Marrakech Travel Guide: What to Do, Where to Stay and How to Plan
Marrakech is the main base for the Atlas, the desert and the coast. This guide covers how to get there, what the main sights cost, how to handle the souks, where to stay and what to do next. Official sources are used where they exist (the Majorelle Garden, ONCF, the airports authority ONDA); where a price only appears in travel guides, we label it as reported. Last checked: 27 October 2026. For the airport transfer in detail, see our airport guide.
How the city is laid out
The medina is the old walled city, with Jemaa el-Fna as its main square. The souks run north from the square, with Souk Semmarine as the main entrance lane. Most of the palaces and tombs are in the southern half of the medina. Gueliz and the new town lie to the northwest, with wider streets, cafés and the Majorelle Garden nearby. Plan your days by area so you do not cross the medina several times.
Main sights and entry prices
| Sight | Reported entry |
|---|---|
| Bahia Palace | 100 MAD adult, 50 MAD for ages 7 to 13 (some guides still say 70) |
| Saadian Tombs | 100 MAD adult, open 09:00 to 16:45 in one guide, others say about 70 MAD |
| Ben Youssef Madrasa | 50 to 70 MAD |
| El Badi Palace | about 70 MAD |
| Majorelle Garden | 170 MAD standard, per the official site |
Majorelle has reduced rates for Moroccan residents (75 MAD), Moroccan students (40 MAD) and international students (95 MAD), and children under 10 with an adult are free. Resellers sell tickets for about 30 to 32 USD, which is more than the official price, so buy on the official site if you can. Hours are shorter during Ramadan. Our sources conflict on several of these prices, so ask at the ticket window.
Majorelle Garden: official hours and tickets
- Garden: open daily, 8:00 to 17:30, last entry 17:00.
- Berber Museum: open daily, 8:30 to 17:00, last entry 16:30.
- Villa Oasis private garden: 8:00 to 16:30, last entry 16:00, closed on Wednesdays.
- Tickets are sold online only, and a valid QR code from the official site is required at the gate. The official site warns that tickets bought elsewhere are not valid.
The garden is accessible to visitors with reduced mobility. Prices are on the official booking site, tickets.jardinmajorelle.com, so check it before you go. More on tickets in our Jardin Majorelle tickets guide.
The downside: the palaces and tombs get crowded by mid-morning. Go as soon as they open, then spend the hot hours in a café or at a hammam.
The souks
The souks are a network of trade streets radiating north from Jemaa el-Fna. About half-way down Souk Semmarine there is a fork. The right fork leads to the spice square, the left to Souk el Attarine. Dyed wool is hung out to dry in the dyers’ souk, and one guide says to arrive before 11:00 to see wool being dyed in open courtyards. Sources disagree on which souk is the dye area, so confirm locally.
For leather, the Bab Debbagh tanneries lie at the edge of the medina. The largest cooperative is Association Sidi Yacoub, down a lane just inside the gate. Visiting is free, but a “guardian” will often approach you at the entrance. One guide suggests ignoring them or giving a small tip of 10 to 20 MAD. Agree any price before you enter, and expect leather shops with high first prices afterwards. If you want less hassle, go with an official guide as part of a medina tour. For bargaining percentages, see the travel tips guide.
Eating
Jemaa el-Fna stalls cost about 20 to 80 MAD per person, medina restaurants 50 to 100 MAD for a tagine, and rooftop restaurants near the square 160 to 360 MAD for the same dish. See the restaurants guide for the full price ladder.
Where to stay
Riads in the medina run from about 250 MAD a night for a budget room to 2,000 MAD and up for luxury. Cars rarely reach the door, so ask your riad to meet you at the drop-off point. See the riads guide.
Guides describe the areas this way. Mouassine, in the northern medina, has the most traditional riads and is close to the souks and Jemaa el-Fna, though not quiet near the main square. The Kasbah, to the south near the Saadian Tombs and El Badi Palace, is more residential. Bab Doukkala, on the north-western edge, is closer to the Majorelle Garden.
Getting there
By air
Marrakech Menara airport is close to the old city. ONDA, the airports authority, confirms a taxi station on the esplanade outside the terminal, with fares posted at the taxi parking and not online, and a bus shuttle to the city every 20 minutes. It does not publish the shuttle fare or the taxi tariff. Travel guides report about 70 to 100 MAD for a taxi by day, so check the board at the rank before you get in. Details and the other options are in the airport to medina guide.
By train from Casablanca
The direct Al Atlas train between Casa Voyageurs and Marrakech is scheduled at 2h54 in the ONCF timetable. On a fare search we ran for 4 November 2026 (1 adult), second class cost 120 to 135 DH. Prices on the ONCF site are dynamic, so treat that as a same-week example and check the date you travel. See the Casablanca to Marrakech train guide.
The catch with the train is the last stretch: your riad may not be reachable by car, so agree in advance where you will be met.
Resting and recovering
A hammam fits well after a day of walking. Public hammams cost 10 to 60 MAD and spas 250 to 600 MAD, see the hammam guide.
Where to go next
Marrakech works for day trips to Ouzoud, Ourika and Agafay, and for longer trips to the desert. Coaches to Essaouira cost about 60 to 80 MAD and take 2.5 to 3 hours. For a balloon flight over the plain, see the balloon guide.
How many days
Two full days cover the medina, three give you a hammam, Majorelle and a slower pace, and four or five let you add a day trip. Avoid packing more than two or three sights a day.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get from the airport to the medina?
A taxi from the official rank outside the terminal, or the airport shuttle bus that ONDA says runs every 20 minutes. Taxi fares are posted at the rank, and guides report about 70 to 100 MAD by day.
How long is the train from Casablanca to Marrakech?
The direct Al Atlas train is scheduled at 2h54, according to the ONCF timetable.
How much is the Majorelle Garden?
170 MAD for the standard ticket, per the official site. Tickets are sold online only at tickets.jardinmajorelle.com.
What time does the Majorelle Garden open?
8:00 to 17:30 every day, with last entry at 17:00, according to the official site.
How much is the Bahia Palace?
Reported at 100 MAD for foreign adults. Some guides still say 70, so ask at the ticket window.
Are the sights open during Ramadan?
Yes, with shorter hours. Check the hours for the day you plan to go.
Are the tanneries free?
Entry is free, but expect a guardian asking for a tip and pushy guides.
How many days do I need in Marrakech?
Two full days cover the medina. Three add a hammam, Majorelle and a slower pace, and four or five let you add a day trip.
Sources checked
Checked on 27 October 2026.
- Jardin Majorelle, official visit page (hours, online tickets)
- Jardin Majorelle, official ticket site
- ONCF, Marrakech to Fes timetable grid (PDF, valid from 15 September 2025) and a fare search on oncf-voyages.ma for 4 November 2026
- ONDA, the Moroccan airports authority, page for Marrakech Menara (taxi station, shuttle)
- Travel guides and booking sites for prices that are not published officially (Bahia Palace, Saadian Tombs, Ben Youssef Madrasa, El Badi Palace), labelled “reported” above
