# Marrakesh to Essaouira: bus, taxi or private driver

URL: https://soukytours.com/blog/marrakesh-to-essaouira-bus-taxi-or-driver
Date: 2026-10-05

Marrakesh to Essaouira by Supratours or CTM bus, grand taxi or private driver: travel time, cost, stops on the way, and day trip or overnight stay.

Essaouira is on the Atlantic coast, about 180 km (110 miles) west of Marrakesh. There is no train. You choose between the bus, a grand taxi and a private driver, and then between a day trip and staying the night.

## By bus: Supratours or CTM

Two companies run the route several times a day: [Supratours](https://www.supratours.ma) and [CTM](https://ctm.ma). Both have assigned seats, air conditioning and a luggage hold. The ride takes about three hours, with a break at a roadside restaurant halfway. A one-way ticket costs about 80 to 110 dirham. Check the current price and times with the company itself. For a suitcase in the hold you pay a few dirham extra.

Supratours leaves from next to the Marrakesh train station. CTM has its own bus station. In high season and around the weekend, buy your ticket a day ahead, because the buses fill up. In Essaouira, Supratours stops close to the medina. The CTM stop is a bit further out, a short taxi ride away.

As a woman on your own, the bus is a calm way to travel. You have your own seat, there are families and other travelers on board, and you don't have to discuss the price with anyone.

## By grand taxi

Grand taxis to Essaouira leave as soon as every seat is taken. You pay per seat and sit close to your fellow passengers. If the taxi fills up quickly, you get there a little sooner than by bus. It is not comfortable.

You can also hire the whole taxi. That costs many times the price of a bus ticket. Agree on the price beforehand and ask whether the return ride is included. The guide on [getting around](/en/practical/getting-around) explains how taxis and buses work in the rest of Morocco.

## With a private driver

With a driver the trip takes 2.5 to 3 hours. You are picked up at your riad and dropped at the gate of the Essaouira medina. The difference from the bus is mostly on the road: you stop where you want and your suitcase stays in the car.

## Stops on the way

The landscape between Marrakesh and the coast is flat and dry. The last stretch turns greener because of the argan trees, which grow almost only in this part of Morocco.

Along the road there are women's cooperatives where argan oil is made. You see how the nuts are cracked and ground by hand, and you buy the oil without a middleman. Not every shop with the word cooperative on the front is one. A driver who knows the region knows which ones are run by women.

You will also come across goats in argan trees. Along the road they are often put there for tourists, and the herder expects money for a photo.

## Day trip or staying the night

A day trip works, but you sit in the car for five hours for about five hours in town. If you leave at eight, you are in Essaouira around half past ten and have time for the medina, the city wall, fish at the harbor and a walk along the beach. Around five you drive back. The [Essaouira day trip](/en/trips/essaouira-day-trip) page shows how a day like that goes.

If you stay a night, you see the sunset from the city wall and you have the next morning, before the day visitors arrive. Essaouira is small and relaxed. As a woman on your own you walk around far more calmly here than in Marrakesh. There is more on that on the page about [Essaouira](/en/destinations/essaouira).

By bus a day trip is tight. You are on the road for six hours and tied to the departure times. If you take the bus, stay one or two nights.

## Arriving in Essaouira

The medina of Essaouira is car-free. Bus, taxi and driver drop you at one of the gates, and you walk the last stretch. At the gates there are men with handcarts who take your suitcase to your riad. Agree on the price beforehand and count on about 20 to 30 dirham. Ask your riad which gate is best to get out at, because it saves you a long walk.

If you are going back by bus, buy your return ticket as soon as you arrive. In high season the late afternoon buses are the first to fill up.

## When to go

Essaouira works all year. In summer the wind blows hard and it is a good deal cooler than in Marrakesh, which is a good reason to head for the coast in July or August. Bring a windbreaker, even in the middle of summer. The guide on the [best time to visit](/en/practical/best-time-to-visit) shows the weather per month.

## Which one to choose

If you have the time and you are staying over, the bus is cheap and easy enough. If you want to go there and back in one day, or stop at a cooperative on the way, a private driver is the logical choice. The grand taxi is for travelers who are flexible and don't care about comfort.

If you travel with Soukayna, you can also use the ride as a transfer: you leave Marrakesh with your suitcase, stay a few nights by the sea and get picked up again afterward.

## Frequently asked questions

**How long does it take to get from Marrakesh to Essaouira?**

About three hours by bus, including a break. With a private driver it takes 2.5 to 3 hours, depending on the stops.

**Is there a train from Marrakesh to Essaouira?**

No. You travel by Supratours or CTM bus, by grand taxi or with a private driver.

**Can you do Essaouira as a day trip from Marrakesh?**

Yes, with a private driver. Count on about five hours of driving in total and five hours in town. By bus a day trip is tight, and you are better off staying a night.


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Source: https://soukytours.com/blog/marrakesh-to-essaouira-bus-taxi-or-driver
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