Full Day Trip To Essaouira From Marrakech

Badge of Excellence

Marrakech, Morocco

Great choice

5+ bookings last month.

10 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.4

· Portia_R ·

Dec 2025

We were picked up on time and it was a smooth journey.The departure was on time as well.The driver drove safely.It was a lovely journey.

· AnneMarie_K ·

Dec 2025

Essaouira is a small picturesque fortified coastal town. The Medina is easily walkable and art lovers will be happy to visit the small art galleries/ boutiques. The drive to/from Marrakech is long but the stop at the Argan oil coop is interesting.

Explore our promoted experiences

Likely to Sell Out

Ouzoud Waterfalls Full Day Trip From Marrakech

Marrakech, Central Morocco

4.8

(969)

Ouzoud Waterfalls Full Day Trip From Marrakech

from $18

Marrakech, Central Morocco

Marrakesh Ourika River Shared Group Tour

from $29

Ouzoud Waterfalls Excursions from Marrakech with boat Ride

Marrakech, Central Morocco

4.9

(190)

Ouzoud Waterfalls Excursions from Marrakech with boat Ride

from $28

Viator earns higher commissions on experiences featured here

Overview

Spend a day in the seaside community of Essaouira on a full-day trip from Marrakech, and discover an atmospheric medina, colorful bazaars, and a center that bustles with open-air cafes and seafood restaurants. Pre-booking a ride to Essaouira is a hassle-free way of making the trip, with all transport by climate-controlled minivan, plus plenty of free time to explore independently. This trip includes pickup and drop-off at centrally-located hotels in Marrakech.

Round-trip transport to Essaouira from Marrakech
See the city's medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Free time to visit the city's waterfront and historic center
Pickup and drop-off at centrally-located Marrakech hotels

What's Included

Hotel pickup and drop-off
Transport by air-conditioned minivan
Free time to visit Essaouira city
bilingual driver

Food and drinks
Lunch
Tips (Optional)

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

If you are staying in Marrakech, please note the following pick-up details based on your location: New Town (Gueliz, Hivernage, etc.): Pick-up is available from all hotels in this area. Our driver will meet you directly at your hotel’s main entrance at the scheduled time. Medina (Old City): Since many riads and accommodations in the Medina are located in areas not accessible by minibus, your pick-up will be arranged at the nearest accessible point to your riad. Our team will provide you with the exact meeting point once you confirm your booking. To ensure a smooth pick-up process, please provide the name and address of your hotel or riad in the "Special Requests" section when booking. If you are unsure about your location, feel free to contact us, and we will assist you in finding the most convenient meeting point

Meeting point

Hôtel Restaurant Café de France
J2G7+G2G jamaa el-fnna، Rue des Banques, مراكش 40000, Morocco

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.8:00 am

Itinerary

Medina of Essaouira

4 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Infant seats available

Most travelers can participate
Please enter your phone number and your country code.
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Please provide your international phone number
Provide your hotel address
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10,000 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

patricia_e

It's a great break from the manic pace of Marrakech. The Medina shopping is lively but not pushy. The beach is clean. I wish there were more public restrooms. The argan oil stop was really interesting. Our driver Jamil was charming and helpful.

Reviews

4.4

based on 1,153 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Beautiful town and fishing port was fantastic

Andrew_d, Mar 2026

Very professional pick up service and a very comfortable minibus correct number of stops for a 3.5 hour trip

Great trip with Mohammed

Kristopher_O, Feb 2026

Mohammed is an excellent driver, and he went out of his way to make sure everyone was comfortable for this wonderful trip.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re delighted to hear that Mohammed made your trip so comfortable and enjoyable. He truly cares about our guests’ experience, and it’s wonderful to know his efforts made a difference. We’ll be sure to pass along your compliments to him it will mean a lot! We hope to welcome you again on another memorable adventure soon.

Essaouira

JoAnn_J, Dec 2025

Essaouira should not be missed! A nice change from the hustle and bustle of Marrakech. The driver dropped us off and told us where to meet him in 5 hours. I loved that we had that much time to do exactly what we wanted to do. I looked for seashells for an hour. Had a great lunch and took some truly beautiful photos. The company was punctual and driving was professional. Highly recommended!

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed your day in Essaouira and appreciated the relaxed pace away from the hustle and bustle of Marrakech. Having free time to explore at your own rhythm — whether it’s searching for seashells, enjoying a delicious lunch, or capturing beautiful photos — is exactly what we hope our guests experience. We’re also very pleased to know you found our service punctual and the driving professional. Your recommendation truly means a lot to us. We hope to welcome you again on another memorable adventure soon!

We were picked up on time...

Portia_R, Dec 2025

We were picked up on time and it was a smooth journey.The departure was on time as well.The driver drove safely.It was a lovely journey.

Essaouira is a small...

