Places to visit in Marrakech
Twelve monuments and gardens with 2026 prices, opening hours and routes that beat the queues
Monuments, palaces & gardens
The 12 places to visit in Marrakech, with 2026 prices
The essential places to visit in Marrakech fit into two half-days in the medina and one morning outside the walls: the Koutoubia and Jemaa el-Fna, the palaces and tombs of the southern medina, the madrasa and gardens of the north, then the Jardin Majorelle and the Menara.
Below, each of the twelve must-see Marrakech attractions with its 2026 ticket price, opening hours, the time you really need and one thing we tell our guests before they go. Then a quick orientation table, two half-day routes that avoid the queues, and villas close enough to the centre to come back for lunch by the pool.
12places worth your time, 10 of them in the medina
100 MADBahia, El Badi or Saadian Tombs, foreign adults, 2026
170 MADJardin Majorelle, tickets sold online only
2 × ½ dayto see the medina's monuments without rushing
9:00the hour to be at the Saadian Tombs, before the groups
Must-see Marrakech
The 12 places to visit, one by one
In walking order where possible: the heart of the medina first, then the north, the south, and two gardens outside the walls. Prices are for foreign adults in 2026.
01
The Koutoubia Mosque
- Pricefree, seen from outside
- Hoursany time
- Time20 to 30 min
The great mosque of Marrakech, built from 1158, and its minaret, finished around 1195, which rises about 77 metres with its lantern and finial. Every view of the city has it somewhere on the skyline. Like all mosques in Marrakech, it is closed to non-Muslims: you admire it from the esplanade and the rose gardens around it, a few minutes' walk from Jemaa el-Fna.
Insider: walk round to the north side, where the excavated foundations of the first Koutoubia lie beside the present mosque, then stay for the call to prayer at sunset. History in full: our Koutoubia guide.
02
Jemaa el-Fna Square
- Pricefree
- Bestfrom 17:00
- Time1 to 2 h
The triangular square at the entrance of the medina, ringed by cafés and the mouths of the souks. By day: orange-juice sellers, henna artists and snake charmers. From late afternoon: food stalls, storytellers, Gnaoua musicians and the smoke of the grills. UNESCO proclaimed its cultural space a masterpiece of intangible heritage in 2001; it has been on the Representative List since 2008.
Insider: watch the square fill from a café terrace on its edge before going down into it, and keep small change, as performers expect to be paid for photos. More: Jemaa el-Fna at night.
03
The souks
- Pricefree
- Bestmid-morning
- Time2 to 3 h
The covered market streets run north from Jemaa el-Fna towards the Ben Youssef Madrasa, each historically given to one trade: leather, lanterns, rugs, spices, dyed wool, metalwork. Shops open gradually from around 9:30 to 10:00, and the lanes are at their most pleasant before the midday crowds.
Insider: agree a price only for things you actually want, and do not follow anyone who offers to show you "the way" or a "closed" street. Our practical guides: shopping in the souks and how to navigate the medina.
04
Ben Youssef Madrasa
- Price50 MAD
- Hoursfrom 9:00, daily
- Time45 min
Once the largest Koranic college in Morocco: 130 student cells around a courtyard with a long pool, carved cedar, stucco and zellige. The building you visit was rebuilt by the Saadian sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib and completed in 1564-65. It reopened in April 2022 after restoration. Bring cash for the ticket.
Insider: climb to the upper floor and look down into the courtyard from a student's window, the photograph almost nobody takes. Arrive at opening and you may have the courtyard nearly to yourself for ten minutes.
05
Le Jardin Secret
- Price100 MAD, tower +40
- Hours9:30 to 18:30 (Mar–Sep), 18:00 the rest of the year
- Time1 h
A 19th-century palace garden on Rue Mouassine, laid out by the caid al-Hajj Abd-Allah U-Bihi and opened to the public after a long restoration. Two gardens, one Islamic and one exotic, with channels, pools, palms and fruit trees, a few steps from the busiest lanes of the souks. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing.
