Bahia Palace is in the southern medina of Marrakech — which sounds simple until you're actually inside the medina, surrounded by unlabelled alleyways and very confident locals pointing you in different directions. First-timers often find it harder to reach than expected. The directions aren't complicated, but the medina doesn't behave like a normal city grid. Morocco welcomed 17.4 million international visitors in 2024 (ONMT, Morocco Tourism Annual Report 2024), many of them making exactly this same walk. This guide gives you a clear, step-by-step route from Jemaa el-Fna, plus alternatives for different starting points and transport preferences.
Key Takeaways
- Bahia Palace is 1.2 km from Jemaa el-Fna: 12 to 18 minutes on foot. The route is two streets (Rue Riad Zitoun el Kedim and Rue Riad Zitoun el Jedid), both wide enough to navigate confidently with an offline map.
- A petit taxi costs 15 to 25 MAD by meter from Jemaa el-Fna. Drivers will quote tourist prices of 50 to 80 MAD — negotiate firmly and agree on the price before getting in.
- Once you arrive, the biggest time-waster is the ticket queue. In peak season (March through November) the door queue runs 30 to 45 minutes. A pre-booked ticket removes this entirely. Getting there is the easy part; use it well.
Where Is Bahia Palace Located in Marrakech?
Bahia Palace sits in the Mellah district of Marrakech's old medina, southeast of the central square at Jemaa el-Fna. It's managed by Morocco's Ministry of Culture as one of the country's most significant historic monuments (e-services.minculture.gov.ma).
Address: Rue Riad Zitoun el Jedid, Marrakech 40000, Morocco
GPS Coordinates: 31.6226° N, 7.9827° W
The palace is not visible from any main road. Its entrance is on a street that runs between two larger medina arteries: a set of heavy wooden doors on the left side of the street, marked by a sign in French and Arabic. First-time visitors often walk past it because the entrance blends into the streetscape. Look for the carved wooden doors and the sign above them.
How Do You Walk from Jemaa el-Fna to Bahia Palace?
Walking is the best way to reach Bahia Palace from Jemaa el-Fna. The route takes you through the living, working medina — past spice sellers, leather goods, and tea shops — and is part of the experience. The distance is roughly 1.2 kilometres.
- Start at Jemaa el-Fna with the Koutoubia Mosque behind you (to the west). Face east, toward the medina.
- Enter the medina via the street called Rue Riad Zitoun el Kedim — look for signs or set your GPS. This street heads directly south from the eastern edge of the square.
- Walk south along Rue Riad Zitoun el Kedim for about 10 minutes. You'll pass souvenir shops, small cafés, and craftsmen's workshops. Keep going south.
- Stay on the main corridor as it transitions to Rue Riad Zitoun el Jedid.
- Watch for the palace sign on your left. Bahia Palace will appear marked by a sign in Arabic and French and the large wooden entrance doors. If you reach the Mellah market you've gone slightly too far — double back north about 100 metres.
Total walking time: 12 to 18 minutes. Download the Google Maps offline map for Marrakech before you leave your accommodation — having GPS while offline is far more reliable than asking for directions on a busy street.
What Transport Options Get You to Bahia Palace?
Petit Taxi (Small Red Taxi)
Marrakech's petit taxis run on meters — or should. In practice, many drivers negotiate a fixed fare with tourists. Reasonable fare from Jemaa el-Fna to Bahia Palace: 15 to 25 MAD by meter. Fixed fare negotiations will typically start at 50 to 80 MAD from a tourist starting point — negotiate down, and agree on the price before you get in. Tell the driver "Palais Bahia": it's well known.
Petit taxis cannot enter the deepest lanes of the medina. They'll drop you at the nearest accessible point, a 2 to 3 minute walk from the entrance.
Caleche (Horse-Drawn Carriage)
Caleches operate from ranks near Jemaa el-Fna. Fare to Bahia Palace: 60 to 100 MAD one way (negotiate before boarding). The ride is pleasant and slow — a good option on a first visit if you're not in a rush. Caleches cannot navigate the narrow medina lanes, so they'll drop you close but not at the door.
Ride-Hailing Apps
Both Careem and inDrive operate in Marrakech and are more reliable for price transparency than street-hailing taxis. If you have mobile data, booking through an app shows the fare upfront. Particularly useful for the return journey when you're tired and less inclined to negotiate.
