Jemaa el-Fna Bahia Palace Route
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How do you walk from Jemaa el-Fna to the Bahia Palace?
It's an easy walk of about 1 km, around 12 to 15 minutes, through the old quarter of Riad Zitoun. You leave the square from its southeast side, follow one of the two Riad Zitoun streets south, and reach the palace entrance near the end of Riad Zitoun el Jdid, a few steps from Place des Ferblantiers. No taxi needed, and the walk itself is part of the visit, with its arches, old doors, small workshops and the quiet derbs of a living neighbourhood. Our Private Medina Walking Tour takes this route with the stories behind it, and our Private Souks Shopping Tour continues into the souks and the artisans' workshops.
Private Medina Walking Tour
Your own local guide, every day at 9 am or 2 pm, about 3 hours, with pickup at your riad.
Included a relaxing stop at a traditional herbalist and spice cooperative, just to learn, with no obligation to buy, with a bottle of mineral water, a cup of mint tea and a small souvenir, all complimentary.
See prices and details on our Private Medina Walking Tour page.
Message Us On WhatsApp or use our Booking Form.
The Bahia is one of the most visited monuments of Marrakech, and almost everyone starts from Jemaa el-Fna. Yet many visitors get lost on the way, follow a stranger who “knows a shortcut”, or take a taxi for a walk that's shorter than the queue at the ticket office. Here is the route we walk with our guests, step by step, with what to look at on the way.
Visit Marrakech Medina, The Best Shopping and Walking Tour Company in Marrakech, has guided travelers through the Medina since 2004. Our Medina walking tour is featured by Daniel Jacobs in The Rough Guide To Morocco, which says our guide “guarantees (unlike most guides) not to stop at any shops”. Our guiding is also Recommended By Rick Steves.
Choose your tour
• Who Can Walk You To The Bahia With The Stories? Our private walking tour, Riad Zitoun, the Bahia, the Mellah, the Kasbah, the souks and the herbalist.
• Where Do You Shop After The Palace? Our private souks shopping tour, leather, lanterns, spices, argan and ceramics from the artisans.
• Where Can You Find A Rug Worth Bringing Home? Our private rug shopping tour, weaving cooperatives, Beni Ourain, Azilal and kilims.
• Can Your Family Visit The Bahia With Its Own Guide? All our tours are private, one guide, one group, one truly personal experience.
• Can You Walk To The Bahia With A Guide Today? Last-minute private tours, often within the hour.
Which route should you take, Riad Zitoun el Jdid or Riad Zitoun Lakdim?
Two parallel streets lead from Jemaa el-Fna to the Bahia, and both are part of the same quarter. Riad Zitoun means the garden of olives, because this area was once an olive grove. Lakdim is the old one, Jdid the new one.
• Riad Zitoun el Jdid the most direct route, about 1 km, 12 to 15 minutes, ending right at the palace entrance
• Riad Zitoun Lakdim a little more lively and full of small shops, about 1.1 km, 15 minutes, ending at Place des Ferblantiers, 2 minutes from the palace
Our tip, go by one and come back by the other. You see twice as much, and you never walk the same street twice.
• Jemaa El-Fna To The Bahia Palace On Google Maps about 1 km, 12 to 15 minutes
• Jemaa El-Fna To Place Des Ferblantiers about 1 km, 13 minutes through Riad Zitoun Lakdim
• Place Des Ferblantiers To The Bahia Palace about 200 meters, 2 minutes
What is the route by Riad Zitoun el Jdid, step by step?
Step 1, start at the Café de France
Stand with your back to the main entrance of the Café de France, the landmark everyone in Marrakech knows. The street running along the right side of the café is officially Rue des Banques, but locals still call it Kennaria. Take it.
Step 2, walk about 200 meters to the fork
After about 200 meters, the street splits. Rue Kennaria goes left, toward the north and the souks. You take the right branch, heading south. This is Riad Zitoun el Jdid.
Step 3, follow Riad Zitoun el Jdid south
Now just keep straight. The street is long and fairly wide for the Medina, with motorbikes, carts, small grocers, carpenters and tailors. Look at the arches crossing the derbs on each side. They strengthen the walls of the houses, and they once served as gates that closed at night so each neighbourhood knew who was coming in.
Step 4, notice Dar Si Said on your left
About halfway, a small derb to the left leads to Dar Si Said, a 19th-century palace built for the brother of the Bahia's owner, now the National Museum of Weaving and Carpets. It was damaged in the earthquake and closed for repairs, so check whether it has reopened before planning a visit.
Step 5, arrive at the Bahia
Near the end of the street, the palace entrance appears on your left, through a gate and a long garden path. If you reach Place des Ferblantiers, you've gone about 200 meters too far, just turn back.
What is the route by Riad Zitoun Lakdim, step by step?
Step 1, start at the Pharmacie de la Place
Face the Pharmacie de la Place on Jemaa el-Fna. On your right, next to the Café Glacier, the street of Riad Zitoun Lakdim begins.
Step 2, walk south through the old quarter
This street is busier with small shops, guesthouses and cafés. It's one of the oldest residential quarters near the square, with many riads hidden behind modest doors. Remember that in the Medina, a simple door often hides a beautiful house, the luxury is inside, never on the street.
Step 3, reach Place des Ferblantiers
At the end, the street opens onto Place des Ferblantiers, Lakzadria in Darija, the square of the tinsmiths, with hundreds of lanterns hanging above the workshops. Read more in What Makes Place Des Ferblantiers Special?
Step 4, turn to the Bahia
From the square, walk back up the end of Riad Zitoun el Jdid for about 200 meters. The palace entrance is on your right.
What will you find inside the Bahia Palace?
