Marrakech Activities
Marrakech guided tour with a local guide: the Koutoubia, Saadian Tombs, Bahia and El Badi palaces, Ben Youssef Madrasa, the souks and Majorelle Garden.
Overview
The medina of Marrakech is nearly a thousand years old and easy to get lost in, in every sense. With a guide who was born here, the maze makes sense: why the souks are arranged by trade, what the carvings in a madrasa mean, how a riad is built around its courtyard to keep out the heat.
The tour starts at the Koutoubia and continues south to the Saadian Tombs, hidden for centuries behind a wall, and the vast ruins of El Badi Palace. From there you visit the painted rooms of the Bahia Palace and the old Jewish quarter, then cross the medina to the Ben Youssef Madrasa and the restored gardens of Le Jardin Secret, before diving into the souks and coming out on Jemaa el-Fna.
A half day covers the southern monuments, the souks and the square. A full day adds Ben Youssef, Le Jardin Secret and the cobalt-blue Majorelle Garden in the new town. The route is flexible: tell your guide whether you care more about history, gardens, crafts or photography and the day is shaped around it.
Detailed programme
Start
Your guide meets you at your riad or hotel and begins beside the Koutoubia minaret, the landmark that has oriented the city since the 12th century.
The tour is private and on foot inside the medina. Non-Muslims cannot enter the mosque, but your guide explains its architecture and its link with the Giralda of Seville from the gardens outside.
Stops 1 – 2
In the kasbah quarter you visit the tombs of the Saadian sultans, with their marble columns and gilded cedar, then walk through the monumental ruins of El Badi, the palace they built to impress the world.
The tombs date from the late 16th century and were walled up for generations before being rediscovered in 1917, which is why their decoration is so well preserved. El Badi was stripped of its marble and gold a century after it was built; what remains are high earth walls, sunken gardens and wide views from the terrace.
Stops 3 – 4
A short walk brings you to the Bahia Palace, with its painted ceilings, carved doors and courtyards of zellige, and then into the old Jewish quarter and its spice market.
The Bahia was built in the 19th century for a grand vizier and shows Moroccan craftsmanship at its finest: zellige, carved plaster and painted cedar. The Mellah, beside it, was once home to the city’s Jewish community.
Stops 5 – 6
You cross the medina to the Ben Youssef Madrasa, once the largest Islamic college in Morocco, and rest afterwards in the shade of Le Jardin Secret, a restored palace garden with fountains and a tower.
The madrasa was founded in the 14th century and rebuilt by the Saadians in the 1560s. Its courtyard, with a marble basin framed by carved cedar and stucco, is one of the most photographed places in Marrakech. Le Jardin Secret opened to visitors in 2016 after a long restoration and shows how water was brought to the palaces of the medina.
Stops 7 – 8
The covered lanes north of the square are organised by craft: dyers, leatherworkers, metalworkers and carpenters at work in their workshops. You come out on Jemaa el-Fna, the great square of the city.
Your guide explains how the souks work and how to tell handmade from factory-made. There is no obligation to buy anything, and no shop stops unless you ask for them. Jemaa el-Fna changes through the day, from orange-juice stalls in the morning to storytellers, musicians and food stalls at night.
Full day
On the full-day tour a short taxi ride takes you to the new town and the Majorelle Garden, created by the painter Jacques Majorelle and later restored by Yves Saint Laurent: cobalt-blue walls, cactus, bamboo and pools.
The garden uses timed tickets, best booked online a few days ahead, and is quieter early in the morning or late in the afternoon, so on some days your guide will start the tour here instead. The Yves Saint Laurent Museum is next door for those who want to add it.
This is a private experience, so times and stops can be adjusted to your arrival, your pace and the season.
Ask About This ProgrammeThe experience
Why choose this experience
A good guide also teaches you how the medina works: how to bargain, where to find quiet, which doors are worth pushing. You leave able to explore on your own.
Why Choose This ExperienceWhat’s included
Not included
Good to know
Location
Frequent questions
The Koutoubia (from outside), the Saadian Tombs, El Badi Palace, the Bahia Palace, the Mellah, Ben Youssef Madrasa, Le Jardin Secret, the souks and Jemaa el-Fna, with the Majorelle Garden on the full-day tour. You can drop or swap any of them.
No. Each monument and garden has its own ticket, paid on site. The Majorelle Garden uses timed tickets that are best booked online in advance; tell us your date and we will advise you.
Only if you want. Tell your guide at the start whether you would like to visit workshops and shops or prefer none at all.
Half a day covers the Koutoubia, the Saadian Tombs, El Badi, the Bahia, the souks and the square. A full day adds Ben Youssef Madrasa, Le Jardin Secret and the Majorelle Garden, with time for lunch.
Yes. It is arranged for you and the people you travel with, so the timing and pace are yours.
Send us a message on WhatsApp or by email with your date and the number of people. We reply with availability and the price, and nothing is charged for enquiring.
Yes. It can be booked on its own or added to any of our private tours that pass through Marrakech.
What to know before you book your Marrakech guided tour, and what else to do nearby.
Marrakech Guided Tour of the Medina & Gardens is one of 14 private Marrakech activities on our list. Other Marrakech activities include Moroccan Cooking Class (3–4 hours), Palmeraie Quad Bike Experience (2–3 hours), Sunrise Balloon, Berber Breakfast & Certificate (3–4 hours) and Hammam & Spa with Massage & Hotel Transport (2–3 hours).
The best things to do in Marrakech start with Jemaa el-Fna Square (the beating heart of the medina), Koutoubia Mosque (the 12th-century symbol of the city) and Bahia Palace (painted ceilings and tiled courtyards). Other things to do in Marrakech include Ben Youssef Madrasa, El Badi Palace and The Souks; our Marrakech travel guide covers each one.
Our Marrakech day trips include Ouzoud Falls: Guided Hike, Boat Ride & Lunch (full day), Ourika Waterfalls & Atlas Mountains with Guide & Lunch (full day), Atlas Mountains Full-Day Hiking Trip with Lunch (full day) and Essaouira Coastal Day Tour with Lunch (full day). Every one of our Marrakech day trips is private, so the start time and pace are yours.
