Things to Do in Marrakech: Tours and Activities

The medina with a local guide

The old city of Marrakech is a maze of lanes behind red walls. It is easy to get lost, and easy to be hurried through the wrong shops. A licensed local guide changes the day. They know which madrasa opens early, which palace is calm at midday and where to sit for tea.

Our city tour is a full day with lunch in a traditional riad. You see the Ben Youssef Madrasa, the El Badi Palace, the souks and the tanneries, with about 3 to 4 hours of walking spread over the day. Entry tickets can be added when you book. The history tour is the shorter version, about three and a half hours, and includes entry to the Bahia Palace and the Tiskiwin Museum.

Two things to know. The lanes are uneven, so these tours are not suitable for wheelchair users or guests with reduced mobility. And there is no obligation to buy anything in the shops.

Gardens, calm and colour

The Jardin Majorelle is the most visited garden in Morocco, and the queue can be long. Our gardens tour starts at 8:30 with timed tickets that we book for you, so you arrive early and walk through the blue villa and the cactus garden before the crowds. Then you cross to Le Jardin Secret, a restored palace garden inside the medina.

Entry fees are paid separately, about 15 euro for Majorelle and about 10 euro for Le Jardin Secret, and the Yves Saint Laurent museum is optional.

Slow ways to see the city

The horse carriage ride follows the red ramparts and the walls of the royal palace, passes the Koutoubia and the Menara gardens, and ends on Jemaa el Fna with a guide as the square comes alive. The carriage is private and seats up to four people. All horses we use are checked by SPANA, the working animal welfare charity.

The hammam is the traditional way to rest. In a riad spa near Mouassine you have a steam bath, a scrub with black soap, a rhassoul clay wrap and a 45 minute massage with warm argan oil. It runs every day from 10:00 to 20:00, and rooms can be separate or for couples.

Just outside the walls

The Palmeraie is only 10 to 15 kilometres from the centre. A camel ride of about an hour takes you through the palm groves, with tea and Moroccan pancakes at the end, and children from four years old can ride with an adult. A buggy ride in the same palm grove takes about an hour and a half, with a tea break at a local house.

For a different view of the city region, the hot air balloon rises at dawn from the plains outside Marrakech, with the High Atlas in front of you and a Berber breakfast on landing.

Things to do in Marrakech: planning your days

Three days is enough for the main sights. Give the medina a morning with a guide, a quiet afternoon in a garden or a hammam, and an evening on Jemaa el Fna. Add a day trip for the landscape. If you stay a week, our itinerary guide shows how to balance the days so that you are never rushed.

In summer, choose the morning start for walking tours. In winter, the afternoon light is soft and the city is pleasant all day.

Frequently asked questions