2 days in Marrakech

Day by day

1. Day 1: Jemaa el-Fnaa and Koutoubia Mosque

   Jemaa el-Fnaa, Koutoubia Mosque, Bahia Palace and Ben Youssef Madrasa, then Jemaa el-Fnaa in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Jemaa el-Fnaa

      UNESCO recognised its living traditions in 2001 as a masterpiece of intangible heritage.

   2. Late morning

      Koutoubia Mosque

      Non-Muslims cannot enter the mosque, but the gardens beside it are free and the minaret is lit at night.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Tagine

      Every restaurant and café; small places around the souks serve simple versions at lunchtime.

   4. Afternoon

      Bahia Palace

      The vast marble courtyard and the harem quarters are the highlights.

   5. Late afternoon

      Ben Youssef Madrasa

      Its courtyard of carved cedar, stucco and zellige around a marble pool is one of the finest in Morocco, and the tiny student rooms upstairs overlook it. It reopened in 2022 after restoration.

   6. Evening

      Jemaa el-Fnaa

      Musicians, storytellers and food stalls fill the square every evening until late.

2. Day 2: Jardin Majorelle and Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech

   Jardin Majorelle, Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech, The souks and Saadian Tombs, then Gueliz in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Jardin Majorelle

      Cacti, bamboo and bougainvillea surround pools and fountains, and the former studio houses a museum of Amazigh (Berber) arts.

   2. Late morning

      Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech

      Opened in 2017 in a terracotta-brick building close to Jardin Majorelle, the museum displays rotating selections of Yves Saint Laurent's haute couture, sketches and photographs, alongside temporary exhibitions on fashion and Moroccan culture.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Tanjia marrakchia

      Tanjia stalls in the souks near Jemaa el-Fnaa and some riad restaurants, which may ask you to order ahead.

   4. Afternoon

      The souks

      North of Jemaa el-Fnaa, a maze of covered lanes is divided by trade: Souk Semmarine for textiles and slippers, the dyers' souk with skeins of coloured wool drying overhead, the metalworkers of Souk Haddadine, and stalls of leather, lanterns, spices and carpets.

   5. Late afternoon

      Saadian Tombs

      The Chamber of the Twelve Columns, with marble pillars and gilded cedar, holds the tomb of Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur.

   6. Evening

      Gueliz

      Wine bars, cocktail lounges and restaurants around Avenue Mohammed V.

Before you go

• Jardin Majorelle: Entry is by timed ticket bought online, and slots sell out in high season; book a few days ahead.

If it rains

• Swap in Dar Si Said (Medina): Visit before shopping for carpets to learn regional styles and what good quality looks like.
• Swap in Hammam experience (Medina): For a first visit choose a spa or riad hammam with the scrub included; for a public one, bring flip-flops, a towel and a change of underwear.
• Swap in Marrakech Museum (Medina): Step in when the madrasa queue is long; the courtyard is a cool, quiet place to sit.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 10–13 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.1 hours in December to 14.2 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. Most medina sights are within a 20-minute walk of Jemaa el-Fnaa, but the lanes are narrow, poorly signed and shared with scooters and donkey carts.

More or fewer days

• One day in Marrakech
• 3 days in Marrakech
• 4 days in Marrakech
• 5 days in Marrakech
• 7 days in Marrakech

Questions travellers ask