Escape to Marrakesh: The Sunny Little Gem of Morocco
Tired of grey skies and endless rainy days, we knew exactly what we needed, a quick escape somewhere warm and sunny. After a bit of searching, we stumbled upon a surprisingly cheap flight to Marrakesh, Morocco. At first, we were a little suspicious about why it was such a bargain, but one look at the weather forecast changed everything. Twenty-six degrees that weekend. Just like that, all doubts disappeared.
And so it began—our weekend getaway to a brand-new country, ready to explore a different culture, flavours, and pace of life.
We flew out on a Friday afternoon. The flight from London is just over three hours, and we landed at around 8:00 PM at Marrakesh Menara Airport. We travelled light, with just one cabin bag each. Passport control itself was refreshingly quick. One tip: have your accommodation address written down or pulled up on your phone, as they’ll ask for it at the desk. The real bottleneck comes immediately after – a secondary security checkpoint where they scan all bags again. We waited about 15 minutes in the queue, though this can vary since there aren’t many scanners running. Not a dealbreaker, just worth knowing if you’re trying to meet a driver at a specific time.
Once through, we exchanged some pounds and euros for Moroccan dirham at the airport. The dirham is a closed currency, meaning you can only get it once you arrive in Morocco, though euros are widely accepted in many places. One thing to watch: the exchange desk didn’t give us a receipt. Check the exchange rate beforehand, count your dirhams carefully, and ask for a receipt if possible. It’s easy to forget when you’re tired from the flight, but it’ll give you peace of mind.
Our next stop was grabbing a local SIM card. We went with Maroc Telecom and picked up a 40GB plan for 20 euros (200 dirhams), which turned out to be more than enough for maps, and staying connected throughout the trip.
Outside the airport, taxi drivers were offering rides to hotels and riads. We had pre-booked our transfer through Booking.com for £12 one way, which worked out cheaper than the 20 euros airport pickup offered by our riad. If you’re planning your trip, I’ve shared more tips like this in my post First-Timer Mistakes to Avoid in Marrakesh.
As soon as we got into the car, the owner of our riad messaged us: “Don’t leave the car until I come pick you up.”
Don’t panic, this is completely normal in Marrakesh. The medina (old city) is a maze of narrow alleys where cars can’t always reach, and it’s common for riad owners to meet guests personally. Many people will offer to “guide” you for a tip, often saying “the road is closed” or “we know a shortcut,” so having your accommodation meet you is much safer.
Once we arrived at the riad, we were genuinely surprised. The décor was beautiful, the atmosphere calm, and the welcome incredibly warm. After the busy streets of the medina, stepping inside felt like entering a peaceful hidden oasis.
We stayed at Riad Bab Taghzout Marrakesh.
Our first evening ended with dinner at the riad, where we tried the famous couscous and a chicken tagine. After a day of travel, it was exactly what we needed, comforting, full of flavour, and the perfect introduction to Moroccan cuisine.
With full bellies and travel tiredness setting in, we headed to bed early. The real adventure would begin the next morning, with our first full day exploring Marrakesh.