AnneMarie_K, Dec 2025

Avoid this tour provider AT ALL COSTS

Hilary_C, Nov 2025

1 star. I would not recommend this operator (Marrakech Travel Services) under any circumstances. The experience was disorganized, poorly managed, and materially inconsistent with what was represented. Pickup began on time, but we then spent nearly an hour idling at multiple stops within Marrakech with no explanation. The driver provided no proactive communication and, when questioned directly, offered only vague or non-responsive answers. Significant safety concerns arose throughout the day. The driver repeatedly engaged in speeding, abrupt lane changes, aggressive passing, and weaving through traffic. Several passengers reacted visibly to the erratic driving, which did not meet any reasonable standard of professional transport. The most serious issues occurred on the return journey. One passenger arrived late to the designated meeting point. After finally boarding, he realized he had left his phone in the taxi he had taken—again inexplicably—rather than coming directly to the meeting point on time. Instead of proceeding safely or on schedule, the driver halted the group’s departure and ultimately began reversing down the highway with the vehicle door open so the passenger could retrieve his phone. This created an unnecessary and unacceptable safety hazard for everyone in the vehicle. The situation escalated further. When asked, the driver initially stated that drop-off locations would mirror the morning pickup. Moments later, after reviewing the same passenger’s phone and accepting what appeared to be a cash payment, he altered the route and prioritized dropping that couple off first—even though they had been the last to arrive and the requested location was unfamiliar. The driver then became lost and drove the group down a dark, unlit road that ended in a cliff. His clear favoritism toward this couple came at the direct expense of the safety and interests of the rest of the passengers. We ultimately returned nearly two hours later than advertised, on a Friday evening, which created avoidable logistical and safety issues. Multiple attempts to contact the company during and after the trip went unanswered. A review of other feedback shows these problems are not isolated. Many customers report similar concerns: unexplained delays, no communication, erratic driving, and materially late returns. Essaouira is well worth visiting. However, based on this experience, I strongly recommend selecting a different operator. Most hotels and tour companies offer some version of this shuttle. This service failed to meet basic standards of communication, professionalism, fairness, and passenger safety.

Good day out from Marrakesh

Fiona_D, Nov 2025

Picked up at our hotel by the Driver at the prearranged time in a clean and tidy mini van. Enjoyed our day out from Marrakesh and would recommend.

It's a great break from...

patricia_e, Nov 2025

Essaouira day trip.

Mayur_B, Nov 2025

This is just a private shared transfer. But great for the value you spend. Great to spend some quality time along the coast.

Driver not very friendly

Suzanna_M, Oct 2025

The driver spent most of the time driving at breakneck speed dodging traffic and punching the air when unexpected obstacles came his way. He was excellent at overtaking traffic but we only realised this when we actually didn’t die. When we slowed down it was invariably because he was texting, getting petrol, talking to people on the phone or buying something from a highway vendor. He told us the mandatory bits about Essaoura and was prompt to pick us up. For that he gets 5 stars. Otherwise it’s just a drive to the seaside by a maniac driver.

Very Disappointing!

Peter_B, Oct 2025

Yesterday we went on a day tour to Essaouira that must have been the worst trip ever! We were supposed to have an 'English speaking guide but unfortunately, his English was non-existent. There were couples from France and Italy but he could not communicate with them either. He made no comments on the journey to Essaouira, on the length of our journey to Essaouira, anything interesting en route or information on Essaouira. This trip was nothing more than a bus ride to Essaouira. Our return journey was even worst as the logic of the 'drop off' at hotels did not make sense nor did he communicate the plan. On approaching Marrakech, he turned off the main road and headed in a completely different direction. I monitored our progress on 'Google Maps' and journey went all around Marrakech to drop off people at The Atlas Resort. None of this was communicated to us. This route added an extra hour to our journey. No what we expected and what turned out to be a very expensive bus ride!

Essaouiraaaa!

segan_b, Sep 2025

We started with a pick up from my stay, driver was on time and ready to go! We stopped for breakfast, which we're only given about 20 minutes. (which ofc isn't an issue.) The drive is about 3 hours so I fell asleep on the way. :) Once we arrived in Essaouira, I had plenty of time to enjoy the beauty of it.. found some restaurants, had atay during the afternoon and shopped a little!! This is a great way to spend the day if a coastal town is your vibe! It's in the description prior to booking however, in case there's confusion.. this is a self-guided tour upon arrival. Anyway, great tour, lovely people and delicious food here! :)

Great value day out

Jane_M, Sep 2025

Great value day out. The vehicle had air on and reasonable leg room. Driver was 30 minutes late and a slightly erratic driver but a nice guy . It was a lovely city with lots of character, beach and port. Would love to go back to spend more time in the city.

A great trip and worthwhile.

