What to do in Marrakech: 15 experiences, prices and hours 2026

In short

• Paid must-sees: Majorelle Garden 170 MAD, Bahia Palace 100 MAD, Saadian Tombs 100 MAD, Ben Youssef Madrasa 50 MAD, Jardin Secret 100 MAD.
• Free: Jemaa el-Fna, the souks, the Koutoubia (outside), the Menara, the ramparts, the mellah.
• The right rhythm: visits from 9 am to noon, pool or siesta in the afternoon, rooftops and the square at sunset.
• Book online: Majorelle and the YSL museum no longer sell tickets at the gate.

Marrakech reveals itself in layers: the red city of monuments, the city of gardens, then the countryside and mountains around. Here are the fifteen experiences we recommend to our guests, with what to know before going. Prices are those displayed in 2026, in dirhams (10.8 MAD for 1 €).

1. Jemaa el-Fna square, twice a day

In the morning it belongs to the orange juice sellers (10 MAD a glass) and the herbalists. In the evening, from 6 pm, the grill stalls set up and the storytellers and Gnaoua musicians take their places. Go both times: they are two different squares. Dinner at a stall costs 40 to 90 MAD per person; ask the price before sitting down.

2. Get lost in the souks before 11 am

Between 9 and 11 am the craftsmen are working and the alleys are quiet. Start from the north of the square, walk up Souk Semmarine, turn towards the dyers' souk and then the ironworkers. Haggling is the rule: start at half the quoted price, keep smiling, and be ready to walk away. If you stay in the Medina, you are five minutes away.

3. Majorelle Garden and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum

Jacques Majorelle's garden, bought by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, is the most visited site in the city. Tickets online only on the official website, booked at least the day before. 2026 prices: garden alone 170 MAD, garden and Berber museum 230 MAD, all three sites with the YSL museum 330 MAD. Open daily 8 am to 6:30 pm, last entry 6 pm. The YSL museum is closed on Wednesdays. Visit at opening, before the groups. The garden is in Guéliz, ten minutes by taxi from the Medina.

4. Bahia Palace

A 19th-century palace of 8 hectares built for the grand vizier Ba Ahmed: 150 rooms, marble patios, painted cedar ceilings. Entry 100 MAD (50 MAD for ages 7 to 13, free below), open 9 am to 5 pm. Allow an hour, and arrive at opening to photograph the empty courtyards.

5. The Saadian Tombs and El Badi Palace

The Saadian Tombs (100 MAD, 9 am to 5 pm) are a jewel of stucco and zellige rediscovered in 1917. Five minutes away on foot, El Badi Palace is the opposite: a monumental open-air ruin, storks on the walls and a view over the Medina from the terrace. Both fit in half a day from the Kasbah.

6. Ben Youssef Madrasa

The 16th-century Koranic school, the largest in the Maghreb, reopened after restoration. Its courtyard of zellige and carved cedar is the most photographed in the city. Entry 50 MAD, open 9 am to 7 pm (9 am to 4:30 pm during Ramadan). Next door, the Jardin Secret (100 MAD, panoramic tower 40 MAD extra) and the Mouassine Museum (40 MAD, Andalusian, Berber and Gnaoua concerts on some evenings).

7. A hammam, the real one

The full ritual takes an hour and a half: heat, black soap, kessa glove scrub, rhassoul wrap, argan oil massage. Three price levels in 2026: the neighborhood hammam (10 to 30 MAD, bring your own kit), the Medina hammam houses such as Hammam de la Rose or Les Bains de Marrakech (400 to 900 MAD), and palace spas such as La Mamounia (1,300 MAD for the 60-minute traditional hammam). Our hammam and wellness guide lists the addresses.

8. Sunset from a rooftop

The cafés overlooking Jemaa el-Fna are the best known. The most beautiful terraces are those of the Medina riads and restaurants, with the Koutoubia and the Atlas in the background. Book, and order a mint tea or dinner: the busiest rooftops impose a minimum spend.

9. Dinner under the stars in the Agafay desert

30 kilometres south-west, a 45-minute drive, Agafay is a stone desert facing the Atlas. The camps offer an evening with a camel ride, Moroccan dinner and show: from 35 € in the standard package to 95 € in a luxury camp per person, transfer included. An hour of quad biking costs 35 to 45 € all inclusive. We organise private evenings for our guests.

10. A sunrise hot-air balloon

Pick-up around 5:30 am from your accommodation, a 45 to 60-minute flight over the plain with the Atlas as backdrop, Berber breakfast on landing. Allow 185 to 250 € per person with a serious operator, transfers included. Book three days ahead in high season.

11. The Ourika valley in a day

35 kilometres away, an hour's drive, the Setti Fatma waterfalls and the Berber villages of the valley. Tagine lunch with your feet in the water. We detail this and other outings in our guide to day trips from Marrakech.

12. A cooking class

Market in the morning with the chef, then tagine, Moroccan salad and msemen. Allow 400 to 700 MAD per person for a half day. Our villas host in-house workshops with our chef.

13. The Menara and the Agdal park

Two historic gardens, 12th-century basins and olive groves. The Menara, next to Hivernage, is where locals stroll at the end of the day, free. The Agdal park, south of the Kasbah, opens only on Fridays and Sundays.

14. Golf

Marrakech has around ten courses. 18-hole green fees in 2026: Royal Golf 750 MAD, Amelkis 850 MAD, Al Maaden 1,190 MAD in season and 790 MAD in summer. The Palmeraie Golf is five minutes from our Palmeraie villas.

15. Do nothing by the pool

The true luxury of Marrakech, especially from June to September. That is why we selected our private pool villas.

Three days, four days, a week

• Three days: Medina and monuments on day one, Majorelle and Guéliz on day two, Agafay or hammam on day three.
• Four days: add the Ourika or a balloon flight.
• A week: add Essaouira, a pool day, a cooking class, and golf if you play.