Insider: pay the extra 40 dirhams for the tower: it is one of the few places inside the medina where you see across the roofs to the Koutoubia. Children under six are not allowed up.
06
Dar El Bacha, Musée des Confluences
- Priceabout 60 to 70 MAD
- Hours10:00 to 18:00, closed Mon
- Time1 h
The early 20th-century residence of the pasha of Marrakech, Thami El Glaoui, near the Mouassine quarter, now a museum of the cultures that met in Morocco. The draw is the house itself: courtyards of zellige and carved plaster, painted cedar ceilings and an orange-tree patio. Ticket prices quoted for foreign visitors vary between 60 and 70 dirhams, so allow for either.
Insider: the Bacha Coffee house inside the palace has long queues by late morning; go at 10:00, visit the rooms first, then sit down for coffee before the line forms.
07
Bahia Palace
- Price100 MAD
- Hours9:00 to 17:00
- Time1 h
Built in the second half of the 19th century by the grand vizier Si Moussa and enlarged by his son Ba Ahmed: a sequence of courtyards, painted cedar ceilings, zellige floors and planted patios, near the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter. Children aged 7 to 13 pay 50 dirhams. The 100-dirham rate for foreign adults has applied since June 2024.
Insider: most groups enter mid-morning and move through in one direction; go against the flow or come after 15:00, and the great courtyard is far calmer.
08
El Badi Palace
- Price100 MAD
- Hours9:00 to 17:00
- Time1 h
Begun in 1578 by the Saadian sultan Ahmad al-Mansur after the Battle of the Three Kings and completed in 1593, then stripped by Moulay Ismail in the early 18th century for his capital at Meknes. What remains is vast: sunken orange gardens, empty pools and high earth walls, plus a pavilion displaying the 12th-century minbar of the Koutoubia.
Insider: climb the ramparts in the north-east corner for the view over the courtyard and the storks nesting on the walls, then look for the minbar pavilion, which many visitors miss.
09
The Saadian Tombs
- Price100 MAD
- Hoursfrom 9:00
- Time30 to 45 min
The royal necropolis of the Saadian dynasty, in the Kasbah: first burials from 1557, most of the decoration from the reign of Ahmad al-Mansur (1578-1603). Walled up and forgotten, the tombs were rediscovered in 1917. The Hall of the Twelve Columns, with Carrara marble and carved cedar, is the highlight, viewed from its doorway.
Insider: the only way in is a narrow passage beside the Kasbah Mosque, and the queue for the Hall of the Twelve Columns builds by late morning. Be there at 9:00. Our full Saadian Tombs guide.
10
Bab Agnaou and the ramparts
- Pricefree
- Bestlate afternoon light
- Time15 to 20 min
The carved stone gate of the Almohad Kasbah, dating from the 12th century, stands a two-minute walk from the Saadian Tombs. It is the finest of the medina's gates, and the ochre walls that ring the old city, part of the UNESCO-listed medina, glow at the end of the day.
Insider: a calèche ride along the ramparts is the easiest way to see the walls and several gates in an hour; agree the price and route before you set off.
11
Jardin Majorelle and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum
- Price170 MAD, online only
- Hours8:00 to 17:30, last entry 17:00
- Time1.5 to 2 h
The garden created from 1923 by the painter Jacques Majorelle and restored by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, who bought it in 1980: cobalt-blue studio, cacti, bamboo and lily pools. The Berber museum in the studio needs its own ticket. The Yves Saint Laurent Museum next door, opened in 2017, is open 10:00 to 18:00 and closed on Wednesdays.
Insider: buy on tickets.jardinmajorelle.com only (the garden warns that other tickets are refused) and book the first slot at 8:00. Our Jardin Majorelle guide has the detail.
12
The Menara Gardens
- Pricefree to walk in
- Bestlate afternoon
- Time45 min
An olive grove around a large Almohad-era basin, with a green-roofed pavilion at one end and, on clear days from November to April, the snow of the High Atlas behind it. It is west of the centre, on the way to the airport, and a quiet antidote to a morning in the souks.
