Marrakech in a nutshell
The medina of Marrakech has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1985. UNESCO names the Koutoubia, the Saadian Tombs, the Bahia Palace, the Ben Youssef Medersa and Jemaa el-Fna among its highlights. The old city and the modern districts of Guéliz and Hivernage are different worlds, so it helps to decide early where you sleep and where you spend your days.
This guide covers the city, its museums and gardens, and the trips into the Agafay desert, the High Atlas and the Sahara. Essaouira and Agadir are only mentioned as day-trip distances. This is an independent travel guide. It is not the official tourism website of the region and has no link to any garden, museum, riad or tour operator.
What to know in 2026
Where older guides are out of date.
Majorelle sells tickets online only
The garden does not rely on a ticket office. Book a time slot on the ticket page that the garden's own website links to, and avoid look-alike sites. Opening hours differ between the operator's pages, so plan to be inside by 17:00.
Jardin Majorelle →Monuments are open, work continues
The Bahia Palace and the Saadian Tombs sell tickets at MAD 100 for foreign adults, and a restoration report from November 2025 still describes ongoing works. Expect that a room or two can be closed.
Bahia, Saadian Tombs and Ben Youssef →Ourika Valley after the October floods
Flash floods hit the valley around 2 October 2026. A local operator reported on 13 October 2026 that the road to Setti Fatma, the restaurants and the waterfall walk were available again. Check the current situation before you go.
Ourika Valley →New bus operator since December 2025
Press reports say Supratours took over the city buses from ALSA on 14 December 2025. Fares and timetables on older pages, including the airport bus, may be out of date.
Marrakech Airport →Our picks: Marrakech tours
Take three days for the Sahara, a morning for a balloon flight or a day for Ourika. Closer to town, choose a hammam, a cooking class or an Agafay quad evening.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Three days to Merzouga with a desert camp
- Hotel and camp nights
- Two breakfasts and two dinners
- Camel rides and sandboarding
Stay one night in a hotel and one in a desert camp, with camel rides and sandboarding. Two breakfasts and two dinners are included; lunch is included only with the lunch option. The local guide at Aït Benhaddou costs €2 extra.
Check availability →
Morning balloon flight with Moroccan breakfast
- 40-minute balloon flight
- Moroccan breakfast
- Return transfer in Marrakech
Spend 40 minutes in the air, then sit down to a Moroccan breakfast buffet. Return transfer from accessible accommodation in Marrakech and a flight certificate are included.
Check availability →
Hammam and massage with hotel transfer
- Hammam admission
- 45-minute massage
- Hotel transfer
A 45-minute hammam session followed by a 45-minute massage, with admission, hotel transfer, tea and water included.
Check availability →
Moroccan cooking class with a market visit
Lunch or dinner, a local guide, a Moroccan cook, ingredients, a short market shop, tea and digital recipes.
Check availability →
Agafay shared quad ride and dinner show
- One-hour shared quad ride
- Dinner and fire show
- Hotel transfer
Share a quad for a one-hour ride, then have dinner with a fire show. Hotel transfer, helmet, goggles, tea and water are included.
Check availability →
Ourika Valley and the Setti Fadma waterfalls
- Return transfer
- Local waterfall guide
- Small breakfast
Travel into the Ourika Valley for a waterfall walk with a local guide and a stop at an argan workshop with a small breakfast. Lunch is included only with the lunch option.
Check availability →Marrakech tours and day trips
Medina walks, cooking classes, Agafay camel rides, Atlas valleys and Sahara trips, with live prices and availability.
Plan your trip
Sights, trips, seasons and where to base yourself.
Things to do in Marrakech
Fifteen experiences from the blue garden to the souks, with prices for 2026.
Marrakech excursions
Agafay, the Atlas, Ourika and the Sahara compared by distance and time.
Where to stay
A riad in the medina, or a hotel in Guéliz or Hivernage.
Weather and best time
Monthly highs, lows and rainfall, and why July is hot.
Marrakech Airport
Bus, taxi and transfer options from Menara airport.
Cooking classes and food tours
What a class includes and what to ask before you book.
Places in and around Marrakech
The city sights first, then the day trips.
Jardin Majorelle
Tickets, time slots and the two museums next door.
The medina and Jemaa el-Fna
How to find your way, and the common tricks explained fairly.
Bahia Palace, Saadian Tombs, Ben Youssef
Three historic sites, with adult prices and hours.
Hammam
A public bath or a spa, and what to bring.
Agafay Desert
A stony desert about 40 km from the city, with camps and camel rides.
Sahara tours
Merzouga and Zagora, with Aït Benhaddou on the way.
Atlas Mountains and Imlil
The road to Imlil and the rules for the Toubkal trail.
Ourika Valley
Setti Fatma, the waterfall walk and the weather risks.
Money and practicalities
A few points that save time on arrival.
Dirham and cards
The currency is the Moroccan dirham (MAD). Larger businesses often take cards, small shops and stalls often need cash. Travellers may take at most MAD 2,000 in banknotes in or out of the country.
Getting to your riad
Many riads sit in lanes too narrow for a car. Ask the house where the taxi should stop and how you walk the last stretch.
Where to stay →Ramadan 2027
The expected start is 8 February 2027, with Eid al-Fitr around 10 March 2027. Both dates are provisional. Opening hours of restaurants and sights change during the month, so check before you plan a visit.
More independent Morocco guides
Separate guides from the same team.
Essaouira
The walled medina, fishing port and windy Atlantic beach.
Agadir
The long beach, the kasbah viewpoint and Paradise Valley.
Taghazout
Surf spots, surf camps and the coast north of Agadir.
Jemaa el-Fna
The square's food stalls, souks, evenings and medina walks.
Sidi Ifni
Legzira beach, surf, Art Deco streets and the coast south of Agadir.
Marrakech: frequently asked questions
Is Marrakech safe for tourists?
As of 19 October 2026 there is no blanket answer. The German Foreign Office (updated 13 October 2026) warns of theft and robbery in tourist centres and of bag and phone snatching by moped riders in the medinas. The US State Department advisory of 4 September 2026 rates Morocco at Level 2, exercise increased caution, because of terrorism, unchanged since April 2025. Keep valuables out of sight, and for treks and desert trips use registered local guides in a group. Emergency numbers: police 190, ambulance 150, gendarmerie 177.
How do I buy tickets for Jardin Majorelle?
Only online. Choose a time slot on the ticket page that the garden's own website links to. The adult garden ticket is MAD 170 in 2026, and children under 10 are free when accompanied.
When is the best time to visit Marrakech?
Spring and autumn avoid the heat. Average daily highs are 25.7 °C in April and 28.5 °C in October, against 37.7 °C in July. Winter nights fall to about 6 °C in January. These are city averages for 1991 to 2020, not forecasts.
What does the medina cost to enter?
Walking the medina and Jemaa el-Fna is free. Individual sights charge their own entry, for example MAD 100 for the Bahia Palace and MAD 50 for the Ben Youssef Medersa.
Can I visit the Sahara from Marrakech in a day?
Not sensibly. One operator puts Merzouga at about 560 km and 9 to 10 hours each way, with a minimum of three days and two nights. Zagora is about 360 km. For a single day, the Agafay desert at about 40 km is the realistic choice.
Is visitmarrakech.org an official site?
No. It is an independent travel guide. The regional tourism council runs its own website under a similar name, and there is no connection between the two.