Places to Visit in Marrakech in 2027: The Main Sights

Jemaa el-Fna is the square at the centre of the medina and the point everyone navigates from. It is free and open at all hours, but it is best from late afternoon, when the food stalls go up and musicians, storytellers and acrobats draw circles of listeners. Watch your pockets in the crowds, and expect to pay a small tip if you photograph a performer.

The Koutoubia mosque stands a few minutes' walk west of the square. Its 12th-century minaret is the model for the Giralda in Seville and the Hassan Tower in Rabat, and it can be seen from much of the old city. Non-Muslims cannot go inside, but the gardens around it are open and the minaret is lit at night.

The souks start on the north side of the square and run up towards the Ben Youssef Medersa. Mornings are quieter and better for browsing; afternoons are busier and livelier. Some shops close on Friday around midday prayers.

The Bahia Palace was built in the late 19th century by two grand viziers, father and son, and shows what Moroccan craftsmen could do with unlimited time and money: carved and painted cedar ceilings, zellige tiles, stucco and a large marble courtyard. It sits on the southern edge of the medina, near the Mellah. Go at opening time; tour groups arrive from mid-morning.

El Badi Palace, a short walk away, was built by the Saadian sultan Ahmad al-Mansur in the late 16th century and stripped of its marble and gold a century later. What remains is a vast courtyard with sunken gardens and pools inside high walls, where storks nest. Climb to the terrace for one of the best views over the medina. Parts of the site have been under restoration since the 2023 earthquake, so some areas may be closed.

The Ben Youssef Medersa was a Quranic school where students lived in small rooms around a central courtyard. The courtyard, with its pool, carved cedar and stucco walls, is one of the finest in Morocco. It reopened after a long restoration and is busy from late morning, so arrive early.

Next to it are the Marrakech Museum in the Dar Mnebhi palace and the Almoravid Koubba, one of the few buildings left from the dynasty that founded Marrakech in the 11th century. The Maison de la Photographie is a few lanes away, with early photographs of Morocco and a rooftop terrace.

Further east, near Bab Debbagh, are the tanneries, where hides are still worked in open pits. Men on the street will offer to guide you there and then ask for money, and the smell is strong. If you want to see them, agree any fee in advance and go with a guide you have chosen yourself.

The Saadian Tombs hold members of the 16th-century Saadian dynasty, including Ahmad al-Mansur. They were sealed off for centuries and only rediscovered in 1917. The Chamber of the Twelve Columns, with carved cedar and Italian marble, is the highlight; the room is small and the queue to look in builds quickly, so go early or late in the afternoon.

The tombs are in the kasbah district next to the Kasbah mosque, a short walk from El Badi and the Bahia, so the three fit easily into one morning.

The Mellah, the old Jewish quarter founded in the 16th century, lies between El Badi and the Bahia. The Lazama synagogue and the large Jewish cemetery are the main places to visit, and the Place des Ferblantiers next door is lined with metalworkers making lanterns.

Le Jardin Secret is a restored riad garden in the middle of the medina, opened to the public in 2016, with an Islamic garden laid out in four parts and an exotic garden. The tower gives a view over the roofs. It is a calm stop between the souks and the Ben Youssef Medersa.

Jardin Majorelle, in Gueliz, was laid out by the painter Jacques Majorelle from the 1920s and saved by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, who bought it in 1980. The cobalt-blue studio now houses a museum of Berber arts. Tickets are sold online on the official website, and booking a morning slot is the best way to avoid the crowds. The Yves Saint Laurent Museum next door is closed on Wednesdays.

The Menara gardens, west of the medina, are an olive grove around a large basin with a green-roofed pavilion; on clear days the Atlas fills the background. The Agdal gardens south of the royal palace are much larger orchards from the same period, but their opening days are limited, so check locally before you go.

Dar Si Said, a 19th-century house near the Bahia Palace, is now the national museum of weaving and carpets, with rugs from across Morocco and a garden courtyard. It is rarely crowded and a good stop in the heat of the day.

Dar El Bacha, now the Musée des Confluences, is a former pasha's residence with painted courtyards and a café that draws a queue. In Gueliz, the modern district, there is less to see but good restaurants and galleries, and the Majorelle area makes an easy afternoon.

Most monuments open in the morning and close in the late afternoon, and hours change during Ramadan, so check the times for the day you plan to visit. Arriving at opening time is the single best way to avoid queues at the Bahia, the Ben Youssef Medersa and the Saadian Tombs. Entry fees are small; carry cash in dirhams.

In the medina you walk; cars stop at the gates. To combine Majorelle with the palaces, or to reach the Menara gardens, a petit taxi or a car with a driver saves time. A driver who waits between stops costs 900 MAD for half a day.

Rides from the airport to your riad or hotel, and short rides inside Marrakech, are quoted on request. The medina is 7 km from the airport, about 10 min by car.