Insider: the classic photograph is from the far side of the basin, with the pavilion reflected and the mountains behind; it works best in winter, after rain. More in our Menara Gardens guide.
Orientation
Marrakech attractions at a glance
Think of the city as four zones: the heart of the medina around Jemaa el-Fna, the northern medina beyond the souks, the southern medina and Kasbah, and the new town outside the walls. Places in the same zone are within ten minutes' walk of each other.
| Place | Area | Foreign adult, 2026 | Best time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Koutoubia Mosque | Heart of the medina | Free (outside only) | Sunset |
| Jemaa el-Fna | Heart of the medina | Free | From 17:00 |
| Souks | Northern medina | Free | 10:00 to 12:00 |
| Ben Youssef Madrasa | Northern medina | 50 MAD | At 9:00 |
| Le Jardin Secret | Northern medina (Mouassine) | 100 MAD + 40 tower | Midday break from the souks |
| Dar El Bacha | Northern medina | About 60 to 70 MAD | At 10:00, closed Monday |
| Bahia Palace | Southern medina, by the Mellah | 100 MAD | After 15:00 |
| El Badi Palace | Southern medina, Kasbah | 100 MAD | Morning |
| Saadian Tombs | Southern medina, Kasbah | 100 MAD | At 9:00 |
| Bab Agnaou | Southern medina, Kasbah | Free | Late afternoon |
| Jardin Majorelle & YSL Museum | Majorelle, next to Gueliz | 170 MAD (garden) | 8:00 slot; museum closed Wednesday |
| Menara Gardens | West of the centre | Free | Late afternoon, winter |
Budget
All twelve places for one adult come to about 690 dirhams in 2026 (roughly €65), before the Berber museum, the Yves Saint Laurent Museum and the Jardin Secret tower. The Koutoubia, Jemaa el-Fna, the souks, Bab Agnaou and the Menara cost nothing.
Routes that work
Two half-day routes through the medina
Monuments in the morning, pool in the afternoon: this is how we suggest guests staying in a villa outside the walls see the medina. Each route is on foot, with the driver dropping you at the start and collecting you at the end.
Morning one: palaces of the south
- 8:50
Saadian Tombs
Drop-off by the Kasbah Mosque. In at opening, out before the queue.
- 9:40
Bab Agnaou
Two minutes away: photographs of the gate while the light is still soft.
- 10:00
El Badi Palace
About ten minutes' walk. Sunken gardens, ramparts, the Koutoubia minbar.
- 11:15
Bahia Palace
Another ten minutes through the Mellah. Allow an hour.
- 12:30
Lunch, then the villa
A rooftop near Place des Ferblantiers, then collection and an afternoon by the pool.
Morning two: the north and the souks
- 9:00
Ben Youssef Madrasa
Drop-off as close as cars can go, then a short walk. The courtyard at its quietest.
- 10:00
Dar El Bacha
The pasha's palace and an early coffee before the queue.
- 11:15
Le Jardin Secret
Through Mouassine to the garden and up the tower.
- 12:15
The souks
South through the souks to Jemaa el-Fna, shopping on the way.
- 13:30
Lunch by the Koutoubia
Then back to the villa. Return to the square at dusk if you have the energy.
The third morning
The Jardin Majorelle at 8:00 and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum when it opens at 10:00 (not on a Wednesday), then the Menara Gardens on the way back or late in the day. For longer plans: three days in Marrakech and what to do in Marrakech.
Before you go
Tickets, timing and a few rules
Most monuments of the Ministry of Culture (the Bahia, El Badi and the Saadian Tombs) sell tickets at the gate, in dirhams and usually in cash; the Ministry also runs an online e-ticket service. The Jardin Majorelle and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum sell tickets online only, through their official site.
