Marrakech Medina Walking Tour: Bahia Palace, Souks & Mellah

Highlights

• Licensed local guide through the Marrakech medina
• Courtyards and painted cedar ceilings of the Bahia Palace
• Koutoubia minaret, the Mellah and Rahba Kedima spice square
• Artisans at work in the souks, with zero pressure to shop
• Finish on Jemaa el-Fnaa with tips for exploring alone
• Small group of up to 12, in English, French or Spanish

Itinerary

1. 1

   09:00 · Meet at the Koutoubia Mosque

   Your guide waits at the entrance to the Koutoubia gardens on Avenue Mohammed V, holding a Morocco Adventure Travel sign, so you can't miss each other. Before setting off, you get a short introduction to the way the medina is laid out and to the dynasties that built Marrakech, which makes every monument you see afterwards much easier to place in context.

2. 2

   09:20 · Kasbah quarter and the Mellah

   The walk continues through the kasbah district and on into the Mellah, the historic Jewish quarter of the city. Look up to spot the balconied houses that give this neighbourhood its own character, then take a few minutes in its spice market while your guide explains the role the district has played in Marrakech life and how its streets differ from the rest of the medina.

3. 3

   10:00 · Bahia Palace

   Time to explore the Bahia Palace, built in the late 19th century for the grand viziers of the day. You move through tiled courtyards, grand reception rooms and shady gardens, with time to admire the painted cedar ceilings up close while your guide tells the story of the palace and its owners. The entry ticket, around 100 MAD at the time of writing, is paid on site.

4. 4

   10:50 · Souks and craft workshops

   Heading north, you cross the Rahba Kedima spice square and enter the covered souks. Stops at the workshops of metalworkers, leatherworkers and dyers reveal how many of the goods on sale are still made by hand in the medina, and how each craft keeps its own corner of the market. Ask as many questions as you like: there is never any obligation to buy.

5. 5

   11:40 · Jemaa el-Fnaa

   The tour wraps up on Jemaa el-Fnaa, the great square at the heart of the medina, around three hours after you set off. Before you part ways, your guide suggests good spots for lunch, museums worth your time and ideas for the rest of your stay, so you can carry on exploring confidently at your own pace. In summer, timings may shift earlier.

What’s included

Questions about this tour