Whether you want to conquer the mighty Sahara Desert on a camel; go shopping in frenetic markets and souks, or simply savior the timelessness of Moroccan culture, you will find that Marrakech has something for everyone. In fact, for many people, it is almost impossible for them not to fall in love with this charming city, and the famous fashion designer, Yves-Saint Laurent, was one such person. Not surprisingly, all of our Egypt and Morocco Tours include a stay in Marrakech.

Courtyard of the Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech.

When Yves-Saint Laurent visited Marrakech for the first time, he immediately fell in love with the city, and he bought a property. During his life, he would routinely spend time at the villa, saying that being there gave him the inspiration he needed for his work as a fashion designer.

In 2008, Yves-Saint Laurent died from brain cancer, only a couple of weeks after he was diagnosed with the disease. However, this great fashion designer’s name has lived on, and thanks the recently opened Yves-Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech, his name and his work will continue to live on.

As many would agree, this museum is a wonderful addition to the list of Morocco tourist attractions which people can visit during their stay in the country.

All of our Egypt and Morocco Tours are fully customizable, so even if your preferred itinerary doesn’t include a visit to the museum, we can easily add it if you would like us to.

Yves-Saint Laurent Museum – A Brief Overview

After much anticipation, the Yves-Saint Laurent Museum finally opened its doors to the public on the 17th of October 2017; 50 years after the designer first visited the city and bought a house.

Considering that the museum is devoted entirely to the life and work of one of the most highly regarded fashion designers of the 21st century, one would more or less expect every aspect of this museum to be remarkable. In truth however, everything about the Yves-Saint Laurent Museum goes beyond remarkable.

From the moment you arrive at the site, you would be forgiven for thinking that Yves-Saint Laurent must surely have designed and created this museum himself. The layout and design is without question a beautifully accurate reflection of Yves-Saint Laurent himself, and that applies to both the interior and exterior of the museum.

On entering the museum, you will discover that it is more or less divided into various sections, including an area called the YSL Collection where you can see some of his greatest and most successful works. There’s also an Yves-Saint Laurent Exhibition Hall that showcases a grand collection of sketches and paintings of some of his finest endeavors.

The museum also features a Temporary Exhibition Hall that welcomes works of art which relate to fashion and design; contemporary art; botany, and anthropology.

There is also an area which is dedicated to the preservation of extraordinary garments, some from the designer’s own collection and he’s former partner’s collection in France. This area is also used for the preservation of some traditional Berber garments from the Berber Museum at Majorelle Gardens.

In addition to the various displays at the Yves-Saint Laurent Museum, there is also a very well-stocked library containing many incredibly rare valuable books dating from the 16th century through to the 20th century. Many of these books were donated by Mr. Pierre Bergé’s, cofounder of YSL, and also the designer’s former partner.

The museum’s auditorium is also definitely worth checking out. When you first see inside this area, you are immediately struck by its simplistic beauty which seems so perfectly in tune with Moroccan culture. However, beneath the aesthetics lies exception design innovation because this hall can self-adjust to whatever sort of event it is being used for.

Lastly, there is also a rather nice shop and café on the site, along with a rooftop terrace where you can sit and relax and perhaps enjoy some refreshments.

Visiting the Yves-Saint Laurent Museum

The Yves-Saint Laurent Museum is not one of the best-know Marrakech tourist attractions, but it is centrally located which makes it a very convenient place to visit, and there is simply no denying the fact that it will appeal to anyone who has an interest in fashion.

On the downside, entrance to this museum costs DH100 (about $27) which is quite a bit more than what you pay at most other museums in the city.

The museum is located at Rue Yves St Laurent, Marrakech 40000, Morocco, and it is open daily apart from on Wednesdays.

If you are contemplating booking one of our prestigious Egypt and Morocco tours you probably won’t see the Yves Saint-Laurent Museum mentioned in your preferred itinerary. The reason for this being that these types of attractions don’t appeal to everyone.

However, all of our tours can be customized according to your own exact needs, which means that we can add this venue to any itinerary if you request that we do so.