Sample prices
Here are some examples of prices of Marrakech so that you can make your budget:

• Fresh orange juice in the square: 10 dirhams.
• Dinner for two at an inexpensive restaurant: From 120 dirhams.
• Double room in a riad cheap: from 30 € per night.
• Double scoring highly in riads: From 60 € per night.
• A taxi ride from the airport Menara: Between 80 and 100 dirhams.
• By taxi within the city: between 10 and 20 dirhams.
• Visit a memorial: Between 10 and 50 dirhams.

Tips
Normally leave between 10 and 15% tip in restaurants. In taxis if the driver has fulfilled the meter and the legality, it is not more than 10% leave a tip.

Haggling
As in all Arab countries, haggling is part of the culture of the people of Marrakech. Except in restaurants, you will have to haggle (willingly or not) in each store and position of the city, especially in the souk.

Currency Coverter (Live rates at 2010.02.04 16:43:30 UTC)

British Pounds & Morocco Dirhams
1.00 GBP = 12.8670 MAD

Euros & Morocco Dirhams
1.00 EUR = 11.2388 MAD

US Dollars & Morocco Dirhams
1.00 USD = 8.16730 MAD

The countries below can enter Morocco without a visa. Just need a valid passport for the entire stay.

Andorra, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Congo, South Korea, Ivory Coast, Croatia, Denmark, UAE, Slovakia, Slovenia , USA, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mali, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Nigeria , New Guinea, Norway, New Zealand, Oman, Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Romania, Senegal, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey and Venezuela.

However the best option for the citizens of other countries is to ask the Moroccan embassy in their country. They can also find information on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Morocco.

If you stay within the medina, the walk to the riad at night may not be very pleasing to the majority. Main street lights are fairly low, some smaller streets have no lights, & sometimes you even light your way with your mobile phone.

Add to this that there are people lying in the corners, and even a child who will follow you to the riad demanding money, obviously it s not what you are expecting.

No doubt this is the least we like Marrakech. If you want help you can always choosed at a hotel outside the medina and take a taxi at the Place Jamaa el Fna, but missing the experience of the riad is a shame.

During the day things change radically and you feel calmer, with light and a lot more people on the street everything is different.

Plainly speaking, in Marrakesh is not going to happen to you anything bad, many people can you ask for money on the street and sure there are pickpockets around the square, but they’ll never threatened by the fear of the police and their laws.

Summer in Marrakech
If you travel to Marrakech in July or August you get ready for heat. The average temperature in these months is 28 º and not infrequently exceed 40 ° C throughout the day.

The chance of rain is almost nil but the ocasional sandstorm.

Winter in Marrakech
From December to February average temperature is 13 º C with minimum temperatures of 6 º C. On the day the temperatire is comfortable in short sleeves but at night it cools. During these months there is a chance of rain, but not greater than in Spanish cities.

Spring and Autumn in Marrakech
March, April, October and November are the preferred months to travel to Marrakech. In recent months, when the day temperatures are bearable, and nights very pleasant.

Due to tourism and business needs, whether you speak French, English or Spanish will have no problems to communicate with much of the population of Marrakech. Wherever you are you will find someone who “gibberish” something in Spanish.

Useful Expressions in Arabic
Although, as we say, you will not need to put much emphasis on learning their language, is always good to know the basics to look good.

Courtesy
Hello – Ahalan
Adios – Ma’a Elsalam
See you later  -  Wada’an
Good morning – Saba’a AlKair
Good afternoon - Masa’a AlKair
Good night - Laila Tiab
Please  -  Fadilak Min
Thanks  -  Shokran
You’re welcome  –  Ala ElRahib Wa ElSaa
I’m sorry  –  Ann Eazinak

Words of interest
Yes  - Na’am
Not  - Laa
Good  - Taib
Bad  - Saia
Friend - Sadik

Numbers
Zeros  - efir
One  - Wahed
Two –  Etnin
Three  - Talata
Four  - Arbaa
Five  - Hamsa
Six –  ita
Seven –  Sabaa
Eight –  Tamaña
Nine –  Tesaa

Join the locals in choosing what to have in your freshly made smoothie/milkshake. Try milk and almonds (lait et amandes), or peach and plum (peche et prune), or a mix (panache – pronounced panashee). Ask for it without sugar if you prefer (sans sucre). The fruit is wonderful. They also do pastries, yoghurts with fruit etc. And they’ll make up boxes of Moroccan mini-pastries for you to take home for your friends – a big box holds up to 500g (the cost is very reasonable – think it was 60 dirhams per half kilo). Smoothies and milkshakes are around 9 dirhams each – excellent value for money.