From the Airport (Marrakech Menara)
If you're arriving directly from the airport: the airport is 4 km southwest of the medina. A licensed airport taxi to the medina costs 70 to 100 MAD and takes 15 to 20 minutes. From any riad in the medina, the walk or short taxi to Bahia Palace takes another 10 to 15 minutes. There is no direct bus from the airport to Bahia Palace.
How Reliable Is Google Maps for the Marrakech Medina?
Better than many people expect. The key is using it correctly:
- Before you leave your accommodation: Download the offline map of Marrakech. Save Bahia Palace as a saved place so you can navigate without searching when your data connection fails.
- Set your route to walking — driving directions in the medina are often useless since most lanes are pedestrian-only.
- Zoom in when you're within 200 metres of the destination — some lanes aren't perfectly labelled and a small discrepancy can send you to the wrong alley.
- If the app says you've arrived but you can't see the entrance, look for the large wooden doors on your left: you may be standing nearly at them.
- What3words is a useful backup: every 3m² has a unique address and works offline. Save the palace entrance code before your trip.
Where Can You Park Near Bahia Palace?
Driving into the medina is not practical — the lanes are too narrow and mostly pedestrian-only. Park outside the medina walls and walk or take a short taxi to the palace.
- Parking El Badi: A large surface car park near El Badi Palace on Place des Ferblantiers, roughly 600 metres west of Bahia Palace. Free or very low cost.
- Parking Mellah: A smaller car park just south of the Mellah market area, very close to the palace entrance.
From either car park, walking to the palace entrance takes 5 to 10 minutes. Car parks in Marrakech's medina area are informal — a guardian will collect a small fee (5 to 10 MAD) when you leave. This is normal and expected.
What's Near Bahia Palace?
Bahia Palace is the centrepiece of a rich cluster of historic monuments that can all be visited in a single half-day:
Saadian Tombs (10 minutes south): The royal mausoleum of the Saadian dynasty, rediscovered in 1917 after being sealed for 200 years. Extraordinary carved chambers surrounding royal burial plots. Entry: 100 MAD (foreign adult). See the combined Saadian Tombs guide.
El Badi Palace (15 minutes west): Dramatic ruins of a 16th-century palace complex. Entry: 100 MAD (foreign adult). See the Bahia vs El Badi comparison.
Place des Ferblantiers (3 minutes west): The lantern-makers' square.
Mellah (Jewish Quarter): Immediately adjacent. A covered food market, the Lazama Synagogue, and a distinctly different character from the rest of the medina.
The 2-day Marrakech itinerary shows how to sequence all of these efficiently. The first-visit tips cover what to bring and how to prepare for the full visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Bahia Palace from Jemaa el-Fna?
Bahia Palace is approximately 1.2 kilometres from Jemaa el-Fna. On foot through the medina, the walk takes 12 to 18 minutes. By petit taxi, it's a 5 to 10 minute ride costing 15 to 25 MAD by meter.
Can I walk to Bahia Palace from the medina?
Yes, and walking is the recommended way to get there. The route along Rue Riad Zitoun el Kedim and Rue Riad Zitoun el Jedid is straightforward and takes you through genuine medina neighbourhoods. Download Google Maps offline before your trip for navigation confidence.
Is there a bus to Bahia Palace?
Marrakech's city buses don't run routes into the heart of the medina. From Jemaa el-Fna, walking or taking a petit taxi is faster and more practical than using a bus. Ride-hailing apps (Careem, inDrive) are a good alternative if you prefer upfront pricing.
Is it easy to find Bahia Palace on your own?
Yes — the route along Rue Riad Zitoun el Kedim → Rue Riad Zitoun el Jedid is one of the more straightforward walks in the medina. The most common mistake is walking past the entrance: the wooden doors are large but blend into the streetscape. Check your left side in the final 200 metres. The first-visit tips guide covers all the practical preparation.
Can I drive to Bahia Palace?
Driving into the medina isn't possible. If you arrive by car, use Parking El Badi (Place des Ferblantiers, ~600m west of the palace — free or very cheap) or Parking Mellah (just south of the Mellah market, a 5-minute walk to the gate). The parking guardian will collect 5 to 10 MAD when you leave — standard practice, not a scam.