How much does it cost to travel to Essaouira?
You should plan to spend around $47 (MAD457) per day on your vacation in Essaouira. This is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors.
Past travelers have spent, on average for one day:
- $14 (MAD136) on meals
- $2.06 (MAD20) on local transportation
- $53 (MAD519) on hotels
A one week trip to Essaouira for two people costs, on average, $660 (MAD6,398). This includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.
All of these average travel prices have been collected from other travelers to help you plan your own travel budget.
Independent Travel
Traveling Independently to Essaouira has many benefits including affordabilty, freedom, flexibility, and the opportunity to control your own experiences.
All of the travel costs below are based on the experiences of other independent travelers.
Is Essaouira expensive to visit?
Essaouira is a reasonably affordable place to visit. Located in Morocco, which is a reasonably affordable country, visitors will appreciate the relatively low cost of this destination. It falls in the average range in the country for its prices. If you're traveling on a budget, then this is a good destination with affordable accommodation, food, and transportation.
Within Africa, Essaouira is a reasonably affordable destination compared to other places. It is in the top 25% of cities in Africa for its affordability. You can find more affordable cities such as Dahab, but there are also more expensive cities, such as Dar es Salaam.
For more details, and to find out if it's within your travel budget, see Is Essaouira Expensive?
How much money do I need for a trip to Essaouira?
The average Essaouira trip cost is broken down by category here for independent travelers. All of these Essaouira travel prices are calculated from the budgets of real travelers.
|
Category
|
Cost
|
|
Accommodation 1
(Double Occupancy)
|
MAD519
($53)
|
|
Local Transportation 1
|
MAD20
($2)
|
|
Food 2
|
MAD136
($14)
|
|
Entertainment 1
|
MAD121
($12)
|
|
Alcohol 2
|
MAD46 -
138
($5 - 14)
|
Accommodation Budget in Essaouira
The wide range of prices for hotels and accommodation in Essaouira can be very surprising. Some destinations have much higher price tags than others, and even within the same areas you can find a big difference between the budget-friendly and higher-end hotels. Also, during peak season, prices are much higher. You can save a good bit of money if you travel during the low season or shoulder seasons, as room prices adjust according to the overall demand. Booking in advance can often save you money, too.
Calculated from travelers like you
The average price paid for one person for accommodation in Essaouira is $27 (MAD259). For two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room, the average price paid for a hotel room in Essaouira is $53 (MAD519). This cost is from the reported spending of actual travelers.
Looking for a hotel in Essaouira? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options.
The most affordable highest rated hotels in Essaouira include:
- Villa Quieta starting at $93
- Heure Bleue Palais - Relais & Chateaux starting at $207
- Dar Danse starting at $124
Transportation Budget in Essaouira
Calculated from travelers like you
-
The cost of a taxi ride in Essaouira is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $2.06 (MAD20) per person, per day, on local transportation in Essaouira.
-
Transportation1
Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
$2.06
MAD20
Some of the standard transportation options and hotel transfers include:
- 3-Hour Quad Ride (Free Transfer) for $72 details
- Transfer from Essaouira to Marrakech city or Marrakech airport for $111 details
- Essaouira Airport To city Transfer for $39 details
How much does it cost to go to Essaouira? Naturally, it depends on the dates. We recommend Kayak because they can find the best deals across all airlines.
The price of renting a car in Essaouira will depends on dates, the type of car, the location, and your age. We recommend Kayak because they can find the best deals across all car rental companies.
Food Budget in Essaouira
Calculated from travelers like you
Taking a food tour or cooking class is a great way to experience the culture in Essaouira. After all, cuisine is one of the reasons why so many people visit. A few of the best culinary activities here include:
- Traditional Moroccan and Berber Cooking Classes for $45 details
- Traditional Moroccan Cooking Class for $39 details
- 3 hours Camel Ride in Essaouira with Dinner and Overnight in Berber Camp for $174 details
Typical prices for Food in Essaouira are listed below. These actual costs are from real travelers and can give you an idea of the prices in Essaouira, but your costs will vary based on your travel style and the place where the purchase was made.
