Marrakech city guide All things to do in Marrakech

Marrakech attractions: opening hours, tickets and best times

Most Marrakech monuments open at about 09:00 and close between 17:00 and 19:00, and cost about MAD 50–100 at the gate. Majorelle is the exception: it opens at 08:00 and sells timed tickets online only. Below is when each one opens, how long it takes, and when to go.

Get a guide for the palaces See the opening-hours board

Marrakech attractions: opening hours

Times are Marrakech local time.

Jardin Majorelle & Musée Yves Saint Laurent
Garden from 08:00, closing between about 17:30 and 18:30 by season. YSL museum 10:00–18:00. Best time: The first slot at 08:00, before the groups.
Ben Youssef Madrasa
Daily 09:00–19:00 (about 09:00–16:30 in Ramadan). Best time: Right at 09:00, when the courtyard pool is still and empty.
Bahia Palace
About 09:00–17:00 daily, last entry about 16:30. Best time: At opening; tour groups arrive mid-morning.
Saadian Tombs
About 09:00–16:45, last entry about 16:30. Best time: At opening, before the doorway queue builds.
El Badi Palace
About 09:00–17:00 daily, last entry about 16:30. Best time: Morning. There is almost no shade.
Le Jardin Secret
Daily from 09:30. Closes 17:30 (Nov–Dec), 18:00 (Oct), 18:30 (Jan–Mar) or 19:30 (Apr–Sep). Best time: At 09:30, or late afternoon for the light from the tower.
Maison de la Photographie
Daily 09:30–19:00. Best time: Midday, when the outdoor sights are hottest.
Koutoubia Mosque & gardens
The gardens are open all day. The mosque is for Muslim worshippers only. Best time: Sunset, or the call to prayer from the gardens.
Menara Gardens
About 08:00–18:00 daily per 2026 guides (not officially published; check). Best time: Late afternoon on a clear winter day, for the Atlas.
Jemaa el-Fnaa
Open around the clock. The food stalls set up from about 16:00–17:00 and serve from about 18:00 to midnight. Best time: From a terrace at dusk, then down into the stalls.

Usual opening hours (approximate)Best time to arriveNo fixed hours published

What to know before visiting each attraction

Jardin Majorelle & Musée Yves Saint Laurent

The cobalt-blue garden Jacques Majorelle planted and Yves Saint Laurent saved, plus the YSL museum next door.

Opening hours: Garden from 08:00, closing between about 17:30 and 18:30 by season. YSL museum 10:00–18:00. The YSL museum closes on Wednesdays.
Tickets: Online only, for a timed slot. About MAD 170 for the garden; about MAD 330 with both museums.
Time needed: 45–60 min for the garden, 2–3 hours for all three sites
Best time: The first slot at 08:00, before the groups
Getting there: In Gueliz, outside the medina walls. About 10 minutes by petit taxi from Jemaa el-Fnaa, or about a 30-minute walk.
Worth knowing: Tickets sold anywhere but the official site may be refused at the gate.

Full Jardin Majorelle guide

Checked October 2026 against tickets.jardinmajorelle.com and museeyslmarrakech.com. Hours and prices change, especially in Ramadan.

The blue villa of the Jardin Majorelle with its fountain and cacti — Photo: Viault, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ben Youssef Madrasa

A 16th-century Koranic school whose courtyard is the finest single room of carved cedar, stucco and zellige in the city.

Opening hours: Daily 09:00–19:00 (about 09:00–16:30 in Ramadan).
Tickets: MAD 50 for adults, MAD 10 for under-12s, paid at the door. Bring cash.
Time needed: 45–60 min
Best time: Right at 09:00, when the courtyard pool is still and empty
Getting there: North of the souks. About a 15-minute walk from Jemaa el-Fnaa through Souk Semmarine.
Worth knowing: Pair it with the Maison de la Photographie and the Marrakech Museum, both a few minutes away.

Full Ben Youssef Madrasa guide

Checked October 2026 against medersabenyoussef.ma. Hours and prices change, especially in Ramadan.

The Ben Youssef Madrasa courtyard pool before the carved prayer-hall arch — Photo: Radosław Botev, CC BY 3.0 PL, via Wikimedia Commons

Bahia Palace

A 19th-century vizier's palace of painted cedar ceilings and riad gardens. It's unfurnished, so you come for the craft.

Opening hours: About 09:00–17:00 daily, last entry about 16:30.
Tickets: About MAD 100 (older listings say MAD 70). Paid at the gate.
Time needed: 60–75 min
Best time: At opening; tour groups arrive mid-morning
Getting there: On the edge of the Mellah, about a 12–15 minute walk south-east of Jemaa el-Fnaa.
Worth knowing: Some rooms have been under renovation in 2026, so a few may be roped off.

