10 Best Places to Visit in Marrakech

Marrakech is home to an impressive number of masterpieces of architecture and art. With its medina listed a UNESCO Heritage Site, the Red City continues to make tourists and worldwide travellers dream. You cannot be disappointed by all the beauty you will find in the following places the concierge team at Four Seasons Resort Marrakech advises you to visit.

Jemaa El-Fna  

This extraordinary square has been the heart of Marrakech for centuries. Every night it transforms into a living theatre filled with musicians, dancers, storytellers, fortune tellers and snake charmers – each drawing a crowd of astonished onlookers. Do not hesitate to enter one of the coffee houses bordering the square and head to their rooftop terrace to admire the sunset.

The Souks of the Medina  

One of the world’s most famous shopping districts, the Medina (the old city) and its markets provide a wide range of handcrafted goods, including fabric, leatherwork and jewelry. Nowhere else encapsulates the vibrant energy of Marrakech like the tangle of lanes that make up the souks, where artisans still craft their wares from tiny, hole-in-the-wall workshops. Do not be afraid to get lost in it, this is part of the game!  Should you prefer, our concierge team can arrange a private guided tour for you.

Koutoubia Mosque  

The largest mosque in Marrakech, Koutoubia is famed for its magnificent minaret. Construction on the tower started in about 1150. The mosque’s name comes from the Arabic for “book” (koutoub), because there was originally a book market nearby.

Majorelle Garden 

Created by the French painter Jacques Majorelle in the 1920s, this legendary garden was magnificently restored by the late designer Yves Saint Laurent in the 1980s. Filled with rare plants and eye-popping blues and yellows, it’s a feast for the eyes. If you are a fashion lover, Four Seasons offers a unique Extraordinary Experience dedicated to Yves Saint Laurent with a private visit of its own villa in Marrakech, followed by many surprises.

Visit a Riad 

A riad is a Moroccan house located in one of the medinas of the imperial cities. The traditional riad is built in square shape around a garden located in the main patio. The living rooms and bedrooms are distributed all around the patio garden. Most of them are converted into hotels. As you step into them, you can really feel their authenticity and you will be amazed by their beauty.

Medersa

Among the jewels of Marrakech architecture, this Koranic school was one of the largest theological colleges in North Africa. Built in 1570, the Medersa’s 130 student dormitories cluster around a courtyard and once housed as many as 900 students. We suggest you to bring your camera - as many options of beautiful and original pictures can be taken - and to go as soon as it opens to avoid the crowd.

Palais Bahia  

A masterpiece of Moroccan architecture, this palace was built by two powerful grand viziers at the end of the 19th century and provides a great impression of the lifestyle of Moroccan noblemen. Meaning “brilliance,” the palace’s name was inspired by Vizier Si Moussa’s favourite mistress.

The House of Photography 

Located in the Medina, it gathers an important collection of photographs taken between 1870 and 1950, highlighting the culture and history of Morocco. You can also admire the first colour documentary made in 1957 in the Atlas Mountains on the Berber tribes. Be sure to have a drink on the rooftop terrace offering a panoramic view on the Medina.

Palais El Badi  

This rammed-earth, 16th-century royal palace was considered one of the wonders of the Muslim world. Still standing among its ruins are grand buildings, courtyards, stables and dungeons. The site also hosts exhibitions for the city’s Museum for Photography and Contemporary Art. It’s one of the only places in Marrakech where you will catch sight of so many storks; be sure to head to the terrace to observe them and their nests closer.

Dar Si Said Museum  

A few twisty alleyways behind Palais Bahia, this museum is housed in another opulent palace. Dedicated to the region’s arts and crafts – both past and present – the museum’s displays include daggers, ceramics, leatherwork, and elegant robes worn by emperors.