Haggle the price before boarding!
It’s very important that before getting into the taxi that you bargain with the taxi driver, because in Marrakech there are no official charges, each taxi driver will charge what they think is right, or what they think they can get….. And if you see a tourist, you may want to charge much more than it the trip is worth.

For example, if you’re in the Jemaa el Fna square (which is right in the heart of the medina) and want to go to your riad (suppose the riad is a half-hour walk from the plaza) the trip should not cost more 20-dh (2 euros).   It’s really up to you if you think an extra 10 or so is worth haggling over and remember, petrol costs are rising and prices do rise every year. 

At night it is more expensive
The night taxi journeys are more expensive than days, although there are no formal charges to indicate this. When you want to take a taxi at night taxi drivers will tell you a price, and you’ll see that for the same route they will want to charge you double. Try just a little haggling, you should not pay twice because it has got a little darker!

Find yourself a taxi
In Marrakech, the task of finding a taxi is like going on shopping in the sales.  We must look for many items before getting one, it’s worth it because careful buyers will get the best price.

Above all, remember who it is you who is going looking for a taxi, and not the other way around: often unemployed taxi drivers hang around corners and you will see by the way you walk or look that you’re looking for a taxi. Avoid climbing into these taxis, because it will be more expensive than if it is you who are looking for the taxi.

Tel: 00 212(0) 24 44 43 14
Mobile: 00 212 (0) 71 38 95 35
Email : reservation@riaddollardessables.com

Located in a renowned area, only two minutes from the famous « Jema el Fnaa square » the riad DOLLAR DES SABLES is a traditional morrocan mansion. It has just been refurbished to a high standard by local craftsmen with rigorous respect for the marrocan style with traditional materials such as ceramic and tadelakt.

Rooms are located on 3 floors.
Patio level ZAHIA : Spacious twin room with tadelakt bathroom and ceiling fan.
1st floor, 4  Double rooms :” Safia,Salma,Bahia, Lalitha” all with high comfort
(Please note that  2 rooms can become connected rooms, according to the customers’s desire.,” Lalitha” and “Safia”)
On the terrasse level, the Dollar des Sables Suite which offers a very high standard with luxurious and refined decoration. The bathroom has an arched roof and a rounded bath.

Zaahlouk of courgettes
Briouates with vegetables
Tagine with Lamb and quince
Tagine with ‘Boulette de Sardines’

Souk Cuisine is run by the very friendly Gemma Van de Burgt, from Netherlands will coach you during this cooking-day experience.

The day starts at 10 am with a trip to the market (the souk) to buy locals home-grown goods, food according to traditional methods. You’ll learn in spot how to find the best products, by looking , feeling, smelling & tasting.
The cooking is in the courtyard of a Riad, under banana trees

All takes about 4 hours & then try your own cooked dishes, with a glass of Moroccan wine.

Price per person is : 350 dirhams. This includes shopping, cooking with Moroccan women, lunch at least four dishes, recipes you can take home, dutch/english/french coaching, water & tea at your discretion and 2 glasses of wine.

Minimum number of person is 2, maximum is 12

http://www.marrakechfestival.com (french website)

A foretaste of the 43rd edition, a popular festival immersed in a city in celebration of 14 to 19 July 2008.

The festival covers its 43rd edition in an original format, powerful, innovative and popular. In the continuity of the 42nd edition, the next edition will preserve the popular arts in all their authenticity, will celebrate a heritage alive of inestimable value, for the sake of sharing with an audience in search of the events When popular, authentic and quality.

To announce the festival, a grand procession to the sound of traditional instruments, will help to attract and unite the local people and guests of the town red.

Stages are installed in the city, including historical places of the town red, as the Badi Palace and Dar Si-said

The official opening of the Festival will be held at the Palais Badi July 15, 2008. A magnificent spectacle, in a single framework, will stage the popular arts in a new theme. A choice to present the groups of artists and musicians in an appropriate framework. The Badi Palace, with its architecture and its prestigious public places, is the living theatre where the event takes place and where 200 000 spectators are expected each night.

A Bab Ighli from 17 to 19 July 2008, a large stage merger new generation artists and popular Moroccan renowned host more than 40 000 spectators each night.

To animate the entire city, the 2008 edition has scheduled 6 scenes in the districts of Daoudiate, Garden of the Harti, Sidi Youssef Ben Ali, M’hamid, Hey Bab El Massira and Lakhmis. These districts are colorful feast by troops traditional daily.

One of the ambitions of the festival, to revive and continue the traditions and artistic expression of Moroccan women. The 43rd edition brings honour Moroccan women with 2 evenings Dar Si Said gente devoted to women, which will unite artists and audiences purely feminine.

The festival also aims to promote culture alive through original events taking place at the Theatre Royal, such as contests (ghiyata, hanna, gnawa…) and exhibitions.