Marrakech Walking Tour: 50 Free Video Stops

This Marrakech walking tour links 10 sights and 50 short video stops narrated by Clarissa, from the Bahia Palace in the southern medina to the Majorelle Garden in Guéliz. The notes below group the stops into walkable routes and add the timing, transport, etiquette and ticket details that make the Red City easier to enjoy. For official visitor information, also check Visit Morocco, the official website of the Moroccan National Tourist Office.

Route 1, palaces and royal tombs (stops 1 to 3). Start early at the Bahia Palace, where the videos cover the garden approach, the small courtyard and riad, the grand courtyard and the painted cedar ceilings. Walk a few minutes to El Badi Palace for the ruined great courtyard, the sunken gardens, the storks on the ramparts and the pavilion that holds the old Koutoubia minbar. Finish this part of the Marrakech walking tour beside the Kasbah Mosque at the Saadian Tombs, with the garden of graves and the Chamber of the Twelve Columns.

Route 2, the Mellah to Jemaa el Fnaa (stops 4 to 6). Walk from the kasbah into the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, for the Lazama Synagogue, the markets around Place des Ferblantiers and the Miara Jewish Cemetery. Head north to Jemaa el Fnaa, the great square, with its daytime stalls and performers, its musicians and storytellers and its evening food stalls. Walk west to the Koutoubia Mosque Gardens for the 12th-century minaret, the ruins of the first mosque and the shady gardens.

Route 3, the northern medina (stops 7 to 9). From the square, walk north through the souks to the Medersa Ben Youssef, once the largest Islamic college in North Africa, for its courtyard and pool, its carved stucco and cedar and the student rooms upstairs. The Almoravid Koubba, the oldest surviving building in the city, is next door. Then wind back toward Mouassine to Le Jardin Secret, a restored riad garden with an exotic garden, an Islamic garden and a tower with views over the rooftops.

Route 4, Majorelle and Guéliz (stop 10). Take a petit taxi or walk about half an hour from the medina walls to the Majorelle Garden, with its cacti, bamboo, cobalt-blue villa and the Berber Museum, and finish next door at the Yves Saint Laurent Museum. If you only have one day, Routes 1 and 2 make the best free walking tour Marrakech offers on foot, from the palaces to the great square at dusk.

If you have an extra day, the Atlas Mountains are an easy trip from the city. The Ourika Valley and the village of Imlil, below Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa, are popular for walks, river views and lunch in a Berber village, and the Agafay desert is close enough for a sunset visit.

For photos, the best free viewpoints on this Marrakech walking tour are the Koutoubia Gardens, looking up at the minaret, and the edges of Jemaa el Fnaa as the food stalls light up. Many cafés around the square have rooftop terraces with views over it, usually for the price of a drink. Early morning is the best time at the Bahia Palace, the Medersa Ben Youssef and the Majorelle Garden, before the tour groups.

A two-day Marrakech walking tour works well as Routes 1 and 2 on day one, ending in Jemaa el Fnaa at sunset, and Routes 3 and 4 on day two. In the summer heat, plan the outdoor palaces and gardens for early morning, rest in your riad in the middle of the day and come back out for the square in the evening.

Spring and autumn are usually the best seasons for a Marrakech walking tour, with warm, sunny days and cool evenings. Summer is very hot, often well above 35°C in the afternoon, so walk early, carry water and keep to the shade. Winter days are mild and sunny but nights can be cold, and the snow on the High Atlas makes a beautiful backdrop.

Jemaa el Fnaa changes through the day. In the morning it is fairly quiet, with juice stalls and a few performers, while from late afternoon the food stalls are set up and musicians, storytellers and crowds fill the square. Many monuments close for a while around Friday midday prayers and keep shorter hours during Ramadan, so check opening times before you plan each day of your Marrakech walking tour.

The medina is best explored on foot, because most of its lanes are too narrow for cars. Mopeds and carts use the same lanes, so keep to the side when you hear a horn. Petit taxis are cheap for the hop to Majorelle and Guéliz; ask the driver to use the meter or agree the fare before you get in. City buses and an airport bus link the airport with the medina and Guéliz, and taxis wait outside arrivals.

Getting lost is part of the medina, and phone maps are not always accurate in its covered souks. Use the map link at each stop, note the landmarks you pass, and head back toward the Koutoubia minaret, visible from much of the medina, if you lose your way on your Marrakech walking tour.

Morocco is a Muslim country, so dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, especially in the medina. Mosques in Marrakech, including the Koutoubia, are open only to Muslims, so admire them from outside; the Medersa Ben Youssef and the Saadian Tombs are open to all visitors. In the Mellah’s synagogue and cemetery, men may be asked to cover their heads. Ask before you photograph people, and expect performers on the square, including snake charmers and henna artists, to ask for money for photos.

Bargaining is normal in the souks, so smile, offer a price, and walk away politely if you can’t agree. If someone offers to show you the way or tells you a street is closed, say a friendly “no, thank you” and keep walking, because unofficial guides often expect a fee or lead you to a shop. Use licensed guides if you want one. Keep your bag closed in the crowds of Jemaa el Fnaa.

Food is a highlight of any Marrakech walking tour. The evening food stalls on Jemaa el Fnaa serve tagines, grilled meat, harira soup and snail broth, and freshly squeezed orange juice is sold all day. Choose busy stalls, check the prices before you sit down, and drink bottled water. Mint tea is the classic drink, often poured from a height. Small tips are customary in cafés, restaurants and for guides. In an emergency, dial 19 for the police and 15 for an ambulance.

Several stops on this Marrakech walking tour charge an entry fee: the Bahia Palace, El Badi Palace, the Saadian Tombs, the Medersa Ben Youssef, the Almoravid Koubba, Le Jardin Secret, the Majorelle Garden and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum. The Majorelle Garden and the museum sell timed tickets online, and the queues can be long in high season, so book ahead. Check each official website for current prices and opening times, and carry some cash in dirhams for smaller sites.

Plenty on a Marrakech walking tour is free. Jemaa el Fnaa, the souks, the Mellah’s lanes and the Koutoubia Gardens cost nothing to explore, and simply wandering the medina is one of the best things to do in the city. The Cyber Park and the Koutoubia Gardens are free green spaces for a rest between stops, which makes a free walking tour Marrakech-style easy to plan on a budget.

For accessibility, the medina is challenging: lanes are narrow, uneven and busy with mopeds, and many riads, palaces and museums have steps. Wheelchair users will find the Koutoubia Gardens, the main square and the wide boulevards of Guéliz easier, and a petit taxi or a private driver helps between stops. Check access before booking a riad, because many have narrow stairs and no lift. Ask each site about step-free routes before your Marrakech walking tour.

After this Marrakech walking tour, carry on with more free walks nearby: the Fez walking tour, a train ride north through Morocco, the Seville walking tour, whose Giralda shares its style with the Koutoubia minaret, the Tunis walking tour and the Cairo walking tour. You can browse every city on the Free City Tours home page.