In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Bus 19 costs 30 MAD (£2.30), or 50 MAD return, and reaches the Arset El Bilk stop by Jemaa el-Fnaa in 20 to 25 minutes. The regulated taxi fare is 70 MAD (£5.35) by day and 100 MAD (£7.65) at night, but drivers commonly ask 100 to 150 MAD, so agree the fare in dirhams before you get in. Uber works through licensed vehicles. A UK passport needs no visa for 90 days and must run 3 months past your arrival date. Cars cannot reach most medina lanes, so the last stretch is on foot. Or book ahead: GetYourGuide’s private transfer to or from the airportad is from £12.82 for a group of up to 4 (4.6 stars from 6,400 reviews); the price shown varies by option and date (GetYourGuide).
The options compared
| Option | Cost | Time | Where it drops you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus 19 | 30 MAD (£2.30), 50 MAD return | 20 to 25 minutes | Arset El Bilk, by Jemaa el-Fnaa |
| Airport taxi | 70 MAD (£5.35) by day, 100 MAD (£7.65) at night, officially; often 100 to 150 MAD asked | 15 to 20 minutes | The gate or road nearest your riad |
| Uber | Priced in the app | About 15 to 20 minutes | The pick-up point the app shows, then a walk |
| Private transfer, booked ahead | From £12.82 for up to 4 | 15 to 30 minutes | Nearest point a car can reach |
Arriving with a UK passport
- Entry. No visa for up to 90 days as a tourist. Your passport must expire at least 3 months after the day you arrive and must not be damaged. The border officer should stamp it, and some travellers have had trouble leaving without a stamp (Foreign Office).
- At the desk. The officer asks for the address of your accommodation, so have a name ready.
- Allow time. 45 to 60 minutes from landing to the kerb, and longer when several flights land together.
- Money. The dirham is a closed currency that is hard to exchange outside Morocco, so use a cash machine or exchange desk on arrival. Foreign cash worth 100,000 MAD (about £8,000) or more must be declared on entry and exit. Before you fly home, banks and exchange offices at the airport buy back unspent dirhams on a boarding pass up to 2,000 MAD per passport (Office des Changes).
Bus 19
30 MAD single, 50 MAD return · every 20 to 30 minutes · about 06:00 to 21:30
The regional tourism board lists bus 19 as running every 20 minutes from 06:00 to 21:30 at 30 MAD a trip; one guide gives every 30 minutes from 07:00 (Visit Marrakech; Vanupied). The ALSA bus leaves from about 100 m past the airport exit, behind the taxi platform, and takes 20 to 25 minutes to the Arset El Bilk stop by Jemaa el-Fnaa, where you get off for the medina. Ordinary city buses cost 4 MAD, and bus 19 is the one with the airport fare.
Taxis
70 MAD by day, 100 MAD at night, officially
The regional tourism board gives a regulated fare between the airport and the city centre of 70 MAD by day and 100 MAD at night. In practice drivers commonly ask 100 to 150 MAD. Agree the price in dirhams before you get in, and say “dirhams” aloud, because some travellers report a driver saying “100” at the end and meaning euros. Carry small notes. If a driver will not agree, walk to the next car. Vanupied advises taking taxis near the bus 19 stop, about 100 m from the airport, rather than at the terminal door. The ride takes 15 to 20 minutes.
Uber and ride-hailing apps
Uber announced on 27 November 2025 that its app was live in Marrakech and Casablanca, exclusively through licensed transportation vehicles, with UberX and UberXL (Uber). Careem, inDrive, Yango and Yassir are not licensed, and the police have impounded their drivers’ cars; the penalty reported by TelQuel in May 2026 is two weeks’ impoundment, a three-month licence suspension and a 400 MAD fine (TelQuel). The Foreign Office warns that taxis booked through ride-sharing apps may be unregulated, unlicensed and uninsured, and that the police may tell you to get out of an unlicensed taxi (GOV.UK).
Private transfers
From £12.82 for up to 4 · meet and greet · flight tracking
The most-reviewed option is the private transfer to or from Marrakech airportad (4.6 stars from 6,400 reviews, from £12.82 for a group of up to four, list £14.24). The private transfer to or from RAK Menara airportad (4.6 stars from 6,692 reviews) is priced per person from £6.25, and its page says a driver holds a name sign at arrivals, helps with luggage and tracks the flight; the checkout shows the total for your group. Give your flight number and your riad’s address when you book. For departures the pick-up is generally scheduled about 3 hours before the flight, and addresses beyond about 6 km of the centre can cost extra.
