El Badi Palace
#6of 9 places to visit in MarrakechMarrakech, Marrakech-Safi, Morocco
Also known as El Badii Palace · Palais El Badi
Quick answer
Opening hours: 09:00–17:00, last entry 16:30. Entry: MAD 100. Allow 1.5 hrs. Best time: 09:00 - 10:30.
Updated · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read
- Opening hours
- 09:00–17:00
- Daily 09:00-17:00, last entry around 16:30, per most 2026 sources; no weekly closing day reported.
- Entry fee
- MAD 100
- Ticket from
- Time needed
- 1.5 hrs
- Best time of day
- 09:00 - 10:30
- Best months
- Mar – May, Sep – Nov
- Address
- Ksibat Nhass, Rue Riad Zitoun el Kdim, Medina, 40000 Marrakech, Morocco
About El Badi Palace
El Badi Palace charges MAD 100 for adult foreign visitors and is open 09:00-17:00 daily, as of 2026, though some guides list MAD 70, so verify at the window. The complex is the ruined shell of a 16th-century palace built by Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur, and what survives is a vast rectangular courtyard of about 135 by 110 metres with four sunken orange gardens and a central pool, enclosed by pisé (rammed earth) walls that are now bare of ornament. El Badi Palace has almost none of the tilework of Bahia Palace, and visitors should expect scale rather than decoration. Rampart stairs lead to a wall-top walk with views over the medina and the storks nesting on the ruins, and underground passages and dungeon chambers sit below the courtyard level.
Best time of day: 09:00 - 10:30. Or the last hour before closing, when the low sun lights the rampart walls and the stork nests are active on the wall tops.
El Badi Palace timings
El Badi Palace opens at 09:00 and closes at 17:00. Those hours hold on Saturday and Sunday too.
- Opening hours
- 09:00–17:00
Mon–Sun 09:00–17:00 - Daily 09:00-17:00, last entry around 16:30, per most 2026 sources; no weekly closing day reported.
- Closed on
- Open every day
Good to know: Ramadan hours are shorter, commonly 09:00-15:30. The courtyard hosts the Marrakech Popular Arts Festival in July, when parts of the site may close in the afternoon. A restoration programme launched after the 2023 earthquake means some areas may be fenced.
Opening hours compiled from visitmarrakech.com and public records, last updated . They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides
El Badi Palace ticket price
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Standard ticket | MAD 100 |
| Concession (student / senior) | MAD 30 |
| Children | MAD 30 |
El Badi Palace charges MAD 100 for adult foreign visitors, as of 2026, per introducingmarrakech.com and other 2026 guides; children under 12 pay MAD 30. SOURCE CONFLICT: some 2026 guides list MAD 70 for adults, and Moroccan residents pay a lower rate (reported at about MAD 20). No separate student or senior rate was found, so the concession field mirrors the child rate; verify at the ticket window. Cash in dirhams only.
Prices compiled from visitmarrakech.com and public records, last updated . They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides
Best time to visit El Badi Palace
- Quiet
- Moderate
- Busy
09:00 - 10:30
Opening CalmBest time to go
The courtyard is close to empty; stork activity is highest in spring mornings and the rampart walk is clear.
Quiet10:30 - 13:00
Tour Wave
Walking groups arrive after Bahia Palace and the Saadian Tombs; the courtyard absorbs crowds but the rampart stairs and minbar room are congested.
Busy13:00 - 15:00
Midday Heat
Summer heat in the unshaded courtyard thins visitor numbers, and shade is scarce.
Moderate15:00 - 17:00
Late Light
The site quietens and the low light lights the walls; last entry is about 16:30.
Quiet
History of El Badi Palace
El Badi Palace was built by Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur after his victory over the Portuguese at the Battle of the Three Kings in 1578, and construction is reported to have run for around 25 years. Contemporary accounts and later tradition describe a palace of about 360 rooms with marble imported from Italy and gold from West African trade, though the precise numbers are not firmly documented and should be treated as tradition. The name El Badi means 'the incomparable'.
