18 Jul 2024
Beautiful ancient city and definitely worth visiting. People are lovely, especially the Berber community. Lots of lanes and even more souls- a definite sensory overload! A tour guide is highly recommended and you only need a half day tour-average 300MAD total in order to see the main tourist attractions. We had a guide called Mehdi, who was well educated and a very thoughtful person with a high level of local knowledge- was worth it! Only book tours with registered guides. A three day stay is plenty to see most of the old medina. The mosques and university is a must see. Don’t forget to treat yourself to a hamam! Choose time sensibly according to your heat tolerance. July is very hot and humid so better to come before the temperatures reach 41 degrees! There are no fans and hardly any places with AC, so a real struggle. Book a Riad to experience something authentic about the old medina. Watch out for the many hustlers and scouts who deliberately target tourists, so be aware and don’t feel guilty to refuse their help. Use a map or Google maps to navigate. If lost, better to ask women than the men! Teenagers and young men will also attempt to persuade you to go with them - advice is to say no. They will convince you that you are lost and then take you around in circles to justify their demand for a payment. In addition, anyone offering to help will likely expect a payment, so again be careful. Taxis are also dishonest so better to check with hotel or Riad for an estimated fare to your destination. Should also ensure the taxi puts on the meter and take note of the taxi number in case of any issues. Police are very determined to make tourists feel safe and welcome. Hardly any place will accept Visa or Credit card so must bring plenty of cash as there is lots of buy! Wear good walking shoes and rucksack is more sensible as there is a lot of steep climbs. Toilets are not always good so make sure to travel with tissues and toiletries to keep you clean and hygienic. Finally, do not assume you can take photos, always best to check with shop owners otherwise some locals are very offended.