Marrakech to Essaouira: Private Transfer from 1,200 MAD

A walled Atlantic port, formerly Mogador, with a fishing harbour and a long beach. Its medina has been on the UNESCO list since 2001.

There is no train from Marrakech to Essaouira, so you go by road: 183 km, about 2 h 40 on the N8 and the R207. A private transfer costs 1,200 MAD per car for up to 3 guests and takes you to the gate nearest your riad. The Supratours bus is the cheaper option, about 3 hours from its terminal by Marrakech station.

Ways to get from Marrakech to Essaouira

Booked on this page

Private transfer

Time: About 2 h 40
Cost: 1,200 MAD per car, 1,550 MAD per van, 1,750 MAD per minibus

From your riad or Marrakech airport to your hotel or medina gate, leaving when you want.

Bus (Supratours)

Several departures a day from the Supratours terminal next to Marrakech station, the first early in the morning. Book a day ahead in summer and around the Eid holidays.

Time: About 3 hours

Cost: About 80–140 MAD per seat

Day trip with a driver

If you sleep in Marrakech and only want a day on the coast.

Time: A full day, return

Cost: 1,850 MAD per car

Is there a train from Marrakech to Essaouira?

No. Morocco's railway ends at Marrakech, and no line runs to Essaouira today. A rail ticket that shows Essaouira as the destination is a train to Marrakech plus a Supratours bus for the last part.

If you arrive in Marrakech by train, the Supratours terminal is round the corner from the station. A transfer driver can also meet you at the station.

Bus or private transfer

The bus suits one or two people with light bags who are happy to follow its timetable. You still need a taxi to the bus terminal in Marrakech and a porter at the Essaouira end.

For 3 people, add up 3 bus seats and the taxis at both ends, then compare that with one sedan at 1,200 MAD. A larger group fits one van, 1,550 MAD for up to 7. The car also stops where you ask and drops you at the gate your riad names.

Essaouira from 1,200 MAD per car

The price is fixed before you travel. The office confirms it in writing.

Stops on the way

Chichaoua, where the N8 meets the R207, is the usual coffee and toilet stop, roughly an hour out of Marrakech. After it the road is two lanes with long straights across dry plains.

In the last stretch before the coast the argan trees start, and some drivers stop at a women's argan oil cooperative there. Ask for that stop when you book. If you stop for the goats in the trees, agree the herder's tip first.

Best time to go: the wind

Essaouira is a windy town. The trade winds blow hardest in July and August, mostly in the afternoon, which suits kitesurfers more than anyone lying on the beach. April, May, September and October are calmer.

Whatever the month, pack a jacket. The coast is cooler than Marrakech, and evenings on the ramparts get cold.

Practical tips

The road has no mountain section, so it is an easy drive for anyone who gets carsick. Leave Marrakech in the morning to arrive for lunch and have the afternoon in the medina.

Tell us the name of your riad when you book. Cars cannot enter the Essaouira medina, so the driver stops at the nearest gate and a porter takes the bags to the door.

Good to know

The road runs on the N8 to Chichaoua, then the R207 to the coast.
Argan trees line the road in the last stretch before Essaouira.
Goats in roadside argan trees are often posed there by herders, who expect a tip for photos.
It is 183 km from the medina, about 2 h 40 by road.

The drive

The N8 west to Chichaoua, then the R207, a two-lane road across dry plains into argan country before the coast.

Where the driver stops

Hotels outside the walls get a door drop-off. For a riad inside the medina, the driver stops at the nearest gate or car park and a porter brings the bags in. Ask your riad which entrance is closest.

Stops on the way

Ask for a photo stop or lunch on the way when you book. Short stops are free; a longer detour is added to the written price.

Questions about this transfer

How much is a transfer from Marrakech to Essaouira?

1,200 MAD per car for up to 3 guests, 1,550 MAD for a van up to 7 and 1,750 MAD for a minibus up to 16, per vehicle, confirmed in writing.

Can we stop on the way?

Yes, a short break for coffee or photos is normal on a drive of about 2 h 40. Ask for longer stops, such as an argan cooperative, when you book.

Can the car reach our riad in the Essaouira medina?

Usually not. The driver stops at the closest gate and a porter takes the bags to the door. Your riad can tell you which gate.

Marrakech to Essaouira: private transfer

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The road to Essaouira

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Essaouira in pictures