The Guide To Visit The Charming Majorelle Gardens, Marrakech

Content 

History of Majorelle Gardens

Things to do in Majorelle Garden

Entrance time, fee and tricks

Things I can do near Majorelle

Conclusion

History of Majorelle Gardens

Majorelle Gardens is one of the most famous historical Marrakech gardens dating back to 1924. The French painter Jacques Majorelle founded this magnificent place and gave his name to the park.

Who is Jacques Majorelle?

Jacques Majorelle is famous French painter. He is also the son of the famous furniture designer Louis Majorelle. 

Majorelle Junior decided to stay at Marrakech. He bought a parcel of land in the middle of the "Gueliz" neighborhood in the city of Marrakech.

The Villa

With the help of the engineer Paul Sinoir, Majorelle created a memorable house and splendid garden.

The villa's decoration style derived from Moroccan architecture. Which included his house on the floor upstairs. And a large art workshop in the basement.

The Garden

He created a botanical garden inspired by the Arab Islamic gardens around his villa. The garden is centered around a water basin. And contains several types of rare plants that gave this space a distinctive luster and formed a stunning natural landscape. Which some considered being a living artistic painting. 

Majorelle succeeded in turning the garden into a recognized destination for tourists. 

Yves Saint Laurent Bought The Property

But as soon as he died in a traffic accident, the Majorelle Garden deteriorated. This is when Yves Saint Laurent, a French fashion designer, decided to buy the garden and to restore it.

Yves Saint Laurent saved the Majorelle gardens from the real estate lobbies in the city of Marrakech. They intended to demolish the garden and build residential buildings in its place.

In 1980, Yves Saint Laurent, instructed the Moroccan perfumer Abdel Razzaq Bin Shaaban, to restore and classify the plants of the garden.

Today, they reached three hundred and fifty species. They are brought from the five continents. The palm trees have exceeded a hundred years old. And the bamboo and cactus plants are in all types.

In 2017, a French painter painted the buildings in the garden with elegant blue color. And one of these buildings was turned into a museum of Islamic art. This museum includes about 600 artifacts with a boutique selling souvenirs.

Things to do in Majorelle Garden

The best activities to do in the Majorelle Gardens Marrakech:

• You can visit the Berber Museum in the park, where it contains the most famous artifacts dating back thousands of years.
• You can also see the most beautiful types of plants and different and colorful trees, such as white flowers and flower trees.
• You can see the lake. This lake contains many small aquatic creatures, such as colorful fish.

• And what is remarkable in the Majorelle Garden Marrakech, are the small residences, painted in blue. These buildings are surrounded by the most beautiful types of plants. It gives such charm.

• You can visit the kiosk located in the garden to get some food and drinks to enjoy your trip. 
• Bring your pro camera with you. An astonishing area like Majorelle garden, lets people discover their photography skills.
• Take your favorite book with you! Majorelle garden is one of the most relaxing and pleasant places within the overcrowded city of Marrakech.

Entrance time, fee and tricks

Jardin Majorelle entrance time

The park is open for visiting every day of the week.

In the period October 1 – April 30 from 8:00 in the morning until 17:30 in the evening.

In the period May 1 – September 30 from 8:00 in the morning until 18:00 in the evening.

During the Islamic month of Ramadan from 9:00 in the morning until 17:00 in the evening.

Jardin Majorelle entrance fee

The entrance fees for the garden are 70 dirhams and for the museum are 30 dirhams. It is around $10 US for both the museum and garden. There are much cheaper student rates. 

If you are a student or you are working for a non-profit organization will pay less.

You will have to pay 35 Dhs for the garden and 25 Dhs for the museum.

Accompanied children under 12 years old have free admission.

What is the best time to visit Majorelle Gardens?

Go as early as possible in the morning, the garden will be less crowded. Another reason, mornings are more pleasing for outdoor activities in Marrakesh. A third reason, mornings have strong lights in Marrakech even in the winter period. 

Can I book tickets online?

Yes.

You can beat the queues and crowds at Jardin Majorelle by using the online ticketing system. It allows visitors to book tickets online and schedule their visits to the garden. 

The online booking system will incur a 10 Dhs booking fee.

Things I can do near Majorelle

Besides visiting the iconic garden, there are plenty of things you can do near the Majorelle garden.

1. Visit Delightful shops around the garden.

2. Visit The Yves Saint Laurent Museum dedicated to the fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent.

   Yves Saint Laurent Museum

3. Visit Bab Doukala Gate. It is an antique door of the ancient Medina.
4. Walkthrough the old Medina of Marrakesh from Bab Doukala. And visit the traditional local markets (we call them Souika in Arabic). 
5. Go through the Allal El Fassi Avenue. It seems like a non-touristy road, but there are a lot of cafes and restaurants. You can use Google maps to find them. And It is also a good experience at a local price.

Conclusion

According to TripAdvisor, visiting the Jardin Majorelle is ranked number #1 among more than two thousand things to do in Marrakech.

These gardens are part of the identity of this city and have history, beauty, and spirits.

It is a peaceful haven and, your senses will be aroused there. You will love the Berber museum. It is really worth a visit. Every corner in it is a high spot to take amazing photos.

To avoid waiting in long queues, schedule your visit early in the morning. And book your tickets online.