Marrakech's monuments
Palaces, madrasas, city walls and tombs: what nine centuries of dynasties left behind these walls. We tell you which ones are worth the ticket, when to come, and which can be seen for free.
THE ESSENTIAL Ben Youssef Madrasa
Morocco's largest madrasa, reopened in 2022 after restoration: zellige, carved cedar and stucco around a pool-set courtyard. Best turn up at opening to have it almost to yourself.
All the monuments
8 monuments · medina & kasbah MONUMENT Ben Youssef Madrasa
Morocco's largest madrasa, reopened in 2022 after restoration: zellige, carved cedar and stucco around a pool-set courtyard. Best turn up at opening to have it almost to yourself.
FREE Bab Agnaou
The state gate of the Almohad Kasbah: a horseshoe arch framed by carved sandstone arches that turn blue-grey at sunset. The most ornate gate in the walls.
MONUMENT Bahia Palace
Marrakech's most visited palace: eight hectares of courtyards, riads and painted cedar ceilings, in the south of the medina.
MONUMENT El Badi Palace
Ahmed al-Mansour's ruined palace: vast courts, central pool and storks' nests. Climb the terraces for the view over the medina and the Atlas.
HIDDEN The Almoravid Qoubba
The only Almoravid trace in the city: a small 12<sup>th</sup>-century domed pavilion, long buried, from which the whole vocabulary of Moroccan architecture descends.
FREE The Koutoubia
The 12<sup>th</sup>-century Almohad minaret: seventy-seven metres of ochre stone above the medina. You cannot go inside, but the gardens at its foot and the evening light are worth the walk.
MONUMENT The Saadian Tombs
The necropolis of the Saadian sultans, walled up then rediscovered in 1917: the chamber of twelve marble columns is the highlight. Come early - the passage is narrow.
FREE The Walls of Marrakech
Kilometres of rose-pisé walls have ringed the medina since the 12<sup>th</sup> century, pierced by a dozen monumental gates. The horse-cart tour at sunset remains a classic.
A monument is best visited at the right hour
The right moment
Bahia & Madrasa
The busiest indoor sites fill up fast. The first hour is when you get the light and the quiet, before the tour groups.
Badi & Saadian Tombs
The open-air palaces in low sun: the stone turns pink, the storks come home, and raking light lifts the zellige.
Everything, no queue
Skip bank holidays and half-terms: shorter queues at the ticket office and the courtyards to yourself. Book online where you can.
Monuments on the map
From the medina to the kasbah, south of the walls.Our method
What we recommend, we have seen - and paid our own ticket
Every monument on this page has been visited by the team. Tickets go through our partners: we may earn a commission, never at the price of a skewed ranking.
Read our full method →