Top 10 activities to do in Marrakech : The utlimate guide for tourists in 2026
Explore Marrakech hands free : smart lockers available by D7 Solutions in city center in various locations.
Marrakech, the Red City: founded in 1062 and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, is today one of Africa’s most popular tourist destinations. More than 3 million visitors travel there each year for its labyrinthine souks, enchanting riads, secret gardens, and excursions to the peaks of the Atlas. This guide lists the 10 must-do activities, practical advice on opening hours and budgets, and reveals how to enjoy every moment with your hands completely free thanks to the LOCK N GO smart lockers offered by D7 Solutions at several locations throughout the city.
Jemaa el-Fna : The beating heart of Marrakech
🕙 best time visit : Sunset 💰Free 📍 Médina, Marrakech ⏱ 1–3h
Jemaa el-Fna square in Marrakech is the nerve center of any visit. In the morning, freshly squeezed orange-juice vendors and colorful herb-sellers’ stalls enliven the space. At sunset, the square transforms into a unique open-air spectacle: storytellers (hlaykia), Gnawa musicians, snake charmers, Berber acrobats and dozens of grill vendors set up their steaming, temporary restaurants.
Listed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, Jemaa el-Fna is a total sensory experience. Climb to the roof of Café de France or Café Argana to take in the square with a single glance before plunging into it.
💡D7 Solutions tip: The square is crowded and pickpockets are active. Leave your camera, backpack and suitcase in a LOCK N GO smart locker provided by D7 SOLUTIONS before exploring Jemaa el-Fna, enjoy the spectacle hands-free and with peace of mind.
Souks of the Médina : a labyrinth of a thousand treasures
🕙 9h–18h 💰 Free (depends on budget) 📍 Médina North, Marrakech ⏱ 2–4h
The souks in Marrakech make up the largest market in Morocco. Over one square kilometer of shaded alleyways, each lane is dedicated to a particular craft: Souk Semmarine for textiles and carpets, the Dyers’ Souk (Souk Sebbaghine) for wools dyed in bright colors, the Jewelers’ Souk, Souk Attarine for spices… More than 3,000 shops sit side by side there, some unchanged since the 11th century.
Be prepared to haggle: the first price offered can be up to 200% higher than the true value. Accept the mint tea that is offered as a ritual, refusing it can cause offense. Start from the assumption that an item is worth between 30% and 50% of the initial price quoted.
🔐Shop without constraints with D7 Solutions: Drop your bags in a locker before entering the souks. At the end of your visit, retrieve your luggage and purchases from your locker. 24/7 access via QR code, digital payment in seconds.
Jardin Majorelle & Musée Yves Saint Laurent
🕙 8h30–18h (tlj) 💰 170 MAD 📍 Guéliz Quarter, Marrakech ⏱ 1h30–2h30 🎟 Online Reservation
The Majorelle Garden in Marrakech is one of the most photographed tourist attractions on the African continent. Designed by the French painter Jacques Majorelle in 1924 and bought and saved by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé in 1980, this garden, with its electrifying cobalt blue, the famed "Majorelle blue", houses an exceptional collection of exotic plants: giant bamboo, palms, millennia-old cacti, and lily ponds.
A short walk away is the Yves Saint Laurent Museum Marrakech (MYSLM), dedicated to the life and work of the couturier. Its temporary and permanent exhibitions attract an international audience passionate about fashion and design.
Pro tip: Arrive at opening (8:30 AM) to avoid queues, the garden is full by 10:00 AM in high season. Tickets sell out fast on the official site.
Palais Bahia & Tombeaux Saadiens
🕙 9h–17h30 💰 70 MAD (Bahia) · 70 MAD (Saadiens) 📍 Médina South, Marrakech ⏱ 1h–2h per site
The Bahia Palace in Marrakech is a masterpiece of 19th-century Andalusian and Islamic architecture. Its 160 rooms spread over 8 hectares, multicolored zellige tiles, carved cedar ceilings, and orange-tree–filled courtyards make it one of the most beautiful palaces in Morocco. Note: some wings are still under renovation following the 2023 earthquake.
A 10-minute walk away, the Saadian Tombs are an architectural gem little known to the general public. Rediscovered in 1917, these 16th-century mausoleums house the remains of 166 members of the Saadian dynasty. The Hall of 12 Columns is of absolute grace.
