A Marrakech walking tour with Free Tour– to soothe solo travel nerves

Marrakech Old City Secrets Walking Tour

with Free Tour

Have you ever felt nervous about visiting a city?

I’d put off visiting Marrakesh.

Why? Because I was convinced, I would experience none stop hassle.

As mentioned in a previous post on Taroudant, a city in the south, I’d last visited Morocco 30 years ago and my memories were mixed.

Marrakesh brought to mind a romantic evocative haze of dark nights, eating goat tagines overlooking the exotic goings on in the famous Djemaa El Fna square, with the hypnotic beating of drums and the distinctive whine of the snake charmer’s punji drifting through the heavily incense scented air…the chaotic but incredibly colourful medina, run down riads and maze like alleys.

There were very few tourists back then, and we certainly felt we’d gone off the beaten track. It was exciting.

But it was also hassle, hassle, hassle hassle….

Over the years, I’d also read the blogs of many solo women who had complained bitterly about the never-ending hassle in both Marrakech and other Moroccan cities.

So, that was why I’d put Marrakesh off.

However, I was in Morocco and I still wanted to visit Marrakesh, so I opted to begin my three night stay with a free walking tour. I figured this would be a good way to see the city in the safety of a group and to gain confidence walking around the medina, and at least if I didn’t feel good after that I’d have seen the medina.

Marrakech Old City Secrets with Free Tour

I specifically opted for a Marrakesh medina tour as I felt much more comfortable navigating the rest of the city by myself.

What is a free tour?

The Free Tour concept has been around for quite a while but is a relatively new way to discover cities compared to the traditional tour concept of paying a fixed amount for a tour, which of course has a much longer legacy. Free walking tours have become increasingly popular and offer greater flexibility, with a variety of tours on offer in key locations across the world.

There are various companies that offer free tours, I opted for aptly named Free Tour as they had a range of tours on offer, with plenty of good reviews.

Are the tours really free?

The idea behind Free Tour is that you tip at the end depending on your satisfaction. It seems the generally acceptable tip is the equivalent of 10 euros, though of course you can give more or less depending on your opinion of the tour.

Free Tour states that ‘This is perhaps a strange idea to get used to initially, but there are a number of reasons why this style of touring has taken off as a valid, popular way of discovering cities. As the tour guides don’t receive any other income for giving these tours, this means they must really earn their tips. As their income will tend to fluctuate from tour to tour, the guides’ motivation to deliver a top-quality tour is ever-present, meaning far less room for complacency on their part than if they were being paid a set amount for a guided tour. The tour itself must be great for the concept to work.’

How long was my tour?

It was 3 hours and began at 10 am.

Where did we meet?

Outside a café in the Jamaa El Fna square. The guide was easy to spot and there were about 20 people.

Where did we go?

The tour began in the heart of the medina in the lively Jamaa EL Fna square, and then winded through the labyrinthine medina narrow alleys teeming with local artisans – we visited various quarters including the blacksmith, leather and pottery quarter. We visited the beautiful Ben Yousaf Mosque and surrounding area, salivated at street food, marvelled at beautiful tile work and architecture. And as we wandered, we passed by traditional hammams, public bakeries and markets.

But let me show you in pictures, because Marrakesh is incredibly photogenic!

Marrakesh arch with horse and cart — Horse and carts frequently used in the medina’s narrow alleys

A mosque marked with x to show it's free from earthquake damage — The yellow X marks the building is safe after a strong earthquake in 2023

A roasted sheep being carved — Street food!

a pink alley of the medina — characteristic red walled medina alleys

What was the guide like?

He was very knowledgeable about the area and had lived in Marrakesh all his life. He provided both historical facts abouts the city, gave insights into Moroccan culture and amusing anecdotes about his own life. He was friendly and open to being asked questions.

My overall opinion of the walking tour

I felt that this was a great way to get your bearings in a new city, particularly one like Marrakesh. I learnt some really interesting things and visited places I wouldn’t have gone to had I been on my own, for example we visited a public bread oven where locals can bring their freshly made uncooked bread and get it baked in the oven for a few dirhams.

It helped me gain my bearings and gave me ideas of where I wanted to return to and spend more time, after the tour had ended, for example Le Jardin Secret – a tranquil garden in the heart of the busy medina.

The walking tour also gave me an opportunity to chat to some other travellers, which is always a happy occurrence when travelling solo.

It lasted just about the right amount of time, giving me a real taste of the medina whilst not being too long.

Did the walking tour ease my Marrakesh nerves?

Yes, it did!!

It was a great introduction to the city and I shall definitely be taking free walking tours again.

Did I feel comfortable walking around Marrakesh by myself, after the tour?

After the tour, I spent many more hours wandering the medina and other parts of the city, and actually I discovered there was very little hassle.

I felt comfortable at all times wandering around both the busy tourist filled areas and also down the quieter narrow alleys in the heart of the medina.

I realised that in the 30 years since my last visit, Marrakesh has grown up a lot!

It felt like my kind of city – a heady blend of the traditional with the cosmopolitan – bustling, mopeds zipping about, horse and carts delivering daily produce to shops, freshly baked bread on every corner, an eclectic range of street food juxtaposed with elegant riads, coffee shops, roof top restaurants, galleries, museums and calming green spaces. It left me wishing for a longer stay.

It seems the influx of tourism to Marrakesh has calmed the hassle side down which was a very pleasant surprise. Although, I did also wonder if it was anything to do with my age. Perhaps travelling as a 50 year old has it’s benefits!