The route at a glance
The walk covers about 1.5 km from Jemaa el-Fna square to Bab Debbagh, in this order: Spice Square (Rahba Kedima), Ben Youssef square with the Almoravid Koubba, the Ben Youssef Madrasa and Mosque, the Marrakech Museum and Dar Bellarj, the House of Photography and the Chrob ou Chouf fountain, then the Bab Debbagh street to the tanneries and the gate. Allow half a day with three visits, or a full day if you add lunch on a terrace and a long break at the House of Photography.
Set off early. The tanners work mainly in the morning, the madrasa is quieter at opening time, and the souks you cross on the way north only come to life in mid-morning: the walk is easier before 10am. If you would rather start with the tanneries, reverse the route and finish at Spice Square, which is livelier in the afternoon.
For general landmarks, the breakdown into districts and choosing a riad, read our guide to the Marrakech medina first.
Stop 1: Spice Square (Rahba Kedima)
From Jemaa el-Fna square, walk north up Rue Souk Semmarine for about ten minutes, then turn right towards Spice Square, which locals call Rahba Kedima, "the old square". It is a small open space on the edge of the souks of Marrakech: herbalists, sellers of spices, baskets and woven hats, and a few stalls of traditional remedies. To the north of the square lies the carpet souk, known as the Criée Berbère.
The square is above all a landmark: it is surrounded by terraces overlooking the stalls, handy for a first break or for getting your bearings before heading further north.
Stop 2: Ben Youssef square and the Almoravid Koubba
Continuing north through the souks, you reach Ben Youssef square in about ten minutes, a small pedestrian crossroads dominated by the green minaret of the mosque. Three entrances face each other: the madrasa, the Marrakech Museum and, below the level of the square, the enclosure of the Almoravid Koubba.
This small domed pavilion, also called the Koubba Ba'adiyn, is the only Almoravid building preserved in Marrakech. It was built under the emir Ali ibn Yusuf, in 1117 or 1125 depending on how the foundation inscription is read, and served as an ablutions hall for the great mosque nearby. Buried under several metres of debris, it was uncovered by French archaeologists in the late 1940s and early 1950s. You walk down into the pit to see the inside of the dome, carved with interlacing arches, plant motifs and an inscription; the small corner domes bear some of the earliest muqarnas decoration in Morocco.
The Koubba is run by the Ministry of Culture: it opens daily from 9am to 5pm, and tickets cost 100 dh for a foreign adult and 50 dh for a foreign child aged 7 to 13. The visit takes 20 to 30 minutes; much of the monument can also be seen through the railings.
Stop 3: the Ben Youssef Madrasa and Mosque
A few steps away, the Ben Youssef Madrasa is the city's former Quranic school, rebuilt in 1564-1565 by the Saadian sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib. Restored from 2017 onwards, it reopened in April 2022 and is now run by the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs. It opens daily from 9am to 7pm; admission costs 50 dh, 10 dh for under-12s, and tickets are sold on site only, as the online ticket office is under maintenance. Our page describes the courtyard, the prayer hall and the students' rooms; allow about an hour.
The Ben Youssef Mosque, which gave the quarter its name, was founded by the Almoravids in the 12th century, but the present building dates from a complete reconstruction under the Alaouite sultan Moulay Slimane, completed in 1819-1820 with its minaret of about forty metres. It is an active mosque reserved for Muslims: admire it from the square.
Stop 4: the Marrakech Museum and Dar Bellarj
The Marrakech Museum occupies the Dar Mnebhi palace, built at the end of the 19th century for Mehdi Mnebhi, a minister of Sultan Moulay Abdelaziz, and restored by the Omar Benjelloun Foundation, which opened it in 1997. Its large covered patio, with its brass chandelier, is the main reason to go in. No official source confirmed its opening hours or regular opening in October 2026: look in at the door as you pass rather than making it the centrepiece of the morning.
Opposite the madrasa, Dar Bellarj, "the house of storks", occupies a former bird hospital. Two Swiss nationals, Susanna Biedermann and Max Alioth, turned it in 1999 into a cultural foundation devoted to Morocco's living heritage and to contemporary creation. The foundation is showing the group exhibition "Archaeologies" from 5 February 2026 to 25 December 2027. It opens Tuesday to Saturday from 9:30am to 3pm, admission is free; it closes for part of the summer.
