Short answer
At Marrakech Menara (RAK) you clear passport control, collect your bags and pass customs into the arrivals hall. Get dirhams from a bank ATM there, since they are hard to buy abroad. With a booked transfer, your driver waits in the hall with a name sign; the medina is 7 km away, about 10 min.
From the plane to the arrivals hall
Marrakech Menara is the city's airport, inside the city limits. The order on arrival is the same for every international flight: passport control, baggage reclaim, then customs, then the arrivals hall. Queues at passport control vary with how many flights land together, so allow for them when you tell a riad your arrival time.
Your driver cannot come through to baggage reclaim. They wait in the public arrivals hall, past customs, so walk out with your bags before you start looking for a sign.
Cash: get dirhams before you leave the building
The Moroccan dirham (MAD) is a closed currency. Banks at home rarely sell it, so most visitors get it on arrival. The arrivals hall has exchange desks and bank ATMs; ATMs usually give a better rate than the desks.
If an ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, decline it and take the amount in dirhams. Keep your exchange receipts: you may need them to change leftover dirhams back to euros when you leave.
Carry some small notes. Porters, riad staff and roadside cafés work in cash.
Phone and data
The three Moroccan networks, Maroc Telecom, Orange and inwi, sell SIM cards in the arrivals hall. Buying one at the airport gives you data for maps and WhatsApp before you reach the city, which helps if your riad or driver needs to call you.
Taxis at the rank
The official taxi rank is outside the arrivals exit. Fares into the city are set locally and are often displayed at the rank, and the night rate is higher. Agree the fare with the driver before you get in, and have dirhams ready.
Petit taxis, the small city taxis, carry up to 3 passengers. A family of four or a group with a lot of luggage needs two taxis or a larger vehicle. A taxi also drops you where the driver chooses; for a medina riad, that is often a gate you have never heard of, with no one to meet you.
Meeting a booked driver
With a transfer booked through us, the driver tracks your flight and waits in the arrivals hall holding a sign with your name. Because the driver follows the flight, the wait starts when your plane lands, so a late flight does not cost you the pickup. The first 60 minutes after landing are free.
If you cannot see the driver, stay inside the hall and call or WhatsApp the number in your confirmation. Do not follow anyone who approaches you outside offering to take you to your driver.
The price is per vehicle and agreed in writing before you fly: 300 MAD by sedan for up to 3 guests to the medina, 400 MAD by van for up to 7 and 600 MAD by minibus for up to 16. Pickups in the 23:00–04:59 window carry a 20% supplement.
Drive times into the city
Every Marrakech district is a short drive from the terminal. The medina is 7 km, about 10 min. Gueliz is 8 km, Hivernage 7 km, Agdal 6 km and the train station 7 km. The Palmeraie, on the north side of the city, is the furthest at 14 km, about 20 min.
Add the walk from the drop-off point if you are staying in a medina riad. For longer legs, such as Essaouira or Agadir, the driver can leave straight from the airport.
Before you fly
Send us your flight number, the number of guests and bags, and the exact address. For a medina riad, ask the riad which drop-off point it uses and send that too. If you need a child seat, give the child's age.
Save the confirmation on your phone so you have the driver's contact without needing data.
Common questions
Where does my driver wait at Marrakech airport?
Inside the arrivals hall, past customs, holding a sign with your name. Drivers cannot enter the baggage area.
Can I buy dirhams before I travel?
Generally no. The dirham is a closed currency, so take cash from a bank ATM or exchange money in the arrivals hall.
What if my flight is late?
Your driver follows the flight and waits from the actual landing time. You do not need to message us unless you change flights.
