Marrakech is a walking city, and that is what makes it so rich: ten minutes from our door you go from a 19th-century palace to a 16th-century Koranic school, then into a garden of bamboo and cactus. Here is the selection we give guests of Riad Mylaya, with opening times and admission prices checked against the official sites in September 2026.
These details are liable to change: ticket offices adjust prices, hours vary with the season and are shorter during Ramadan. Check before you go — or ask us and we will check from reception.
The unmissable monuments of the Medina
Bahia Palace
This is the first visit we recommend. Built at the end of the 19th century for a grand vizier, it unfolds over almost eight hectares of courtyards, painted cedar ceilings, zellige tilework and carved screens. Walk slowly, look up, sit down in the great courtyard. 100 MAD for a foreign adult at the Ministry of Culture rate, daily 9am-5pm (shorter hours during Ramadan), last entry 30 minutes before closing. Arrive at opening time — by noon the tour groups overlap.
Ben Youssef Madrasa
A 16th-century Koranic school, beautifully restored, and still the finest interior space in the Medina: a marble courtyard, a reflecting pool, lacework stucco, and upstairs the tiny cells where students lived. 50 MAD for foreign visitors, 10 MAD under 12; open daily 9am-7pm, and 9am-4.30pm during Ramadan. Tickets are sold at the entrance.
The Saadian Tombs
Walled up for centuries and rediscovered in 1917, they hold the Hall of Twelve Columns, a masterpiece of Italian marble and gilded stucco. The visit is short but worth it, ideally first thing in the morning — the site is small and fills quickly. 100 MAD for a foreign adult, daily 9am-5pm.
The Koutoubia, the ramparts and the Almoravid Qoubba
The Koutoubia minaret, 77 metres high to the tip of its spire, is the city's landmark; its garden is free and a good place to slow down at the end of the day. The red earth ramparts — nearly 19 kilometres and around twenty gates, dating from the 12th century — are best followed by horse-drawn carriage. The Almoravid Qoubba, a small dome near the Marrakech Museum, is the only Almoravid building still standing in the city: modest, but historically unique.
Jemaa el-Fna square
Listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, the square is less a monument than a permanent performance: storytellers, Gnaoua musicians, orange juice stalls, grill smoke after dark. Go twice — once around 11am, once after 7pm. It is not the same city.
Museums not to miss
Maison de la Photographie
Three floors of historic photographs of Morocco, inside a Medina house, and a rooftop terrace looking out over the roofs to the Atlas. This is the museum we recommend to travellers who want to understand the country beyond the postcards. 80 MAD for adults, free under 15, open daily 9.30am-7pm; the same ticket also admits you to the Marrakech Music Museum.
Pierre Bergé Museum of Berber Arts
Housed in Jacques Majorelle's former studio inside the garden, it gathers jewellery, carpets, weapons and costumes from the Amazigh regions. 60 MAD in addition to the garden ticket, daily from 8.30am. Combine it with the Yves Saint Laurent Museum next door, open every day except Wednesday, 10am-6pm.
MACAAL, contemporary African art
Twenty minutes from the centre on the Ourika road, this private museum shows the contemporary African scene with real curatorial character. Around 120 MAD, Wednesday to Sunday, 10am-6pm. You will need a taxi or our transfer: it is outside the city.
Three smaller museums
- Museum of Moroccan Elegance — caftans, embroidery and jewellery: a concise tour of Moroccan textile craft (50 MAD, daily 9.30am-6.30pm).
- Maison Culturelle du Tapis — learn to read a carpet, its symbols and its regions; two-hour weaving workshops are available (80 MAD entry, 400 MAD for the workshop, daily 10am-6pm).
- Museum of Intangible Heritage, in the former state bank branch on Jemaa el-Fna, devoted to oral traditions and the arts of the halqa (30 MAD, Tuesday to Sunday 10am-6pm, closed Mondays).
The gardens of Marrakech
Jardin Majorelle
Majorelle blue, cactus, bamboo, pools: the most photographed garden in Morocco, and it earns its reputation despite the crowds. 170 MAD standard rate, free under 10, open daily 8am-6.30pm, last entry 6pm. Book your slot on tickets.jardinmajorelle.com, the only official ticket office, the day before and come first thing — it is the only way to enjoy it quietly.
