Neighbourhood guide
Jemaa el-Fna and the souks
The great square, the Koutoubia’s minaret and the market streets of the medina.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © YoTuT from United States · CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia CommonsEverything in the medina leads to Jemaa el-Fna, the square UNESCO calls a veritable open-air theatre, with the Koutoubia’s 77-metre minaret rising to the west and the souks opening to the north.
Sights
Jemaa el-Fna and its museum of intangible heritage, the Koutoubia and its gardens, the souks, and a calèche round the walls.
Eating and drinking
The night stalls of the square, Nomad and L’mida on the roofs, La Famille on Riad Zitoun Jdid, and the El Fenn roof terrace.
Staying
El Fenn and IZZA.
Come to the square twice: in the morning, and again at dusk.
Our advice: keep your bag in front of you in the evening crowd.
Why it's on our list
- Sights
- Eating and drinking
- Staying
What’s nearby
Distances from Jemaa el-Fna and the souks are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 12 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Key sights
- Ben Youssef Madrasa250 mWalk 3 minCycle 1 minCar or taxi 9 min
- Koutoubia950 mWalk 12 minCycle 5 minCar or taxi 11 min
- Bahia Palace1.4 kmWalk 18 minCycle 7 minCar or taxi 12 min
- Jardin Majorelle1.7 kmWalk 21 minCycle 8 minCar or taxi 13 min
- Saadian Tombs1.7 kmWalk 22 minCycle 9 minCar or taxi 13 min
- Menara gardens3.6 kmWalk 45 minCycle 18 minCar or taxi 19 min
- Marrakech Menara Airport5.1 kmCycle 26 minCar or taxi 23 min
The station and the square
- Jemaa el-Fna800 mWalk 10 minCycle 4 minCar or taxi 10 min
- Marrakech station2.7 kmWalk 34 minCycle 13 minCar or taxi 16 min
Location
The map comes from Google Maps, which sets its own cookies once it loads.
More in depth
The back storyMarrakech at the table: tagines, terraces and the night marketLe Marocain at La Mamounia, Al Fassia’s kitchen of women, the roof terraces of Nomad, L’mida and Le Foundouk, the brasserie of Gueliz and the smoke of Jemaa el-Fna at night: how Marrakech eats.
The back storyMoroccan FoodThe tagine, Friday couscous, pastilla, the tanjia of Marrakech, harira and the ceremony of mint tea: what to eat in Marrakech.
The back storyWhere Marrakech sleeps: palaces, riads and the gardens beyond the wallsLa Mamounia and the Royal Mansour inside the walls, riads such as El Fenn and La Maison Arabe in the lanes of the medina, and the garden resorts of the Palmeraie and the Atlas road: where to stay in Marrakech.