Marrakech is an assault on your senses. And I mean that in the best way possible. It’s a city that the scents of spices waft across the air. While you’re looking around trying to figure out where the scents are coming from, the man carrying the live chickens catches your eye. Meanwhile, the sounds of the pungi lure you toward the snakes swaying to the rhythmic tune of the pipes. And while you’re distracted by the sights, sounds and smells, a henna woman will grab the opportunity to brand you like she did to me. It’s so much to take in that you can’t possibly even know where to begin exploring the medina – unless you have the wonderful guides from Insiders Experience Marrakech to show you the best of medina from a local’s perspective and in a Ural sidecar motorcycle, no less.
A Sidecar Motorcycle Tour of the Medina
We truly had a bucket list trip to Marrakech with a birds-eye view over the Red City from a hot air balloon, eating like royalty on our Moroccan Food Adventures tour, staying in the lap of luxury at the new Mandarin Oriental Marrakech and zipping in and out of the medina in a sidecar motorcycle. Felix, a French expat living in Marrakech, was an incredible guide and we were thrilled to be invited to experience a tour so new it wasn’t even on the Insiders Experience website just yet (it is now).
Felix picked us up at the Mandarin Oriental Marrakech. With the only sidecar motorcycle in Marrakech, it’s impossible to miss him. With Tim in the sidecar, I hopped on behind Felix and we were off.
There is so much to see in the medina and one of the areas not often visited by tourists is the mellah, or the Jewish Quarter. The first mellah was established in Fez in 1438 as a safe, walled neighborhood for the Jewish immigrants to live. Over time Morocco became home to the largest Jewish population in the Arab world and mellahs popped up in Rabat, Salé and Marrakech, as well as other cities.
We had time for a short walk around the mellah to witness the vibrant neighborhood full of silver shops and small spice vendors.
The Jewish Quarters became rundown and overpopulated over the years. We could clearly see the difference between the mellah and other parts of the medina. Here the buildings were literally crumbling, though revitalization is prevalent on some streets. King Mohammed VI, the current king of Morocco, is welcoming to the Jewish population and has allocated money to restoring the synagogues and neighborhoods over the last few years.
Back on the sidecar motorcycle, we made our way through the medina with Felix sharing tidbits about his favorite streets, shops, restaurants and all sorts of insider tips. Sometimes we zipped along; other times it was slow going as Felix expertly navigated us through the narrow, walled streets.
There’s no shortage of motorbikes in Marrakech, but at the time ours was the one and only sidecar motorcycle in all of Morocco (Insiders Experience has since added a small fleet). We were just as much a sight ourselves as the sights we were taking in, like the Koutoubia Mosque‘s minaret, the tallest structure in Marrakech.
Taking photos can sometimes be a tricky thing in Morocco. The locals might not like it at all and others might expect a little payment for the privilege of snapping a photo of their wares. Felix was fantastic about letting us know when photos were okay and when they weren’t. The king’s guards especially don’t like people snapping photos outside the palace and we were warned to put the camera away temporarily so it wouldn’t be confiscated.
Outside the medina, we did a little off-roading through the Palmeraie. It’s the largest palm grove in the world and has hundreds of thousands of palm trees. This is also where you can come for camel rides right in Marrakech and the camels don’t mind photos at all. In fact, they’re total hams for the camera!
The Palmeraie is also where you also get a look at the ancient khettra, a system of underground irrigation tunnels that carried water all the way from the melting snow in High Atlas Mountains to Marrakech and allowed the palm oasis to flourish. The khettra is no longer used since the water comes from modern reservoirs and a network of wells, but it’s interesting to see.
The Palmeraie is some of the most desirable land in all of North Africa and we spotted some incredible mansions as we drove the walled streets around it. Geographically, the Palmeraie isn’t a great distance from the mellah where we started our day; but with the bougainvillea framing the street and glimpses of immaculate gardens beyond the gated houses, it felt like a world away.
We ended our fascinating tour of Marrakech in the Kasbah neighborhood. It’s hip and trendy here with local twenty-somethings relaxing with mint lemonades on rooftop terraces.
We joined Felix for lunch at the Clock Cafe, which serves modern Moroccan fare. They’re known for their camel burgers and when in Morocco. We’d had over-cooked camel elsewhere and were a bit skeptical since the meat just isn’t good once it’s tough. Served with a tomato jam, the burger was actually delicious!
Felix definitely gave us a memorable experience in Marrakech and showed us one of the coolest ways to tour the city.
