Marrakech Medina Private Tour with Bahia Palace & Ben Youssef
Description
Dive into Marrakech’s medina on a private tour. Learn about palace life at Bahia Palace, see traditional bread‑making, understand tanjia cooking, and explore the rich history of Medersa Ben Youssef.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meet in UNESCO‑listed Jemaa el‑Fna, Marrakech’s vibrant main square. Find your guide outside Café France (right side of the square), holding an Urban Adventures sign or badge.
Explore the stunning Bahia Palace, with its shady courtyards, mosaics, and lavish rooms, as your guide shares stories of sultans, palace life, and Marrakech’s opulent past.
Visit a traditional Medina communal bakery (farran) to see how locals bake their bread and taste it fresh, before stopping at a nearby hammam furnace to learn how tanjia is slow‑cooked.
Visit Medersa Ben Youssef, a 16th‑century Saadian madrasa famed for its ornate stucco, zellige, and cedarwork—once home to 800 students and a masterpiece of Islamic architecture.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Are the stops on this tour local and community‑based? Every stop is 100% local, ensuring the community directly benefits from your visit.
- Is Jemaa el‑Fna Square included in the tour? The tour includes a visit to the culturally significant Jemaa el‑Fna Square, recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage.
- Are entrance fees included? Entrance to Bahia Palace and Medersa Ben Youssef is included, helping support the maintenance and preservation of these important landmarks.
- Is the tour suitable for children? This is a child‑friendly tour, and children under 6 years old may join free of charge.
Reviews(60)
Yousuf was a great guide who provided an exceptional food tour around the Medina. He took us places that locals visit which provided an authentic experience. He explained a lot of historical and cultural insights enabling us to get a good understanding of the way of life in Morocco. Oh and by the way, the food was delicious!
It is always pleasant to stroll through the Souk d emarrakesh and feel the energy of the comora sellers and above all their mysticism. Going to Marrakesh is going to the medina and getting lost in it, getting involved. Go to each of the production zones of each mastery and learn and get out of it or not with something, even if it is knowledge. Medina... it's go!
Organised a private tour of the Marrakech Medina and Palace. Our guide was Mounir, he was fabulous. To understand the Medina and Souks of Marrakech get a guide, it was well worth it, he was excellent. Ask for Mounir😀
Mo was a great guide - on time, polite, informative, cheerful and helpful. He speaks umpteen languages & his English was perfect. I wasnt expecting entrance fees to the places we visited to be included in the tour price which was a nice surprise. No "shopping" stops just interesting info incl a nice coffee stop. Would def recommend him.
I had a tour with Mo. He is the best tour guide you can image. We walked to historical places and he very well explained the history behind every single monument. We visited the museum of photography, the palace of Bahia, Saadian tombs. Then we visited the famous bakery where locals bake their bread and the hammam over (Farran) where locals leave their tangia to be made. The highlight of the tour was visiting the places where they cook Méchoui (upon my request)! He is super nice and I highly recommend him to all my friends who want to visit and have a nice time in Marrakech.
Tour guide was really informative and friendly. I garnered a much deeper understanding of Moroccan culture both past and present. Would recommend to others!!
Our wonderful guide Mounir, was inedible insightful and fun to be around. He was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about Marrakesh where he was born and bred. My daughter and I were eager listeners and came with many questions all which Mounir had answers too. We enjoyed our time with Mounir very much. He extended the tour by two hours out of kindness and because we were so keen to learn and see more. The Bahia palace was a special treat not least because Mounir managed to navigate the crowds so it appeared we had most of the palace to ourselves most of the time. A trip to the Hammam engine, below ground, was another highlight. Playing music with a local musician also a fantastic experience. Highly recommend this tour. Ask for Mounir
Marrakech scenery that said the place jamma is noisy or hellish you are constantly harassed by vendors of all kinds (glasses hat etc. do not let go it is relentless)In the evening it is the same except that in addition it is the court of miracles women children disabled people jump on you and ask you for money Kids as young as 7 or 8 don't give up on you. They do everything they can to get money or to buy them tissues or get paid for cheeky, rude ice cream. Do not follow anyone because each time it is a scam he will ask you for money or we will try to take you to visit the tanneries and again you will be extracted money you will have to give so that it does not end badly. People are nice only to make you spend money behind this kindness hides the tourist trap. So be careful if you need information turn to the police quite present on the square and around.. My stay is recent from July 29 to August 5, 2019.
I didn't end up going on this tour, as I got very sick the night before and had to cancel. I sent two emails and one phone call, all unanswered, telling them about this issue and asking if I could reschedule. While I sent the first email prior to the tour starting, I'm sure that the guide didn't receive it in time. The sickness wasn't their fault, but I did expect to receive some kind of response from them about rescheduling. When this didn't happen, I had to make alternative plans and sent a third email asking if there was any possibility of getting any refund. Again, no answer. An extremely frustrating experience!!!
Spent a great four hours with Ali touring the Medina and Old Town in Marrakech. Saw lots of sites, but more importantly, learned a lot about the history, culture and people who had influenced the area over the years. Really enjoyed it and would highly recommend.