-
Baklava
MAD14
-
Breakfast Crepes
MAD5.00
-
Fish for Lunch
MAD150
Entertainment Budget in Essaouira
Calculated from travelers like you
-
Entertainment and activities in Essaouira typically cost an average of $12 (MAD121) per person, per day based on the spending of previous travelers. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
-
Entertainment1
Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
$12
MAD121
A nice way to explore destinations in Essaouira is with local tours that last just a few hours. This way you can see as much as possible in an efficient way with knowledgable guides. Prices vary by the type of activity or tour, the dates, and the size of the group. Here are a few of the highest rated tours by previous visitors:
- 2 Hour Quad & ATV Experience for $59 details
- 3-Hour Camel Tour for $49 details
- Full-Day Essaouira Tour from Marrakech for $28 details
Alcohol Budget in Essaouira
Calculated from travelers like you
-
The average person spends about $9.48 (MAD92) on alcoholic beverages in Essaouira per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
-
Alcohol2
Drinks for one day
$9.48
MAD92
Essaouira on a Budget
Essaouira, Morocco
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.
Essaouira's climate is Mediterranean with oceanic influence. The weather is pleasant year around with warm summers and mild winters. The average high temperatures remain in the mid 60s to low 70s Fahrenheit year around. Average lows rarely drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, even in the winter months. Rain is much more common during the winter months.
Sights
Much of the appeal of Essaouira is the beach and the walled medina. The medina is a beautiful example of an 18th century fortified town and the original canons are still in place. The town has even been featured in several movies and television shows including the HBO show "Game of Thrones".
Neighborhoods
At the heart of Essaouira is the city's medina. It is a quaint area with many shops and restaurants and is where you'll likely spend most of your time. For the most part, the medina caters specifically to tourists and visitors.
The city has a fishing harbour that is smaller than the harbours of Agadir and Safi, but still remains a major fishing harbour for Morocco. The bright boats and interesting atmosphere make it a must see for any visitor.
Many of the city's modern hotels are built along the ocean front, but city codes limit their height to four stories, so they are not too intrusive. If you want to stay in the medina or close to it, there are a decent number of privately owned riads that you can rent on either a daily or weekly basis.
Activities
Many people travel to Essaouira for its nice sand beaches. There are plenty of water sports and outdoor activities available. If you're adventurous, you can try your hand at windsurfing or kitesurfing, or you can simply enjoy long leisurely walks on the beach. Windsurfing is particularly popular because the trade winds blow almost constantly but the protected bay remains waveless.
The town also plays host to the World Music Festival in June which is a fun, although crowded, time to visit.
If you're in the market for a souvenir you can easily find some great local handicrafts at the many shops that line the streets of the medina. Shop around and ask for prices so you know exactly what you should be paying. It's also fun to try your hand at bartering, which can be either fun or annoying, depending on how you approach it.
Many people choose to take a class while they're in Essaouira. In particular, cooking courses and popular. There are also bike excursions and photography excursions that you can arrange within the town. For the weary traveler, there are also Berber massages that you can enjoy.
Food and Dining
Food in Essaouira is quite good, but can be surprisingly expensive when compared to elsewhere in Morocco. This is particularly true of the seafood. Your cheapest option is to purchase a fresh catch from a local fisherman, but if you order seafood in a restaurant you will find the price to be dramatically higher.
There is a fresh seafood market in the middle of town that is worth visiting. You can select your catch, and they will cook it up for you on the spot or, if you have access to a kitchen, you can purchase seafood and the necessary spices and sides and prepare your own Moroccan meal.
Transportation
It's easy to reach Essaouira from Marrakesh. You can hire a grand taxi or shared taxi to make the trip, but there are plenty of buses that are affordable and reliable as well. If the bus doesn't make many stops, the trip takes about 3 hours and there's usually a stop at the halfway point when you can purchase snacks and stretch your legs.
Essaouira's medina is supposedly closed to motorized vehicles, but this restriction is only loosely enforced. Mopeds are quite common in the area and can be a hazard to pedestrians, but in general, walking is easy and the most enjoyable way to explore the town.
Related:
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We've been gathering travel costs from tens of thousands of actual travelers since 2010, and we use the data to calculate average daily travel costs for destinations around the world. We also systematically analyze the prices of hotels, hostels, and tours from travel providers such as Kayak, HostelWorld, TourRadar, Viator, and others. This combination of expenses from actual travelers, combined with pricing data from major travel companies, gives us a uniqe insight into the overall cost of travel for thousands of cities in countries around the world. You can see more here: How it Works.
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.