Visit Marrakech: Medina, Gardens & Monuments

Of course, organising some successful city tours during your holiday in Marrakech is a privilege that will make your stay in this extremely beautiful city more enjoyable, and will allow you to discover some impressive places and corners hidden behind the high walls of the Medina.

Marrakech is one of the most beautiful imperial cities in Morocco, an authentic and busy town known for its famous historic monuments, beautiful gardens and the legendary old Medina that host the biggest craft souks in Morocco.

To help you plan your next holiday in Marrakech, we have selected a great selection of well-designed city tours that you can organise on your own, or ideally with a professional tour guide who could make your visit much more interesting.

Why you should visit the old monuments of Marrakech?

Marrakech's history goes back centuries, that’s why the red city has a big and quite exceptional cultural and historical heritage.

Throughout the ages, the City of the Seven Saints has witnessed the succession of many important Arab-Muslim dynasties, such as the Almohads, the Almoravids, the Idrissids, the Merinids, the Saadians and the Alawites.

Almost every dynasty has marked the history of this city by several monuments and works of Oriental architecture, which to this day bear witness to the amazing presence of these great civilisations.

Among several city tours with different itineraries and programs, we recommend on the first level the full-day city tour that combines the most important monuments and attractions of Marrakech: Bahia Palace, Koutoubia Mosque, La Medrasa (Koranic School), then the craft souks of the Medina passing through the famous Jamaa el Fna square, where eventually you can have lunch in one of the panoramic rooftop terraces overlooking the square and the Medina.

During this inspiring visit to Marrakech, you may also want to head to Riad Zitoune Lakdim and Place des Ferblantiers (Tinsmiths' Square), and the famous Jewish quarter called el Mellah.

If you are travelling to Marrakech for the first time, it will be better to start your vacation by one of the most recommended Marrakech City Tours, so you can introduce to your family or friend the history and the culture of this great city, before going to discover other attractions like the fabulous palaces and guest houses, the well-known Islamic and botanic gardens and of course the very stunning new city, where you can find luxury hotels, prestigious restaurants and very chic shops and malls.   

The legendary green gardens of Marrakech

Marrakech's historic gardens are still precious chefs-d'oeuvre of their founders, the famous Menara gardens are a good example, with their historic pavilion, the large pool with it’s funny river fish swimming occasionally across the surface, the large olive groves that extend symmetrically over several hectares, using a very old hydraulic system that is still operational up today.

If you are more interested in exotic plants and gardening art, the botanical gardens of the famous French painter Jacques Majorelle are the perfect place to visit if you would like to explore an amazing selection of more than 3,000 plants from several regions, elegantly organised within a prestigious blue garden.

During your visit to Majorelle gardens, you will probably be interested in a short visit to the Berber museum, where a number of local antique items and valuable objects are on display to show to visitors the originality and rich culture of Morocco.

We also recommend the little Secret Garden of the Medina, which was built during the Saadian period, this is honestly one of the most luxurious gardens in the city, it belonged to an ancient governor of the Atlas, with a history that goes back more than 400 years.

Finally, if you're in Marrakech for the weekend, it's also worth visiting the Agdal Islamic Gardens, open to public only Fridays and Sundays.

Visit the biggest Souks of Morocco

You can't visit Marrakech without taking a good souvenir of your trip, in this case, there's nothing better than buying yourself some handmade decors, a teapot, some colourful glasses, traditional clothes or a stylish Berber rug to add an elegant touch to your home.

The Souks in Marrakech are a really deep world, full of designs, colours and flavours that can rarely be found elsewhere and that can impress every single visitor of the city.

A knowledgeable tour guide of the Medina will be able to introduce the essential concepts of Moroccan traditional craft arts, the hand-making processes of each article or item, the different workshops and fondouks nestled in every corner of the Medina, before recommending some good boutiques and bazaars for a good shopping spree, and he can even negotiate the best available prices for you.