Opening hours shorten during Ramadan, typically closing in mid-afternoon, and can change on religious holidays: see Ramadan in Marrakech. Dates of the public holidays are in our 2026 holiday guide.
- Carry 500 to 1,000 dirhams in small notes for tickets, tips and taxis: cash and cards in Marrakech
- Book the Jardin Majorelle a few days ahead in spring and autumn; early slots go first
- Shoulders and knees covered is respectful in the medina and expected at the madrasa
- Mosques are closed to non-Muslims; the madrasa and the palaces are open to all
- From May to September, finish outdoor visits by noon and come back after 17:00
- A licensed guide adds the history and saves time in the souks: ask us and we arrange one
Where to stay
Villas near the centre
Most of our villas are outside the medina, so the drive matters if sightseeing is the point of the trip. These three are among the closest in our catalogue. Villa Arwa is a 1950s villa redesigned by the architect Roger Herrera, in a quiet street near the Jardin Majorelle, with 4 bedrooms and a dining room for 10 to 12. Villa Four Seasons has 5 bedrooms inside the Four Seasons Marrakech, with access to the hotel's services and a concierge. Villa Savannah, in the Palmeraie about 10 minutes from the medina, has 22 bedrooms for large groups and more than 60 works of art in its grounds.
For more choice: all our villas near the centre, or villas in the Palmeraie, mostly 10 to 24 minutes from the city centre.
Unlimited Marrakech
Palaces in the morning, your own pool by lunch
39 private villas in Marrakech and Oualidia, with staff, from 3 to 22 bedrooms. Tell us your dates and how many you are; we reply with what is free, and we can arrange a driver and a guide for the medina.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
What are the must-see places to visit in Marrakech?
The Koutoubia Mosque (from outside), Jemaa el-Fna, the souks, the Ben Youssef Madrasa, Le Jardin Secret, the Bahia and El Badi palaces, the Saadian Tombs and the Jardin Majorelle with the Yves Saint Laurent Museum. Add Dar El Bacha, Bab Agnaou and the Menara Gardens if you have a third morning. Most sit within a 20-minute walk of Jemaa el-Fna.
How much do Marrakech monuments cost in 2026?
The Bahia Palace, El Badi Palace and Saadian Tombs each cost 100 dirhams for foreign adults and 50 for children aged 7 to 13. The Ben Youssef Madrasa is 50 dirhams, Le Jardin Secret 100 (plus 40 for the tower) and the Jardin Majorelle 170, bought online. The Koutoubia, Jemaa el-Fna and the Menara Gardens are free.
How many days do you need to see Marrakech's attractions?
Two mornings cover the medina: one for the Saadian Tombs, El Badi and the Bahia in the south, one for the Ben Youssef Madrasa, Dar El Bacha, Le Jardin Secret and the souks in the north. A third morning takes in the Jardin Majorelle and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum. Evenings are for Jemaa el-Fna.
Do you need to book the Jardin Majorelle in advance?
Yes. Since January 2023 tickets for the Jardin Majorelle, the Berber museum and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum are sold only online, on tickets.jardinmajorelle.com, with timed entry. There is no ticket desk at the gate. Book a few days ahead in spring and autumn and choose the 8:00 slot, before the garden fills.
Which Marrakech monuments are closed on certain days?
The Yves Saint Laurent Museum closes on Wednesdays and Dar El Bacha on Mondays. The palaces, the Saadian Tombs, the madrasa, Le Jardin Secret and the Jardin Majorelle open every day, with shorter hours during Ramadan. Mosques, including the Koutoubia, are closed to non-Muslims at all times.
Is it easy to visit the medina from a villa?
Yes, with a driver. Villas near the Jardin Majorelle or inside the Four Seasons are about five minutes from the centre; villas in the Palmeraie are 10 to 24 minutes away. Most guests visit the medina in the morning, return for lunch and a swim, and go back into town for dinner.
Keep reading
More from the Marrakech blog
Contact us
Need help or have questions? Our team is here to assist you. Fill out the contact form below: