How to get to the desert from Marrakech
What is the best way best way to get to the desert from Marrakech? I’m often asked that. But it’s not just our customers who ask themselves this question. And so I thought I’d write it down here.
Bus
The most cost-effective option (at least for solo travellers) is the bus. From Marrakech to Merzouga, Supratours runs once a day, the ticket usually costs 250 DH (changes in Ramadan and summer). The journey takes at least 12 hours and there are 2 breaks (in the Atlas and for lunch). You can of course take a 24-hour break somewhere along the route if that is too long for you. Boumalne or Tinghir are good options, from there you can take a taxi into the gorges and spend the night there.
Marrakech to Zagora/M’Hamid is served by both Supratours and CTM and the journey is a little shorter.
Flights
From Marrakech you can fly to Errachidia twice a week with Ryanair, from there it is a 2 hour taxi ride to Merzouga. You can also take the train from Marrakech to Casablanca, from where there is a daily flight with Royal Air Maroc to Errachidia.
You can fly to Zagora from Casablanca, and Ouarzazate can also be an option to get to Zagora/M’Hamid.
Rental car
A rental car is a very flexible solution, but of course not very environmentally friendly (compared to the bus). However, with several people it is definitely the cheapest option and you have the opportunity to make a lot of stops along the way. In this article by Eva on Not Scared of the Jetlag you can read read more about that.
Driver
If you don’t want to drive in Morocco, but also not want to miss out on the flexibility and stops along the way, you can book a driver. We usually book this together with the hotels and activities as a complete package.
Taxi
If you really have a lot of time and are a bit adventurous, you can also travel the entire route with Grand Taxis. However, you should be aware that these only travel a limited distance and you need to allow plenty of extra time. When transferring, you may have to wait 1-2 hours until the next taxi is full and leaves.