Should you visit Zagora or Essaouira?
Should I visit Zagora or Essaouira? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Zagora
A small town in southern Morocco, Zagora is a popular base camp for excursions on foot, by camel, or four wheel drive vehicles into the surrounding desert. One of the most famous and historic treks is the ancient caravan route to Timbuktu, marked by a famous sign at the end of town - indicating a journey of "52 days" by camel.
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.
Which city is cheaper, Essaouira or Zagora?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Zagora is $43, while the average daily cost in Essaouira is $40. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Zagora and Essaouira in more detail.
Accommodation
If you're traveling alone, you may be able to find a budget hotel or hostel for around $31. But for two people in a standard two-person hotel room in Zagora the cost is $62 on average.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $44 in Essaouira For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
The price of a meal in Zagora can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is $11 per person, and a typical meal will cost around $4.40 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
Essaouira food costs typically run travelers around $12 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
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Food
Meals for one day
Zagora $11
Essaouira $12
Typical Food prices in Essaouira
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Essaouira:
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Baklava
$1.52
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Breakfast Crepes
$0.54
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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:
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Cous Cous party and Show Cooking:
$37
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Essaouira Cooking Class:
$50
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Traditional Family Style Moroccan Cooking Class:
$54
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Berber Cooking Class at a Farm in the Countryside & shopping at a rural Souk.:
$109
Local Transportation
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around $1.24 per day to get around in Zagora.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Essaouira than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $1.73 on transportation in Essaouira on average per day.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Essaouira
Also for Essaouira, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private Arrival Transfer Essaouira Airport to Essaouira City:
$15
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Private Departure Transfer from Essaouira City to Essaouira Airport:
$15
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Essaouira Airport To city Transfer:
$17
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Private Transfer Essaouira-Essaouira Airport:
$24
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Airport Transfer From Essaouira Airport To Medina:
$25
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Private Airport Round-Trip Transfer: Essaouira Airport to Essaouira City:
$30
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Private Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech:
$66
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Private Transfer from Essaouira to Agafay Desert Marrakech:
$66
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Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech:
$81
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Transfers Essaouira Marrakech:
$86
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Private transfer Marrakech airpot - Essaouira:
$86
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Private Transfer From Essaouira To Marrakech:
$87
Is it cheaper to fly into Zagora or Essaouira?
Prices for flights to both Essaouira and Zagora 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.
Entertainment
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around $2.48 per person, per day in Zagora. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
Sightseeing expenses in Essaouira, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $10 per day, per person.
Tours and Activities in Zagora
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Zagora are as follows:
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2 Days Private Tour From Zagora to Erg Chigaga by 4x4 and Camel Ride with lunch:
$541
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2 Days Sahara Desert Tour From Marrakech to Zagora desert - Back to Marrakech:
$101
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2 Days Tour To Zagora:
$464
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2 Days Tour: Atlas Mountains with Desert Camp from Marrakech:
$311
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2 Days Zagora Shared Desert Tour From Marrakech:
$106
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2 days- Desert camp experience from Marrakech:
$319
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3 day desert tour from Marrakech To Merzouga ( Erg Chebbi ):
$498
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4-Days Tour From Marrakech to Zagora and Merzouga Camel Trek:
$560
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Erg Cheggaga Mindful Desert Tour 3 Days 2 Nights:
$597
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Erg Chigaga Desert Experience 3 days 2 night From Zagora:
$418
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Fes To Fes Desert Tour – 3 Days / 2 Nights Via Erg Chebbi Dunes:
$373
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Marrakech To Zagora 2 Days Desert Tour:
$93
Tours and Activities in Essaouira
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Essaouira.
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Full-Day Tour to Essaouira from Marrakech with Hotel Pick Up:
$27
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Private City Tour:
$28
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PhotoShoot Tour in Essaouira:
$30
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Kite Surfing and Surfing Experience in Essaouira:
$31
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Marrakech day tour to Essaouira:
$37
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Guided Quad Biking Adventure:
$44
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Half-Day Old Town Guided Tour:
$51
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Experience Food and Art Walking Tour of the Medina and Ramparts:
$51
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Essaouira Guided Tour: 3 on 1 - Nightlife tour, Live like a local & Street food:
$51
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Big dunes and atlantic coast tour 2 HOURS:
$57
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Essaouira Sand Dunes: Half Day Quad Bike Tour:
$62
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ATV Quad biking in Essaouira Beach, Big Dunes & Atlantic Coast tour:
$64
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Essaouira, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $7.96.
When comparing the travel costs between Zagora and Essaouira, we can see that Zagora is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Africa, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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