Which place is cheaper, Ait Ben Haddou or Essaouira?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Essaouira or Ait Ben Haddou?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Essaouira and Ait Ben Haddou can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Essaouira or Ait Ben Haddou?
Essaouira
Essaouira is a beautiful beach town on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. The city has a pleasant medina that has been named a UNESCO World Heritage site and is interesting to explore. It's an 18th century fortified town with a lot of character and charm. The city is rich and culture and you'll find a handful of art galleries throughout the town. The city is also a gathering place for artists and musicians, particularly during the Gnaoua Festival of World Music, which takes place the last week of June. This event attracts about 450,000 visitors yearly.
Ait Ben Haddou
Think of a time when you've seen Jerusalem in a movie. Chances are what you're really looking at is the traditional, mud brick city of Ait Ben Haddou, Morocco. This city on the edge of the High Atlas Mountains has been an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, and has also been seen in movies like Lawrence of Arabia, Orson Welles' Sodom and Gomorrah, Jesus of Nazareth, the French version of Cleopatra, Bertolucci's Sheltering Sky, Scorsese's Kundun, Gillies MacKannon's Hideous Kinky, Ridley Scott's Gladiator, Oliver Stone's Alexander the Great, and in some scenes from Game of Thrones.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Morocco, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Morocco, The Best 2-Week Tours in Morocco, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Morocco.
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Essaouira Prices
Morocco PricesAit Ben Haddou Prices
Morocco Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayEssaouira $61Ait Ben Haddou $95
The average daily cost (per person) in Essaouira is $61, while the average daily cost in Ait Ben Haddou is $95. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Essaouira and Ait Ben Haddou in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personEssaouira $28Ait Ben Haddou $28
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomEssaouira $56Ait Ben Haddou $56
Compare Hotels in Essaouira and Ait Ben Haddou
Looking for a hotel in Essaouira or Ait Ben Haddou? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Essaouira Hotel Prices and Ait Ben Haddou Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Essaouira $2.18Ait Ben Haddou $32
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Essaouira
Also for Essaouira, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Agadir or taghazout: day in Essaouira with transfer: $49
- Airport transfer from Essaouira to Marrakesh : $268
- Airport transfer, Departure : Essaouira, Arrival : Agadir: $129
- Essaouira Desert Quad and Sandboarding with Photos and Transfer: $46
- Essaouira private transfer from Essaouira city to Agadir airport (AGA): $148
- Essaouira transfer to Marrakech : $139
- 1-Hour Quad Bike Tour with Transfer: $39
- 2- or 3-Hour Guided Quad Biking with Transfer: $63
- 2H/Quad+1H/Dromedary ride free transfer: $81
- 3 Hours Quad Ride with Transfer: $86
- Pleasant Quad tour (free transfer): $57
- Private Transfer from or to Agafay Desert: $196
Is it cheaper to fly into Essaouira or Ait Ben Haddou?
Prices for flights to both Ait Ben Haddou and Essaouira change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayEssaouira $26Ait Ben Haddou $44
Typical Food Prices in Essaouira
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Essaouira:
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Baklava$1.53
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Breakfast Crepes$0.55
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Fish for Lunch$16
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Essaouira
For Essaouira, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Traditional Moroccan Cooking Class: $39
- Essaouira Moroccan Cooking Class Experience: $50
- Traditional Moroccan and Berber cooking classes: $58
- l'Atelier - Moroccan Cooking Workshop in Essaouira: $70
- Essaouira Walking Food Tour: $70
- Traditional Family Style Moroccan Cooking Class: $73
- Essaouirra cooking class: $75
- Essaouira Cooking Class: $76
- Essaouira Food Tour: $86
- Berber Cooking Class at a Farm in the Countryside & shopping at a rural Souk.: $99
- Moroccan cooking classes in Essaouira with Service Photo et Vidéo Pro: $106
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Essaouira $13Ait Ben Haddou $31
Tours and Activities in Essaouira
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Essaouira.
- Marrakech: Guided Boat Tour of the Ouzoud Falls: $11
- Essaouira to Marrakech Supratours bus tickets: $18
- Sqala du Port, Citadel, Fish Market & Medina Tour: $27
- Friend-Guide Essaouira city tour: $29
- Full-Day Essaouira Tour from Marrakech: $29
- Essaouira Donkey Tours : $29
- Experience the Ultimate Adventure with our Surf Lessons in Essaouira: $33
- Explore Essaouira's Secrets: A Guided Tour with a Local!: $35
- Private City Tour: $35
- Historical & Cultural Sightseeing Tour - half day: $38
- Quad Adventure in 1 Hour: $41
- Essaouira 2-Hour Camel Adventure Ride: $41
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayEssaouira $10Ait Ben Haddou $6.70
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Essaouira and Ait Ben Haddou, we can see that Ait Ben Haddou is more expensive. And not only is Essaouira much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Essaouira would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Essaouira and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Ait Ben Haddou would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Ait Ben Haddou than you might in Essaouira.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Essaouira Expensive? and Is Ait Ben Haddou Expensive?.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.