Bahia Palace sits in the southern medina — about 1.2 km southeast of Jemaa el-Fna. It sounds close, and it is, but the medina's tangle of unmarked alleys trips up first-timers constantly. Here's everything you need to get there without getting lost.
Bahia Palace Address
Rue Riad Zitoun el Jedid, Marrakech 40000, Morocco.
GPS: 31.6226° N, 7.9827° W
The entrance is a set of large wooden doors on the left side of the street. There's a small sign in Arabic and French above the gate — easy to miss if you're walking fast. Save the GPS coordinates before you leave your accommodation.
Walking from Jemaa el-Fna (~15 Minutes)
Walking is the best option. The route takes you through the real medina — past craft workshops, spice stalls, and local tea houses — and it's part of the experience.
- Stand in Jemaa el-Fna with the Koutoubia Mosque on your right (west side). Face east toward the medina entrance.
- Enter the medina and take Rue Riad Zitoun el Kedim heading south. This is a relatively wide covered lane — look for the sign at the entrance.
- Walk south for about 10 minutes. You'll pass souvenir shops, small cafés, and craftsmen. Keep going straight.
- The lane merges into Rue Riad Zitoun el Jedid. Stay on this road.
- Bahia Palace entrance appears on your left, roughly 200m after the merge. If you hit the Mellah market, you've gone 100m too far — turn back.
Pro tip: Download Google Maps offline for Marrakech before you leave your hotel. The medina is mapped well enough for walking navigation, but mobile data can be unreliable in the narrow lanes.
Taxi / Petit Taxi
Marrakech's petit taxis are small red cars (usually Fiats) that run on meters — in theory. In practice, drivers often quote a fixed price to tourists.
- Fair meter price: 15–25 MAD from Jemaa el-Fna
- What drivers will quote first: 50–80 MAD — negotiate firmly, agree before getting in
- Tell the driver "Palais Bahia" — every driver knows it
- Taxis can't enter the deepest medina lanes. They'll drop you at the nearest accessible point on Rue Riad Zitoun el Jedid — a 2–3 minute walk from the gate
If you're using a ride-hailing app, both Careem and inDrive operate in Marrakech and show fares upfront. More reliable for price transparency than street-hailing.
Caleche (Horse-Drawn Carriage)
Caleches line up near Jemaa el-Fna and around the city walls. They're slow, scenic, and a legitimate way to travel if you're not in a rush.
- One-way price to Bahia Palace: 60–100 MAD (negotiate before boarding)
- They drop you at the edge of the pedestrian medina zone — same short walk to the gate
- Worth it for the experience on a first visit; impractical if you have a packed schedule
Google Maps Tips for the Medina
The medina is mapped but imperfect. A few things that save frustration:
- Download offline maps for Marrakech before leaving your accommodation (Maps app → search Marrakech → Download)
- Set navigation to walking mode — driving directions are useless inside the medina
- When the app says "you've arrived" and you see nothing, look left — the entrance doors are easy to walk past
- Zoom in to street level in the final 200m for accuracy
- What3words is a useful backup: every 3m² has a unique address and works offline
What's Nearby
Bahia Palace is well-placed for a half-day or full-day medina loop:
- Saadian Tombs — 8-minute walk south. The Saadian dynasty's royal mausoleum, sealed for centuries. One of the finest pieces of Islamic architecture in Morocco. Entry 70 MAD.
- El Badi Palace — 12-minute walk west. Atmospheric 16th-century ruins on a massive scale. Storks nest on the walls. Entry 70 MAD.
- The Mellah — directly adjacent. Marrakech's old Jewish quarter, with a covered food market, the Lazama Synagogue, and a very different pace from the main souks.
- Place des Ferblantiers — 3 minutes west. The lantern-makers' square, best in the early evening when everything lights up.
Book Before You Arrive
The one thing worse than getting lost on the way to Bahia Palace is arriving and joining a 40-minute ticket queue. Book your skip-the-line ticket before you leave and walk straight in. In peak season (March–May, September–November), the queue at the door regularly hits 30–45 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the walk from Jemaa el-Fna to Bahia Palace?
At a normal pace, the walk takes 12–18 minutes. It covers about 1.2 km along Rue Riad Zitoun el Kedim and Rue Riad Zitoun el Jedid. Allow a few extra minutes on your first visit to account for wrong turns or pausing to look at the souks on the way.
Is it easy to find Bahia Palace on your own?
Yes, if you use Google Maps or follow the route above. The road to the palace (Rue Riad Zitoun el Kedim → Rue Riad Zitoun el Jedid) is one of the more straightforward routes in the medina. The main mistake is walking past the entrance — the wooden doors are large but blend into the street. Look for the sign above them.
Can I drive to Bahia Palace?
You can't drive into the medina. If you have a car, park at Parking El Badi (on Place des Ferblantiers, about 600m west — free or very cheap) or Parking Mellah (just south of the Mellah market, a 5-minute walk from the gate). The parking guardian will collect 5–10 MAD when you leave — that's normal, not a scam.