A rally or treasure hunt in the Marrakech medina is the most accessible team building activity: it is done on foot, needs no particular fitness, and its cost per participant stays the same whether you are 30 or 100. Our costing model puts it, with shuttles included, at about €1,300 to €2,100 for 30 people and €4,400 to €6,900 for 100, or €40 to €70 per participant. Its success depends on three things that catalogues do not spell out: how to split the group into teams and start times, what time to play depending on the season, and what to plan if it rains or gets too hot.
How do you split a group of 30 or 100 people?
The rally has one advantage over other activities: instead of multiplying machines or workshops, you add teams. You still need to make sure those teams do not all end up in the same alley at the same moment, which turns the game into a queue and disturbs residents and shopkeepers.
Take teams of six, a size that lets everyone take part without the group scattering. The table below gives the resulting split.
| Participants | Teams of six | How starts are organised |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 5 teams | A single start, shared route with stages in a different order for each team |
| 60 | 10 teams | Two staggered waves, or two starting points |
| 100 | 17 teams | Several separate routes, staggered starts, a shared finish |
Beyond about sixty participants, the safest rule is to prepare two or three different routes that converge on the same finish point: a riad, a terrace or a room where results are announced and the debrief takes place. Plan a companion who knows the medina for each team, or at least for every two teams, reachable by phone. Set up the teams in advance, mixing departments and levels of seniority: that mix is what makes the exercise worthwhile, more than the route itself.
For a group of 100 people or more, the overall logistics, coaches, rooms and meals, are covered in our article on seminars for 50, 100 or 200 people.
What time should you play, depending on the season?
A rally usually lasts two to four hours depending on the scenario, walking through alleys and waiting in front of puzzles. Marrakech climate normals (Menara station, 1991-2020) show when that walking stays comfortable. INRS, the French occupational health and safety institute, uses 28°C for physical work as a prevention benchmark: walking for several hours counts.
| Period | Average maximum | Recommended slot |
|---|---|---|
| December to February | 19 to 21°C | Late morning or afternoon; finish before sunset, around 17:30 to 18:15 |
| March, April, November | 23 to 26°C | Any time of day |
| May, September, October | 28 to 33°C | Morning, or from 16:00 |
| June to August | 34 to 38°C | Early morning, between sunrise (around 5:30 to 6:00) and 11:00, or late in the day |
In summer, a morning rally has another advantage: the group is back before lunch and the afternoon stays free for working somewhere cool. An end-of-day rally finishes at dusk, which requires a well-lit finish point and a supervised return. From May to October, every team sets off with water, and the route includes stages in the shade or indoors: a workshop, a riad courtyard, a shop where the puzzle is solved sitting down.
The high season for seminars, March to May and September to November, covers the months when the rally can be played with no timing constraints.
What should you plan if it rains?
It rains little in Marrakech: 221 millimetres a year. But the rain is concentrated between November and April: each of those months gets 24 to 35 millimetres on average, and March, the wettest, about 35. On a three-day stay in that period, a rainy day cannot be ruled out.
Two fallback plans work. The first tightens the route around covered stages, shortening the walk between them. The second swaps the programme: if a cooking or craft workshop was planned for another day, you run it on the rainy day and the rally moves to the next day. This second plan means booking both providers with some flexibility on dates, to be negotiated when you request the quote.
Can everyone take part?
Almost everyone, which is what makes the rally the go-to activity for groups mixing ages and profiles. It requires no riding, no sustained effort and no special skill. Accessibility questions arise, however, as soon as a participant has reduced mobility: cars do not circulate in the medina, and the alleys are narrow. Ask the provider to scout the route accordingly, or to plan a role at the finish point, for example on the jury or coordinating the teams, rather than leaving the person out.
As for clothing, closed, comfortable shoes are enough, with light but modest clothes. Remind people in the joining instructions.
Phones, data and instructions: what to sort out before the start
A modern rally relies on the phone: receiving puzzles, sending photo evidence, tracking teams, calling in case of trouble. Each team therefore needs at least one phone with a data connection that works in Morocco, which is not a given with a home mobile plan and no roaming option. Sort this out before departure.
The instructions fit in a few lines, handed out in writing to each team captain: the companion’s number and the coordination number, the cut-off time for arriving whatever the team’s progress, the meeting point if someone gets lost, and the rule of not following anyone who offers to guide you outside the game. Add a rule of respect: no photographs of residents or craftspeople without their consent, and challenges must not get in the way of business in the shops along the route.
What should the scenario include?
A good rally is not a guided tour in disguise. The best challenges force the team to share out roles: one reads the map, another negotiates, a third takes the photos, a fourth keeps time. Ask the provider to walk you through the programme challenge by challenge, and check three points.
First, the balance between walking and thinking: a route that strings stages together without a break wears the group out, a route that is too static bores it. Next, room for real encounters: a challenge at a craftsperson’s workshop, where they explain their technique before asking a question, teaches more than a riddle read off a plaque. Finally, the link with your topics: if the seminar is about cooperation between departments, the debrief should come back to how the teams organised themselves, who decided and who was listened to. The game results matter little; what each person noticed about the others matters more.
The rally combines well with a workshop that extends it: teams buy a few ingredients or materials in the souks, on a fixed budget, then use them in the afternoon in a cooking or craft workshop. The morning game then gives meaning to the workshop.
How much does a medina rally cost?
Our costing model, the same as the online calculator, counts the rally at €30 to €45 per participant before contingency, plus shuttles for the day if the group is not staying in the medina. The figures below include 10% contingency.
| Scenario | Total budget | Per person |
|---|---|---|
| 30 participants, rally + shuttles | €1,300 to €2,100 | €40 to €70 |
| 100 participants, rally + shuttles | €4,400 to €6,900 | €40 to €70 |
| 100 participants, rally + shuttles + evening in a private riad | €13,800 to €24,500 | €140 to €250 |
As the group grows, the rally needs no extra machines or workshops, just more teams: that is what makes it the natural choice for a large group. Ending with an evening in a private riad multiplies the budget by three to three and a half, but gives the rally its finish line. For a full day, a rally in the morning and a cooking class in the afternoon come to about €3,700 to €5,900 for 40 people. These figures exclude flights, accommodation, alcohol, tourist tax and organisation fees.
To compare with other activities, real time and budget included, see our comparison of team building activities in Marrakech; for more general activity ideas, our guide to team building in Marrakech.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a treasure hunt in the Marrakech medina cost?
According to our model, €40 to €70 per participant, shuttles and contingency included: about €1,300 to €2,100 for 30 people, €4,400 to €6,900 for 100.
How long does a medina rally last?
Usually two to four hours depending on the scenario. Allow half a day including the briefing, transfers and debrief.
Can you do a medina rally in summer?
Yes, early in the morning or late in the day. From June to August, the average maximum is above 33°C: avoid the noon to 16:00 slot.
What is the maximum number of participants?
There is no strict ceiling: you add teams. Beyond about sixty people, plan several routes and staggered starts.
We write the scenario, split the teams, position the companions and prepare the fallback plan: find out more about our team building organisation in Marrakech, try different scenarios with the seminar and team building budget calculator, or ask for a free quote with your dates and number of participants.