Jemaa el-Fna square by day with the Koutoubia minaret in the background
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Marrakesh in 1 day

  • 1 day
  • 7.2 km on foot
  • 18 stops
  • Audio guide

One day in Marrakech covers the essentials if you accept the medina's pace: three short walks, each under three kilometres, broken up by lunch, mint tea and shade. It suits a long layover or a day trip from the coast. You take away the big icons, the imperial history and the legends of the evening, without sprinting.

One day in MarrakeshSouks, empires and legends

Start early, while the medina is still cool and the souks half empty, with «From the Great Square to the Medina's Hidden Gardens»: Jemaa el-Fna, Souk Semmarine, the Ben Youssef Madrasa and Dar el Bacha. Have tanjia near the square and rest on a terrace in the hottest hours. By mid-afternoon, «Almohads, Saadians and Viziers: Eight Centuries of Power» takes you from the Koutoubia to Bahia Palace, with a stop at the Saadian Tombs. As the sun sets, finish with «Golden Orbs, Storks and Saints» and have mechoui for dinner.

  1. Morning

    From the Great Square to the Medina's Hidden Gardens

    Mixed · 1.9 km · 1 h 40 min

    1. Jemaa el-Fna SquareMorocco's most famous open-air stage, which changes its skin every few hours.
    2. Souk SemmarineThe great covered avenue of the souks, your way into the commercial maze of Marrakech.
    3. Ben Youssef MadrasaThe largest Quranic college in the Maghreb, with 130 student cells and a courtyard that is a masterclass in Saadian art.
    4. Mouassine FountainA 16th-century public fountain with three arches for animals and one for people.
    5. Le Jardin SecretA 19th-century palace with two restored gardens, built on the layout of a Saadian residence.
    6. Dar el BachaThe palace of Pasha El Glaoui, the most powerful man in southern Morocco during the French protectorate.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Tanjia marrakchia at Chez Lamine Hadj Mustapha. Souk Ablueh, junto a la plaza Jemaa el-Fna, Marrakech

  3. Afternoon

    Almohads, Saadians and Viziers: Eight Centuries of Power

    History · 2.6 km · 1 h 50 min

    1. Koutoubia MosqueThe stone minaret that set the pattern for Seville's Giralda and has marked the centre of Marrakech for more than eight centuries.
    2. Bab AgnaouThe carved stone gate into the Almohad caliphs' citadel, with a name no one has ever fully explained.
    3. Saadian TombsThe necropolis of a dynasty that lay hidden behind the walls of a mosque for nearly two centuries.
    4. El Badi PalaceAhmad al-Mansur's 'Incomparable' palace, paid for with the gold of a battle and stripped stone by stone by a rival sultan.
    5. The Mellah and the Lazama SynagogueThe Jewish quarter the Saadians created beside their palace, where a synagogue remembers the exiles from Sepharad.
    6. Bahia PalaceA 19th-century grand vizier's residence with 150 rooms and a marble courtyard, looted within hours of its owner's death.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  4. Early evening

    Golden Orbs, Storks and Saints: Legendary Marrakech

    Mysteries & legends · 2.7 km · 1 h 55 min

    1. Koutoubia: the Golden OrbsThree metal spheres atop the minaret and a repentant sultana: the most-told legend in Marrakech.
    2. Jemaa el-Fna: Assembly of the DeadAfrica's liveliest square has a name many translate as 'assembly of the dead'. Why?
    3. Rahba Kedima, the Herbalists' SquareReptile skins, roots and coloured powders: the corner of the medina where remedies, amulets and spells are sold.
    4. The Almoravid KoubbaThe only Almoravid monument still standing in Marrakech spent centuries buried under metres of rubble.
    5. Dar Bellarj, the House of StorksA former refuge for injured storks and the Moroccan belief that these birds were once human beings.
    6. Shrine of Sidi Bel AbbèsThe patron saint of Marrakech, protector of the blind, and the pilgrimage of the seven saints that turned the city into a sacred map.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  5. Dinner

    Try Mechoui at Callejón del mechui (Souk Ablueh). Souk Ablueh, esquina noreste de la plaza Jemaa el-Fna, Marrakech

The map

Marrakesh in 1 day, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed History Mysteries & legends

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Before you go

Tips for Marrakesh in 1 day

  • Wear comfortable shoes with a firm sole: the medina's alleys are uneven, with potholes and the odd step, and there is no way around them.
  • Motorbikes and handcarts never stop in the souks; keep to the wall side, and if someone offers to guide you, a firm «no, thank you» and a smile are enough.
  • You can walk from the Koutoubia and Bahia to the square, but in summer a petit taxi with a meter (or a price agreed before you get in) is a blessing in the middle of the day.

Questions

Marrakesh in 1 day: your questions

Can you see Marrakech in one day?

You can see the medina's essentials: Jemaa el-Fna, the souks, the Koutoubia, the Saadian Tombs and Bahia Palace. The Majorelle Garden, the museums and the parks will have to wait. It works best if you start early and keep the hot hours for lunch and a rest.

How far do you walk in one day in Marrakech?

The three routes add up to about 7.2 km: 1.9 for the essentials, 2.6 for the history route and 2.7 for the mysteries. Add the walks between them and the breaks; it is an easy day of walking, but with lots of stops, especially in summer.

Is it better to go on your own or with a guide?

With the free routes, the map and the audio guide you can go on your own and at your own pace. A local guide brings conversation and shortcuts, but you do not need one to understand the medina; the key is to start early and carry water.

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