General

This is a cultural half day trip to have a cultural, historical and shopping experience.

The good point to start your discovery tour of Marrakesh is the Koutoubia Mosque which is an emblem of the city. Koutoubia’s minaret went on to inspire the architects of the Giralda of Seville and the Hassan Tower of Rabat. This square tower in finely-worked dressed stone is 77 meters tall, including its lantern. Built in the 12th century, the Koutoubia minaret is the most perfect Islamic religious structure in North Africa. This famous landmark dominates the local skyline and can easily be spotted from all of Marrakech.

Then visit the Ben Youssef Mederssa, one of the jewels of Marrakech. The current structure of this Koranic school was built around 1570. It is the biggest mederssa (school) in the whole of the Maghreb (west).

Opposite the entrance to the Ben Youssef mosque, the Almoravides Koubba was the ablution (Christian washing ritual) center for believers going to the mosque. The complex was also one of the first fountains of the town and used to ensure a constant water supply for the inhabitants of Marrakech and their animals.

Prepare yourself for a discovery in labyrinth Souks and get ready for shopping!! Souk Smarine is an important thoroughfare, traditionally dominated by the sale of textiles and clothing and all Moroccan handicrafts. This is a maze of colorful alleys and small squares which are home to a bewildering array of stalls and ateliers devoted to specific crafts.

You end up at the Jemmaa el Fana square, a multitude of street-artists and stalls of dried fruit or orange juice freshly-pressed before you. The multitude of small restaurants that take over its center from the early evening, contribute to the scent of its surroundings.  No one really knows how it came into being, but over the years it has become the beating heart of Marrakech, where fire-eaters, mime artists, snake-charmers and street musicians perform at every turn.

Tour Duration half day