Jardin Majorelle

Jacques Majorelle was a French painter who came to Marrakech in 1919 to recover from a heart condition. He never left. He bought a plot of land in what was then the outskirts of the city and spent 40 years building a garden.

The garden was designed as a living painting — Majorelle was an artist, not a botanist. He collected plants from five continents: cacti from Mexico, bamboo from Asia, bougainvillea from South America, palms from the Pacific, and water lilies from everywhere. The collection grew to over 300 species.

In 1937, Majorelle painted his studio building in a specific shade of cobalt blue — intense, saturated, unmistakable. The colour became known as Majorelle Blue (Bleu Majorelle) and is now trademarked. It was inspired by Berber culture, where blue has protective and spiritual significance.

Majorelle opened the garden to the public in 1947. After his divorce in 1950, he could no longer afford the upkeep. He died in 1962 and the garden fell into disrepair.

In 1980, Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Berge discovered the neglected garden during a visit to Marrakech. They bought it, restored it, and made it their private retreat. Saint Laurent described Marrakech as 'a place where I found colour' and credited the city with transforming his design sensibility.

When Saint Laurent died in 2008, his ashes were scattered in the garden. A memorial column stands among the bamboo.

Today the garden is owned by the Foundation Jardin Majorelle (a non-profit established by Pierre Berge). It receives over 700,000 visitors a year — making it the most visited attraction in Marrakech.

Buy tickets online at tickets.jardinmajorelle.com before your visit. This is the only official ticket site. Third-party sites (Viator, GetYourGuide) sell bundled tours at higher prices. Tickets can sell out, especially on weekends.

Arrive for the first entry slot. By 10am the narrow paths are crowded and the experience shifts from contemplative to congested.

Allow 60–90 minutes for the garden and Berber Museum. Add another hour if visiting the YSL Museum next door.

The garden is compact. You will see everything in an hour even at a slow pace. The pleasure is in sitting — find a bench by the lily pond or in the bamboo grove and let the garden work on you.

Cafe Majorelle (inside the garden) serves coffee, pastries, and light meals. It has a terrace overlooking the garden. The Majorelle Boutique sells Majorelle Blue merchandise, books, and prints.

Tripods, selfie sticks, and drones are prohibited. Photography is otherwise unrestricted.

The garden is wheelchair accessible on the main paths. Some secondary paths have gravel surfaces.

Dress modestly — while the garden is not a religious site, Marrakech is a conservative city and this is a high-profile public space.