Excursions & City Tours in Marrakech

Marrakech, the capital and the pearl of south of Morocco, is becoming the favorite destination for tourists from all over the world, thanks to its exceptional weather, its big history and culture, and more specially, its perfect location between the Atlas Mountains and the Palm Groves.

The imperial city combines in a harmonious way between the authenticity of the old Medina that dates back several centuries, and the modernity of the new city with is very chic, prestigious and quiet quarters and squares.

In this article, we invite you to discover the Top Marrakech City Tours through the city, as well as the best places that you absolutely need to visit during your next vacation in Marrakech.

Marrakech City Tour

If you would like to have a great and successful city tour, you need to hire a professional tour guide, so he will advise you all the must-see and tourist attractions in Marrakech, while providing important information about each place, the traditions and customs of people living in Marrakech as well as useful information about the culture and history of the city.

Your city tour will start from Jamaa El Fna Square, known for its famous atmosphere animated by all kind of local artists: storytellers, musicians, dancers, snake charmers…

After a first break in Jamaa el Fna Square, you will have a tour around the Koutoubia Mosque and gardens before going throught the small alleys of the old Medina to visit the Sooks, some workshops of Moroccan handicraft, a selection of most important historical monuments in Marrakech (Medrasa Ben Youssef, Bahia Palace, Saadiens Toms) and maybe you will have the chance to visit a traditional Riad or Guest house with your tour guide.

After visiting the Medina, you will continue your city tour to the new city of Marrakech, Guéliz, a modern quarter with chic and wide avenues, luxury brands and fashion stores, art galleries, large malls and very famous restaurants.

On the road to Marrakech Palmeraie, you will visit the big Museum for Water Civilization « Mohammed VI», a scientific and cultural museum dedicated to Moroccan hydraulic heritage, then we continue your city excursion to the Palmeraie, this is the most charming part of Marrakech beautiful palm groves, berber villages and panoramic views. Here you can enjoy exciting travel experiences in Marrakech such as Camel Ride, Quad Biking and Hot-Air Ballooning Adventures.

After visiting the Palmeraie desert, you will return back to the city center to visit the fascination ramparts, a large wall of 6 to 8 metres high that encircles the entire Medina with 19 kms length  and 22 gates for passengers and vehicles.

Marrakech City Gardens Tour

Marrakech has a selection of very beautiful gardens, several areas and spaces for relaxation and serenity. During this city tour you will be invited to visit the most beautiful gardens in the city :

Agdal Gardens

The Agdal Gardens are located near of Dar El Makhzen Palace, known as the oldest Islamic gardens in Marrakech. Agdal Gardens were created during the Almohad Dynasty during the 12th century. The gardens have several terraces, a typical place for pleasure and contemplation that gives a unique chance to discover Marrakech from a different angle.

Inside the gardens there are several kinds of fruit trees (orange, olive and apricot trees…), ponds that were used for swimming, games and sports competitions for soldiers.

The Agdal Gardens are open to visitors each Friday and Sunday afternoon.

Menara Gardens

The Menara means (lighthouse) and comes from the Garden Pavilion which was built during the period of the Saadian dynasty in the 16th century. This pavilion overlooks a large basin using an antique hydraulic system to provide water from the surrounding mountains. The basin was mainly used to irrigate a big gardens planted with more than thirty kind of olive trees.

The Menara gardens are located at few steps from the Medina, a real haven of peace, that was for many years, an ideal place for picnics and relaxation away from the noise of the city. These gardens also constitute a good refuge during the hot days of summer.

Majorelle Gardens

The Founder of Majorelle Gardens, the French artist Jacques Majorelle, was inspired from Marrakech’s oasis, Islamic gardens and Hispano-Moorish gardens. These very famous gardens contain about 3000 exotic plants.

Inside the gardens, you will visit the Berber museum offering a selection of jewelry and ancestral Berber objects collected from several regions of the Morocco. The visit of the museum is animated by beautiful photographs and documentary movies.

NB: When Agdal Gardens are closed, you will be invited to visit other Gardens in Marrakech

Marrakech City Monuments Tour

The city of Marrakech was founded about 1000 years ago, during this period, several dynasties succeeded each other to build an extraordinary history and an exceptional and rich heritage.

