Traveler Description
Medina's large central square.

Address: Central square at entrance to market

Traveler Reviews

Handy things to know.
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Oct 3, 2008


I last visited the Jemaa El Fna about three years ago, just after entering Morocco. I travelled the country, eventually deciding to settle in Agadir. However, what I have found is the same right across the country and applies to wherever you may find yourself. To begin with, the locals do tend to get in your face, especially if they consider you a soft target for a sale, regardless of what it is. It works like this... If you show the slightest interest in anything, they will home in on you. That's when the hard sell begins. And if you are a female, they will deliberately knock into you. My wife is blonde and she gets bashed quite regularly. Do not be afraid to give the culprit a good bit of verbal if they do. You'll feel better for it and will probably assist others in the longer term by doing so. As for prices, there are two. One for the Morrocans and the other for tourists. Never accept the first price as their greed far outweighs any kind of common sense. They also don't understand the meaning of compromise. If you make it clear you do not wish to pay their asking price they simply will not sell it to you, swearing and cursing you for wasting their precious time. I've seen it many times and take pleasure in watching them trying their level best to part me with my cash, the mad impetuous fools. The most important bit of info I can give is this: Tell them 'NO'! Repeat this word until they get the message, even if you have to raise your voice in the process. The common belief is that Europeans have lots of money so prices should be at least doubled, more often trebbled. I know this because I live here. I'm due to visit Marrakech this coming weekend so will be reliving the moment I first arrived in this country. I'm looking forward to it and can only thank those who wrote about the pickpockets. I do like this country though, believing it's far better than the UK for all sorts of reason. Whatever your reason is for visiting, I hope you enjoy it.

Taking Care
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Aug 11, 2008


It's a several years since I last visited Marrakech. During my first visit I was advised by our Hotel and holiday Rep' to hire an official guide if visiting Jemma el Fna and the souks. They will take you to all the places that you want to visit and will fend off any thing or any body that you do not want to talk to and will also advise on haggling. We did and it worked extremely well. If you are staying at a hotel, their reception staff shuold be able to book you one. If you are not staying at a Hotel, I should imagine that a tourist information office would be able to book one.

Djemaa El Fna - Square of the Dead...is the place to be!
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Jul 23, 2008


OK, how can anyone say that this square is ?definitely worth not seeing?? I mean if you go to Marrakech and do not go to the Jemaa El Fna then I?m telling you, you have so missed out. Course you might not like everything?but everything is not there for it to be liked. I loved the place. Go for the orange juice, it is the best I have ever tasted I am not kidding so that alone contradicts the saying ?definitely worth not going/seeing?. The food was lovely, most places had the same thing on the menu but it was dirt cheap, I recommend stall number 97 as they had the friendliest staff, they shook your hands and made sure that you were ok and looked after you until you have left their stall. Their food compared to the other stalls we have eaten in were more fresh and cooked right, it is also one of the busiest with tourists, so that shows number 97 must be one of the better ones. All stall have numbers so what you tend to find is that they will tell you to remember their stall number and come back for it later or another day. Yes, they are pushy and yes they want you to eat in their stall and yes, its Marrakech?its all for themselves, the way they make their living you just have to join in and laugh it off and blend in with them it works, just be one of them and they will laugh back and make jokes! The big trick to these food stall workers is you PRETEND you have already eaten so then they will stop and just ask you to come back another day and remember their stall number, and they will smile and welcome you to Marrakech then leave you alone. Done. There is so much to see, henna artist calling you to come over and ?just look? but they will like you to actually do one. Just don?t go and look if you do not want to do it, your just going to make them think you want one done and make yourself spend around 50 dirhams on henna designs which you did not want in the first place. So just don?t go if you don?t want it. Snake charmers, well they are there charming the snakes and they do offer to put one round your neck and take pictures?no way I was doing that, then there are cute monkey which are being put on to your shoulders and the workers get them to pose for the camera which you have to of course pay for at the end. Acrobats and watermen belly dancers and performers are scattered around, be careful with these lot if you even look they will draw all their attention on you amongst everyone in the crowd and at the end will ask for money. Some will do nothing and will still ask for money. There are other things like fortune tellers, story tellers and much more. There are a line of horses and carriages and their owners asking if you want to go for a quick spin around the area with them. You will also find motorbikes zooming past you dangerously so be conscious. The square leads to the ever ending souks :). Personally I did have bad experience in the square, with people asking for money even though all they did was bang a drum 3-4 times; all we did? was give them 1 dirham and walked off. They still bothered you but just ignore and walk off, at the end of the day remember it is down to you how you will get treated there and how much you pay. There was one henna artist came up to me and showed me the henna book and forcefully took my hands and started decorating it, I was really cross, I wanted to save my hands for the last day so I can get a henna artist on the last night to tattoo it so when I come back to London it will last longer. I was not having it; :-( she demanded money for that forceful act. I was not going to give her anything. And I didn?t. But like I said you will experience a few bad times but you expect that. You will get lost if your not careful so be careful! Keep an eye on your crowd in that way you will not be separated. Beware of pickpockets they do exist. Orange juice is the best 3 dirhams you get a freshly squeezed juice. With 10 dirhams you get orange and lime yum yum that is delicious you will need to try that as well. (Recommend stall 17). You will get beggers they are not ?horrible? as some people put them they just want a bit of help. I don?t mean splash your money out, no don?t do that, but use your instincts and look out for the ones you think will need it. We gave some of our food to a few children who asked they thankfully took it and went. There was an old lady sitting in the corner praying we gave her around 10 dirhams she didn?t even look at the money to check how much we gave her and all she did was dearly thank us no matter how much we gave. There was an old couple the man was blind we gave them a few dirhams and they were so happy and appreciative, that?s it we didn?t splash hundreds out. There were a few annoying children that were sent by their parents trying to sell biscuits n wouldn?t leave us alone. But we got through it with a help from locals. The Djemaa El Fna goes through a huge transformation from the morning to night. Wow you will see the difference, it?s quieter in the morning but after about say 7 you will see the stall getting built and slowly music from snake charmers and drummers flooding the square and smoke from the cooking flying in the air and gets buzzing with people. What we done was sometimes buy a few soft drinks and water in a cafe and sit there for few hours and watch and talk. It was really relaxing. So in conclusion a definite place to go. If you don?t like the sound of what I said then don?t go Marrakech at all. Because that is what Marrakech is all about, it is what you imagine from a North African/ Middle Eastern part of the world. Maybe Paris will be the place for you.

Sensational ....however, be very aware of the pick-pockets !
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Jul 21, 2008


There is no doubt that this is a must see, especially at dusk and as the square shifts identities into the early and late evening. What has already been stated with other reviews is all true. The only problem I encountered and by far the biggest was that I found Jemaa el Fna to be 'infested' with pick pockets. Came within seconds of someone stealing my wallet one evening, saw a daring guy open a young ladies bag and snatch 50 dirhams on broad daylight and stood back from the crowded throngs another night to see how these youngters stalked their prey. Do not be put off by them, just be wary - don't take any precious items in your handbags or in your wallets. Take small amounts of money if need be and enjoy the events that transpire around you.

Least favourite part of Marrakech
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Jun 23, 2008


The Jemaa el Fna was my least favourite thing about our time in Marrakech. It seems nothing more than a way for the locals to intimidate the tourists. If I dared to spare more than a fleeting glance at either the snake charmers, the dancers, the water carriers, etc. then they would be demanding money (and a LOT of it) for the pleasure of looking at them. How dissapointing. When I return to Marrakech, I won't be going back to Jemaa el Fna, especially at night.