Travel Guide: The Palaces & Gardens Of Old Marrakech 

If you're visiting Marrakech you can't go past the absolutely breath taking palaces, gardens and galleries that tell tales of old worlds.

Arriving back into Marrakech this year has been a soul filling experience after the last 2 years away with the pandemic.

I've spent the first few weeks beating the jet lag with early morning laps around the old Medina, getting my daily step count up in tourist mode visiting all the heritage sites, in between rooftop catch ups with suppliers and old friends.

Like so many destinations that have become increasingly social media famous over the last few years, Marrakech is rapidly modernising. It's seeing a huge spike in tourism numbers this year as holiday starved travellers, fashion brands and film crews flock back to the city in search of the iconic photos in it's dusty pink streets, it's romantic roof tops, and luxury riads with their sparkling tiled swimming pools.

The Instagram version of Marrakech often heavily focused on the latest hotel openings, new rooftop bars, luxury desert camps and concept stores. This influencer style of tourism often missing the heart and soul of the people and the culture, and the back streets where local life is lived.

If you're visiting Marrakech and want to find a balance between capturing the dreamy instagram version, and experiencing a piece of the old Marrakech, you can't go past the absolutely breath taking palaces, gardens and galleries that tell tales of old worlds.

Here's some of them to put on your itinerary:

Marrakech Medina, Jmaa El Fna

Not much happens around the medina before 10am, so I love wandering the quiet and calm streets early in the mornings with no crowds.

The stall holders and street cleaners setting up at Jmaa El Fna, the shop keepers mindfully sweeping their steps and stacking their wares, before the organised chaos begins.

Once the crowds kick in it's back to orange juice sellers yelling for your attention from their stalls, snake and monkey handlers chasing tourists for photos, Berber music troops playing their drums, t-shirt sellers, acrobats and henna artists - the energy is a full blown assault on all 5 senses at once. And I love it.

In the evenings Jmaa El Fna turns into a bustling night market with pop-up bbq restaurants, side show activities for families, traditional story tellers and musicians.

A protected UNESCO heritage site, Marrakech's medina and under cover souks have had a huge amount of funds funnelled into it over the last few years for restoring significant buildings, re-paving the streets, and upgrading the old ramshackle and mis-matched doorways.

The old thatched awnings throughout the neighbourhoods that let the dappled sunlight in and give the streets those magical shadows, mostly being replaced by uniformed lattice panels and shade cloths.

Ben Youssef Madrasa

Possibly to most iconic of all the heritage sites in Marrakech, the old Islamic College and Mosque Ben Youssef has recently re-opened after the last 3 years of being closed for restorations.

Incredibly I was lucky enough to wander in with no crowds on this particular day, and got the most magnificent view of the empty courtyard. A photographer's dream with it's intricate hand carved arches with Islamic inscriptions and it's mosaics of traditional hand made zellige tiles.

Buy your tickets online prior to your via the Ben Youssef official website, or line up for a ticket at the door

Open 9am - 7pm every day

Palais El Badi

Another palace that has had significant restorations being carried out in recent years. The 16th Century 'incomparable palace' has generations of both wealth poured into it, and decline - with it's riches and resources pillaged for other monuments over the years. 

This ancient palace is also home to a number of nesting stalks on the tops of the palace walls, and has been the scene of glitzy parties and catwalk shows for international film and fashion festivals.

Get there early to catch the morning shadows and empty courtyards before the school groups and tour crowds arrive.

Purchase your ticket at the front gate on entry.

Open 9am - 5pm every day

Dar El Bacha & The Confluence Museum

Dating back to the early 1900s it's the newer of the palaces built during French colonial times. Built as a home for powerful politician and governor of Marrakech at the time.

The recent renovations have been meticulously restoring it's traditional architecture full of hand carved arches and zillege tiled salons, and courtyards full of orange trees and fountains.

It's here you'll also find the famous Bacha Coffee house. But be warned there's a long wait to enter this magically old world tiled coffee salon so arrive early.

Purchase your tickets for entry at the front door.

Open Tuesday to Sunday 9:30 - 6pm

Marrakech Photography Museum

I love a walk around this historic old riad reading the stories of the waves of migrants, caravan trails and communities. The photography is an incredible time capsule into the Marrakech of the past and it's people. The rooftop has a nice view and set menu for lunch too.

Purchase your tickets for entry at the front door, and visit the official Maison de la Photographie website for news of new exhibitions

Open every day from 9:30 - 7pm

The Bahia Palace

An expansive and opulent palace built in the late 19th century. Usually the busiest of the historical monuments, with waves of crowds flowing through the huge courtyards, traditional gardens and labyrinth of zellige tiled rooms with huge fireplaces, hand painted doors and impossibly high ceilings.

Buy your ticket at the gate rather than a 3rd party ticket platform

Get in early as this palace gets increasingly crowded and busier through out the day

Open every day 9am - 5pm

Le Jardin Secret

The Secret Garden is one of my favourite stops in the medina for a bit of reprieve from the bustling streets just outside.

The 400 year old palace and traditional courtyard gardens are beautiful example of islamic architecture, rebuilt in the 1900s to it's former glory. It's also home to a number of small pop up gallery spaces and sunny courtyards for a coffee.

Purchase your ticket at the gate or via the offical Le Jardin Secret website

Open every day 9:30 - 6:30pm

What are the best heritage sites to see in Marrakech?

Now I'm not suggesting to get all of these palaces and gardens ticked off the list in a day or two - quite the opposite actually. It's taken me years to get to all of these palaces and see them properly.

Walking from one end of the medina to the other on foot in the heat is both tiring and can be a bit overwhelming. So if you've only got a couple of days to spend in the Red City, my advice is to pick one or two you'd like to see and get there early to avoid the crowds.

If I was to choose my favourites I'd say Ben Youssef and Dar El Bacha are the two not to miss.

Then head back into the souks to enjoy a refreshing cold drink or mint tea above the rooftops to rest your weary legs. The mint and lemon mojito at Shtatto is the perfect spot!