Mae_S, Sep 2025

is a great place far away from the busy city of Marrakech. We went there collected from our hotel by the Marrakesh travel services. The trip is quite long and far but the driver is kind enough to let us have some short stop over to have some snacks. Love the coastal area where you can choose fresh produce from the sea and have it cook nearby. We also had been to an Argan production and the driver was very kind to tell us about the Argan tree and its uses.

Stressful experience

Shao_M, Sep 2025

Very disorganized. The tour was supposed to start and meet at the meeting point, but we waited for more than 1 hour. The van that was supposed to have air conditioning was an old van without it. There was no English-speaking guide, only the driver who barely spoke English. In short, nothing like what was described in the program.

Essaouria

Sylvia_D, Sep 2025

It was a tedious, lengthy process to get from the hotel to our destination and back. Driver was very late picking us up, dropped us off at another stop where we had to wait for yet another driver/van. Took almost 3 hrs of travel time. On the way back we made a sudden unplanned stop. Driver abruptly exited the van leaving all of us passengers bewildered as to what was happening. Another passenger seemed to know there was another van broken down and we had to take in some of the passengers from the broken down van. That is understandable. However..the driver should have kept us informed. It was scary something was happening and we had no idea what was wrong. What was supposed to be 10 hrs from start to finish turned into 13 hrs. Essaouria however was beautiful!

Essaouira day drip

Nathaniel_L, Jul 2025

The driver was on time and very polite. He asked if we wanted to stop places. I appreciate him asking not just stopping and pushing merchants on us. I have been on other tour's that just randomly stop multiple times and don't ask if you would like to stop.

Day trip to essuria

Manisha_J, Jun 2025

One extra hour and little bit of guidance on where to go, what to see etc would have been better. Would have loved to get any historical information

Essaouira Worth the Roundtrip Price from Marrakes

Wanda_T, May 2025

The small shared (12 person) bus was very comfortable. Essaouira was beautiful and worth a day trip from Marrakesh. Our driver was so much fun and he seemed to enjoy joking with us. I might skip the stop to look at the goats. The man there forced goats into people’s arms then wanted to charge us to hold them or to get a picture made with them. I would also skip the argon oil cooperative. There are many vendors in the Essaouira markets making argon oil products.

Punctual and easy. I...

J_L, May 2025

Punctual and easy. I could explore Essaouira on my own. As this is not a guided tour, I recommend researching this city's history in advance.

Beautiful

Dayri_L, Mar 2025

Essaoira doesn’t need much of an explanation or a guide. We were on our own exploring. I researched and learned everything I wanted to know before going. I picked which fish, sardines, and shrimp I wanted, they cooked them for me right outside the port. I found a local there who explained everything else that I didn’t know.

Had a brilliant...

Heidi_S, Mar 2025

Had a brilliant experience from start to finish. The driver kept us up to date on what time he would pick us up in the morning from our hotel. Alot of other tour guides said it was out with there pick up points.

Nice costal town

Sebastjan_M, Mar 2025

The sceenery and town was really nice, but check the weather, we had bad weather and couldnt fully enjoy the experiance.

Trip

DeniseLoo, Mar 2025

The guide should explain that if you buy fish from the harbour the locals will cook it for you. The rest of the tour was very good.

Great Essaouira trip

Ieva_J, Mar 2025

Essaouira trip was great! Mustapha is a great driver and as great person (calm and with sense of humour) and a guide (compared to local guides that showed Ait Ben Hadou and Gorges to us). He shared a lot of useful information about country, sightseeing places and took very good care of our group. Tour was in 2 languages FR and EN, which was nice, because our previous driver (another company) had trouble understanding English.

Beautiful place to visit,...

Anilita_B, Mar 2025

Beautiful place to visit, hence a UNESCO site. Ate at a modern seafood restaurant which was delicious. The stop at an argan cooperative place to see how oil is produced was great except prices were high.

Don’t let rain rain on your parade while in Essaouira

Matthew_S, Mar 2025

Mustafa was a great driver! Language barrier if you don’t speak French or Arabic (but I speak Arabic so no problem for me). This was honestly one of the highlights of my trip to Morocco though. When you get to Essaouira you will get a few hours which is more than enough time to explore the old city, the Jewish history, the beach, and the port. I loved it. As a solo traveler, I made friends with another couple on the tour and we got a meal together. Excellent seafood in Essaouira. Don’t miss out. The rain was on and off when I went but it didn’t rain on our parade at least. Got to see and do a lot, and the dark clouds with sunlight peaking through and puddles made for amazing photos. One minor detail: the road between Essaouira and Marrakesh is not the best maintained road. We got lots of rain when I went, and the driver drove through floodwaters several times which was a bit scary, and could’ve been even worse if the rain was much heavier.

Bus journey by minibus from Marrakesh to Essaouira

Jeanette_M, Mar 2025

Loved Essaouira. The trip was just a bus journey from Marrakesh with the usual coffee stop and trip to the Argan oil cooperative. The driver was considerate and drove well. No complaints at all.