What’s the best thing to do in Marrakech? The very best thing? The one thing that will turn your trip from great to brilliant?
Don’t get scammed.
My friend and I were badly scammed, barely 5 minutes after leaving our riad on the first day of our otherwise fabulous holiday in Marrakech. And then again that afternoon, although not quite so badly. I hope this post will save you the same abuse, lost money and waste of time.
How to avoid the Marrakech scams
The best way to avoid our experience — the only way to avoid it — is by not trusting anyone.
No, there is no special market the day you are in Marrakech.
No, the street ahead is not closed.
No, the Bahia Palace, or Saardian Tombs, or wherever you’re headed, is not closed.
No, you do not need help finding your way.
No, no, no.
You left your riad or hotel with a purpose — stick to that plan, and don’t listen to anyone who tries to divert you from it, especially if they want to accompany you.
It sounds unfriendly, I know. But there are well-organized scammers everywhere, who say they will help you for one thing, and then take you someplace entirely different — like the leather tanneries or a shop. Sometimes you can walk away when you realise what’s happened, but sometimes the scammers turn nasty when you don’t want to pay for an unasked-for guide, or don’t pay what they think is enough.
On top of this, after taking you off course, they then leave you to find your own way to wherever it is you were headed.
Please don’t let it happen to you!
The tanneries scam
I had no intention of visiting the Marrakesh tanneries — I’d been there once, and didn’t want to go again. For this reason, I didn’t check out any information about them. If I had, then we would not have fallen victim to this very common scam (Google “Marrakech tanneries scam”, or see the tanneries reviews on TripAdvisor).
Instead, while walking to Jamaa el Fna square on our first morning, we got talking to a nice man. After a few friendly questions, he casually mentioned a big Berber market taking place in Marrakech and that to find it, we just needed to follow the people going there. Then he wished us a good day and took off on his motorcycle.
A Berber market! What fun! So we turned in the indicated direction. Of course, we couldn’t find it, or see any obvious flow of people walking in the same direction. We turned back — and as if by chance, saw the same man passing by. Where’s the market? we asked. That way, he pointed. Come on, I’ll show you.
We became suspicious after a while, but chose to believe that people are good. Once we arrived at the tanneries I knew we’d have to pay the guide, but oh well I thought, my friend had never been there. And maybe then we’d go to the market.
But no, next stop was a leather shop. We said we didn’t want to buy anything, but no problem said the guide. Just have a look. So we looked, and left. Then the original man appeared again, demanding 200 dirhams for the guide. 200 dirhams! When the entrance to the Bahia Place is 10 dirhams and a taxi ride 20 dirhams! I’d planned to pay 50 dirhams and even that, I knew, was too much for being tricked and lied to.
When I resisted this extortion, the man got very nasty, repeatedly swearing at me with his face twisted in spite. I have never seen such an ugly expression directed at me. So we paid the full amount and walked away — and wasted an hour finding our way back.
The Jewish cemetery scam
As far as I know, this scam operates at a much less organized scale than the tanneries scam — but independent people probably run the same type of scam in different parts of Marrakech.
In our case, on leaving the synagogue, a young man offered to show the way to the Jewish cemetery. No! we said. No need!
I’ll take you for free, the young man replied. It’s a service to the community.
Instead he took us to a shop selling soaps and spices. And then vaguely pointed down a street to get to the cemetery, and then asked for money for his “services”. This time we walked away without paying anything.
One more time — how to avoid the scams in Marrakech
Don’t trust anyone who stops you with an offer of help. Even if they say they will do it for free. Just keep walking. That’s really the best thing to do in Marrakech.