What makes this tour special
Step inside this centuries-old trading hub - the first of Morocco's four imperial cities - and the peace and tranquility of the rural landscape abruptly ceases.
- Visit the city’s largest mosque, the highly-decorated Koutoubia Mosque with its 77-metre minaret (253 feet)
- See fortune tellers, snake charmers, poets, and storytellers on historic square Jemma el Fna
- Discover the cultural importance of Marrakech’s UNESCO World Heritage sites
- See the silk-spinners, spice-sellers, rug stalls and basket weaves in the Souks of the Medina
- Marvel at the ‘palace of the beautiful’ - the Bahia Palace - a masterpiece of Moroccan architecture
- Learn about the psyche of the Marrakech people and the cultural norms in a city with a population of 1-million
- Visit the only surviving remains of the Saadian dynasty (1524-1659), the intricately decorated sepulchres of the Saadian Tombs
- See the Ben Youssef Medersa, Marrakech’s large madrasa, an Islamic college of religious studies and instruction.
- Learn about the construction of the ramparts using pisé, a reddish pink clay, which glows spectacularly in the setting sun
- Relish the enchanting gardens of Jardin Majorelle created by French painter Jacques Majorelle (1886-1962)
- Marvel at orchards and ponds of Jardin se l’Aguedal, a sultan’s retreat that stretches south of the Royal Palace
Marrakech is where Europe, Africa and the Middle East intermingle in an exhilarating riot of noise, smells and colour that defines the character of the great city of the Maghreb. Tightly packed, and bubbling with an irrepressible energy, Marrakech is a rarity in a fastly-homogenized world. Founded a thousand years ago, on the edge of the Sahara Desert, its palaces of pinkish hue are backdropped by the snow-dusted peaks of the High Atlas. Crowds nudge, livestock squawks, vendors holler and food stalls spit and billow as snake charmers pipe sweet music next to stalls selling henna tattoos. Marrakech’s history is living, breathing and intoxicating, with the ancient section of the city designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985.
Your full day tour of Marrakech takes an in-depth look at the city on an exploration of its major sites. Discover that although the legendary goods-ladened camels of the trans-Saharan caravans no longer roll through, Marrakech remains a seductive destination, drawing visitors from all over the world to its maze-like medina. Experience skillful bartering in the souks and marvel at the painted hues of red, orange and pink of Marrakesh’s sun-baked monochromatic walls and ramparts. Your stroll around the city takes you past the city’s photogenic doorways, leafy courtyards and mosaic-clad riads.
Walk through time on the Heart of Marrakech Full Day tour through the bustling square Jemma el-Fna square through a puzzle of streets and alleys, where you will experience first-hand the mules and push carts of the city piled high with wares. Surrounded by fine historic sites, you will also visit the Koutoubia Mosque, the Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs and the famous Ben Youssef Medersa, steeped in ancient stories. Though it is just a 15-minute walk from Marrakech’s modern office buildings and nightclubs, the 21st century truly feels a lifetime away. After a delicious Moroccan lunch, explore the beautiful blooms and shrubs the city’s stunning Majorelle and Menara Gardens, in which you will appreciate the fresher, cooler environs. You will also experience the striking contrasts when you visit Marrakech’s new city “Gueliz,” with its stylish wide French-era boulevards and upscale Moroccan and European restaurants.
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