VERDICT: WE GAVE 4 OUT OF 5 TICKETS AND HERE’S WHY!
This guide forms part of our complete Morocco Travel Guide, featuring scenic road trips, iconic destinations, practical travel advice and honest first-hand travel experiences from across Morocco.
This article is part of our 14 Days in Marrakech: Ultimate Guide. We visited the famous Jemaa el Fnaa market, ancient Ait Ben Haddou, travelled the Atlas Mountains and saw the incredible Ouzoud Waterfalls. Our trip also included a stay at the Riad Catalina and a one in a lifetime Hot Air Balloon flight over the desert.
Jemaa El-Fnaa Market is a square & market place in the old city or Medina of Marrakech, Morocco, Africa used by locals & tourists.
During the day it’s mostly fresh juice stalls, merchants with traditional leather bags, jewelry & brass cups, youths trying to get you to pay for photos with monkeys & then there are the snake charmers. There are plenty of small cafes & restaurants to have a meal or Moroccan Mint Tea.
As the day progresses, the entertainment changes: late in the day the square becomes more crowded, with dancing/acrobatic boys (it would be against custom for girls to provide such entertainment), storytellers telling their tales in Berber or Arabic, magicians, and peddlers of traditional medicines or Argan oil lotions & such. Jemaa el-Fnaa is not just a market, it’s a full sensory overload and one of the most unforgettable public squares in the world. From the moment you step into the square, you’re surrounded by noise, movement, colour, and energy.
Getting lost is almost guaranteed, shopping is an adventure, and saying “no thank you” becomes an essential skill — welcome to Marrakech’s extraordinary Jemaa el-Fnaa Medina.
You could try to manage the twisting, winding passageways & alleyways of the Jemaa el-Fnaa Medina on your own… but why would you, when you can hire a guide for a few hours?
We decided to do just that, saving ourselves the agro of getting lost repeatedly. Our guide was an older gentleman who clearly not only knew his way around but also the best places to go. We suspected he makes a cut from a couple of the shopkeepers, but we liked seeing the various dishes, giftware, clothing, tea sets… you name it.
There is nothing like the incredible stall set ups with the brightly coloured, fragrant spices that Morocco is known for, the sparkling jewelry, the handmade purses, totes & clothing.
We saw incredible displays of regional olives in various marinades, dates, nuts & dried fruit. The handcrafted bags, shoes, poufs (small round foot stools) & traditional leather slippers were fantastic.
We did have one interesting experience… our guide took us to a textile & carpet stall, where he suddenly disappeared for about 20 minutes, we were shown the majority of the product in the store(and there was A LOT), despite saying ‘lovely but no thank you’ many times. I guess the shopkeeper finally gave up, realizing he wasn’t going to make a sale with us, because along came our guide again.
What We Bought at Jemaa el-Fnaa
Our guide did take us to another huge two level store that had decorative copper teapots, brass lanterns, mosaic lamps & painted pottery plates & bowls, where there was a little pressure to buy, but now we were experts in saying no firmly & kept walking. We stopped by another stall with beautiful silver trinkets & jewelry, the shopkeeper was funny & kind, we struck a bargain for some beautiful bracelets to bring home.
We stopped to take photos of an incredibly luxurious brass freestanding bathtub, but then nearly lost the guide as he walked quite quickly.
There were over 50 numbered food stalls serving traditional Moroccan street food, like Brochettes & Merguez (grilled meat skewers & spiced lamb sausages), Tanjia (Marrakech’s signature slow-cooked beef or lamb dishes)& fried fish & seafood. Recommended stalls: Stall 14: famous for fresh fried Atlantic fish & seafood; Stalls 7-8: popular spots for spiced snail broth. Also the juice stalls are excellent, the fresh fruit is right there for you to choose for your drink.
We were warned that you shouldn’t stop to watch or photograph the performers (snake charmers, acrobats, monkey handlers) or they’ll demand to be paid, some try to plop a small monkey on your shoulder as you pass, then demand payment for having “entertained” you.
There are night market food tours you could take but Mr. MRT is a little… selective of palette, shall we say, so that wouldn’t work out very well. We did enjoy carefully chosen spots to eat, but not on a tour.
It was wild to see the bulk spices all arranged in their tall pointed piles: saffron, cumin & turmeric, of course, but also custom blends like Ras El Hanout(a complex, aromatic North African spice blend whose name translates from Arabic to “top shelf”, and pure argan oil. Last, but not least, there was a huge selection of local natural products, dried herbs & traditional medicines.
