No online booking. Walk up, pay 100 MAD, walk in. It never sells out and the queue is rarely more than a few minutes.
Ticket prices 2026
| Visitor | Price |
|---|---|
| Foreign adult | 100 MAD (~€9.50) |
| Moroccan citizens & residents (with card) | 30 MAD |
| Children 7–13 | 30–50 MAD · under 7 free |
| Koutoubia minbar exhibition | Included |
| Guided tour with entry (platforms) | €15–30 per person |
Ministry of Culture monument; same price band as Bahia and the Saadian Tombs. Cash recommended. Checked October 2026.
Opening hours
- Every day: 9:00 – 17:00, last entry about 16:30.
- Ramadan: roughly 10:00 – 16:00.
- Closed for a few days each year around the Marrakech Popular Arts Festival and some official events; signs go up at the gate.
What you see
- The great courtyard. Built 1578–1593 by Ahmad al-Mansur with the ransom from the Battle of the Three Kings. Italian marble, Sudanese gold, Indian onyx: all gone, stripped in the 1690s. What remains is the red pisé skeleton, four sunken orange groves and the 90-metre pool.
- The terrace. Stairs in the north-east corner. From the top: the whole courtyard, the storks' nests at eye level, the Koutoubia, and on clear winter days the snow on the High Atlas.
- The Koutoubia minbar. In a pavilion on the south side: the 12th-century pulpit from the Koutoubia Mosque, made in Córdoba, one of the finest pieces of Islamic woodwork anywhere. Easy to miss; do not.
- The underground passages and the Khayzuran pavilion. Cool, dim, with small exhibitions. Good in summer heat.
Getting there
- From Jemaa el-Fna: 15 minutes on foot via Rue Riad Zitoun el Kdim to Place des Ferblantiers, then through the arch on the south side of the square. Signposted.
- From Bahia Palace: 5 minutes. From the Saadian Tombs: 8 minutes via the Kasbah Mosque.
- Taxi: "Place des Ferblantiers". 20–30 MAD from Gueliz.
Things nobody tells you
- There is no shade in the main courtyard. In summer go at 9:00 or after 16:00 and bring water; the kiosk is unreliable.
- Terrace first if the light is good. Late afternoon sun on the red walls is the photo; the courtyard itself is better in flat light.
- Half the area is closed for an ongoing archaeological programme. That is normal.
- The "guides" at the gate are not official. If you want a guide, book one in advance or take a Kasbah walking tour that includes Badi, Bahia and the tombs.
- Combine with Bahia Palace, the Saadian Tombs and lunch on Place des Ferblantiers. Allow a half day for all three.
El Badi Palace: frequently asked questions
How much is El Badi Palace entry?
100 MAD for foreign adults, 30 MAD for Moroccan citizens and residents, 30–50 MAD for children (free under 7). Pay at the gate; no online ticket exists. The Koutoubia minbar exhibition inside is included.
Is El Badi Palace worth visiting?
Yes if you like space, ruins and storks; no if you want decoration. It is the opposite of Bahia: a vast empty rectangle of red walls, sunken orange groves and a huge pool, with almost nothing of the original marble left (Moulay Ismail stripped it to build Meknes). The rooftop terrace view over the Medina and the Atlas is the reason to come.
How long do you need at El Badi?
45 minutes to an hour. Walk the perimeter, go up to the terrace, see the minbar pavilion and the underground passages. Longer if you sit with the storks.
Can I see the storks?
Almost always. Dozens of white storks nest on the walls year-round, most visibly from February to August. The terrace puts you at nest level.
Bahia or Badi, if I only have time for one?
Bahia for tilework and painted ceilings; Badi for scale, atmosphere and the view. They are five minutes apart and together take under two hours, so do both if you can.