Médersa Ben Youssef : The pearl of the Médina
🕙 9h–18h 💰 70 MAD 📍 Médina North, Marrakech ⏱ 45min–1h30
The Ben Youssef Madrasa in Marrakech is the largest Quranic school in the Maghreb, founded in the 14th century and fully restored. Its 132 student cells, galleries of carved stucco, cedarwood mashrabiyas and geometric zellij tiles stand as an absolute testament to Marinid Islamic art. The building could accommodate up to 900 students studying Islamic theology.
💡 Recommended Combo : Médersa Ben Youssef, Museum of Marrakech and Qoubba Almoravide are located in the North Zone of the Médina, count half a day to visit all three by walk.
Traditionnal Hammam : The rituel of moroccan purification
🕙 Better in the morning 💰 80–500 MAD 📍 Different options ⏱ 1h–2h
A stay in Marrakech without a hammam is a missed opportunity. This ancestral steam bath, practiced since Roman times and now one of the pillars of Moroccan culture, combines intense steam, a scrub with beldi black soap, a wrap of ghassoul clay and a massage with argan oil. The experience is at once purifying, de-stressing and culturally immersive.
Opt for a popular hammam (local neighborhood, 15–30 MAD) for authenticity, or for a high-end riad hammam (Hammam de la Rose, Hammam Ziani) for comfort. Bring a towel, black soap and a kess (exfoliating glove).
🧳Before your hammam, secure your belongings : store your passeport, money and bags secured smart locker LOCK N GO offered by D7 Solutions. Enjoy your hammam without any concern, our smart locks protect then while your relaxing
See smart lockers locations →
Hiking in the Atlas : Valley berbères & Mont Toubkal
🕙 Sunrise 💰 200–800 MAD (excursion guided) 📍 1h30 from Marrakech ⏱ One night
Only a 1.5-hour drive from Marrakech, the Atlas Mountains offer a complete change of scenery. The Ourika Valley, the Aït Benhaddou Valley, and the Ouzoud Waterfalls are the most popular excursions. For hikers, the ascent of Mount Toubkal (4,167 m, the highest peak in North Africa) is an unforgettable 2- to 3-day adventure.
Authentic Berber villages dot the valleys: the inhabitants still practice the same artisanal traditions as several centuries ago. A mule or horseback ride perfectly complements this immersion in rural Morocco.
💡Advice : Travel light! Before your excursion into the Atlas, drop off your suitcases and bulky luggage in a D7 Solutions locker in town. Take only a daypack, stay overnight with a local host, and return the next day free and carefree.
Cooking course : Tagine, couscous & pastilla
🕙 9h–13h ou 16h–20h 💰 250–600 MAD 📍 Médina and riads ⏱ 3–4h
Moroccan cuisine from Morocco is listed as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. A cooking class with a local chef usually begins at the souk: you pick out saffron, ras el hanout, preserved lemons and olives, then you learn to prepare a lamb tagine with prunes, a seven-vegetable couscous, or a chicken and almond pastilla. The best cooking schools are La Maison Arabe, Souk Cuisine and workshops held in private riads.
The Palmeraie : Carriage, camels and bivouac
🕙 One day 💰 150–400 MAD
The Palmeraie of Marrakech covers 13,000 hectares north of the city, home to more than 100,000 date palms. A carriage ride, a camel ride or a horseback excursion through this sea of greenery offers a radically different perspective of the city. In the evening, bivouacs under the palms with a traditional dinner, Gnawa music and a starry sky are among the most cherished experiences for travelers.
Secret Garden & Remparts of the Médina
🕙 9h30–18h30 💰 50–100 MAD 📍 Médina, Marrakech ⏱ 1h–1h30
Less well known than the Jardin Majorelle, the Jardin Secret Marrakech is a valuable alternative: two distinct gardens, Islamic and exotic, carefully restored, with zellige-tiled fountains and a panoramic tower offering the best views over the roofs of the Medina. Also be sure to take a twilight walk along the Medina's ramparts: 19 km of ochre walls, dotted with 200 towers, dating from the 12th century and giving Marrakech its nickname "The Red City."
