Exploring the Hidden Gems of Marrakech: A Local Walking Tour Guide
Which hidden gems of the Marrakech Medina would a local guide show you first?
The ones hiding in plain sight on a walk through the south of the Medina. The ruins of the first Koutoubia mosque, the carved stone of Bab Agnaou, the storks on the walls of the El Badi Palace, the tinsmiths of Place des Ferblantiers, the spice market and the old synagogue of the Mellah, and the quiet derbs of Riad Zitoun on the way back to Jemaa el-Fna for sunset. It's a loop of about 4 km that most visitors only see in pieces, and with a local each stop comes with the story that guidebooks leave out. Our Private Medina Walking Tour follows this kind of route at your pace, and our Private Souks Shopping Tour adds the artisans you meet along the way.
Private Medina Walking Tour
Your own local guide, every day at 9 am or 2 pm, about 3 hours, with pickup at your riad.
Included a relaxing stop at a traditional herbalist and spice cooperative, just to learn, with no obligation to buy, with a bottle of mineral water, a cup of mint tea and a small souvenir, all complimentary.
See prices and details on our Private Medina Walking Tour page.
Message Us On WhatsApp or use our Booking Form.
Every visitor to the Medina sees Jemaa el-Fna and the main souk street. Far fewer see the holes in the red walls and know why they're there, or notice that the Koutoubia has a twin in ruins right next to it. We've guided travelers through these streets for more than 20 years, and the moment we love most is when a guest stops, looks at something they walked past the day before, and says, "I never noticed that."
Visit Marrakech Medina, The Best Shopping and Walking Tour Company in Marrakech, has guided travelers through the Medina since 2004. Our Medina walking tour is featured by Daniel Jacobs in The Rough Guide To Morocco, which says our guide “guarantees (unlike most guides) not to stop at any shops”. Our guiding is also Recommended By Rick Steves.
Choose your tour
• Who Can Show You The Stories Behind The Medina's Walls? Our private walking tour, the Kasbah, the Mellah, hidden derbs, the souks and the herbalist.
• Where Do The Tinsmiths And Spice Sellers Of The South Medina Work? Our private souks shopping tour, metal, spices, leather and lanterns from the artisans.
• Which Hidden Rug Houses Do Locals Trust? Our private rug shopping tour, weaving cooperatives, Beni Ourain, Azilal and kilims.
• Can Your Family Discover The Hidden Medina With Its Own Guide? All our tours are private, one guide, one group, one truly personal experience.
• Can You Walk The Hidden Medina With A Guide Today? Last-minute private tours, often within the hour.
What does the hidden gems walk look like, step by step?
This is the south loop we often walk with first-time visitors. It starts at the Koutoubia, turns through the Kasbah and the Mellah, and ends back at Jemaa el-Fna. Allow about 3 hours with stops, longer if you visit the monuments inside.
• Stop 1, the Koutoubia and its ruins start time about 9 am
• Stop 2, Bab Agnaou and the Kasbah about 12 minutes on foot
• Stop 3, the Saadian Tombs 3 minutes further
• Stop 4, the El Badi Palace about 10 minutes
• Stop 5, Place des Ferblantiers about 4 minutes
• Stop 6, the Mellah about 6 minutes
• Stop 7, the Bahia and Dar Si Said about 7 minutes
• Stop 8, Riad Zitoun back to Jemaa el-Fna about 12 minutes
Stop 1, the Koutoubia and the ruins of the first mosque
Everyone photographs the minaret. Few look at the low ruins on its left. That was the first Koutoubia, built facing the wrong direction for prayer. The sultan had it rebuilt right next to it, with the same surface and the same number of pillars. Look up at the top of the minaret and you'll see three brass balls, each with its own legend, and a wooden pole where flags were hung, a black one on Thursday to announce the Friday prayer, a white one on Friday. Inside, a ramp instead of stairs let the muezzin ride up on horseback. Nothing in Marrakech may be built taller than this minaret, so it stays the landmark you can see from everywhere. The Koutoubia is part of the Medina Of Marrakech, A UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Stop 2, Bab Agnaou and the Kasbah
Of the gates of Marrakech, Bab Agnaou is the most beautiful, a carved stone arch from the Almohad period, standing inside the walls just opposite Bab Er-Rob, the gate that leads toward the Atlas. Walk through it into the Kasbah, the old royal quarter, past the Moulay Yazid Mosque. Look at the walls on the way. The small square holes are not pigeon nests or spy holes, they held the wooden scaffolding during construction, and they help the earth walls breathe and dry after heavy rain.
