a treasure trove of trinkets and souvenirs, with much of the fun coming from haggling over prices with the jovial sellers.
Heading further into the city, a zigzag of quaint lanes through the Kasbah leads abruptly to the once magnificent Badii palace, which is now a ruin. Painstakingly built over 25 years, the palace was ornate and spectacular, surviving for a century before being plundered by a sultan who transported its riches elsewhere.
Speaking of grand sights, no trip would be complete without a visit to one of the imposing but glorious mosques; the Sis Ben Salah Mosque and the Koutoubia Mosque are undoubtedly two of the best. Built in fine architectural styles and steeped in history, both examples are quintessentially Moroccan.
To appreciate some of the unique history found here, The Saadian tombs offer a great insight, dating to the 1500s and discovered in 1917. Ornate and lavish, the tombs house members of the Saudi Dynasty, with the garden holding graves of soldiers and servants.
Those looking for an altogether different city break will be hard pressed to find somewhere that beats Marrakech, particularly as it is only three-and-a-half hours away from the UK by plane. A couple of bus routes run every 20-30 minutes from the airport and take visitors to Djemaa el Fna square. The journey takes 20-30 minutes and fares are low. You might be handed a map by your driver, so ask if they will stop near your final destination.
A taxi rank sits outside the arrivals terminal. It's best to agree a price before you set off for your Marrakech hotel. Prices can fluctuate due to petrol costs so haggling is the norm on fares.
The sights of Marrakech are all located fairly centrally but a good network of buses serves outlying areas, the airport and the long-distance bus station, which is handy for long journeys around Morocco. Stick to using your own energy to get around if you only want to see the central attractions of Marrakech. It's easy enough to navigate with the right map and a bit of common sense. A novel way to get about in Marrakech, a caleche is a traditional horse-drawn carriage and it's a pleasure to see the city to a soundtrack of clomping hooves. It should not cost more than about 100 dirhams (around £8) for an hour.
If you are planning a trip to Morocco this year and need some help, read on for more information and use TravelSupermarket's search tool to find cheap city breaks to Marrakech.
