In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The madrasa costs 50 MAD (about £4) for a foreign adult and is sold at the entrance only: its online ticketing is under maintenance. It is open 09:00 to 19:00 every day, and 09:00 to 16:30 in Ramadan. Go at 09:00, because you queue at the door to buy, and the state says the building is under heavy visitor pressure. There is no combined ticket. The operator is the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs, and look-alike ticket sites on other domains are not. Or book a tour: the Ben Youssef, Secret Garden and souks walking tourad (from £13, 3 hours) puts a guide in one booking, and check what its ticket includes before you rely on it covering entry.
The ticket, compared
The operator is the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs. Prices are from its hours and prices page, at about 13 MAD to the pound. Its tickets page says purchase is available only at the entrance.
| Visitor | Price |
|---|---|
| Foreign adult | 50 MAD (about £4) |
| Child under 12 | 10 MAD |
| Moroccan adult, with ID | 20 MAD |
| Group of 21 or more | 30 MAD each |
- Door sales only: the online ticketing system is under maintenance, so buy at the entrance on Assouel Street.
- No combined ticket: the Almoravid Koubba sells its own 100 MAD ticket on the Ministry of Culture’s platform.
- Groups: a tourist group must be led by a qualified, accredited tourist guide.
Tours worth paying for
GetYourGuide sells walking tours of the north of the medina that include the madrasa. The madrasa’s 50 MAD and Le Jardin Secret’s 100 MAD come to about £11.50 in entry tickets, and the tours below cost £11 to £13 in all, so read “what’s included” on the product page before you assume entry is covered. Where it is not, pay at the door. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices, per person.
The madrasa, the Secret Garden and the souks
From £13 (usually £17) · 4.6 stars from 4,675 reviews · 3 hours
Marrakech: Ben Youssef, Secret Garden & Souks Walking Tourad is the most-reviewed tour with the madrasa in its title.
The madrasa, the Secret Garden and the medina
From £13 (usually £26) · 4.8 stars from 2,132 reviews · 3.5 to 4 hours
Marrakech: Madrassa Ben Youssef, Secret Garden & Medina Tourad is the longer version of the same route.
The madrasa, Le Jardin Secret and the souk
From £11 (usually £22) · 4.8 stars from 484 reviews · 4 hours
Marrakech: Ben Youssef Medersa, Le Jardin Secret & Souk Tourad is the cheapest of the three, with the fewest reviews.
What to see
The operator dates the madrasa to 1564 and 1565, when the Saadian sultan Abdallah al-Ghalib built it, and says it served as a college for four centuries, teaching religious sciences, philosophy, medicine and mathematics.
The central courtyard of the Ben Youssef Madrasa. Photo: Marco Almbauer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- The central courtyard. Galleries run round it, and the student rooms are arranged round them. The operator calls the rooms compact, built for study and meditation.
- The decoration. The operator describes carved cedar doors and ceilings with geometric, floral and calligraphic patterns, tilework on walls, floors, fountains and columns, and carved plaster with calligraphic inscriptions. Its tiles are 3 cm thick, double the usual.
Tilework and carved plaster on a gallery of the courtyard. Photo: Marco Almbauer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What to skip: a guide offered outside the door, unless he shows an official badge. Allow about 45 minutes.
Hours, rules and getting there
| Period | Hours |
|---|---|
| Every day | 09:00 to 19:00 |
| During Ramadan | 09:00 to 16:30 |
- Dress: cover shoulders and knees. The madrasa belongs to the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs.
- Address: Assouel Street, in the north of the medina. Phone +212 5 24 38 41 12.
- Crowds: the state’s November 2025 report says the madrasa, the Bahia Palace and the Saadian Tombs are under heavy pressure from visitor numbers. It also lists the Ben Youssef mosque among five mosques under restoration.
Le Jardin Secret is the usual pairing, with the souks between the two, and the Bahia Palace and the Saadian Tombs and El Badi Palace are the ministry monuments in the Kasbah. Marrakech museums lists the others. For the rest of the city’s bookings, see what to book before you go to Marrakech. Marrakech medina tours and licensed guides compares the guided options, Marrakech after the earthquake lists what has reopened, and 3 days in Marrakech starts the medina day here at 09:00. To sleep nearby, hotels near Jemaa el-Fnaa lists the hotels beside the square, and where to eat in Marrakech lists places to eat.
Common questions
How much is the Ben Youssef Madrasa?
50 MAD for a foreign adult (about £4). Children under 12 pay 10 MAD, Moroccan adults 20 MAD with ID, and groups of 21 or more 30 MAD each.
Can I buy Ben Youssef Madrasa tickets online?
Not for now. The operator's ticket page says its online ticketing system is undergoing maintenance and that tickets are sold only at the entrance. The operator is the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs, at medersabenyoussef.ma.
What are the opening hours of the Ben Youssef Madrasa?
09:00 to 19:00 every day. During Ramadan the madrasa is open 09:00 to 16:30.
Do I need a guide at the Ben Youssef Madrasa?
No, not as an individual. A tourist group must be led by a qualified, accredited tourist guide, who stays in charge of the group throughout.
What can I combine with the Ben Youssef Madrasa?
Le Jardin Secret on Rue Mouassine is the usual pairing, and the souks lie between the two. GetYourGuide sells walking tours that include the madrasa. There is no combined ticket.
How long does the Ben Youssef Madrasa take?
About 45 minutes. It is a single building, round a central courtyard.
