The gardens
Five gardens that tell Morocco’s story
Moroccan gardens range from the enclosed riad courtyard to vast colonial-era botanical collections. Each of the places below reflects a different chapter: an artist’s private paradise, a scientific acclimatisation garden, a royal pleasure garden and a twentieth-century plant collector’s dream. We begin with the most visited of them all.
Marrakech · Gueliz
Majorelle Garden
Created from 1923 by the French painter Jacques Majorelle and later saved and restored by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, this compact garden of cacti, bamboo and palms around an intensely blue studio is now one of the most visited sites in Morocco. Entry is timed and fills early. Read our visitor notes.
Rabat · Agdal
Rabat Botanical Test Garden
Known locally as the Jardin d’Essais and laid out in 1914 as an acclimatisation garden, it brought together plants from across the tropics to test what could grow in Morocco. Today it is a shaded public park of great trees, bamboo groves and a formal Andalusian section. More about Rabat.
Rabat · Kasbah des Oudayas
The Andalusian Garden
Behind the walls of the clifftop kasbah, a sunken garden of orange trees, roses and geometric paths offers a quiet pause above the mouth of the Bou Regreg river. More about the Oudayas.
Fes · between Fes el-Bali and Fes el-Jdid
Bou Jeloud Gardens
A nineteenth-century royal garden with long water channels, palms and ficus, carefully restored and reopened as a public space, offering welcome shade between the two historic cities of Fes. More about Fes.
Bouknadel · near Salé
Exotic Gardens of Bouknadel
Created in the mid-twentieth century by the horticulturist Marcel François, these themed gardens recreate landscapes from around the world along winding paths and wooden bridges. More about Bouknadel.
Why we write
Garden information without the noise
Search for a famous garden and you will usually find two kinds of pages: the official site, which rightly focuses on its own visitors, and a long list of resellers and aggregators that wrap the same entry in extra fees. What is often missing is the quiet, practical layer in between – which hour is calmest, how long a visit really takes, what grows there in each season and which nearby gardens are worth adding to the day.
That is the layer we try to provide. We receive no commissions and no payments from any garden, museum, hotel or tour company. We point to official sources whenever practical details matter, and we say plainly when something may have changed since our last visit.
Before you set out
Four habits for a calmer garden visit
Arrive at opening
The first hour in any popular Moroccan garden is cooler, quieter and kinder to photographs of plants and painted walls.
Use official channels
Type the garden’s own address yourself. Ignore unsolicited offers in messages, on social media or in the street.
Respect the season
Spring and autumn are ideal. Summer afternoons in Marrakech and Fes can exceed forty degrees.
Slow down
Gardens reward lingering. Plan one major garden per half day rather than racing across the city.
Questions
Frequently asked
Can I get Majorelle Garden tickets here?
No. We never sell, resell or reserve entry of any kind. Admission is arranged only through the garden’s own official website and entrance. Our pages explain how entry generally works so you can plan calmly.
Is this the official website of Majorelle Garden?
No. Zelmiane Journal is an independent journal with no partnership or affiliation with Majorelle Garden, the foundation that manages Majorelle Garden or the museums next to it.
Which Moroccan garden is least crowded?
The Rabat Botanical Test Garden in Rabat and Bou Jeloud Gardens in Fes are spacious public gardens that rarely feel crowded, even on weekends. Majorelle is the busiest by far.
When is the best season for gardens in Morocco?
March to May brings flowering trees, roses and mild temperatures. October and November are also pleasant. See our seasons and planning page.