Advice for Visiting the Majorelle Gardens
Everyone wants to know how to beat the line at the insanely popular Majorelle Garden (Jardin Majorelle in French) in Marrakech Morocco. The beauty and history of the garden are so fabulous that the the garden is known as the most popular tourist destination in all of Morocco. Sometimes the wait to get inside can be more than two hours! In this post I am sharing when the best time is to go, and what you need to know to beat the lines at the Majorelle Garden! Plus, insider tips I learned from visiting this gem of Marrakech.
About Marjorelle Garden
The two and a half acre botanical garden is meticulously designed with cacti, flowers, fountains and a strikingly beautiful cobalt blue artist’s studio. French Orientalist artist, Jacques Majorelle created Majorelle Garden over the course of 40 years before fashion designers Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé purchased it in the 1980s. This paradise is now open to the public and remains one of the most popular places for tourists in Marrakech.
OUTFIT: Yellow maxi dress (Amazon find!) // White cat-eye sunglasses (Le Specs version found here)// Earrings (only $20 and go with everything!) // Wooden-heel sandals (similar)
How to Get There
The Majorelle Garden (also known as Jardin Majorelle) is located at Rue Yves St Laurent in Marrakech. It is in the northeast of Bab Doukkala. There is a bus stop, Boukar-Majorelle, right at the garden but we took a cab from our hotel. It was only a few dollars for a taxi ride and we got there under 10 minutes.
How to Beat the Line at the Majorelle Garden
Get Tickets in Advance
Ask your hotel if they can get you tickets to the Majorelle Garden in advance. This will be a huge time saver! Honestly, it’s the key to beating the line at Jardin Majorelle.
We were able to buy a combined ticket to the Majorelle Garden, the Berber Museum which is inside the gardens, and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum which is adjacent to the Majorelle Garden for about $18 USD from our hotel. When we arrived to Majorelle Garden around 10AM, there was already a huge line, but we were able to walk right in without waiting!
Buy Tickets for Majorelle Garden at the YSL Museum
The YSL Museum is right next door to the Majorelle Garden, and the queue is typically shorter there. If you did not buy your tickets in advance from your hotel, buy it at the YSL Museum. You’ll need to purchase a ticket for the YSL Museum in that line too. The bundle ticket is about $18 USD. It’s worth it!
When to Go
The Majorelle Garden usually opens at 8am, and it is best to go early to try to beat the crowds. It is incredibly popular, so expect lots of people to be visiting the garden. Not only were lines long by 10am when we arrived, but it was crowded inside the gates too.
While you’re at the Majorelle Garden
YSL & Berber Museums
I’d highly recommend making a morning of your visit to the Majorelle Garden so you can see the Berber Museum and Yves Saint Laurent Museum we as well. Both were fantastic! My husband doesn’t care a whole lot about fashion, but even he was impressed with the YSL Museum.
The YSL Museum showcases Yve Saint Laurent’s impressive life over 40 years including his fashion designs, sketches and photographs. There is a short film which I enjoyed too. My husband doesn’t care a whole lot about fashion, but even he was impressed with the YSL Museum. No photos are allowed in the main exhibit, but I snapped a few photos were it was permitted.
When You’ve Eaten 100 Tagines: Get Pizza!
After a week of tagines, we were craving something familiar, and Mamma Mia’s pizza place hit the spot! It was a 15-20 minute walk from Majorelle Garden, and my husband and I thought it rivaled the pizza we have here in Chicago!
Taking Photos at the Majorelle Gardens
The Majorelle Garden is incredibly photogenic, and in our Instagram-obsessed world, the gardens have become an Instagrammer’s backdrop. There was a small crowd around the famous blue villa where people were waiting in line to take photos in front of the vibrant blue and yellow building. It does make for stunning photos.
However, the decor on the rooftop of our hotel was inspired by the Majorelle Garden, so I teamed up with some local photographers for a Majorelle Jardin inspired photo shoot — with no one else around! All of the photos of me next to the huge cactus are on the rooftop of our hotel in Marrakech, and all of the others are at the actual Majorelle Garden and YSL Museum. (Read my post How to Hire Photographers on Vacation.)
Thank you to Malika and Faissal who took photos for this post.
I hope this post inspires you to visit Majorelle Garden and helps you beat the lines!
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