Marrakech Full-Day Guided City Tour
See the best of the Red City in one day with a licensed guide: the Koutoubia Mosque, the Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, the Ben Youssef Madrasa, the souks and the Majorelle Garden, finishing at Jemaa el-Fna as the square comes alive.
Excursion Overview
The perfect introduction to Marrakech, whether you’re arriving before a desert tour or have a free day at the end of your trip. A licensed guide brings the medina’s history to life and helps you find your way through its maze of lanes.
Good to know
- Dress code: comfortable shoes, and shoulders and knees covered out of respect in the older quarters.
- Friday: some sites have shorter hours around midday prayers, so we’ll adjust the order of visits.
- Hot months: from June to August we start earlier and take a longer midday break.
Excursion Highlights
- A licensed local guide for the whole day
- Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs and the Ben Youssef Madrasa
- The souks and artisan quarters, without the pushy detours
- Majorelle Garden with timed tickets booked in advance
- Sunset over Jemaa el-Fna from a rooftop café
Your Day, Hour by Hour
- 09:00
Pickup and the Koutoubia Mosque
Your guide meets you at your riad or hotel. Start at the 12th-century Koutoubia, whose minaret became the model for Seville's Giralda.
- 09:45
Saadian Tombs and the Kasbah quarter
The richly decorated mausoleums of the Saadian sultans, rediscovered in 1917. Arriving early avoids the queues.
- 10:45
Bahia Palace and the Mellah
Painted cedar ceilings, zellige tilework and courtyard gardens, then a walk through the old Jewish quarter and its spice market.
- 12:30
Lunch
Your guide suggests a riad or rooftop restaurant to suit your taste and budget.
- 14:00
Ben Youssef Madrasa and the souks
The largest Koranic school in Morocco, then the souks of the dyers, metalworkers and leather craftsmen, with time to shop at your own pace.
- 15:30
Majorelle Garden
A short drive to the cobalt-blue garden restored by Yves Saint Laurent, with an optional visit to the YSL Museum next door.
- 17:00
Jemaa el-Fna at sunset
Watch the square fill with musicians, storytellers and food stalls from a rooftop terrace. Your guide can walk you back, or you can stay on for dinner.
Times are approximate and adjusted to the season, traffic and your pace.
What's Included
- Licensed local guide for the full day
- Pickup at your riad or hotel
- Private air-conditioned vehicle for transfers outside the medina (Majorelle Garden)
- Majorelle Garden tickets booked in advance (entrance fee not included)
What's Excluded
- Entrance fees (Bahia Palace, Saadian Tombs, Ben Youssef Madrasa, Majorelle Garden, YSL Museum)
- Lunch and drinks
- Tips
Optional Extras (on request)
- Traditional hammam and massage in the afternoon
- Moroccan cooking class instead of the afternoon souks
- Evening street-food tour of Jemaa el-Fna
- Half-day version (morning only)
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