The Bahia, “the brilliant”, was built in the 19th century by Si Moussa, grand vizier to the sultan, and greatly expanded by his son Ba Ahmed, who became grand vizier himself and one of the most powerful men in Morocco. The complex covers almost 2 hectares with about 150 rooms. Visitors see only part of it, but what you see is extraordinary.
• Painted cedar ceilings carved and painted by hand, in the private apartments
• Zellige the geometric tilework that covers walls and floors
• Carved stucco as fine as lace around the doors and arches
• The Grand Courtyard a huge marble court of about 50 by 30 meters, surrounded by galleries
• The riad gardens planted courtyards with orange trees, banana trees and fountains
The design follows the idea of the riad, from rawda, the garden, an image of paradise kept inside the walls. Learn more in Where Are The Hidden Gardens And Riads Of The Medina? The Bahia, like the whole old city, is part of the Medina Of Marrakech, A UNESCO World Heritage Site.
What can you see near the Bahia after your visit?
• Place des Ferblantiers the lantern makers, 2 minutes away
• The Mellah the old Jewish quarter, with its spice market and the Lazama Synagogue, about 5 minutes away
• The El Badi Palace the great Saadian ruin with its storks, about 7 minutes away
• The Kasbah and the Saadian Tombs about 15 minutes away
You can link them all in one loop, see Hidden Gems Of The South Medina, A Local's Walking Route
• Bahia Palace To The Mellah about 400 meters, 5 minutes
• Bahia Palace To The El Badi Palace about 500 meters, 7 minutes
• Bahia Palace To The Saadian Tombs about 1.1 km, 15 minutes
Which riads are on the way to the Bahia?
Many of the Medina's riads sit in Riad Zitoun, right on this route. Each link opens the walking route from the riad to the palace. We pick our guests up at their riad, wherever it is in the Medina.
• From Riad Melhoun In The Bahia Quarter about 4 minutes on foot
• From Riad Cala Medina In Riad Zitoun Jdid about 5 minutes on foot
• From Riad Dar Anika In Riad Zitoun Lakdim about 7 minutes on foot
• From Riad Nesma Suites And Spa about 7 minutes on foot
• From Riad Des Princesses about 8 minutes on foot
• From Riad Marraplace about 8 minutes on foot
• From Riad Des Eaux about 9 minutes on foot
• From Riad Anabel about 10 minutes on foot
• From Le Riad Monceau about 11 minutes on foot
Walking times are approximate and depend on the exact entrance of each riad.
What should you know before you go?
• Go early the palace opens in the morning and the courtyards are calmest at opening time, before the tour groups arrive
• Bring cash for the entrance ticket, and expect a short queue at busy times
• Wear comfortable shoes the streets of Riad Zitoun are uneven in places
• Watch for motorbikes keep to the side of the street, especially on Riad Zitoun el Jdid
• Ignore “it's closed today” people who tell you the palace is closed and offer another route usually want to lead you to a shop
• Don't trust your phone too much maps often get confused in the derbs, read Why Does Google Maps Fail In The Medina?
• Stop for tea on the way back see Where To Stop For Mint Tea During A Medina Walk
What do travelers ask about walking to the Bahia?
Is it safe to walk from Jemaa el-Fna to the Bahia?
Yes. Both Riad Zitoun streets are busy residential streets, used every day by locals, tourists and families. Just stay on the main street and keep an eye on motorbikes.
Can you take a taxi instead?
You can, but taxis can't enter Riad Zitoun, so they drop you on the outer road and you still walk. For most people, walking is faster and much more interesting.
Is the walk good for children and older travelers?
Yes, it's flat and short. With small children, hold hands on Riad Zitoun el Jdid because of the motorbikes.
How long should you plan for the visit?
About 15 minutes to walk there and 45 minutes to 1 hour inside. Add the Mellah and Place des Ferblantiers for a full morning.
Explore every quarter of the old city in our Marrakech Medina Guide, Quarter By Quarter, and to go the other way, into the souks, read Main Routes From Jemaa El-Fna To The Souks. For the stories behind the names of the quarters, see What Can't You Find In Other Marrakech Guides?
What Happens On A Real Tour With Us?
Traveler from the United Kingdom
"Our guide made sure we saw the highlights and the hidden places too."
What Do Our Guests Usually Ask On The Tour?
Family from Canada
"He explained the history in a way that kept our whole family engaged."
What Surprises Travelers Most On Our Walks?
Traveler from the United States
"Our guide's passion for the city really shows."
Our tours are rated 5 stars on Google. Read Our Google Reviews
Ready to walk to the Bahia with a local? Book On WhatsApp for a fast reply, or use our Booking Form.
Who Wrote This Guide?
This guide was written by the Local Team of Visit Marrakech Medina, Marrakchis who were born and raised in the Medina and have guided travelers through its quarters, palaces and derbs since 2004. Our Medina walk is featured in The Rough Guide to Morocco, and our guiding is recommended by Rick Steves. Everything here comes from what we see and hear on our tours every day.
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Visit Marrakech Medina is an independent local specialist resource dedicated to discovering and understanding the Marrakech Medina. Our Marrakchi team has been guiding visitors through the Medina since 2004. We share firsthand local knowledge of its traditional souks, streets and derbs, neighbourhoods, historic gates, squares, monuments, artisan workshops, traditional crafts, architecture and everyday life. Our guides explore the history, geography, traditions and authentic character of the Medina, providing detailed information about the places, people and activities that make Marrakech's old city unique.
This guide is part of our coverage of the geography and walking routes of Marrakech Medina.
Discover our full range of authentic Marrakech tours on our Visit Marrakech Medina homepage.