Walk around Marrakech old Medina! PART 1
The word “Medina” in English means “City”, and this word is used in Morocco to point out the Old part of the cities. Medina = Old City.
Marrakech Medina is big, YES, you will get lost eventually, it’s normal. Many people don’t profit from Marrakech’s labyrinth streets, inside the markets (souks) and from many interesting places, because they will get lost. And no one likes to be lost specially in such a chaotic and different environment such as Marrakech!
Riads-marrakesh.net will Suggest an Itinerary around Marrakech, pointing you out BY TEXT AND BY MAP, the best places to go, within a made Itinerary, this way you can actually study Marrakech Medina geography and get to know where to go, what to see, where to turn right or left.
Let Us guide You! LETS GO!!!
Suggested Itinerary: Let’s walk around Marrakech old Medina!
We will start in Djemaa el Fna main square. Nothing to get lost about at this point.
This is the center of the city, and all the interior souks will start here.
We will start walking direction of the Marrakech Museum, but first, visiting a traditional Weaving Association called Foundouk Moulay Hfid that is located inside an old 18th century Moroccan caravanserai, and after, we visit the Marrakech Tanneries, a compound where the leather tanning process is applied. Both the museum and the tanneries are located in the heart of the Medina, and somehow hard to get there if you don’t know where to go. Do you want to see how local craftsmen make carpets and work the leather and enjoy some nice architecture and an impressive museum? Come on!
We have to walk north-east towards Derb Dabachi street. In Derb Dabachi you have many shops and some restaurants. In the morning this is one of Marrakech’s old Medina busiest streets.
This street have quite a few interesting places. The street itself its a typical red street, usually full of people, and, it’s kind of a more local people street, less than touristy.
You can check out for spices, and perfumes on this tiny shop right before the Derb Jdid street arch on your left. Shop on the right side of the street. Please check out the map below for more instruction.
If you feel like having a morning natural fruit juice, there are plenty of juice shops around, why not to give it a try? There is one nice juice shop on the corner point of 2 streets, the end of Derb Dabachi » start of 2 streets: Taoulat Ben Saleh streets that goes left (this is where we are going!!!), and, Sidi Boulabada street that goes straight direction Bad Ahmed street.
Do you want to continue exploring Marrakech? Please go to our PAGE 2 » Marrakech Medina. Thank you.
Satellite Map of Marrakech, Google Map of Marrakech, Morocco
Click on the little green spots for directions. You can zoom around the map, and, when you click on the buttons you can actually see some videos and photos of the places you’re passing through.
View Walk around Marrakech Morocco – PART 1 in a larger map
Do you want to continue exploring Marrakech? Please go to our PAGE 2 » Marrakech Medina. Thank you.
Walk around Marrakech old Medina! PART 2
The word “Derb” in English means “Street”, and, inside Marrakech old Medina you have thousands of little Derbs »» from the Arabic word Derb = Street or Path.
After you add your cup of fresh fruit juice, either orange, banana or avocado (or everything mixed!), we are now ready to continue walking towards the tanneries. We still have to walk for a while, so please don’t give up yet! Did you bring comfortable shoes with you?
Having the right shoes can make a different while you walk the whole day in the Medina, for sure that after 4 hours walking you’ll be wondering why you didn’t bring those great athletic shoes you had back home?! Marrakech Medina comprises itself inside 19 km long defensive wall made of red mud bricks. Yes it’s big.
On this page you will go from Derb Dabachi street all the way passing Ben Sahel square and visiting Foundouk Moulay Hfid weaving association, all the way straight to Bab Khemis street until you visit one small local tannery. After we walk direction the Marrakech Museum but make a small break at one of many existing herbalists. Have fun!
Let Us guide You! LETS GO!!!
Suggested Itinerary: Let’s walk around Marrakech old Medina!
In the end of Derb Dabachi we will turn left into Derb Talouat Ben Saleh street, direction of the Ben Saleh Mosque located on a little square with the same name.
After passing the Ben Saleh Mosque, we continue straight on until we reach the Derb Bab el Khemis street, where we’ll find the Foundok Moulay Hfid Weaving Association. In here you can learn and watch live how real craftsmen and carpet masters work on several material. They are specialized in traditional Moroccan weaving of carpets, blankets, bed shits, bed and table covers, scarves, slippers, djellabas and gandoras.
The visit is free but you can ask the local guide/responsible to tour you around with small explanation for a little money. Discuss with him before. The Association is located on the 2nd floor of the Foundouk Moulay Hfid that is an old 18th century Moroccan caravanserai located in the Essebtiyne district inside the old Medina. You will love it, to see the people working, to view the terrace and enjoy the experience of being among working people in Marrakech.
We keep on going up the Derb Bab el Khemis street, until we finally reach Derb Bab Debbagh street on the right side. Bad el Khemis is a insane full of people street, shops, bakeries, barber shops, fruit stalls, juice shops, you name it! very unique place, enjoy.
As soon as you reach Bab Debbagh, probably some people will come to you offering their guidance services. This people will take money from you so please, unless you wish to pay, you say no. You can ask local people how to get to the tanneries and inside, you can get a better guide which will explain you the whole tannery process (also payed).
Tanning leather involves a process which permanently alters the skin so that it cannot ever return to its raw state.
After you visiting the tanneries, we go up to the same street until Derb Bab Khemis, where you can have another juice on the corner fruit shop, try the special panache juice this time! Vitamins are never too much!
We continue right, and a couple of meters after you turn left to get the Derb Bin Lafnadek, where you walk straight until you reach the Des Amis Herborist. Please check out the map below for more instruction.