Stop 5: the House of Photography and the Chrob ou Chouf fountain
A few minutes west of the square, on Rue Souk el-Fassi, the House of Photography occupies a restored former fondouk. It shows prints of Morocco taken between the late 19th century and 1960, over three levels, and ends on a roof terrace that serves as a café. It opens daily from 9:30am to 7pm; admission costs 80 dh, 50 dh for residents, and it is free for under-15s. The ticket also gives access to the Music Museum, housed in the former Mouassine Museum. Other former caravanserais of the same kind dot the quarter: our page on the fondouks of Marrakech explains their history.
On the way, look out for the Chrob ou Chouf fountain, "drink and look" in Moroccan Arabic, set into a wall near the madrasa. Dated to the late 16th or early 17th century, it is topped by a carved wooden canopy with muqarnas, and two calligraphic cartouches praising God. It is one of the most ornate public fountains in the medina; photograph it head-on from the lane.
Stop 6: Bab Debbagh and the tanneries
From Ben Youssef square, the Bab Debbagh street runs east for about ten minutes on foot. The quarter changes: fewer tourist shops, more leather workshops, hide stores and handcarts. At the end, the tanneries of Marrakech occupy open-air pits on the south side of the street, just before the gate; the largest cooperative is the Sidi Yacoub association. Access is free; a keeper often offers an explanation in exchange for a tip of 10 to 20 dh.
The Bab Debbagh gate, "the tanners' gate", dates from the building of the first Almoravid walls around 1126. Its bent passage turns several times through two open-air courtyards and a vaulted hall, a defensive layout you walk through on foot. Our page on the walls and gates of Marrakech places it among the city's other gates. As the gate can be reached by car from outside the walls, you can head back by petit taxi without crossing the souks again.
Summary table of the stops
| Stop | Opening hours | Foreign adult price | Visit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spice Square (Rahba Kedima) | Open access, stalls open during the day | Free | 20 min |
| Almoravid Koubba | Daily, 9am-5pm | 100 dh | 20 to 30 min |
| Ben Youssef Madrasa | Daily, 9am-7pm | 50 dh | 1 hr |
| Ben Youssef Mosque | Reserved for Muslims | — | View from the square |
| Marrakech Museum (Dar Mnebhi) | Opening not officially confirmed | — | 45 min |
| Dar Bellarj | Tuesday to Saturday, 9:30am-3pm | Free | 30 min |
| House of Photography | Daily, 9:30am-7pm | 80 dh | 1 hr |
| Tanneries and Bab Debbagh | Open access, tanners active in the morning | Tip for the keeper | 45 min |
Prices observed in October 2026. At the Almoravid Koubba, Moroccans and residents pay 30 dh, and admission is free for them on Fridays. Opening hours may change during Ramadan and on religious holidays.
Where to eat and take a break
The northern medina has few eateries aimed at visitors, but several addresses with terraces:
- Café des Épices, 75 Derb Rahba Lakdima: three floors and a roof terrace above Spice Square; breakfast, salads, tagines, juices and tea.
- Nomad, 1 Derb Aarjane: a restaurant opened in 2014 in a former carpet shop, with two levels of terraces over Spice Square; modern Moroccan cooking, no alcohol, booking advised.
- The House of Photography terrace: drinks and light meals on the museum roof, with a view over the rooftops of the medina.
- Le Foundouk, 55 Souk Hal Fassi, near the Marrakech Museum: an evening restaurant set in an old house, with a rooftop terrace.
To know what to order, see our guide to what to eat in Marrakech.
Traps to avoid
The northern medina is the area with the most touts, because of the tanneries:
- "The madrasa is closed" or "it's the last day of the Berber festival": a stranger steers you off your route towards the tanneries or a leather shop, then asks for money. Carry on towards Ben Youssef square; the opening hours on our pages are the reference.
- The sprig of mint and the express tour at the tanneries, followed by a leather shop and a demand for a tip far above the norm. Agree on the amount before accepting a companion and do not feel obliged to buy.
- "Not that way" on the Bab Debbagh street: it runs straight, and the gate is at the end. A shopkeeper sitting in his shop remains the best person to ask for directions.
- Motorbikes and handcarts in the narrow lanes of the tanners' quarter: keep to the side and wear closed shoes.
Our article on scams to avoid in Marrakech details these scenarios and how to react.
Further reading
This quarter is a good place to meet the crafts of the medina: our guide to the artisans of Marrakech shows where to see workshops and buy direct. If you come for the pictures, our selection of the best photo spots in Marrakech says what time to go to the madrasa or Spice Square. For the southern medina, follow our Kasbah and Mellah walk.