Know Before You Go
Our tour was provided by Insiders Experience in order to bring you this story. However, Luxe Adventure Traveler maintains full editorial control of the content published on this site. As always, all thoughts, opinions, and enthusiasm for travel are entirely our own.
Kristin says
That sidecar cracks me up! It’s like you two are in some sort of superhero movie, only one written and directed by Judd Apatow 😉
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Isn’t it cute! We want to buy one now! Tim can drive, I’ll ride behind him and we just have to get Emma to stay in the sidecar.
Natasha says
What a interesting way to tour Marrakech! We just walked around the whole time – old fashion way. However, we stopped at the Clock Cafe too and loved it!
Katja says
This looks like such a fun way to see the city! I’ve been to Morocco twice now but I’ve still not made it to Marrakech. Hopefully third time lucky!
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Oh, you must! Usually we shy away from big cities, but Marrakech has so much charm. We truly enjoyed our time there.
Alouise says
I’ve always wanted to visit Morocco. This sounds like such a fun way to see Marrakech. The Palmeraie is something I would have never even known to visit either. Thanks for the great information on this tour.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
We wouldn’t have known to visit the Palmeraie without Felix and this tour. Who knew such an interesting part of Morocco’s history lies there?
Candace and Spencer says
What a wonderful post, almost felt like I was there. You described the feeling of walking through the Medina perfectly. Marrakesh is high on my bucket list and this post certainly has reinforced that. Love the side car bike you guys zipped around in, hehe looks so fun. That’s the way to do it, have a guide show you all the best bits. Thank you for the inspiration. Look forward to your next post.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Marrakech is a must visit. There are so many beautiful parts to discover!
Jimmy and Tina says
the Mint lemonade looks super yummy! I’d love to learn more about the Khetra and the water irrigation system that used to be in place, The deep hole that is left looks so dangerous if someone fell in one. I love the diversity of the different villages you passed through, Seeing the sights in a sidecar must have been a great experience! I also find it very interesting that there is such a large Jewish population, would love to learn more of the history of how it came to be.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
True. If that hole was in the US, it would be cordoned off with a giant warning sign. But I don’t think many tourists venture in to the Palmarie or even know to go there.
Rab says
Palmeraie is something new to me! Have to bear this in mind when planning a trip to Marrakesh. Touring the city in a sidecar motorcycle certainly looks like fun! I did it once in Melbourne, Australia, with the Harley Davidson.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
It is a really fun way to get around! We want a Ural now.
Nancy says
I was close to visiting Morocco but ended up having to changing our flights. I love the side car – you seem to be having so much fun! It looks and sounds like the perfect way to explore Marrakech – thanks for the intel. I will look Felix up when I visit the city.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Oh no! You must reschedule your trip. We absolutely loved Morocco and can’t wait to go back and explore more.
Rhonda says
Looks like you had a fantastic tour (and hit some of the same spots that I saw)in Marrakech. The sidecar is a novel way to do it. I mostly walked over the week or so I was there. I highly recommend staying in a riad in the medina to get a better local flavor.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Yes, there are many lovely riads in the Medina. We stayed both in the Medina as well as at a resort just a few minutes from the Medina and both experiences were wonderful.
Claudia says
Motorcycle travel with a sidecar looks like a lot of fun, though I don’t think I’d venture too far on my own. The water irrigation system is fascinating! Water in the desert is so critical to sustaining life.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
You can’t actually drive since the sidecar is entirely different than driving a motorcycle. You have an experienced guide and can really cover a lot of ground.
Shobha says
We felt this same way about Marrakech. So much going on that it’s hard to know what to focus on. We retreated to our hotel gladly – next time I would consider this sidecar experience because that looks so cool.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
I think you definitely have to tackle Marrakech with a plan. Hope you’ll return and give it another shot!
Trisha Velarmino says
I love Morocco! I’ve been here for a couple of months and I really had a great stay in this country. Primarily, the people are so kind. I, myself wasn’t sure about safety when I first landed Morocco. I kept listening to people who said, “it’s very dangerous there. n contrary, I met a lot of kind people who offered me their homes, introduced me to their culture and taught me the language.
I’m glad that you enjoyed your trip here! Did you buy any of their crafts? They have a wide variety of shoes, bags, everything. Everything is here! I love their crafts!
Jennifer Dombrowski says
We found Morocco to be very safe and the people friendly.
Yes, we came home with spices, shoes, rugs and a tajine. Though we purchased most things from smaller villages where the sellers will give you a much better price than in Marrakech.