The last stretch into the medina
Many riads stand down lanes that cars cannot enter. The transfer pages say the driver drops you at the nearest point a vehicle can reach, and that you may have a walk of 5 to 10 minutes with your luggage; message your riad before you land so someone can meet you at the gate. Jemaa el-Fnaa is closed to cars from 13:00 (Routard). The tourism board lists taxi stations near the Koutoubia, at Sidi Mimoun and at Bab Doukkala (Visit Marrakech).
Getting around the city
Petit taxis
Beige, up to 3 passengers, inside the city only · meter required by law
A petit taxi must use its meter. The pick-up charge is 1.70 MAD by day and 2.60 MAD at night, the minimum fare 7 MAD even for 100 metres, and the night supplement 50% from 20:00 to 06:00 from October to April (21:00 to 05:00 from May to September). Many drivers refuse the meter and name a flat fare: a driver told TelQuel he would rather carry a foreigner “who is going to give me at least 50 dirhams” than a local at 10. Ask for the meter; if the driver says no, take the next taxi; if a flat fare is the only offer, agree it in dirhams before you get in. Do not board a taxi that already has a passenger. Routard puts an average ride from the medina to Guéliz at 40 to 60 MAD (Routard). Every taxi has a number, so the tourist police can identify the driver.
Beige taxis passing a roundabout fountain in Marrakech. Photo: Mussapedia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Grand taxis
Large old Mercedes with no meter that can leave the city. Negotiate before you set off; Routard says at least 150 MAD for a ride within 15 to 20 km of the centre. Shared grand taxis run between the bus station and the railway station.
Buses
ALSA’s city buses cost 4 MAD a ride, with tickets bought on board, and a prepaid card bought on the bus brings it to 3.50 MAD. They run about 30 lines, and most pass Jemaa el-Fnaa (Routard).
An ALSA city bus in Marrakech. Photo: Kk70088, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Calèches and tuk-tuks
Horse-drawn calèches have an official fare of 180 to 200 MAD for 30 to 45 minutes in the medina and along the ramparts, for the whole carriage, and about 90 MAD between Jemaa el-Fnaa and the Saadian Tombs, El Badi or Bahia; drivers often ask double, and the night supplement is 25% from 20:00 to 02:00. The main rank is Square Foucauld. State “no shop stops” before you go. Tuk-tuks run only inside the medina, at 80 to 100 MAD for 30 to 40 minutes. See Marrakech safety and scams for how to judge an animal ride.
Walking the medina
Most lanes are too narrow for cars and are shared with motorbikes, bicycles and handcarts; a shout of “balak” means move to the wall. Download an offline map before you go, since covered lanes lose the signal.
Leaving
Allow generous time. There is a metal detector at the entrance, then check-in, then a long passport and customs queue, and some low-cost airlines require a printed boarding pass (Vanupied).
For where to sleep, see where to stay in Marrakech and hotels near Jemaa el-Fnaa. Jemaa el-Fnaa covers the square you arrive at, 3 days in Marrakech plans the days, and what to book before you go to Marrakech has the tickets that sell out. The day trips from Marrakech start at the riad door. Best time to visit Marrakech covers the month.
Common questions
How do I get from Marrakech airport to the medina?
Bus 19 is 30 MAD (£2.30) single or 50 MAD return and reaches the Arset El Bilk stop by Jemaa el-Fnaa in 20 to 25 minutes, every 20 to 30 minutes between about 06:00 and 21:30. A taxi takes 15 to 20 minutes. Neither can enter the medina lanes, so the last stretch is on foot or by handcart.
How much is a taxi from Marrakech airport to the city centre?
The regulated fare is 70 MAD (£5.35) by day and 100 MAD (£7.65) at night. Drivers commonly ask 100 to 150 MAD, so agree the fare in dirhams before you get in, and walk to the next car if the driver will not.
Does Uber work in Marrakech?
Yes. Uber says it has operated in Marrakech since 27 November 2025, exclusively through licensed vehicles, with UberX and UberXL. The Foreign Office warns that many taxis booked through ride-sharing apps may be unlicensed and uninsured; Careem, inDrive, Yango and Yassir have no licence.
Do I need a visa for Morocco from the UK?
No, for up to 90 days as a tourist. Your passport must run at least 3 months beyond the day you arrive and must not be damaged, and the border officer should stamp it. The dirham is a closed currency: unspent dirhams can be changed back at the airport on a boarding pass up to 2,000 MAD per passport.