Stop 3, the Saadian Tombs
Hidden behind the Kasbah mosque, the tombs of the Saadian sultans were walled up for centuries and only found again in the 20th century. Inside, the Hall of the Twelve Columns shines with carved cedar, Carrara marble and stucco as fine as lace. Go early, the narrow entrance fills up fast.
Stop 4, the El Badi Palace
Built by the Saadian sultan Ahmad al-Mansour in the 16th century to celebrate a great victory, El Badi, “the incomparable”, was once covered in gold, onyx and marble. Later sultans stripped it to build their own palaces. Today it's a huge open ruin of red walls, sunken orange gardens and pools, with storks nesting on every tower. Climb to the terrace for one of the best views of the Medina and the Atlas.
Stop 5, Place des Ferblantiers
The square of the tinsmiths, Lakzadria in Darija, is where lanterns are still cut, hammered and soldered by hand. Hundreds of them hang above the workshops, brass, copper and tin, waiting for the night. Ask the craftsmen to show you how a lantern pattern is punched by hand, one hole at a time.
Stop 6, the Mellah
Through the gate next to the square, you enter the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, created by the Saadians beside the Kasbah. Its narrow streets have balconies that look outward, unlike the rest of the Medina. Find the covered spice market, full of saffron, cumin and dried herbs, the restored Lazama Synagogue with its blue and white courtyard, and the jewelers' lanes. Walk respectfully, the Mellah is a living neighbourhood.
Stop 7, the Bahia Palace and Dar Si Said
The Bahia, “the brilliant”, was built in the 19th century for the grand viziers of the sultan, with painted cedar ceilings, zellige and planted courtyards. A few minutes away, the Dar Si Said museum keeps a beautiful courtyard garden and a collection of carved doors and Berber crafts. More about these quiet courtyards in Where Are The Hidden Gardens And Riads Of The Medina?
Stop 8, Riad Zitoun back to Jemaa el-Fna
Walk back north through Riad Zitoun el Jdid and Riad Zitoun Lakdim. The name means the garden of olives, because this quarter was once an olive grove, and Lakdim is the old one, Jdid the new one. Notice the arches across the derbs, they strengthen the walls on both sides and once served as gates that closed at night. At the end, the lane opens onto Kennaria, the street along the Café de France, and then onto Jemaa el-Fna, just as the storytellers and food stalls arrive.
How far is each hidden gem on the route?
Each link opens the walking route on Google Maps. Distances are approximate.
• Koutoubia To Bab Agnaou about 900 meters, 12 minutes
• Bab Agnaou To The Saadian Tombs about 200 meters, 3 minutes
• Saadian Tombs To The El Badi Palace about 700 meters, 10 minutes
• El Badi Palace To Place Des Ferblantiers about 300 meters, 4 minutes
• Place Des Ferblantiers To The Lazama Synagogue about 400 meters, 6 minutes
• The Mellah To The Bahia Palace about 500 meters, 7 minutes
• Bahia Palace To Dar Si Said about 400 meters, 5 minutes
• Dar Si Said To Jemaa El-Fna about 900 meters, 12 minutes
• Jemaa El-Fna To The Menara Gardens about 3 km, best by taxi for sunset over the pool and the Atlas
Phone maps often get lost in the derbs. Read Why Does Google Maps Fail In The Medina?
What about the hidden gems of the north Medina?
The north of the Medina has its own treasures, and they deserve a second walk. The neighbourhood bread oven, the ferran, where families still bring their loaves on wooden boards and the baker never mixes them up. The Almoravid Koubba near Place Ben Youssef, the oldest monument of the city. The fountain of Mouassine and Le Jardin Secret. The wood turners of Souk Chouari and the dyers of Souk Sebbaghine. We put them together in one loop that 99% of visitors never walk, read it in What Is The Secret Loop Of The Marrakech Medina? and start it with Main Routes From Jemaa El-Fna To The Souks.