Top 3 Things to Buy in the Market
1. Moroccan Spices
The colourful spice stalls are among the market’s highlights. Look for Ras El Hanout, cumin, turmeric, paprika and saffron. Ras El Hanout makes an especially good souvenir because it captures the distinctive flavours of Moroccan cooking.
2. Handmade Moroccan Leather Goods
Traditional babouche slippers, handbags, belts, wallets and leather poufs are everywhere. Morocco has a centuries-old leatherworking tradition, and these are practical souvenirs that are easy to bring home—although an unstuffed pouf is considerably easier to fit into a suitcase.
3. Moroccan Ceramics & Home Décor
Hand-painted bowls and plates, mosaic lamps, brass lanterns and decorative tea sets are some of the most tempting finds. Designs vary considerably, so wandering through several stalls before buying is part of the experience.
My Return Ticket Tip: Bargaining is part of shopping in the souks. Decide what an item is worth to you before negotiating, remain friendly and be prepared to walk away.
Beating Heart of Marrakech
Jemaa el-Fnaa is the main gateway to Marrakech’s souks. Step off the square and you’re immediately drawn into a maze of narrow lanes packed with workshops, spice stalls, leather goods, lanterns, and hidden riads. For travellers, this is where Marrakech truly begins; loud, alive, unpredictable, and impossible to ignore. The souks with the spices & fruit are beautiful in their gorgeous colours & smells! Whether you love it instantly or need time to absorb it, Jemaa el-Fnaa leaves a lasting impression and defines the spirit of the city like nowhere else.
As darkness falls, the square fills with dozens of food stalls as the number of people on the square peaks. Steam rising from food stalls greets you, as do the greeters trying to invite you over for a meal.
The square is edged along one side by the Marrakech souk, a traditional North African market: both for the common daily needs of the locals & for the tourists looking for something to take home with them.
Jemaa el-Fnaa dates back to the 11th century, making it around 1,000 years old. It was established shortly after Marrakech was founded in 1070–1072 by the Almoravid dynasty, originally serving as a central gathering place just outside the city’s main mosque and administrative areas.
The meaning of the name Jemaa el-Fnaa is often translated as “Assembly of the Dead” or “Place of the Dead.” While the exact origin is debated, the most widely accepted explanation links it to the square’s historical use as a site for public gatherings, proclamations, and occasional executions during medieval times. Over centuries, the square evolved from a place of authority and judgement into a vibrant centre of storytelling, music, trade, food, and performance.
Today, Jemaa el-Fnaa stands as a powerful symbol of Marrakech’s living heritage, so culturally significant that it was recognised by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. What began as a stark civic space has become one of the world’s most animated public squares, where history, tradition, and everyday life continue to unfold in real time.
On other sides are hotels, gardens & café terraces, narrow streets lead into the alleys of the medina quarter.
The square is so busy that you must watch as you go – mopeds rush past at breakneck speeds! There are carts, pulled by donkeys, loaded down with fresh bread or fresh produce.
If you want to go into the alleyways we suggest one or two things:
1) Ask your Riad or hotel to find you a guide. You’ll pay them a little to help you not get lost & they’ll take you to what you ask to see.
2) If you don’t want a guide, always look like you know what you’re doing – if you don’t, some troublemakers take note & may try to pickpocket you or otherwise bully you into paying them some money. We chose a guide & had no trouble. Our friends went it alone, and did have a bit of an issue.
The best view of the market will be from a restaurant rooftop patio. We suggest Zeitoun Cafe www.zeitouncafe.com You can enjoy the craziness from the comfort up above. You can hear the entertainment + the Calls to Prayer.
Take a peek at our video here: https://youtu.be/xqKpYCBXhWQ
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Explore these places in Morocco
- Travel across the Atlas Mountains
- Discover ancient settlements at Ait Ben Haddou
- Visit the coastal city of Essaouira
- Experience a Hot Air Balloon Flight
- Visit the second highest waterfalls in Africa
- Visit Ouarzazate and Film Studios
- Argan Oil Cooperative, Morocco
Continue exploring Marrakech
- Experience an Arabian Fantasy Night
- Stop and people watch at our favourite cafe: Koutoubia
- Day Trips from Marrakech
- Saadian Tombs
Nearby Marrakech attractions
Planning your trip?
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- 🚗 Rental cars
- 🎟️ Top-rated tours & attractions
- 📶 eSIMs for easy connectivity
- 🛡️ Travel insurance
- 🎒 Packing Lists
- 🎒 Travel gear from The Venturio
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