Out PART 2 of this itinerary stops here. Give yourselg a rest before we go on. Why not to give it a stop to learn a little bit more about natural herbs at Des Amis Herlalist? Herbalists in Marrakech are an old and respectful profession, and, you’ll enter into a whole different world.
An Herbalist is person whose life is dedicated to medicinal uses of plants. On this herbalist you’ll find a wide and exotic choice of plants, herbal teas, natural products such as perfumes, creams, balms and massage oils. Beware that prices can change as you discuss and bargain them. Don’t stick yourself for the first asked price. You’re in Morocco, you have to bargain to get cheaper, it makes part of the experience. Go on Bargain and why not accept the tea they probably will make to you? Yes, enjoy Marrakech!
Do you want to continue exploring Marrakech? Please go to our PAGE 3 » Marrakech Medina. Thank you.
Satellite Map of Marrakech, Google Map of Marrakech, Morocco
Click on the little green spots for directions. You can zoom around the map, and, when you click on the buttons you can actually see some videos and photos of the places your passing through.
View Walk around Marrakech Morocco – PART 2 in a larger map
Do you want to continue exploring Marrakech? Please go to our PAGE 3 » Marrakech Medina. Thank you.
Walk around Marrakech old Medina! PART 3
The Arabic word “Madrasa”, in English means “School” for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious although the present use in the English language tend to be to point out religious facilities» Madrasah = School.
Here we are, on the PART 3 of our Marrakech exploration. We have to thank you for keeping reading and arriving to this page. We sincerely hope you can take advantage of this information in order to get to know Marrakech much better.
When you get there, you’ll know the city not as the normal tourist. By now you should know names of streets, some monuments and interesting information about Marrakech. Congratulations!
Supposely, you went shopping for natural stuff on the last PART 2 right? What did you get? That amazing Musk bar parfume? Massage Oil from Argan? Are you ready to keep on walking?
On this page we will walk for a while, you will visit many interesting places such as the Dar Bellarj Art Foundation, the Ben Youssef Madrassa, Marrakech Museum, the Almoravides Qoubba, and finally, you’ll cross almost to the end of the Medina, to see something interesting, the Zouia Sidi Bel Abbes, a place of worship, blessings and outreach for the poor.
From this point, you’ll take a taxi, YES! Taking a taxi in Marrakech makes also part of the adventure, and, you’ll have the opportunity to see the outside Medina Ramparts, all the way to Bahia Palace, on the other side of the Medina. Approximately, 10 minutes taxi ride!
Let Us guide You! LETS GO!!!
Suggested Itinerary: Let’s walk around Marrakech old Medina!
We will start in descending the Derb Bin Lafnadek street, and, right after the Des Amis Herbalist, you can already notice the walls of the Ben Youssef Madrassa on your left side. Follow the walls until the last corner, where you’ll have the door of Dar Bellarj.
This will be your first contact with Art in Morocco. Dar Bellarj is a interesting Art Foundation promoting Moroccan artists inside a magnificent well preserved riad house. You can walk around in all the riad rooms, and check out the sculpture room downstairs. There’s a small cafeteria serving delicious mint tea on a relaxing ambient.
After visiting the Art Foundation, we will buy a ticket for 3 monuments, if you buy the 3 in 1 ticket the price is much cheaper. You have to buy the ticket inside Marrakech Museum garden. You’ll be able to visit inside Marrakech Museum, the Ben Youssef Madrassa and the Almoravides Qoubba with 1 ticket.
You have plenty to see at this moment. Take your time, explore inside Dar Menebhi Palace, built at the end of the 19th century that holds the Museum, then, go to the Ben Youssef Madrassa and finally, you can visit the open air monument of Almoravides Qoubba. All these monuments are great to take pictures and learn a bit more about Marrakech history. The Ben Youssef Madrasa was an Islamic college named after the almoravid sultan Ali ibn Yusuf on the 12th century.
Also, and not far from Ben Youssef Medrassa, you can visit the Shouf Fountain that was built during the reign of the Saadian sultan Ahmad al-Mansur in the 16th century.
By now, you are probably hungry aren’t you? Unless you want something cheap (you’ll find plenty of street restaurants on this area), we advise you to eat at Cafe Arabe, just 5 minutes away from Marrakech Museum, on Derb Mouassine street. This is a very nice and quality restaurant inside the Medina. Great Experience and helpful staff.
Now, are you ready for that big walk you were waiting for? YES, lets go deep into the Medina, reaching Derb Dour Saboun street (check out the map below for further instructions please), direction of Zaouia of Sidi Bel Abbes, where there’s a sacred monument aside the cemetery with the name of the patron Saint of the city of Marrakech. This place is unique as you have a mixture of a great architecture, with the real live of people coming here to get well and make wishes.
After you visit around this place, you will now take the first taxi you can, and, asking to make the taximeter work, ask for the Bahia Palace. You will now take a 15 minutes taxi ride outside of the city of Marrakech, where you’ll have the chance to notice the beautiful outside walls of the Medina, the well known Marrakech Ramparts. tell the taxi driver to go through the Rue des Remparts street, and, Rue Imam el Ghazali street. This are the southern streets to get to the Palace. Don’t let him take you along the west side, as you’ll see less interesting view, and just a part of the new town.
You are now in the Bahia Palace! We will continue this walk on the next PART 4!
Do you want to continue exploring Marrakech? Please come back later, PART 4 is under construction. Thank you.
Satellite Map of Marrakech, Google Map of Marrakech, Morocco
Click on the little green spots for directions. You can zoom around the map, and, when you click on the buttons you can actually see some videos and photos of the places your passing through.
View Walk around Marrakech Morocco – PART 3 in a larger map
Do you want to continue exploring Marrakech? Please come back later, PART 4 is under construction. Thank you.
