Souk El Kebir Leather Shopping
Where do you find the leather merchants in the Marrakech souks?
Souk El Kebir, the "big souk", is the main lane of leather merchants in the Marrakech souks. It starts where Souk Semmarine ends, near Rahba Kedima, and runs north toward Souk Cherratine and the Ben Youssef quarter, about 700 meters from Jemaa el-Fna. Here the shop fronts are covered with leather bags, satchels, belts, wallets, jackets, poufs and babouches, while the artisans who make them work in the small workshops of Cherratine just behind. It's one of the best souks in Marrakech for leather goods, and also one of the busiest. Our Private Medina Walking Tour walks you through Souk El Kebir on the way to the old craft quarters, and our Private Souks Shopping Tour takes you to the leather workshops and merchants we trust.
Our private tours, every day at 9 am or 2 pm, about 3 hours, with pickup at your riad.
Included a relaxing stop with a bottle of mineral water, a cup of mint tea and a small souvenir, all complimentary.
See prices and details on our Private Souks Shopping Tour page.
Message Us On WhatsApp or use our Booking Form.
You smell Souk El Kebir before you see it. Leaving the spices of Rahba Kedima, the air turns warm and earthy, the smell of new leather drying in the shops. Bags hang from the ceilings, belts are coiled on hooks, poufs are stacked like towers, and every merchant has a story about where his leather comes from. Our guests often ask the same question here. Is this real leather, and who made it? That's exactly what we help them understand.
Visit Marrakech Medina, The Best Shopping and Walking Tour Company in Marrakech, has guided travelers through the souks 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 Take You To Honest Leather Merchants? Our private souks shopping tour, leather bags, babouches, lanterns and spices from the artisans.
• Can You Walk Souk El Kebir With No Shopping Pressure? Our private walking tour, Jemaa el-Fna, the souks, the Mellah, the fondouks and the herbalist.
• Is The Rug Souk Close To The Leather Souk? Our private rug shopping tour, weaving cooperatives, Beni Ourain, Azilal and kilims.
• Can Your Group Shop The Leather Souks With Its Own Guide? All our tours are private, one guide, one group, one truly personal experience.
• Can You Visit The Leather Souk With A Guide Today? Last-minute private tours, often within the hour.
Where is Souk El Kebir and how do you get there?
Address Souk El Kebir, between Rahba Kedima and Souk Cherratine, Medina, 40000 Marrakech, Morocco
Open Souk El Kebir On Google Maps
Stand at the Café de France on Jemaa el-Fna, facing the souks. In front of you is the main entrance of Souk Semmarine. Walk straight up this main lane, the "avenue" of the souks, for about 600 meters. Near its northern end, Semmarine splits. Souk El Attarine goes to the left, toward the brass lanterns and the dyers. Souk El Kebir goes to the right, toward the leather. Keep right, follow the smell of leather, and you're in the leather merchants' souk. The walk takes about 10 minutes, a little more if you stop to look.
• How Do You Walk From Jemaa El-Fna To The Leather Souk? about 700 meters, 10 minutes on foot
Locals and maps don't always agree on where one souk ends and the next one begins, and phones often lose their way under the covered lanes. Read Why Does Google Maps Get Lost In The Leather Souks?
How far is Souk El Kebir from the other souks and monuments?
Souk El Kebir sits right in the heart of the souks. Each link opens the walking route on Google Maps.
• Souk El Kebir To Rahba Kedima, The Spice Square about 100 meters, 2 minutes
• Souk El Kebir To Souk El Attarine about 150 meters, 2 minutes
• Souk El Kebir To Souk Cherratine, The Leather Workshops about 200 meters, 3 minutes
• Souk El Kebir To Souk Smata, The Babouche Souk about 250 meters, 4 minutes
• Souk El Kebir To The Criée Berbère, The Rug Souk about 150 meters, 2 minutes
• Souk El Kebir To The Ben Youssef Madrasa about 350 meters, 5 minutes
• Souk El Kebir To Souk Sebbaghine, The Dyers' Souk about 400 meters, 6 minutes
• Souk El Kebir To Le Jardin Secret about 400 meters, 6 minutes
• Souk El Kebir To The Bab Debbagh Tanneries about 1.2 km, 17 minutes
• Souk El Kebir To The Koutoubia about 1.1 km, 15 minutes
• Souk El Kebir To The Bahia Palace about 1.4 km, 20 minutes
• Souk El Kebir To La Mamounia about 1.6 km, 22 minutes
• Souk El Kebir To The Royal Mansour about 1.5 km, 21 minutes
Distances are approximate walking distances through the souks. Staying in a riad near Ben Youssef, Mouassine or Sidi Ishak? You're usually 5 to 10 minutes away on foot.
Which souks are near Souk El Kebir?
Looking for souks near me while you're shopping for leather? Around Souk El Kebir, you'll find most of the best craft souks of Marrakech within a few minutes on foot.
• Souk Cherratine the leather workshops, where bags, poufs and saddles are cut and stitched by hand
• Souk Smata the babouche souk, leather slippers in every color, and the leather belts that gave it its name
• Souk El Attarine the old spice and perfume souk, today brass lanterns, teapots and trays
• Rahba Kedima the spice square, herbalists, baskets and straw hats
• Criée Berbère and Souk Zrabi the rug souk, Beni Ourain, Azilal and kilims. See What Can You Buy In Souk Zrabi, The Rug Souk?