All the important monuments of Marrakech, are mainly located in the old Medina.

Among several monuments in Marrakech, we have selected the main historical sites that you must absolutely visit during your stay in red city.

The Koutoubia Mosque

The Koutoubia Mosque is considered one of the most beautiful mosques in all muslim countries. It was founed and built by Sultan Abdelmoumen and his grandson Yacoub Al Mansour around 1199. Then the mosque was rebuilt again during the Almohad dynasty to be properly oriented towards Al Quibla.

The Koutoubia is known by its large historical minaret overlooking the city, 69 m of height, all built of ashlar and green ceramic with sculpted reliefs at the top of the minaret. This beautiful mosque is a landmark visible from different corners in Marrakech.

However, the entry inside the mosque is reserved for Muslims.

The Palais Bahia

El Bahia Palace is one of the main monuments of Marrakech, a great old palace of 8000 m⊃2; built by a Moroccan architect between 1866 and 1867. This luxury Palace, located in the south part of the Medina, is in fact a large Riad arranged around a garden.

The Palace is composed of several apartments, rooms and living rooms as well as a mosque, a Coranic school, a traditional hammam and an Islamic garden planted with olive trees, orange trees and palm trees…

Medrasa Ben Youssef

Medrasa Ben Youssef is one of the most popular historical sites in Marrakech, This Coranic school was founded in the 14th century by Sultan Abu el Hassan, then expanded and renovated during the Saadian dynasty to become the largest Islamic school in the Maghreb.

The school could accommodate up to 900 law and theology students supported by the Sultan. In 1960, La Medrasa was transformed into a museum.

The Medrasa Ben Youssef has a large marble pool patio sumptuously decorated, a central courtyard bordered by mosaics, walls with beautiful sculptures, an exceptional cedar wood dome and a prayer room with 3 marble columns.

On the second floor, the student rooms are are dispatched all around the large patio and small courtyards.

Saadiens Tombs

Saadian tombs are among a few monuments that remain from the Saadian dynasty, after the destruction of all Saadian achievements by Sultan Moulay Ismail in the early 18th century.

This royal cemetery has been in use since the beginning of the 14th century, it contains several mausoleums, the most prestigious one is a large room with 12 columns with cedar ceilings and Carrara marble sculptures. Several Saadian sultans are buried in these mausoleums, including Prince Mohamed Sheikh and the Sultan’s son Ahmed El Mansour.

The Saadian tombs are located in the heart of the ancestral district of the Kasbah, next to the great mosque of Moulay el Yazid. The visit takes place through a small garden nestled between the different mausoleums.

It is strongly recommended to take a tour guide to enhance your knowledge with more information about the Saadian dynasty and Sultans.

Marrakech by Night City Tour

The city of the seven saints has an exceptional charm in the evening, an atmosphere that deserves to be experienced with love and passion. We invite you to discover the life of Marrakech by Night through a designed tour that will take you to the most attractive places in the city. For this visit you may need to hire a professional and experienced driver-guide in order to visit the city with a driver that will assist you by providing all the information about the places to visit and will also answer any questions you may have.

Jamaa El Fna Square is absolutely the most appreciated square in Marrakech, especially at night, its atmosphere change completely and become a real theatre, where several musicians, dancers, anecdote counters and snake charmers participate to create a thousand and one night atmosphere. Food stands and open-air restaurants are set up around the square to offer a variety of Moroccan dishes that satisfy all tastes.

During this tour, you will also have the chance to visit the old Medina that becomes more attractive with an original atmosphere in the evening.

Later, you will visit Gueliz, the new city of Marrakech, where the night continues until dawn with its coffee shops, classic and romantic restaurants, pubs and nightclubs. In this chic part of the town, tourists and locals come to do some shopping, have fun or enjoy a party.

Knowing the best attractions of Marrakech, the most popular sites, the top restaurants in the city, the gardens and historical monuments… will absolutely help you organize a successful trip and spend great vacations in one of the most beautiful travel destinations in the world.