Home > Marrakech Activities > Full Day Walking Tour

Typical souk market in the Medina of Marrakech, Morocco

Marrakech Full Day Walking Tour — Koutoubia, Saadian Tombs, Bahia Palace, Ben Youssef, Medina & Souks

Tour Ref :	MWT03
Duration :	6 to 7 hours (full day)
Tour Type :	Private walking tour
Tour start :	Your riad or hotel in Marrakech
Tour end :	Back at your riad, or Jemaa el-Fnaa
Sites :	Koutoubia Mosque, Bahia Palace, Saadian Tombs, Ben Youssef Madrasa
Price :	From 80 EUR per person (monument entry fees not included)
Languages :	English

Overview

One day, both halves of the medina

If you only have one day in Marrakech, this is the tour. It combines the southern monuments Koutoubia and the Bahia Palace with the Ben Youssef Madrasa in the north, and walks the souks in between. Same guide, same day, with a proper break for lunch rather than a march between ticket desks.

It is the full-day version of our two half-day walks. If you have more time, the monuments half day and the madrasa, garden and souks half day cover the same ground more slowly and add the Saadian Tombs and Le Jardin Secret.

Entry fees are paid at each site on the day. Bring cash in dirhams ticket desks do not take cards.

Walking tour itinerary

Morning meeting point Your guide meets you at your riad or hotel. If your riad is deep inside the medina, we agree a nearby landmark when you book.

Koutoubia Mosque We begin at the twelfth century Almohad minaret, seventy-seven metres tall and the model for the Giralda in Seville. The interior is closed to non-Muslims; we walk the gardens while your guide sets out the founding of the city.

The Saadian Tombs in Marrakech, Morocco, are a 16th-century royal necropolis built by Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur. Located next to the Kasbah Mosque, the site holds the graves of about 60 Saadi dynasty members, featuring famous rooms with Italian Carrara marble pillars, gold details, and colorful mosaic tiles.

Bahia Palace Nineteenth century, built for a grand vizier and his household. Painted cedar ceilings, tiled courtyards and the marble riad garden. Your guide explains how the household actually lived here.

Lunch We break in the medina. Your guide will suggest places at a range of prices; lunch is at your own cost, so you can choose what suits you.

Ben Youssef Madrasa North into the older medina. A Quranic college for six centuries and one of the largest in North Africa. The central courtyard is the most photographed interior in Marrakech, and the student cells upstairs explain how the place actually worked.

The souks We walk back through the covered markets, organised by trade as they have been for centuries: textiles, leather, spices, lanterns, wool. There is no obligation to buy anything at any point.

Finish We walk you back to your riad, or leave you at Jemaa el-Fnaa as it fills for the evening.

Good to know

Entry fees for Bahia Palace Saadian Tombs and Ben Youssef Madrasa are not included and are paid at each site. Budget roughly(Bahia Palace 100 MAD, Saadian Tombs 100 MAD. and Ben Youssef Madrasa 50 MAD) 250MAD per person. Bring cash ticket desks do not take cards.
The Koutoubia interior is closed to non-Muslims. We visit the exterior and gardens.
Shoulders and knees should be covered at religious sites.
This is a full day on foot, roughly six hours with breaks. Comfortable shoes matter.
Monument opening hours vary, and some close on public and religious holidays. The running order may change to suit.
Ben Youssef is busiest in the middle of the day, which is why we visit after lunch when the coach groups have moved on.
Bring water. From June to September the middle of the day is hot even in shaded courtyards.

BOOK TOUR

Departure & Return Location :

What's Included:

Licensed local guide for the full day (English speaking)
6 to 7 hour guided walking tour
Koutoubia, Bahia Palace, Ben Youssef Madrasa and the souks
Pick-up and drop-off at your riad or hotel
Private tour — your group only