In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The souks are covered lanes north of Jemaa el-Fnaa, grouped by trade, open about 09:00 to 19:00, with many shops shut at Friday prayers. Shopkeepers name a price and expect you to negotiate. A stranger who says a street is closed, or that he works at your hotel, is steering you to a shop: say “la chakrun” (no thank you) and keep walking. A person who leads you somewhere expects about 20 MAD. Check the bag before you leave the shop, because the UK Foreign Office warns of inferior goods substituted for the ones bought. Download an offline map. Or book a tour: the colourful medina souks walking tourad (from £19, 3 hours) and the guided souk shopping tourad (from £20, 3 hours) put a guide in one booking.
How the souks work
The souks are a network of covered lanes north of Jemaa el-Fnaa, grouped by trade, with Souk Semmarine as the main artery.
Souk Semmarine, the main covered lane of the souks. Photo: DimiTalen, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
- Hours: roughly 09:00 to 19:00 every day. Many shops shut around Friday prayers.
- Prices: shopkeepers name a price and the buyer is expected to negotiate. Lonely Planet’s advice is to pay what the goods are worth to you.
- Money: bring cash in small notes. Souks, small cafés and porters take cash.
- Maps: the signal drops in some covered lanes. Download an offline map of the medina first.
- Fondouks: the state’s November 2025 report lists 26 fondouks, the old trading courtyards, as under study after earthquake damage, so some may be fenced off. The Fondouk El Nejjarine houses a museum of wood and leather crafts (Marrakech regional tourism board).
A spice and herb stall in a souk lane. Photo: Jorge Franganillo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
Tours worth paying for
A guide cuts out the steering and shows the lanes. Ask whether the tour ends in a shop, and say no thank you if it does. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices, per person.
A guided walk through the souks
From £19 · 4.7 stars from 3,037 reviews · 3 hours
Marrakech: Colourful Medina Souks Guided Walking Tourad is the most-reviewed tour built round the souks.
A shopping tour with a local guide
From £20 · 4.9 stars from 726 reviews · 3 hours
Marrakesh: Guided Souk Shopping Tour with a Local Guidead is a guide-led shopping walk.
The souks with the madrasa and the Secret Garden
From £13 (usually £17) · 4.6 stars from 4,675 reviews · 3 hours
Marrakech: Ben Youssef, Secret Garden & Souks Walking Tourad joins the souks to two paid sights, so read “what’s included” for the entry tickets. See the Ben Youssef Madrasa and Le Jardin Secret.
How to haggle, and who to say no to
Haggling. Decide what the thing is worth to you before you ask. Answer the first price with a lower one, and walk on politely if you cannot meet.
Metal lamps hanging in a stall in the Souk Haddadine. Photo: Petar Milošević, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
“It’s closed.” A man tells you the palace, museum or street you want is shut, or that the souk is the other way, and offers to show you. At the end he asks for money, or leads you to a relative’s carpet or spice shop. Check opening hours online, and say “la chakrun”.
“I work at your hotel.” A man on a bike offers a special “Berber market” or event. It ends at a shop.
The roof terrace. An offer of a roof terrace to see the tanneries leads to a leather shop.
The helpful stranger. If you ask a young man the way and he leads you there, around 20 MAD is reasonable.
Substituted goods. The UK Foreign Office warns that scammers substitute inferior goods for the ones you bought, so check the bag before you leave. It also advises care when asking directions and using cash machines, because aggressive begging is common.
Guides. Use a guide only with an official badge and permission from the local authority. Marrakech medina tours and licensed guides says how to check.
What to skip: any shop you are led to after saying no thank you.
Hours, rules and getting there
| Day | Souk hours |
|---|---|
| Monday to Thursday, Saturday and Sunday | About 09:00 to 19:00 |
| Friday | The same, with many shops shut at prayer time |
- Dress: cover shoulders and knees. Ask before you photograph people, especially children.
- Cash: carry small notes, since most stalls take only cash.
- Getting there: the lanes lead north from Jemaa el-Fnaa, and taxis set down at the square.
Jemaa el-Fnaa is the other half of the old city, and Marrakech medina tours and licensed guides covers guides. Is Marrakech safe? covers scams and dress in full. Marrakech museums lists the museums nearby. For the rest of the city’s bookings, see what to book before you go to Marrakech. Marrakech after the earthquake lists what has reopened, and 3 days in Marrakech puts the souks in the medina morning. To sleep nearby, hotels near Jemaa el-Fnaa lists the hotels beside the square, and where to eat in Marrakech lists places to eat.
Common questions
Where are the Marrakech souks?
North of Jemaa el-Fnaa, in the medina: a network of covered lanes grouped by trade, with Souk Semmarine as the main artery.
What are the souk opening hours?
Roughly 09:00 to 19:00 every day, though many shops shut around Friday prayers.
How do you haggle in the Marrakech souks?
Shopkeepers name a price and expect you to negotiate. Lonely Planet's advice is to pay what the goods are worth to you. Decide your price first, and walk away politely if it does not match.
What should I say to someone who offers to guide me?
A polite no thank you, 'la chakrun' in Arabic, and walking on usually ends the approach. A person who leads you to your destination expects around 20 MAD.
Do I need a guide in the souks?
No. The UK Foreign Office says people posing as official guides harass tourists, and advises using a guide only with an official badge and permission from the local authority.
Do phones work in the souks?
The signal can drop in the covered lanes, so download an offline map of the medina before you go.
