I'll be in Rabat with my 14-year-old daughter in February. We are going to add a few days to the trip and go to either Fes or Marrakech. Which would you choose? We'd like to stay in a Riad - any specific experiences positive or negative?

Thank you!

gruezi

hi!
i travelled around morroco for the month of august last and i would definitly choose marrakech.
we liked fes but with only one place to visit you cant beat the madness of marrakech!
we stayed in a very cheap riad on our first visit and i wouldnt recommend it(cockroach infeatation being one of the reasons!)however on our return visit to marrakech we stayed in a lovely riad called riad karmela. it was really beautiful and relaxing and i would recommend it.best of luck!

scatterbride,

thank you for your note and the Riad recommendation. I am leaning toward Marrakech but it is a bit farther from Rabat and means keeping my daughter out of school a few extra days. Lots of people like Fes too and I'm just trying to get a handle on why...

g.

Gruezi:
We just came back from two weeks in Morocco and visited both Fez and Marrakesh. My trip report is posted.

We prefered Fez. There were a few reasons, not the least of which was that our official guide there was enthusiastic and knowledgeable whereas the one in Marrakesh was not.

What we liked better:
We heard a lot of interesting history about Fez. We heard less about Marrakesh--again this was probably a guide issue.

In Fez we saw historical sites, mosques, koranic schools (and spoke with Imams at a medersa), but most of what we saw was still in use whereas a lot of sites in Marrakesh seemed to be out of use now. It didn't affect our enjoyment of either one but it was really cool to see people still using a historical mosque in Fez's medina.

Much less hassle from shopkeepers.

More fascinating medina--it's narrower and no motor vehicles are permitted within. In Marrakesh we were constantly annoyed or nearly hit by motorbikes.

The quality of the items purchased in Fez seemed much better than what we saw in Marrakesh--we purchased ceramics, metal work, and carpets. I know carpets are good all over but the metalwork and ceramics seemed better in Fez.

In Fez we saw: the tannery, ceramic works, metal working, and weaving. You can see all of the above in Marrakesh, too but I doubt there's much difference. We did like that Marrakesh had a dyers' souk, though.


Why you and your daughter might like Marrakesh better:
The square really is quite a spectacle. I was crestfallen when I thought rain would prevent us from seeing the snake charmers, acrobats and henna artists or from enjoying cheap fresh-squeezed orange juice. The square is fun and exciting. Also, the surrounding beauty of the high Atlas mountains is truly gorgeous with their snowy peaks.

Nevertheless, I would return to Fez but not to Marrakesh. Just my opinion, of course and some of what I observed is my perception, likely affected by the quality of guides.

If you do choose Fez, we stayed at Riad El Yacout--right on the edge of the medina. It was a beautful and incredibly hospitable place. We highly recommend it! http://www.riadyacout.com/

Happy travels.

Dear Schlegal1,

Thank you for your very helpful post. I will read your trip report (I may already have) and appreciate your feedback. I don't love huge crowds and perhaps Fes may be a better option. On the other hand, I think my daughter would love to see a snakecharmer...

decisions, decisions...

thank you.

g.

Have one day in Casablanca..Dec 20 on a cruise ship,.
Who can I contact for a day trip to Marrakech by car or plane. Thanks. KJF

My general take on the two cities was that both were interesting in history and architecture, but Fez was everything I expected when I had thought of the name "Marrakesh". Exotic, chaotic and fascinating. I loved watching life go on and that my presence didn't seem to significantly alter that (other than some general touting here and there, especially near the tanneries)

Marrakesh on the other hand, to me, seemed that I (and other visitors like myself) *were* the focus of the city and so much of it felt as though life centered on extracting cash from passing tourists. I know that wasn't entirely the case and it is interesting to watch the storytellers with a local crowd in the Jemaa elFna. The party out there really does include locals and I guess always has. BUT, if feels more distracting as there always does seem to be someone flagging at you with both arms or tugging on your sleeve in Marrakesh. Just trying to walk across the square, two guys would literally *leap* in front of us and play two notes on a guitar and say "give us money for the music". Easy enough to ignore, but Fez was so much nicer in that you didn't have to nearly so much.

As far as a riad (or other traditional accommodation), I can't recommend Dar Seffarine in Fez enough, although definitely more like a home than a spa treatment sort of place. But a gorgeous and atmospheric home, with great hosts and a rooftop terrace unmatched in Fez.

I prefer Fes. We just left Morocco yesterday and visited both cities. The medina congestion in Marrakech is really stressful, and I used to live and work in NYC. Fes is more "authentic" IMHO and there are wonderful sights to see within the city itself that really capture the artistry of Morocco. The tanneries were fascinating and we went to a ceramics plant as well to see the process from start to finish. The peddlers are less intrusive in Fes. I'd highly recommend getting a guide -- they will make all the difference. My website has blogs of our trip, plus pictures.

http://web.mac.com/lisadesimone/Site/Welcome.html

good luck and let me know if you have any Qs. Everything is fresh in my mind!

KJF, Marrakesh isn't really a feasible destination for a day-trip. It must be more than 200 miles. The only option is to fly (Royal Air Maroc has many flights every day), but I'd hardly consider that a reasonable option. Instead, go look at the big mosque in Casablanca and take a tour to Rabat. It "might" be possible to do Volubilis as a day-trip from Casablanca to see the Roman ruins, but that's as far as I would recommend traveling.

Clifton and Lisa -

Thanks for 2 very helpful posts! Lisa I will check out your photos.

Schlegal1 -

I re-read your trip report. I'm really looking forward to spending some time in Morocco! I am going to look into using your guide.

Everyone -

It looks like I have decided on Fes based on all my reading here on Fodors, your very helpful feedback, as well as a few books. The word I keep hearing is "authentic" and that sounds good to me. Plus, we (this particular daughter and I) even found Rome a bit hectic for our tastes so I think Marrakech might be a little over-stimulating for us for a first visit.

We will spend a few days in Rabat where my daughter will participate in a music festival and then we'll head for a visit to Meknes (sp?) and stay a few days in Fes. I wish we could stay in Morocco longer, there seem to be so many fascinating things to see, but perhaps we'll go back with the whole family on another trip. With my other daughter, Marrakech sounds just right! She loved the craziness of Rome...

We will definitely get a guide for both a better understanding of the city, and so we don't feel mobbed by people trying to sell us stuff, etc. We are two very petite western women traveling alone...

I think my daughter will really enjoy the tanneries, ceramics, etc. She will be fascinated by the culture itself. We are planning to stay in a Riad in Fes and I will stay in the Villa Mandarine in Rabat while she is housed with a family there.

If anyone has any other thoughts for us please take a moment to share.

Thank you everyone for such great feedback!

gruezi

Hi Gruezi:
Thanks for posting back about your decision and plans. I hope you and your daughter have a wonderful time.

A music festival sounds really awesome--the music we experienced on our trip really brought home how universal it is. It crosses so many boundaries, age, culture, etc. Sounds like you are in for a fun experience.