Marrakech Walking Tour of the Medina with a Licensed Guide
This Marrakech walking tour gives you four hours on foot in the medina with a licensed local guide: the Koutoubia, the Bahia Palace, the old Jewish quarter of the Mellah, the souks and Jemaa el-Fnaa. You set the pace and the language, and the tour starts from your riad or hotel.
- DURATION
- ROUTE
- TOUR TYPE
- PICKUP
- PRICE
Marrakech walking tour at a glance
- Half day
- Koutoubia · Bahia Palace · Mellah · Souks · Jemaa el-Fna
- Private tour
- Riad or hotel pickup
- Best time: Spring and autumn
A guided tour of the Marrakech medina
Getting into the medina is easy; finding your way around it is harder. Half a day with a licensed guide covers the main sights and the history behind them, and shows you how the lanes connect, so you can explore on your own for the rest of your stay.
The usual route starts at the Koutoubia and goes through the old Jewish quarter to the Bahia Palace, then into the souks, finishing at Jemaa el-Fna. If you would rather see the Ben Youssef Madrasa, the tanneries or a particular craft, tell the guide and the route changes.
Highlights
- The Koutoubia mosque and its gardens
- The painted rooms and courtyards of the Bahia Palace
- The Mellah, the old Jewish quarter
- The craft souks, without pressure to buy
- Jemaa el-Fna, the main square
How the day goes
From your pickup in the morning to the drop-off at the end of the day.
Start · Koutoubia and the Kasbah quarter
Your guide meets you at your riad or hotel in the morning or after lunch. The walk starts at the Koutoubia and heads south through the Kasbah quarter.
Middle · Mellah and Bahia Palace
Through the Mellah to the Bahia Palace, built in the nineteenth century for a grand vizier, with time to look at the painted ceilings and the courtyards.
End · The souks and Jemaa el-Fna
North into the covered souks, past the dyers, metalworkers and leather sellers, and out onto Jemaa el-Fna. The guide can walk you back to your riad or leave you in the square.
What is included and not included
Included
- Licensed local guide for about four hours
- Meeting at your riad or hotel in Marrakech
Not included
- Entrance fees to the palaces and museums
- Drinks and snacks
- Tips
Pickup, best time to go and what to bring
Pickup points
We pick you up at your riad or hotel in Marrakech at the time you choose. If your riad is in a lane cars cannot enter, the driver waits at the nearest square or gate and someone from the riad walks you there.
Best time to go
March to May and September to November are the easiest months for walking the city. Summer afternoons are very hot, so we start early or go in the evening.
What to bring
Comfortable shoes, clothes that cover shoulders and knees, a hat in summer, and small change in dirhams for entrance fees and tips.
Good to know
Most sites charge a small entrance fee in dirhams, so carry cash. Mosques in Morocco are closed to non-Muslims, with the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca as the main exception. In the souks, prices are agreed by bargaining, and it is fine to say no politely. Your guide keeps unofficial guides away and knows the quieter lanes.
Price, deposit and cancellation
Prices are per person and depend on the size of your group. You book with a 20% deposit by card or PayPal and pay the balance on the first day of the tour.
If you cancel 30 days or more before the start, we refund the deposit in full; after that the deposit is kept. You can change the date once for free if you ask 14 days or more before. The details are in our Cancellation Policy.
Questions about the Marrakech walking tour
Do I need a guide in the Marrakech medina?
You can walk the medina alone, but the lanes are easy to get lost in and unofficial guides approach visitors. A licensed guide knows the way, explains what you see and keeps the touts at a distance.
How far do we walk?
A few kilometres on flat lanes over about four hours, with stops inside the Bahia Palace and in the souks. Tell us if you want a shorter route.
Morning or afternoon?
Both work. Mornings are cooler and quieter in the souks; afternoons end at Jemaa el-Fna as it fills up for the evening.
Will the guide take us shopping?
Only if you ask. Tell the guide at the start if you want to see a craft or buy something, and he will take you to the right part of the souks.
Can we change the timing?
Yes. You choose the pickup time, the stops and how long you stay out.
Can we add something to the day?
Yes. Tell us what else you would like to see or do, and we suggest how to fit it in.
How do I book?
Send an enquiry with your dates and group size and we reply with availability and a quote. When online booking is open for this tour, you can also reserve with a deposit by card or PayPal.
Book this tour
Send your dates and group size and we reply with a quote.
- Private tour, only your group
- Free enquiry, no obligation
- Private tour, only your group
- Free enquiry, no obligation
- Route and timing adjusted to you
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