Full Bahia Palace guide

Checked October 2026 against nomadotravel.app and pixidia.com. Hours and prices change, especially in Ramadan.

An arched courtyard with a fountain at the Bahia Palace — Photo: Lionel Leo, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Saadian Tombs

The 16th-century Saadian dynasty's mausoleum, sealed for centuries. Its Hall of Twelve Columns is viewed through a single doorway.

Opening hours: About 09:00–16:45, last entry about 16:30.
Tickets: About MAD 100, children about MAD 30 (older listings say MAD 70).
Time needed: 30–45 min, most of it queueing for the main chamber
Best time: At opening, before the doorway queue builds
Getting there: Beside the Kasbah Mosque, through Bab Agnaou. About a 15-minute walk south of Jemaa el-Fnaa.
Worth knowing: The famous view is one doorway, so expect to wait your turn for it.

Full Saadian Tombs guide

Checked October 2026 against nomadotravel.app and lonelyplanet.fr. Hours and prices change, especially in Ramadan.

The Hall of Twelve Columns and its marble tombs at the Saadian Tombs — Photo: Matt Kieffer, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized)

El Badi Palace

The ruin of a 16th-century palace of the Saadian sultan Ahmad al-Mansur: sunken orange gardens, vast pools, and storks nesting on the walls.

Opening hours: About 09:00–17:00 daily, last entry about 16:30.
Tickets: About MAD 100.
Time needed: About 1 hour
Best time: Morning. There is almost no shade
Getting there: In the Kasbah, about a 15-minute walk from Jemaa el-Fnaa, five minutes from the Bahia.
Worth knowing: Climb to the rampart terrace for the view over the stork nests.

Full El Badi Palace guide

Checked October 2026 against nomadotravel.app. Hours and prices change, especially in Ramadan.

The long sunken-garden pool of the El Badi Palace reflecting its ruined walls — Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized)

Le Jardin Secret

A mid-19th-century riad palace on a 16th-century Saadian site, with an Islamic garden and an exotic one, and the medina's quietest hour.

Opening hours: Daily from 09:30. Closes 17:30 (Nov–Dec), 18:00 (Oct), 18:30 (Jan–Mar) or 19:30 (Apr–Sep).
Tickets: MAD 100; about MAD 80 for under-25s (check). The tower is MAD 40 extra (not for under-6s). Under-12s go free.
Time needed: About 45 min, longer with the tower
Best time: At 09:30, or late afternoon for the light from the tower
Getting there: In Mouassine, about a 10-minute walk north of Jemaa el-Fnaa on Rue Mouassine.
Worth knowing: The tower is worth the extra: it gives the only high view over the souk roofs.

Full Le Jardin Secret guide

Checked October 2026 against lejardinsecretmarrakech.com. Hours and prices change, especially in Ramadan.

Orange trees, a fountain and a white bench in Le Jardin Secret — Photo: muffinn, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized)

Maison de la Photographie

Photographs of Morocco from the early days of photography to 1960, and a rooftop terrace over the medina.

Opening hours: Daily 09:30–19:00.
Tickets: MAD 80 for adults, MAD 50 for residents; under-15s free. Paid on site (card or cash); includes the Marrakech Music Museum.
Time needed: About 1 hour with the rooftop
Best time: Midday, when the outdoor sights are hottest
Getting there: Near Ben Youssef, about a 15-minute walk north of Jemaa el-Fnaa.
Worth knowing: The old photographs are the best before-and-after of the places you just walked.

Full Maison de la Photographie guide

Checked October 2026 against maisondelaphotographie.ma. Hours and prices change, especially in Ramadan.

Koutoubia Mosque & gardens

The 12th-century minaret that every other Marrakech building is measured against. Non-Muslims see it from the free gardens.

Opening hours: The gardens are open all day. The mosque is for Muslim worshippers only.
Tickets: Free.
Time needed: 20–30 min
Best time: Sunset, or the call to prayer from the gardens
Getting there: About a 5-minute walk from Jemaa el-Fnaa.
Worth knowing: Friday's midday prayer fills the forecourt, so give it space then.

Full Koutoubia Mosque guide

Checked October 2026 against introducingmarrakech.com and nomadotravel.app. Hours and prices change, especially in Ramadan.

A rooftop terrace with the Koutoubia minaret in view

Menara Gardens

A 12th-century reservoir among olive groves. On a clear day, the pavilion stands against snow on the Atlas.

