Activity description
One of the most impressive sights in Marrakech, the Koutoubia is one of the largest and most beautiful mosques in the Western Muslim world. Its 225-meter-high tower is a Hispano-Moorish masterpiece, very similar to the Giralda in Seville.
Discover one of Marrakech's most beautiful 14th-century buildings, the Ben Youssef Medersa. It's the largest Koranic university in the Maghreb. Spanish Moors influenced its decor, a combination of mosaics, marble, and cedar wood.
The Dar Si Said Museum is a 19th-century Alawite-style palace that now houses the Museum of Moroccan Arts of Marrakech. It features a variety of crafts from southern Morocco, including furniture, carpets, weapons, ceramics, clothing, and jewelry. Of particular interest is the Hispano-Moorish reception room on the upper floor, which boasts a magnificent cedar wood table and bridal chair.
The Bahia Palace was built in the late 19th century on a two-hectare garden. It is a collection of secret luxury apartments that open onto interior courtyards.
For seven years, about a thousand artisans from the Fez region worked on the palace. The only sections open to the public are the apartments of the sultan's favorite concubine, the council chamber with tiled walls and cedar ceiling, and the large central courtyard, with marble floors and decorated with fountains.
The Saadian Tombs, with their delicate decorations and pure architectural lines, are considered by many to be a beautiful work of architecture. They were originally built to house the tombs of the Saadian Sultan, Ahmed el-Mansour. In 1591, the first Koubba, a dome on top of a mosque, was built in the cemetery south of the Kasbah. At the foot of the Atlas Mountains lie the Menara Gardens. Covering an area of 250 hectares, they are filled with olive trees surrounding a large central lake created in the 12th century, fed by a network of irrigation canals. At the water's edge stands a small Saadian pavilion. With the snow-capped peaks in the background, this is a breathtaking sight at night, bathed in the golden rays of the setting sun.
To get a better understanding of Marrakech, explore the maze of narrow streets in the world of souks. Protected from the sun by awnings, you'll find a variety of rooms built by local artisans according to a structured trading system. There are souks selling baskets, dried fruits, spices, clothing, wool, furs, carpets, leather, ironworks, jewelry, and much more! Some of the souks to check out include Rue du Souk Smarine, which leads to Rahba Kedima, a former slave market and even an important trading hub. There will be time to haggle!
Next, we'll visit Djemaa El Fna. This traditional meeting place for peasants and traders from the Sous, High Atlas, and South regions has become the center of Marrakech. In the morning, this large square is filled with fruit and spice vendors, guerrab with their leather water bottles and metal cups, baskets, hardware stores, and barbers. In the afternoon, the Gnaoua dancers, descendants of former slaves from Guinea, musicians, storytellers, snake charmers, and performers with trained monkeys, arrive!
Notes:
Hotel pickup is included for hotels located in central Marrakech. Please be at the reception at least 30 minutes before your scheduled departure time. For all other customers outside the hotel pickup area, the departure point is *in front of the Grayline office (Residence Yasmine, Majorelle, Boulevard Moulay Abdlah, Mag n 5, Marrakech). Please be at the departure point at least 30 minutes before your scheduled departure time.
Please make sure you have a printed voucher with you and present it to our staff at the departure point.
Children under 2 years old enter free.
