Do's

1. Buy orange juice from a seller in the main square. Make sure the glass is clean though and check that the straw is clean and not been previously used.

2. Bring tissues with you as toilets are often unequipped!

3. Use antibacterial hand gel as a good alternative to washing hands.

4. Agree the taxi fare before entering a petit taxi. You can normally get anywhere in Marrakech for under 20 dh or try just getting in and stating your destination with no discussion. You may get a surprise and he will use the meter. If he does give a couple of Dirhams as a reward!

5. Visit Bahia Palace and see the storks.

6. Visit Saadian tombs but decline the offer of a tour guide.

7. Watch the main square come alive from a rooftop restaurant.

8. Eat from an outside market stall (prices are cheap and food is superb) .

9. Barter hard when buying from the souks. A quarter to a third of the offered price and work your way up.  Sellers feel it when you are in love with the item. Around the corner you will find the same one, so walk away, it may help to get the price down.

10. Visit Majorelle Gardens a great calm retreat, early morning or late afternoon is best to avoid the tour bus groups.

11. Visit the Cyber Park Arsat Moulay Abdel Salam, it is free and far better and bigger than the Majorelle Gardens and peaceful.

12. Stay at a Riad in the Medina. They alley ways are not as difficult to navigate as you first believe.  Take pictures of hard to remember alleys.

13. Visit the Ben Ali Yusuf Madrasa and Museum.

14. Ignore the  people who try and send  you in the wrong direction.

15. When you agree to a price, for example for a henna tattoo, have it written down in dirhams first. You will not be the first one they tell afterwards that you did not understand them correctly.

16. Do buy pastry, including croissants, in bakery stores for $20-30 cents

17. Do spend a few days in Palmeraie resort/guest house and in Essaouirie in addition to Medina

 18. Do take Hop on, Hop off bus to get the lay of the land on Day 1 (Costs £12 per person)

19. Do take Supratour busses for day trips, if you do not need guided tour

20. Stay in Riad/hotel where staff/management SPEAKS English, if you are not conversant in Arabic or French

21.  Do be prepared for anyone you tip to tell you "more , more".  Whatever you tip them, they will try for more so here is what to do:  smile, then laugh and pat them on the back.  Then turn and walk away.  Sometimes they will give you the stink eye, sometimes they just start smiling too.  Dont get worked up about it.

22. If you are in Marrakech in the sweltering 45 degree plus heat, pop to one one the hotels for a day swim pass. All the hotels offer this and it is worth paying 200 dirhams or so for pool access all day (you can come and go as well and usually stay as long as you want into the evening. Ask at any hotel reception. 

23. Try and speak a little french. Saying 'Merci' and 'Bonjour' can go such a long way. Do not be a rude tourist who does not make an effort! 

24. Do take a quad bike out into the desert. It is much more about seeing how they live in the desert, than racing around.

25. Do go an see where they dye the leather in smelly vats because it is real Marrakech.

Don'ts

1. Buy water from the main square. Supermarkets are are often cheaper. A five litre bottle of mineral water is 8 Dirhams as of 2012 at the Carrefour Market store, about 10 minutes walk from the square.

2. Take pictures of snakes/ monkeys/ dancers/watersellers, unless you are prepared to pay.

3. Nothing is free! Not even the man who unexpectedly turns up to say the ... is there. You will meet him again and again all along the way.

4. Forget a map of the city it can be invaluable. Most streets are not named so one with landmarks of hotels is very useful.

5. Worry about access to money as there are plenty of cashpoints scattered around the city.

6. Do not panic (and keep a sense of humour). Many of the people are very friendly and helpful.

7. Forget to book a taxi transfer to your Riad. It would be very difficult to find if your coach/bus airport transfer dropped you off at the main square.

8. Do not forget sensible shoes or trainers. The streets in the Medina are cobbled and hard on your feet.  When it rains it does get muddy.