Before you take out the camera: the rules
A few rules apply across the city:
- No drones. Importing and flying civilian drones requires prior authorisation in Morocco, and no procedure exists for leisure use. A drone found in your luggage on arrival is held by customs, at best until you leave. Leave it at home.
- Ask before photographing someone. Many locals, especially women and older people, do not want to be photographed, and a refusal must be respected. Shopkeepers often agree to a photo of their stall if you ask, especially after a purchase.
- "Posed" photos are paid for. On Jemaa el-Fna, snake charmers, monkey handlers and water sellers in red costumes ask for money as soon as a lens turns towards them, sometimes a large sum. Agree on the price first, or don't.
- No police, soldiers or royal palace. Law enforcement officers, military and security installations and the royal palace must not be photographed; an officer may ask you to delete the picture.
- Working mosques cannot be visited if you are not Muslim: photograph them from outside, without aiming at worshippers at prayer times.
Personal photography is allowed at paid sites; professional shoots require prior permission, as Le Jardin Secret, for example, points out.
Jardin Majorelle: the blue, at opening time
The Jardin Majorelle, in the Guéliz district, brings together the shots everyone is looking for: the villa-studio painted Majorelle blue reflected in its pool, the yellow pots, the cacti and the bamboo. The paths are narrow and fill up by mid-morning: book the first slot, at 8am, to photograph the villa without a line of visitors in front of the pool.
Tickets are sold only online, on the official ticketing site, for a specific time slot: 170 MAD for the garden alone. The garden is open daily from 8am to 6:30pm, last entry at 6pm.
Ben Youssef Madrasa: the courtyard and its pool
At the Ben Youssef Madrasa, the classic image is the marble courtyard shot along the axis of the long pool, which reflects the facades of zellige, stucco and carved cedar. Go upstairs too: the galleries give a bird's-eye view of the courtyard, and the small windows of the students' rooms frame the decoration well.
Arrive at 9am, ahead of the groups, to find the courtyard almost empty. In the late afternoon, the low light brings out the relief of the stucco. Open daily from 9am to 7pm; ticket 50 MAD, bought on site.
Almoravid Koubba: the dome seen from above
A short walk from the madrasa, the Almoravid Koubba, an ablutions pavilion built in the early 12th century, is the only Almoravid monument still standing in the city. It lies below street level: from the path around it, you can photograph its dome with interlacing arches and its merlons; once down, point your lens up at the inside of the dome, carved with floral motifs and muqarnas.
The site, run by the Ministry of Culture, is open daily from 9am to 5pm; ticket 100 MAD. It is far less busy than the neighbouring madrasa. Our guide to the northern medina links these two stops to Spice Square.
Spice Square: colours and baskets
Spice Square, or Rahba Kedima, opens in the heart of the souks. Here you photograph the pyramids of spices and dried rosebuds, the rows of baskets and woven hats, the herbalists' stalls. The square is calmer in the morning and livelier in the late afternoon.
It is a working market: ask before photographing a stall or a vendor, and do not frame the women selling baskets and caps without their consent. The terraces around the square look straight down onto it; they are covered in our guide to Marrakech's panoramic terraces.
Le Jardin Secret: the tower above the rooftops
At Le Jardin Secret, on rue Mouassine, the Islamic garden with its pools and central pavilion is best photographed at opening time, 9:30am, when it is quiet. The tower, accessible with an extra ticket, offers a view over the medina rooftops and, on clear days, the Atlas; climb it in the late afternoon instead, when the light is warmer.
Entry costs 100 MAD, plus 40 MAD for the tower, which is off-limits to children under 6. The site opens daily at 9:30am and closes at 6pm from October to February, at 6:30pm from March to September, and at 4:30pm during Ramadan; last entry 30 minutes before closing.
Bahia Palace: the great courtyard
The Bahia Palace is photographed for its great courtyard of marble and zellige, surrounded by galleries with painted columns, and for its painted cedar ceilings, to be framed by tilting the lens up in each reception room. The carved doors and coloured stained glass of the small riad are also worth a stop.
Groups arrive late in the morning: come at 9am for the great courtyard, or in mid-afternoon, when the crowds thin a little. Open daily from 9am to 5pm; ticket 100 MAD, also sold on the Ministry of Culture's online ticketing site with a time slot.