• Souk Haddadine the blacksmiths, wrought iron lanterns and gates
• Souk Semmarine the main souk back to Jemaa el-Fna. See What Can You Find In Souk Semmarine?
So whenever you search for souks near me from the leather lanes, you're already in the middle of everything. The babouche, rug, brass and spice souks are all within a 5-minute walk.
What does the name Souk El Kebir mean?
Kebir means big in Darija, the Moroccan Arabic. Souk El Kebir is simply the big souk, one of the long main lanes of the Medina, and for generations it has been the street of the leather merchants. Behind it, in Souk Cherratine and the small workshops around it, the leatherworkers cut, stitch and finish the pieces sold on the main lane. The leather itself comes from the tanneries of Bab Debbagh, in the northeast of the Medina, where hides of goat, sheep and cow have been tanned for centuries in stone pits. Our guides like to show the full chain, the tannery, the workshop and the merchant, so you understand what you're buying.
Want to meet the craftsmen behind the shops? Read Who Are The Last Artisans Of The Marrakech Souks?
What leather goods can you buy in Souk El Kebir?
• Bags and satchels shoulder bags, tote bags, crossbody bags, backpacks and the classic Moroccan satchel with brass buckles
• Travel bags duffle bags and weekenders, often in thick cowhide, some made to order with your initials embossed
• Belts plain, braided or tooled, with brass or silver-colored buckles, often cut to your size on the spot
• Wallets and small leather goods card holders, coin purses, passport covers, key rings and glasses cases
• Leather jackets soft sheepskin and lambskin jackets, sometimes made to measure in a few days
• Poufs embroidered leather poufs, often sold empty and flat, easy to pack and fill at home
• Babouches pointed leather slippers, many coming from Souk Smata next door
• Notebooks and bookbinding leather journals with tooled covers, a light gift for the suitcase
On our Best Leather Shopping Tour In The Marrakech Souks, we take you to the merchants and workshops we trust, and help you choose the right piece.
How do you spot real Moroccan leather?
• The smell real leather smells warm and earthy, a chemical or plastic smell is a warning sign. Note that freshly tanned Moroccan leather can smell strong for a few weeks, which is normal
• The edges cut edges of real leather show fibers, imitation leather shows a fabric or foam layer
• The back side real leather is suede-like and fibrous on the inside, imitation is smooth plastic or woven fabric
• The surface real hide has small marks, pores and variations, a perfectly even grain is often printed
• The stitching tight, regular stitches and stitched edges last longer than glued ones
• The color rub a damp white tissue on dyed leather, a little color is normal, a lot means it will stain your clothes
• The hardware ask if buckles and clasps are solid brass or plated, plated metal can wear off quickly
• The label "camel leather" is often goat or cow, buy the bag you love, not the label
See more tricks in How Do Our Guides Check Leather Quality In The Souks?
Can you order a custom leather piece in Souk El Kebir?
Yes, and it's one of the best things to do in the leather souks. Many merchants work with a workshop behind the shop, and can make a bag, a belt, a jacket or a duffle bag to your size, in the color of leather you choose, with your initials embossed. Bring a photo or a drawing, agree on the leather, the hardware, the lining and the size in writing, and count about 5 to 10 days of work for a bag. Order early in your trip, check the piece before paying the rest, and ask for shipping if you leave before it's ready.
When is the best time to visit Souk El Kebir?
• Morning from about 9 am to noon, the lanes are calmer, the merchants are fresh and have time to show you their leather
• Afternoon busier and livelier, the best atmosphere for photos of the bags hanging in the lane
• Friday many shops close for a few hours around midday prayer
• Evening many shops stay open until about 7 or 8 pm, but the workshops behind are often already closed
See What Time Do The Leather Souks Of Marrakech Open?
What are the best tips for shopping in the leather souk?
• Look before you buy walk the whole lane once, compare, then come back to the shops you liked
• Bargain with a smile the first price is an opening, take your time and enjoy the conversation
• Ask where it's made merchants who work with their own workshop are usually happy to show it
• Think about your luggage empty poufs, wallets and belts pack flat, big bags can carry your other souvenirs home
• Ignore street helpers young men who offer to take you to "the tanneries" or a "Berber market that closes today" usually lead you to a shop
• Watch the motorbikes Souk El Kebir is a main lane, and scooters pass often, keep to the side
• Find your way back walk back down to Souk Semmarine and follow it to Jemaa el-Fna. For a calmer way, see Is There A Quiet Loop Back From The Leather Souk?
What Happens On A Real Tour With Us?
Traveler from the United Kingdom
"Our guide's walking tour was the highlight of our Marrakech trip."
What Do Our Guests Usually Ask On The Tour?
Traveler from Ireland
"Our guide tailored everything to our interests."
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 discover the leather souks with a local? 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 the souks 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 a specialist local resource for discovering the traditional souks, shopping streets, artisans and crafts of the Marrakech Medina, and the authentic shopping experiences they offer, backed by more than 20 years of local guiding experience.