Le Jardin Secret
In the middle of the Medina, behind a door you could easily walk past, two gardens — one Islamic, one exotic — laid out around a traditional irrigation system that is still visible. There is a café and a tower overlooking the rooftops. 100 MAD standard rate, 40 MAD extra for the tower, free under 12; open daily from 9.30am, closing between 6pm and 7.30pm depending on the season. Our favourite pause between two souks.
Menara, Anima, El Harti, Palmeraie
- Menara: a vast basin, an olive grove and a pavilion reflected in the water. The garden is free, the pavilion ticketed.
- Anima Garden: an artist's garden some thirty kilometres away on the Ourika road, mixing contemporary sculpture with plants from all over the world (140 MAD, free under 12, daily 9am-6pm; free shuttle from the Koutoubia car park, by reservation and subject to availability).
- El Harti garden in Guéliz: free, shaded, full of locals — the best place to see today's Marrakech.
- The Palmeraie: explore it by camel or carriage, with a small palm grove museum on the way.
Opening times and prices at a glance
Standard adult prices, per person, in Moroccan dirhams (1 € ≈ 10.8 MAD), checked on the official sites in September 2026. Times and prices do change and are shorter during Ramadan — check before you travel, or ask us at the riad and we will check for you.
| Place | Standard adult price | Opening |
|---|---|---|
| Bahia Palace | 100 MAD | Daily, 9am-5pm |
| Ben Youssef Madrasa | 50 MAD | Daily, 9am-7pm |
| Saadian Tombs | 100 MAD | Daily, 9am-5pm |
| Maison de la Photographie | 80 MAD | Daily, 9.30am-7pm |
| Jardin Majorelle | 170 MAD | Daily, 8am-6.30pm |
| Pierre Bergé Museum of Berber Arts | 60 MAD | Daily, from 8.30am |
| Yves Saint Laurent Museum | from 140 MAD | Daily except Wed, 10am-6pm |
| Le Jardin Secret | 100 MAD (+40 MAD tower) | Daily, from 9.30am |
| MACAAL | 120 MAD | Wed-Sun, 10am-6pm |
| Museum of Moroccan Elegance | 50 MAD | Daily, 9.30am-6.30pm |
| Maison Culturelle du Tapis | 80 MAD | Daily, 10am-6pm |
| Museum of Intangible Heritage | 30 MAD | Tue-Sun, 10am-6pm |
| Anima Garden | 140 MAD | Daily, 9am-6pm |
For the wider picture of what a stay costs here, see our article on prices and budget in Marrakech.
How to organise your visits in two days
Day 1, the Medina on foot. Bahia at opening time, Saadian Tombs straight after, lunch on a terrace, then Ben Youssef Madrasa and the Maison de la Photographie. End the day at Le Jardin Secret, then Jemaa el-Fna at dusk.
Day 2, the new town and the gardens. Majorelle first thing with the Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent museums, lunch in Guéliz, afternoon at MACAAL or Anima Garden, back via the Menara at sunset.
If you only have three days in total, our 3-day Marrakech itinerary already builds these visits into a complete programme.
Our tips for a smooth visit
- Mornings belong to early risers. Between 9am and 10.30am the sites are almost empty; after 11am the groups arrive.
- Carry cash. Many ticket offices take dirhams in cash only, rarely cards.
- Keep one museum-free day. Marrakech is also terraces, hammams and souks.
- Cover shoulders and knees at religious sites, and drink plenty of water from April to September.
- Ask us. We check the day's opening hours, book your tickets and arrange transport from the riad — that is what your "Prepare your stay" guest area is for.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need for the museums and monuments of Marrakech?
Two full days cover the essentials: Medina monuments on the first day, gardens and new-town museums on the second. With four days you can add MACAAL, Anima Garden and a day trip out of the city.
Do you need to book tickets in advance?
Yes for Jardin Majorelle and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, whose tickets are sold online only, on tickets.jardinmajorelle.com, especially from March to May and October to November. Elsewhere, buying on arrival is usually fine — in cash.
Can everything be done on foot from the Medina?
The Medina monuments and museums, yes. For Majorelle, MACAAL or Anima Garden you will need a taxi or a private transfer, which we arrange from the riad.