For ten more gems across the whole old city, see Which 10 Hidden Gems Do Most Tourists Never See?
Which riads are close to the south Medina route?
Many travelers stay in the riads of the Kasbah and Riad Zitoun, right on this route. Each link opens the walking route from the riad to the nearest stop. We pick our guests up at their riad, wherever it is in the Medina.
• From Riad Badi In The Kasbah To The Saadian Tombs about 5 minutes on foot
• From Riad Villa Harmonie To The Saadian Tombs about 6 minutes on foot
• From Riad Alma To Bab Agnaou about 5 minutes on foot
• From Riad Ksiba To Bab Agnaou about 5 minutes on foot
• From Riad Melhoun In The Bahia Quarter To The Bahia Palace about 4 minutes on foot
• From Riad Dar Anika In Riad Zitoun To The Bahia Palace about 7 minutes on foot
• From Riad Des Princesses To The Bahia Palace about 8 minutes on foot
• From Riad Cala Medina To Place Des Ferblantiers about 6 minutes on foot
• From Le Riad Monceau To Jemaa El-Fna about 6 minutes on foot
Walking times are approximate and depend on the exact entrance of each riad.
What should you know before walking the hidden Medina?
• Start early by 9 am, before the heat and the groups, especially at the Saadian Tombs and the Bahia
• Wear good shoes the derbs are uneven, and you'll walk about 4 km
• Carry water and small change for entrance tickets, a mint tea and a tip for a baker or a musician
• Dress modestly shoulders and knees covered is respectful, especially in the Mellah and near mosques
• Ask before photographing people craftsmen and shopkeepers usually say yes with a smile
• Mosques are closed to non-Muslims you can admire the Koutoubia and the Kasbah mosque from outside
• Ignore “closed” stories people who say a monument or a street is “closed today” usually want to lead you to a shop
What do travelers ask about a hidden gems walk?
Can you do this walk without a guide?
Yes, the monuments are easy to find. A local guide adds the stories, the shortcuts through the derbs, the craftsmen you'd never meet alone and a calmer walk without pressure.
How long does it take?
About 3 hours walking with short stops, half a day if you go inside the Saadian Tombs, El Badi and the Bahia.
Is it good for children?
Yes. Children love the storks of El Badi, the lanterns of Place des Ferblantiers and the spice baskets of the Mellah. We shorten the route and add more breaks for families.
What's the best season?
Spring and autumn, from March to May and from October to November. In summer, walk early in the morning.
Explore every quarter of the old city in our Marrakech Medina Guide, Quarter By Quarter, and for the stories no other guide tells, read What Can't You Find In Other Marrakech Guides?
What Happens On A Real Tour With Us?
Traveler from the United Kingdom
"Our guide made sure we saw the highlights and the hidden places too."
What Do Our Guests Usually Ask On The Tour?
Family from Canada
"He explained the history in a way that kept our whole family engaged."
What Surprises Travelers Most On Our Walks?
Traveler from the United States
"Our guide's passion for the city really shows."
Our tours are rated 5 stars on Google. Read Our Google Reviews
Ready to see what most visitors walk past? Book On WhatsApp for a fast reply, or use our Booking Form.
Who Wrote This Guide?
This guide was written by the Local Team of Visit Marrakech Medina, Marrakchis who were born and raised in the Medina and have guided travelers through its quarters, gates and derbs since 2004. Our Medina walk is featured in The Rough Guide to Morocco, and our guiding is recommended by Rick Steves. Everything here comes from what we see and hear on our tours every day.
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Visit Marrakech Medina is an independent local specialist resource dedicated to discovering and understanding the Marrakech Medina. Our Marrakchi team has been guiding visitors through the Medina since 2004. We share firsthand local knowledge of its traditional souks, streets and derbs, neighbourhoods, historic gates, squares, monuments, artisan workshops, traditional crafts, architecture and everyday life. Our guides explore the history, geography, traditions and authentic character of the Medina, providing detailed information about the places, people and activities that make Marrakech's old city unique.
This guide is part of our coverage of the historic neighbourhoods and quarters of Marrakech Medina.
Discover our full range of authentic Marrakech tours on our Visit Marrakech Medina homepage.