Must-see attractions in Marrakesh

  • Jardin Majorelle

    Gueliz & Ville Nouvelle

    French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé bought Jardin Majorelle in 1980 to preserve the vision of its original owner,…

  • Night view of Djemaa el Fna square, Marrakech

    Djemaa El Fna

    Marrakesh

    Roll up, roll up for the greatest show on earth. Everywhere you look in Djemaa El Fna, Marrakesh’s main square (pronounced "jema" – the "d" is silent),…

  • Musée Yves Saint Laurent

    Gueliz & Ville Nouvelle

    This captivating museum, opened in 2017, showcases finely selected collections of haute couture clothing and accessories that span 40 years of creative…

  • Bahia Palace

    Marrakesh

    La Bahia (The Beautiful) is an 8000-sq-metre, floor-to-ceiling extravagance of intricate marquetry, plasterwork and zouak (painted wood), and certainly…

  • Koutoubia Mosque in the southwest medina quarter of Marrakesh, Morocco; Shutterstock ID 533973463

    Koutoubia Mosque

    Marrakesh

    Five times a day, one voice rises above the din of Djemaa El Fna as the muezzin calls the faithful to prayer from the Koutoubia Mosque. The mosque's…

  • MARRAKECH, MOROCCO. 11 th June, 2017: saadian tombs view, The mausoleum comprises the interments of about sixty members of the Saadi Dynasty that originated in the valley of the Draa River; Shutterstock ID 663962023

    Saadian Tombs

    Marrakesh

    Saadian Sultan Ahmed Al Mansour Ed Dahbi was just as extravagant in death as he was in life. After the "golden king" built Badia Palace in the 16th…

  • Badia Palace

    Marrakesh

    As 16th-century Sultan Ahmed Al Mansour (r 1578-1603) was paving the Badia Palace with gold, turquoise and crystal, his court jester wisecracked, ‘It’ll…

  • Le Jardin Secret

    Mouassine & Central Souqs

    The foundations of this historic riad are more than 400 years old, and it was once owned by powerful qaid (local chief) U-Bihi. Here, though, it's not the…

  • Morocco, Marrakesh, Museum of Marrakesh, central courtyard

    Musée de Marrakech

    Kâat Ben Nahid & Bab Debbagh

    The Musée de Marrakech exhibits a collection of Moroccan art forms within the decadent salons of the Mnebhi Palace. The central internal courtyard, with…

  • Maison de la Photographie

    Kâat Ben Nahid & Bab Debbagh

    When Parisian Patrick Menac’h and Marrakshi Hamid Mergani realised they were both collecting vintage Moroccan photography, they decided to open a…

  • green plants in garden at Palmeraie museum in Morocco; Musée de la Palmeraie

 Shutterstock ID 777811729; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Musée de la Palmeraie

    Marrakesh

    There's no comprehensive archive of modern Moroccan art in central Marrakesh: it's out here, hidden in the Palmeraie, and it's well worth travelling for…

  • Comptoir des Mines

    Gueliz & Ville Nouvelle

    Once the home of a mining corporation, this 1932 building now houses Marrakech Art Fair founder Hicham Daoudi’s latest project: a contemporary gallery…

  • Dar Si Said

    Marrakesh

    Si Said, the original owner of this 19th-century medina mansion, a monument to Moroccan mâalem (master artisans), was brother to Grand Vizier Bou Ahmed,…

  • Bab Debbagh Tanneries

    Kâat Ben Nahid & Bab Debbagh

    Leather working is one of Morocco's medieval trades, and the tanneries around Bab Debbagh – ideally situated next to the river from where they draw water…

  • Cactus Thiemann

    Marrakesh

    If you think a cacti garden isn't worth travelling across the bumpy lunar pistes of outer Marrakesh for, think again. Cactus Thiemann is one of North…

  • MACMA

    Gueliz & Ville Nouvelle

    In 2019 MACMA's painting archive was moved to its sister venue, the Orientalist Museum, and this modern gallery shifted its focus to photography,…

  • Musée Tiskiwin

    Marrakesh

    Travel to Timbuktu and back again via Dutch anthropologist Bert Flint’s art collection, crammed inside this ornate medina riad. Each room represents a…

  • Musée Boucharouite

    Kâat Ben Nahid & Bab Debbagh

    Berber boucharouites (rag rugs made from recycled cloth) may be a poor cousin to the famous jewel-toned Moroccan carpets, but this beautifully collated…

  • Orientalist Museum

    Kâat Ben Nahid & Bab Debbagh

    Opened in 2019 as a sister museum to MACMA in Gueliz, this small private gallery beautifully displays the big guns of Orientalist painting inside a 17th…