Opening hours: About 08:00–18:00 daily per 2026 guides (not officially published; check).
Tickets: The gardens are free. The pavilion charges a small fee (sources range from MAD 10 to 70; check at the gate), and many visitors skip it.
Time needed: 45–60 min
Best time: Late afternoon on a clear winter day, for the Atlas
Getting there: About 4–5 km west of the medina. Take a petit taxi.
Worth knowing: The view is the point; the pavilion's interior is small.

Full Menara Gardens guide

Checked October 2026 against lonelyplanet.com. Hours and prices change, especially in Ramadan.

The Menara pavilion and palms reflected in the great basin — Photo: Mustang Joe, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Jemaa el-Fnaa

The square UNESCO listed as a masterpiece of oral heritage: storytellers and musicians by day, a smoking open-air kitchen by night.

Opening hours: Open around the clock. The food stalls set up from about 16:00–17:00 and serve from about 18:00 to midnight.
Tickets: Free. Performers expect a tip if you watch or photograph them.
Time needed: An evening
Best time: From a terrace at dusk, then down into the stalls
Getting there: The centre of everything; petit taxis drop at the Koutoubia side.
Worth knowing: Renovation work since 2025 is changing the stall layout, so expect it to look different from older photos.

Full Jemaa el-Fnaa guide

Checked October 2026 against tablejourney.com and bladi.net. Hours and prices change, especially in Ramadan.

Jemaa el-Fnaa at sunset seen from a terrace, the Koutoubia minaret on the skyline

Dar Si Said, the carpet museum, was damaged in the 2023 earthquake and has been under restoration. Its reopening hadn't been confirmed when we last checked, so ask before you walk there.

Four common tricks near the monuments

Marrakech is a safe city for visitors, and most hassle is a sales pitch, not a threat. These are the ones worth knowing before you arrive.

1
'That way is closed'
A friendly stranger says the palace or road ahead is closed and offers to show you another way, which ends at a tannery or a shop. It isn't closed. Smile, say 'la, shukran', and keep walking.
2
The surprise henna
A hand grabbed and a design started before you've agreed, then a demand for money. Keep your hands to yourself in the square, and avoid 'black henna', which can contain PPD and burn the skin.
3
Snakes and monkeys
An animal is put on your shoulder, a photo taken, and then MAD 100 or more is demanded. Agree a figure first, or simply don't stop. The monkeys are Barbary macaques, an endangered species taken from the wild.
4
The meter that's 'broken'
Petit taxis must run the meter by law, but many refuse. Ask for the 'compteur' before you get in, or agree the fare. A trip within the city is usually about MAD 15–40, more at night.

Marrakech attractions: FAQ

Which Marrakech attractions need tickets in advance?

Only the Jardin Majorelle and its museums. They sell timed tickets online only, and slots sell out in high season. The palaces, the Saadian Tombs, Ben Youssef and Le Jardin Secret sell at the gate. Ben Youssef takes cash only.

What is the best order to see the medina's sights?

Start at Ben Youssef at 09:00, walk south through the souks to Le Jardin Secret, and have lunch near the spice square. In the afternoon, take the Bahia, El Badi and the Saadian Tombs in one loop in the Kasbah, and finish at Jemaa el-Fnaa for dusk. Do Majorelle on another morning at 08:00.

How much do Marrakech attractions cost?

Expect about MAD 50–100 per monument: MAD 50 for Ben Youssef, about MAD 100 for the Bahia, El Badi and the Saadian Tombs, and MAD 100 for Le Jardin Secret. Majorelle costs more, especially with the museums. Jemaa el-Fnaa, the Koutoubia gardens and the Menara gardens are free.

Can non-Muslims enter the Koutoubia Mosque?

No. Like most Moroccan mosques, the Koutoubia is open to Muslim worshippers only. Everyone can walk the gardens around it, which are free and best at sunset.

What changes on a Friday?

Friday midday prayer is the week's biggest. Many souk shops open late or close from about noon to 3 pm, then reopen, so 'everything shuts on Friday' is a myth. The sights we list keep their normal hours. Friday lunch is couscous day in Moroccan homes, and the place to eat it.

What changes during Ramadan?

Monuments stay open with shorter hours, and many restaurants close from about 5 pm to 8 pm while families break the fast. Daytime is slow; after iftar the souks and Jemaa el-Fnaa come alive until about midnight. Ramadan 2027 is expected to start around 8 February 2027, confirmed by moon sighting. Eating in public isn't illegal for visitors, but keep it discreet.

Want a guide for the palaces?

A licensed guide who knows which doorway has the queue, and a driver to get you to Majorelle by 08:00. Tell us your dates and we'll quote in writing.

Ask for a written quote