Getting Around Marrakech

Getting Your Bearings

Transport

Car

As in many urban areas, a car isn’t really the best option for the city, especially not in the medina. It’s better to leave your vehicle and use walking, taxis, or buses for your trips, at least in the city center. However, both in the city and at the airport, it’s easy to rent a vehicle in Marrakech from major brands as well as local companies.

While parking is fairly easy in the new city (with parking meters or attendants), it’s certainly not the case in and around the medina. Given the very low parking rates (2 Dh/hour at meters and around ten Dh/day for an attendant), avoid parking illegally—especially since towing and wheel clamping are common.

Bus

The company Alsa manages Marrakech’s urban bus network. It’s quite modern and comprehensive, including routes to the airport (line 19) and nearby towns. Tickets are purchased on board and usually cost 3 or 4 Dh for urban trips (excluding airport service). That said, for groups, a taxi may be more convenient and faster for city travel.

Note that the same company also offers a panoramic sightseeing bus, the "Marrakech Bus Touristique," for exploring the city and its points of interest. With frequent departures (every 20–30 minutes at certain times), 1 to 1.5 hours of sightseeing, and fares of 145/190 Dh (13/17 €) for unlimited use over 1 or 2 days.

Taxis

As everywhere in the country, "petit taxis" (small taxis) only operate within the city, unlike "grand taxis" (large taxis), which can cover long distances. Use grand taxis if you want to leave Marrakech.

In theory, taxis have meters, but that doesn’t mean drivers always use them. Without a meter, negotiate your fare clearly, specifying that the price is in dirhams (not euros) and for the whole vehicle (not per passenger). Try to have exact change (don’t always count on getting it back) and leave a small tip of around 10% at the end. As always, ask your hotel for average fare estimates. Still, a typical urban ride usually costs around twenty dirhams (about 2 €).

Two Wheels

Bicycle

Though there are a few bike lanes, especially around the ramparts, cycling isn’t always ideal due to the heat and chaotic traffic outside these lanes. Bike rentals are available for roughly a hundred dirhams per day (about 9/10 €).

Scooter

You can also rent scooters and small motorcycles, which are a good alternative to cars for exploring the area around Marrakech.

On Foot

Logically, the medina’s narrow streets are best explored on foot—just watch out for the many bikes and mopeds weaving through. For other sights, even if they’re not too far, you might prefer a taxi or, at most, a bus.

Horse-Drawn Carriage

While you can tour the 19 km of ramparts surrounding the medina by carriage, you can also use this "attraction" as a transport option for some trips. Remember to negotiate the price—expect around fifteen euros or more for an hour.