Marrakesh: Bahia Palace, Madrasa Ben Youssef & Walking tour

Meet your guide at Café Argana and begin your journey through the heart of Marrakech’s old Medina. Start with a visit to the magnificent Bahia Palace, where your guide will introduce you to the palace’s architecture, courtyards, decorative zellij, and carved wood, as well as the stories behind this remarkable historic residence. Continue through the lively streets of the Medina toward the Olive Market, where you can observe local traders and discover some of the everyday traditions that continue to shape life in Marrakech. Your walk then takes you to Ben Youssef Madrasa, one of the city’s finest examples of Moroccan craftsmanship and Islamic architecture. Take time to admire its detailed stucco, cedarwood, zellij, and traditional design while learning about its history as a center of Islamic learning. From there, discover another side of traditional Medina life around Hammam El Mouassine, one of Marrakech’s historic hammams. Your guide will explain how neighborhood hammams have traditionally served as important places for bathing, socializing, and community life. Continue to the traditional Farnachi furnace, where you’ll learn how this historic heating system provides heat and hot water for the hammam. You’ll also discover its connection to one of Marrakech’s most famous dishes: Tanjia. Your guide will explain how the dish is traditionally prepared and placed inside the warm furnace to cook slowly for several hours. Before returning to Café Argana, stop at a local communal bakery. Learn how residents prepare their dough at home and bring their bread to the neighborhood oven, a tradition that remains part of everyday life in the Medina. After exploring these different aspects of Marrakech’s heritage, walk back with your guide to the meeting point at Café Argana.