After al-Mansur's death in 1603, the palace fell into decline, and the Alaouite sultan Moulay Ismail dismantled it from 1696 onwards, carrying marble, onyx and cedar to Meknes for his own buildings. The site was left as a shell of walls. Its most notable surviving object is the Koutoubia minbar, a 12th-century carved cedar pulpit with marquetry, made in Cordoba and displayed in a dedicated room. Marrakech monument restoration after the September 2023 Al Haouz earthquake includes El Badi; a public report in September 2025 described the MAD 31.7 million programme as about 40 percent complete, so scaffolding is possible.
Rules & etiquette at El Badi Palace
El Badi Palace has no strict dress code, but modest clothing is appropriate at all historic sites in Marrakech, with shoulders and knees covered. Tickets are sold at the gate in cash only, and there is little shade in the central courtyard, so summer visits need a hat and water. Wall-top stairs are steep and uneven, and children should be supervised.
El Badi Palace permits photography for personal use, and tripods and commercial shoots need authorisation. Do not climb on walls or approach the stork nests closely. Unofficial guides at the entrance offer tours and sometimes charge more than agreed, so fix a price in dirhams first or decline. Official guides carry a badge. The Koutoubia minbar room may have limited light, and flash photography is discouraged.
Tips for visiting El Badi Palace
- 1
El Badi Palace works best after Bahia Palace and the Saadian Tombs, as the three are within 10-15 minutes' walk of each other and cover Saadian-era and late 19th-century Alaouite-era architecture. Head straight for the rampart walk on entering to get the medina views before the courtyard fills, then come back down to see the Koutoubia minbar.
- 2
El Badi Palace is at its best from March to June, when white storks nest on the wall tops and are active in the morning. Avoid the palace in July if you want to see the whole courtyard, because the Popular Arts Festival uses it as a performance venue and parts can close in the afternoon. The Place des Ferblantiers, close to the palace, has cafes with terraces for a drink after the visit, but check prices on the menu before ordering. The main gate is at the end of a narrow lane on Rue Riad Zitoun el Kdim.
How to reach El Badi Palace
The red star is El Badi Palace; the numbered pins are the 7 nearest places in our guides, each showing its rank in its city. Tap a pin for details.
Ksibat Nhass, Rue Riad Zitoun el Kdim, Medina, 40000 Marrakech, MoroccoDirections in Google Maps
From Jemaa el-Fnaa
0.9 km · 12-18 min
Free on foot; a petit taxi starts near MAD 7 on the meter, and drivers often quote MAD 20-30 flat
From Bahia Palace
0.5 km · 8-12 min
Free on foot
From Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK)
8 km · 40-55 min
MAD 30 one-way on Bus 19 (as of 2026)
Nearest airport
From Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK)
approximately 8 km, 20-30 minutes by taxi.
Nearest station
From Marrakech railway station (ONCF)
approximately 5 km, 15-25 minutes by taxi.
El Badi Palace FAQs
How much is entry to El Badi Palace?
El Badi Palace costs MAD 100 for adult foreign visitors, as of 2026, per most current sources; some list MAD 70, so verify at the ticket window. Children under 12 pay about MAD 30.
Why is El Badi Palace in ruins?
El Badi Palace is in ruins because the Alaouite sultan Moulay Ismail dismantled it from 1696 onwards and took its marble, onyx and cedar to Meknes. Al-Mansur built it after the 1578 Battle of the Three Kings.
What is the Koutoubia minbar at El Badi Palace?
The Koutoubia minbar is a 12th-century carved cedar pulpit with marquetry, made in Cordoba and displayed in a dedicated room at El Badi Palace. It was originally made for the Koutoubia Mosque.
Is El Badi Palace affected by the 2023 earthquake?
Yes. El Badi Palace is part of a restoration programme launched after the September 2023 Al Haouz earthquake, reported at about 40 percent complete in September 2025. Some areas may be fenced, so check on arrival.
Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated . How we rank and check places
Places to visit near El Badi Palace
Straight-line distances from our map; times are estimates.
#5 in MarrakechSaadian Tombs
Mausoleum · 300 m · about 5 min walk
#7 in MarrakechBahia Palace
Palace · 500 m · about 8 min walk
#1 in MarrakechFree entryJemaa el-Fnaa
Heritage · 900 m · about 15 min walk
#2 in MarrakechFree entryKoutoubia Mosque
Mosque · 1000 m · about 16 min walk