---

Marrakech on a Budget.

In case you haven’t been here before, throughout 2024 I gave myself the challenge to visit a new country every month. However, each trip had to cost around £250 (total cost per person). Also, I was trying it make all the trips through the year fit within a standard 28 day holiday allowance. For the fourth instalment of this series, I did a cheap, 3 day holiday to Marrakech, Morocco 🇲🇦.

You should note a few things before we get started. Firstly, I mainly fly out of Bristol (BRS) airport, as this is my local. Fortunately, it is also one of the cheapest airports in the UK. Secondly, every expense for the holiday is included in the £250 budget (flights, accommodation, transport, activities and food and drinks). Equally, one thing I do not include in the cost is the cost of transport from my house to the airport, and back. This is because, it is impossible for me to make it relevant to everyone, as everyone’s situation is so different. Finally, for this trip I travelled with somebody, so the costings are per person. Obviously, the only thing that is made cheaper because of this is the accommodation and any taxis used (only 1).

---

Cheap Flights to Marrakech

I found flights from Bristol to Marrakech on Tuesday morning at 6.35am and landing in Morocco at around 11am. For the return i departed Marrakech on Friday morning at 10.10am and arrived back to Bristol around 1pm. Also, the flights included just a small carry on bag, which are ideal for such a short trip. As well as not paying for seat selection which keeps the cost down well.
I usually don’t like to fly so early on my return as it seems like a waste of a nights accommodation however, the cheapest option was to do this and pay for the extra night. So, the total cost for this return flight was £57.80. Although these are the most expensive flights so far this year, it was a good start to managing a cheap holiday to Marrakech.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand that some people want the comfort of taking more luggage and knowing that they have a seat they like. Equally, I’m here to show you that the more efficiently you can be with your money, the more opportunity you have for additional trips because you’re not spending unnecessarily.

Flights for this price are a lot easier to find and more common than a lot of people think. If you struggle to find these prices, and want to guarantee best prices on flights, check out my expert guide. Click here and use the code BLOG for another 25% off the marked price.

---

Jardin le Secret, Morocco

Accommodation for Your Cheap Holiday to Marrakech

For the accommodation in Morocco, we stayed in a traditional riad just outside of Medina (5 minutes walk). I thought the accommodation was well worth the money and included a private room with 2 double beds and a private bathroom. We also had a shared kitchen and shared roof terrace. The cost is per person based on 2 people so £135.50 in total but £67.75 each. There are usually much cheaper options available in Morocco but I left it late to book, so most of them had gone. You also have plenty of options if you are solo travellers looking for a cheap holiday to Marrakech.

Some great places to check for accommodation are TripAdvisor. Or, if you’re happy to use hostels for even more savings, try Hostelworld.

---

Bahia Palace, Marrakech

Activities in Marrakech

Day 1

On day 1, we arrived into Morocco at around 2pm, so we spent the rest of day exploring the Medina. The Medina is an absolutely massive market area and the hub of Marrakech. It is completely free unless you choose to buy something from one of the souks (market stalls). I think it’s so easy to get lost in this area, it’s so big and shows a really authentic side to life in Marrakech.

Honestly, spending a day getting lost here is very easy and gives you a real feel for what the hustle and bustle of daily life is like. It also helps anyone who is planning a cheap holiday to Marrakech as you don’t have to spend any money. So, some of the things you can see in this area are souks selling various items (leather products, woollen products, spices, ceramics, jewellery, clothing, wooden items and so much more). Everything is locally made and supports the locals income. Other than this, you will also find cafe’s, street food, restaurants and some hidden gems such as ‘Le Jardin Secret’. Anyway, as we spent the day simply exploring, we didn’t spend anything on activities today.

Day 2

On day 2 we visited Le Jardin Secret in the morning and Bahia Palace in the afternoon and then went to the night market in Jemaa El Fnaa for the evening, which is also free unless you choose to make a purchase. All of these places are worth adding to your itinerary. Le Jardin Secret is like a little oasis in the middle of the Medina. You go from the lively, noisy medina marketplace and then step into a much calmer palace garden, filled with luscious greenery and pristine clean buildings. This cost 100 MAD (£7.97) each.

If you enjoyed the sound of Le Jardin Secret, then the Bahia Palace will be another unmissable destination. This palace is a stunning 19th-century palace known for its intricate architecture and lush gardens. The palace features a mix of Moroccan and Islamic architectural styles, with ornate stucco work, colourful zellige tiles, carved cedar wood, and tranquil courtyards. Spanning over 8 hectares, it includes 150 rooms, gardens, and fountains, reflecting traditional Moroccan luxury. The entrance for this was 70 MAD (£5.58) and to be honest, if you’re choosing between the two, I think this is the better value. It’s a bit cheaper, bigger and is quite similar in what you experience.