El Badi Palace: storks on the walls
At El Badi Palace, white storks nest on top of the high rammed-earth walls. Spring, the nesting season, is when the nests are occupied and you can see the chicks being fed. Climb up to the terraces: they give an overall view of the courtyard, its pools and sunken gardens, and the medina rooftops.
The site has very little shade: come at opening time, 9am, from April to September. In winter, the hour before closing gives warm light on the ochre walls. Open daily from 9am to 5pm; ticket 100 MAD.
Koutoubia: the minaret at dawn or nightfall
The 77-metre minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque is photographed from its gardens, which are free to enter, or from the esplanade. Early in the morning, the low light catches the stone and the gardens are quiet; at sunset, the minaret stands out in silhouette against the sky, then it is lit up at nightfall. The mosque is a place of worship: non-Muslims stay outside, and no photos of worshippers, especially at midday on Fridays.
Jemaa el-Fna: from a terrace, at sunset
Jemaa el-Fna square is best photographed from above. Settle on a terrace overlooking the square about an hour before sunset: you will see the square still in daylight, then the grill stalls setting up, the smoke and the evening lights, with the Koutoubia minaret on the horizon. Sunset time varies a lot between winter and summer: check it on the day. Terrace cafés generally expect you to order; arrive early to get a seat at the edge.
On the square itself, keep your camera in hand and stay discreet: filming a circle of musicians or storytellers means dropping a coin when the hat goes round. Since May 2025, the square has been redeveloped section by section, and some areas may still be under works.
Alleys, gates and walls
The medina also offers images without a ticket: studded doors in painted wood, covered derbs, ochre walls. The walls and gates of Marrakech are best photographed in the late afternoon, when the low light warms the rammed earth; Bab Agnaou, the carved stone gate of the Kasbah, is better in the morning, without crowds. The Mellah and its narrow alleys also lend themselves to photography, provided you respect the residents' privacy: our Kasbah and Mellah walk gives the route.
In residential areas, do not photograph the inside of a house through an open door, and beware of passers-by offering to show you "the most beautiful view": the walk often ends in a shop or at the tanneries, for a fee.
Menara Gardens: the pavilion and the Atlas
The best-known view of the Menara Gardens is taken from the bank of the pool opposite the pavilion: the green-tiled pavilion, its reflection in the water and, on clear days, the peaks of the High Atlas. Clear winter days give the best visibility of the mountains, often snow-capped; in the late afternoon, the light turns the facade golden. Entry to the gardens is free, from 8am to 6pm; only the pavilion visit is paid. Allow about ten minutes by petit taxi from the medina.
Summary table of photo spots
| Spot | Best time | Adult foreign visitor price | Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jardin Majorelle | Opening (8am) | 170 MAD, online only | Book the first slot |
| Ben Youssef Madrasa | Opening (9am) or late afternoon | 50 MAD | Go upstairs for the bird's-eye view |
| Almoravid Koubba | All day (9am-5pm) | 100 MAD | Frame the dome from the path, then the inside |
| Spice Square | Morning or late afternoon | Free | Ask before photographing vendors |
| Le Jardin Secret | 9:30am for the garden, late afternoon for the tower | 100 MAD + 40 MAD for the tower | Tower off-limits to under-6s |
| Bahia Palace | Opening (9am) or mid-afternoon | 100 MAD | Look up at the cedar ceilings |
| El Badi Palace | Opening (9am); end of day in winter | 100 MAD | Storks nesting in spring |
| Koutoubia | Early morning or nightfall | Free (outside) | Do not photograph worshippers |
| Jemaa el-Fna | One hour before sunset | Free (order on a terrace) | Agree a price before any posed photo |
| Walls and gates | Late afternoon; Bab Agnaou in the morning | Free | Respect residents' privacy |
| Menara Gardens | Late afternoon; clear days in winter | Free (pavilion paid) | Stand facing the pavilion, across the pool |
Prices observed in October 2026. Ministry of Culture monuments (Koubba, Bahia, El Badi) charge 30 MAD to Moroccans and residents. Opening hours change during Ramadan. To book and skip the queue, see our guide to monument tickets and opening hours.
Going further
To organise these spots into sightseeing days, use our guide to the Marrakech medina and Marrakech in 3 days. Touting around photogenic sites is covered in our article on scams to avoid in Marrakech, and choosing the season, which determines the view of the Atlas, in the best time to visit Marrakech.