  • Musée de Mouassine

    Mouassine & Central Souqs

    While house-hunting in the medina, Parisian Patrick Menac'h stumbled across a historic treasure of great cultural significance. Beneath the layers of…

  • Dar El Bacha

    Mouassine & Central Souqs

    This palace was built for Pacha Thami El Glaoui, also known as the Lord of the Atlas, who ruled over Marrakesh from 1912 to 1956. It is one of the medina…

  • Lazama Synagogue

    Marrakesh

    Only a couple of synagogues in the Mellah are still used by Marrakesh's dwindling Jewish community, including this one, which doubles as an interesting…

  • Dar Bellarj

    Kâat Ben Nahid & Bab Debbagh

    Flights of fancy come with the territory at Dar Bellarj, a stork hospital (bellarj is Arabic for stork) turned into Marrakesh’s premier arts centre. Each…

  • Marrakech, Morocco - November 13, 2017: Old Islamic school of Ali Ben Youssef Medersa in Marrakesh, Morocco; Shutterstock ID 1089558698; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Marrakesh images update

    Ali Ben Youssef Medersa

    Kâat Ben Nahid & Bab Debbagh

    Currently closed for restoration that's scheduled to finish in spring 2020, this Quranic learning centre was once the largest in North Africa and remains…

  • MOROCCO - CIRCA 2001:  Morrocan painter Farid Belkahia in Marrakech, Morocco in 2001.  (Photo by Jean-Luc MANAUD/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

    Musée Farid Belkahia

    Marrakesh

    Farid Belkahia (1934–2014) was one of the most well-known figures in 20th-century Moroccan art. This museum, housed in the artist's old villa, exhibits a…

  • Heritage Museum

    Marrakesh

    The Alouani Bibi family have thrown open the doors of this old riad to display their eclectic and fascinating collection of Moroccan artefacts. From…

  • Miaara Jewish Cemetery

    Marrakesh

    Muslim burial grounds in Morocco are typically closed to visitors, but this sprawling walled Jewish cemetery of whitewashed tombs admits all who wish to…

  • Gallery 127

    Gueliz & Ville Nouvelle

    Channelling New York gallery fashions, this one is up a dim, once-grand staircase in an industrial-chic chamber with the obligatory exposed brick-and…

  • Cyber parc, Medina.

    Cyber Parc

    Gueliz & Ville Nouvelle

    Stop and smell the roses at this 8-hectare royal garden, dating from the 18th century. It now offers free wi-fi at various outdoor hotspots, which draw a…

  • David Bloch Gallery

    Gueliz & Ville Nouvelle

    One of Gueliz's most upmarket private galleries, David Bloch exhibits provocative international contemporary art in a striking black-and-white setting…

  • Menara Gardens

    Gueliz & Ville Nouvelle

    Local lore tells of a sultan who seduced guests over dinner and then lovingly chucked them in the Menara’s reflecting pools to drown. Nowadays dunking…

  • Riad Kniza Musée & Galerie

    Marrakesh

    This private museum has been a labour of love for owner Mohammed, who used to run the respected Al Badii antique shop in Gueliz. When his family closed…

  • Moroccan Culinary Arts Museum

    Marrakesh

    Claiming to be the first of its kind in Morocco, this large riad museum opened in late 2019 and should be the first stop in Marrakesh for food lovers. Set…

  • Rahba Kedima

    Mouassine & Central Souqs

    The French name, Place des Épices, for this hopping little plaza derives from its high concentration of apothecaries who sell mysterious supplies to…

  • Musée du Parfum

    Marrakesh

    Formerly the Musée de l'Art Vivre, this small perfume museum explores Morocco's love affair with essential oils. Rooms cover topics such as hammam rituals…

  • Koutoubia Gardens

    Marrakesh

    Stretching out behind the Koutoubia Mosque, this palm-tree-dotted swath of greenery is a favourite Marrakshi spot for strolling, relaxing on park benches…

  • Souq des Teinturiers

    Mouassine & Central Souqs

    The dyers souq is one of Marrakesh's most colourful markets, with skeins of coloured wool draped from the rafters above stalls. However, very little…

  • Musée de la Femme

    Mouassine & Central Souqs

    Spread over three floors, Marrakesh's Museum of Women was launched in 2018 by a passionate bunch of locals intent on championing women's important role in…

  • Funduq El Amri

    Mouassine & Central Souqs

    This well-preserved funduq (inn once used by caravans) would have once been the staging post for medieval merchants selling sugar and tea, but today the…

Not Marrakesh... but still worth the visit