Essaouira Transportation

If you wanna go by taxi, the price around city centre is 6 DH for locals. Give 10 DH, still pretty good price and the driver will be satisfied too. Sometimes when we gave 6 DH, he mumbled against. Be sure, when you get off a car, just give him and that´s it. Because when they see you dont know, the price will be much more higher.

The following are the times for coach departures.
There is a stop halfway for snack and use of toilet facility.
Hopefully this will help you plan your trip.

Marrakech to Essaouira daily:
08:30
10:45
14:45
18:30

Essaouira to Marrakech daily:
06:00
09:00
12:00
15:30
18:30

Journey time ia 2 - 2.5 hours.
The price of the ticket is currently 65Dh but you really need to buy your ticket as soon as you can to guarantee seating, also when you arrive in Ess buy your return ticket immediately.
It has been known to happen that the return journey be fully booked in which case you may have to stay overnight or take a taxi back at a much higher cost.

You should be fine actually in terms of safety. Morocco for first time visitors would seem to appear daunting, unsafe and even dangerous but that's just as one's fleeting impression - its exoticism and sort of other-worldliness that Westerners especially unfamiliar to the place and culture would feel nervous about will soon disappear as you feel the rare and exciting pulse to the place. There are frequent buses to Essaouira from Marrakech and it takes a good two to three hours with many stops along the way. If you can get one by 5PM, you'll be in Essaouira in mid-evening. Try to see if you can hop on one of those mini-vans (or dolmus or petite taxi, I think they're called) with fewer passengers on board but will get you to Essaouira quicker than the bus.

Know also that in October, daylight is much diminished after summer, so you're travelling already in the cover of darkness. If I were you, I'd overnight in Marrakech and start out early to Essaouira, getting there much refreshed. But if extra cost/money plays a major factor in this travel, I'd consider taking the overnight bus to Essaouira and sleeping thru the trip.

Enjoy Morocco and happy trails.

Here are the buses departing ESSAOUIRA for Marrakech each day:

06h00 Supratours
12h00 Supratours (only in summer)
16h00 Supratours
17h00 CTM
18h30 Supratours (only in summer)

024 43.55.25 - Supratours Marrakech office

Most travellers will arrive by bus from either Agadir or Marrakech, The main bus station is situated a short walk from the Medina and The Supratour bus stops by Bab Marrakech so no need to take a taxi. However if your luggage is heavy, you have small children or you are not sure about the location of your hotel you might like to hire a "carousa" basically a blue box on wheels. For 5 dirhams the carousa man will take you to your accommodation inside the Medina, taxis and cars are not permitted within the walls.
It is preferable to discuss the price before you set off.
THIS IS A BIG TIP If you are a slow walker, look for an elderly carousa man,

The Supra Tours bus terminal is next to Bab Marrakesh. A ticket to Marrakech costs DH65, but you really need to book a day in advance as the buses are completely full with foreign tourists. The buses are non-stop and comfortable, with airconditioning.

In October 2006 there were four per day, at 6am, 12 midday, 3.30pm and 6.40pm. But you should check, as the time and frequency of buses change seasonally. The journey takes just under 4 hours and the bus drops you in front of Marrakech train station in the new city. So, if you are planning to stay in the old city, you will need to take a taxi from there, for which you should pay no more than DH15.

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Essaouira is a town built for walking, and one can cycle easily in the surrounding countryside and along the coast!

The old village is surrounded by a wall which separates it from the rest of the world, including the local and very vibrant fishing harbour and expansive beach, and our strolls around the old village brought new excitement every time, as we discovered different and interesting alleyways to explore!

We were only there for 2 days and relished every moment of the peaceful character of the place, the friendliness and relaxed approach of the vendors which we compared to the frenzy and manic buzz of Marrakech. We were there in February 2007 and it was absolutely spectacular!

Don't miss the grilled fish lunch near the harbour. We paid 100 dirham each for more seafood than we could eat, together with fresh salad, bread and softdrinks. Great, great value for money!

And of course the haggling and banter in the shops was exhilarating. Get some "thuya" (say twee-ah) wood items which are sold for a song, compared to what they're worth. This rare wood from the Essaouira area is just too magnificent for words, and truly took my breath away.

Go to Essaouira!

I like to be polite and take things as they come, but....
I had booked a flight from Fes to Marrakesh. Leaving at an ungodly hour of the morning, changing at Casa. At Casa the hour wait grew to two, then three, and then the fllight was cancelled. Red is what I saw. I was full of no sleep and airport coffee. Royal Air Maroc were offering a bus to Marrakesh and (I think) some kind of refund. Not good enough: I had paid the money for time, I hadn't wanted to spend a whole day travelling. The devill whispered in my ear:
'But I had not intended to stay in Marrakesh: I had intended to travel on to Essouara that afternoon: now there would not be time....'
They gave me a chit and I rode down to Essaouira in a grande taxi, with a driver who shared my liking for Casa Sports.
Be assured that I felt so guilty over this bad behaviour that he got a massive tip.

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The Supratours bus runs from the Marrakesh train station to Essaouira 3 times daily. If you do the day trip, the first bus leaves at 8:30 am in morning and return from Essaouira at 4pm. DH60 one way. Once you arrive Essaouira, go to get your return immediately as you can't do it in Marrakesh.

See more pics for the bus schedule from Essaouira to other cities and their fares. keep it handly. (as of March 2006).

The bus from Marrakesh is meant to take 2 1/2 hours but took us 3 3/4 hours there and 3 1/2 hours back. This is because the bus stops every 5 minutes to pick up or drop off every man and his dog! It was hot and uncomfortable, but thats what travellings all about, to see how it done by the locals, so i actually in a weird way enjoyed the 'long journey'.
There are better buses than the local ones, try Supratours.
Essaouira bus station is a 10min walk to centre of town, or 10dh in a cab.