Historical Guided Tours of Marrakech Medina
How can you read a thousand years of Marrakech history on a walk through the Medina?
On our historical guided tour of the Marrakech Medina, a local guide walks you through the city dynasty by dynasty. You start with the Almoravids who founded Marrakech in the 11th century, at the Almoravid Koubba, then the Almohads of the Koutoubia minaret and Bab Agnaou, the Saadians of the Saadian Tombs, El Badi Palace and Ben Youssef Madrasa, and the Alaouites of Bahia Palace. Between the monuments, the derbs, fondouks and fountains tell the same story in the daily life of the Medina. Private walks from 900 MAD for 1 to 2 people, about 3 hours, plus 300 MAD and about one more hour with monument visits. Message Us On WhatsApp or use our Booking Form.
The Medina of Marrakech, a UNESCO World Heritage site, grew in circles. Its oldest heart, near Ben Youssef, is where the water of the khettaras, underground channels from the Atlas, reached the first city. Each dynasty added a ring, a mosque, a palace or a gate, until the ochre ramparts closed around it. Walk the Medina with someone who knows those layers, and every arch and cedar door starts to make sense.
Visit Marrakech Medina, The Best Shopping and Walking Tour Company in Marrakech, has guided travelers through the history of the Medina since 2004. Our guiding is Recommended By Rick Steves, and our Medina walk was featured by Daniel Jacobs in The Rough Guide To Morocco. Our guides grew up in these derbs, and some of our stories come from Marrakchi families, not books.
Choose your tour
• Which Medina Walk Covers The Monuments And The Hidden Derbs? Our best Marrakesh walking tour, private or in a small group.
• Where Do The Old Craft Guilds Still Work Today? Our top rated Marrakech souks shopping tour, lanterns, babouches, leather and spices.
• What Do Berber Rugs Tell About Atlas History? Our best Marrakech carpets and rug shopping tour, with quality checks and shipping.
• Looking For Antiques And Heritage Pieces? Our private luxury shopping tour, premium galleries and master artisans.
• What Else Should History Lovers See In Marrakech? Majorelle Garden, Dar Si Said, the Menara gardens and hammams.
Which dynasties shaped the Medina you walk through?
• The Almoravids, 11th and 12th centuries Berber rulers from the Sahara who founded Marrakech on the plain, dug the khettaras and built the first walls. Their Koubba near Ben Youssef is the oldest building still standing in the city
• The Almohads, 12th and 13th centuries They built the Koutoubia minaret, the Kasbah and the carved stone gate of Bab Agnaou, and made Marrakech the capital of an empire reaching Al-Andalus
• The Saadians, 16th century Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur built El Badi Palace and the Saadian Tombs, and the Saadians rebuilt Ben Youssef Madrasa and created the Mellah and the Mouassine mosque and fountain
• The Alaouites, 17th century to today The current royal dynasty. In Marrakech, their grand viziers built Bahia Palace and Dar Si Said in the 19th century
What do you see on our best historical walk?
1. Jemaa el-Fna, the square whose name is often read as "the assembly of the end", now a UNESCO masterpiece of oral heritage with storytellers and Gnawa musicians.
2. The Koutoubia minaret, Almohad, 12th century, the model for the Giralda in Seville, and next to it the ruins of the first mosque, rebuilt because it faced the wrong way to Mecca.
3. Derb Dabachi and Rahba Kedima, Saadian quarters, the old spice square and the lanes of the first bazaars.
4. The Almoravid Koubba, a small domed ablution pavilion with carved plaster, all that's left of the founders' city.
5. Ben Youssef Madrasa, the Quranic school where students lived in tiny cells around a courtyard of zellige, stucco and cedar.
6. The souks and fondouks, the old caravan inns where traders from the Sahara and the Atlas slept above their goods, and where craft guilds still work today.
7. Mouassine, its fountain and mosque, one of the richest quarters of Saadian Marrakech.
With monument visits, we add Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, El Badi Palace and the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter with the Lazama synagogue and its spice market.
Which stories bring the history to life?
• The Koutoubia's brass globes Locals tell several stories, one says a sultan's wife gave her gold jewelry to have them made, to ask forgiveness for breaking the Ramadan fast
• The muezzin on horseback Inside the minaret, a ramp instead of stairs, and Marrakchis say the muezzin rode up on a horse
• Red walls Built from the ochre earth of the plain, with holes left by the scaffolding that also help the walls breathe after rain. See Why Are The Walls Of Marrakech Red?
• Dead-end derbs The Almoravid city was organized like tribes, each quarter with one entrance, so neighbors always knew who came in
• Two knockers on one door The high one for a rider on a mule, the low one for a visitor on foot
More stories in What Do Marrakchi Families Tell That History Books Don't?
Our historical tour prices
Private historical walk, every day at 9 am or 2 pm, about 3 hours
• 1 to 2 people, 900 MAD
• 3 to 4 people, 1,200 MAD
• 5 to 6 people, 1,500 MAD
• 7 or more, on request
• Monuments, add 300 MAD and about one more hour, entry tickets not included
Group walk without shopping
• 300 MAD per person
• Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 10 am
• Up to 15 people, from the Café de France on Jemaa el-Fna
• Pickup at your riad or hotel in the Medina or Gueliz, or near Jemaa el-Fna for hotels far away
• Payment nothing in advance, you pay in dirhams at the end
• Cancellation free up to 24 hours before
• Languages English and French
Deciding at the last minute? See Which History Walks Leave Jemaa El-Fna This Week?
What Happens On A Real Tour With Us?
Emma, United Kingdom
"We had a really nice afternoon exploring Marrakech. Our guide showed us little streets and places we would never have found by ourselves. The souks were fascinating and we learned a lot about local life. Definitely recommend doing this on your first day!"
What Surprises Travelers Most On Our Walks?
Thomas, Germany
"I booked the walking tour after finding it online. It was relaxed, interesting and never rushed. We saw a different side of the Medina, away from the main tourist streets. Really enjoyed it!"
What do travelers ask about historical tours of the Medina?
Can non-Muslims enter the Koutoubia Mosque?
No. Non-Muslims can't enter the mosques of Marrakech, but you see the Koutoubia minaret, its gardens and the ruins of the first mosque from outside. Ben Youssef Madrasa is open to visitors.
How long does a historical tour take?
About 3 hours through the Medina, or about 4 hours with Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs or El Badi Palace.
When was Marrakech founded?
In the 11th century, by the Almoravids, Berber rulers who made it the capital of an empire stretching from the Sahara to Al-Andalus.
Are monument tickets included?
No. Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs, El Badi and Ben Youssef Madrasa charge entry in dirhams, and they close in the late afternoon.
Is the tour good for children?
Yes. Kids love the storks of El Badi, the story of the muezzin on horseback and the spice pyramids of Rahba Kedima.
Ready for the best historical walk through the Marrakech Medina? Book On WhatsApp for a fast reply, or use our Booking Form.
Want the full route, loop by loop? Read Which Route Links The Koutoubia, The Mellah And Ben Youssef?
Who Wrote This Guide?
This guide was written by the Local Team of Visit Marrakech Medina, Marrakchis who were born and raised in the city and have guided travelers through the Medina 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 walking tours every day.
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