In the evening we went to the night market in Jemaa El Fnaa for the evening, which is also free unless you choose to make a purchase. This night market is very well known and is one of the main attractions in the centre of Marrakech. We only spent money on food which is accounted for below.

Day 3

For the final day we visited the Badi Palace in the morning, which cost 70 MAD (£5.58). The Badi Palace is an old luxourious palace built in the 16th century which is now a site of ruins and an atmospheric historical site. Badi Palace hosts cultural events, including the Marrakech Folklore Festival, offering visitors a glimpse into Morocco’s rich history.

In the afternoon, we went to experience a traditional Hammam which is like a massage but a bit rougher and they are held in a communal steam room. So, essentially, you’re led next to other people (of the same sex) whilst you all have the massage. For me, this was enjoyable more because I like to experience traditions in other cultures, but for some people it may not be a fun experience. So, I would look into it before committing to it. The Hammam cost 170 MAD (£13.56) each, and they have other options which cost more.

For the final part of the final day, we went on an excursion into the desert for a camel ride, sunset dinner and fire show. I personally didn’t enjoy the camel ride due to the conditions the camels were kept in, but the rest of it was great fun and you can book the same trip without the camel ride. This cost £18.29 each.

So, as you can see, there is a lot to do in for anybody looking for a cheap holiday to Marrakech, Morocco. There is also so many more activities and attractions available so you can find something for you. The total cost for activities for this trip came to £50.98.

---

Medina, Marrakech

Food and Drinks for Your Cheap Holiday to Marrakech

Just so you know, I am a bit weird and find it quite easy to go all day without food, which I know isn’t possible for everyone.

Day 1

Once we had arrived into Morocco, around 2pm, we stopped for lunch. This consisted of street food in Medina. So, we shared a dish of tagine and a dish of tangia costing a total of 90 MAD (£7.18) per person. For our evening meal today, we ate at an upmarket restaurant/ rooftop bar where I had a fish fillet and vegetables and a beer which totalled 290 MAD (£23.13). Considering this was a very upmarket place, it is still very cheap. Equally, it’s not great if you’re on a budget and there are many places which are much cheaper!

Day 2

As mentioned above, I don’t eat breakfast usually. However, we bought food from a supermarket which included enough for lunch and snacks/ breakfast if I wanted it. This was made up of 8 bread batons, a whole cooked chicken, a pack of sliced cheese, some lettuce, 6 x 1.5L bottles of water, 6 bananas and a box of nectarines which cost around 196 MAD for the two of us, or £7.82 per person for two days.

For dinner we ate at the night market in Jemaa el-Fnaa, but definitely got overcharged. We spent 180 MAD (£14.35) each for a big platter of meat skewers, fish, couscous and veg. To be honest, this doesn’t sound expensive. But considering I only spent £9 more in an upmarket restaurant and had a beer too, we definitely let our guard down and got semi-scammed.

Day 3

As mentioned yesterday, we had enough food to cover breakfast, snacks and lunch for today and yesterday. We then had a meal as part of the excursion we did into the desert. Therefore, we had no additional costs for food and drink.

A few other costs were, a bottle of water – 4.75 MAD (£0.38), a coffee – 18 MAD (£1.44) and two mint teas – 32 MAD (£2.56).

This brings the total spent on food and drink to £56.86.

---

Souks in Medina, Marrakech

Transportation

The only transportation we paid for on this cheap holiday to Marrakech was for a bus from the airport and backy. This cost the equivalent of £0.33 each way. Later in the trip, we had transport for the excursion but this was included in the price. Other than this we walked everywhere as everything else we did is pretty well concentrated around Medina.

---

Jemaa el-Fnaa, Marrakech

Conclusion

So, Morocco and Marrakech is somewhere that you can easily visit on a budget. Especially if you’re more organised than I was. Although I didn’t overspend and didn’t hold myself back particularly, it could be so much cheaper if you book accommodation earlier and are a bit more aware of being overcharged for food 😬. Anyway, here’s the full cost breakdown of my 3 day/ 3 night cheap holiday to Marrakech.

Flights – £57.80

Accommodation – £67.75

Activities – £50.98

Food & Drinks – £56.86

Transportation – £0.66

Total for 3 cheap days in Morocco – £234.05

Let me know in the comments if you like this post or if you have any suggestions of things the community can do in Marrakech. Thanks for reading! Check out the other trips I have done for this £250 series – Bucharest, Sofia, Lake Como, Geneva/ Annecy, Albania, Copenhagen and Paris.

Make sure you’ve got everything in place for your trip below!