Part 1 covered the mountains, where the cost driver is the guide and the mule and everything divides by group size.
The desert and the cities work differently. Here the unit is usually the vehicle — a 4×4 costs what it costs whether one person or six is sitting in it — and the second driver is the standard of the bed at the end of the day. Understand those two things and the numbers below stop looking arbitrary.
All prices in Moroccan dirham with euro equivalents, roughly 10.5 MAD to the euro.
Sahara tours from Marrakech
The most-booked and most-variable product in the country.
| Format | Duration | Group, per person | Private, per vehicle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zagora | 2 days / 1 night | 700–1,200 MAD (€66–115) | 3,000–4,500 MAD |
| Merzouga (Erg Chebbi) | 3 days / 2 nights | 1,200–2,000 MAD (€115–190) | 5,000–9,000 MAD |
| Merzouga, slower | 4 days / 3 nights | 1,800–2,800 MAD (€170–265) | 7,000–12,000 MAD |
| Erg Chigaga via M'hamid | 4 days / 3 nights | 2,200–3,500 MAD (€210–330) | 9,000–14,000 MAD |
| Marrakech → Fez via desert | 4 days | 1,800–3,000 MAD (€170–285) | 8,000–13,000 MAD |
The private column is for the whole vehicle, typically up to six people. For a group of four, private often costs the same per head as a shared minibus and buys you departure times and stop lengths. For two, it does not.
Skip the two-day version. Covered at length elsewhere: it is fourteen waking hours in a vehicle for about three in the desert.
Desert camps
The word "luxury" is unregulated here, so ask about the bathroom.
| Standard | Per person per night | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Standard bivouac | 400–700 MAD (€38–66) | Canvas tent, mattress, shared washing, communal dinner |
| Comfort camp | 800–1,500 MAD (€76–142) | Private tent, en-suite, proper bed |
| Luxury camp | 1,800–3,500 MAD (€170–330) | En-suite, electricity, à la carte dinner, sometimes a pool |
All include dinner and breakfast. A standard bivouac is not a hardship — many guests prefer it — but you should know which one you booked.
Camel and nomad trekking
| Format | Duration | Price per person |
|---|---|---|
| Sunset camel ride to camp | 1–1.5 h | Usually included in a tour |
| Half-day camel trek | 3–4 h | 250–450 MAD (€24–43) |
| Nomad trek with caravan | 3 days | 2,800–4,500 MAD (€265–425) |
| Nomad trek, Chigaga crossing | 5–6 days | 5,500–9,000 MAD (€520–850) |
Multi-day nomad treks include camels, cameleer, guide, cook, all meals and camping gear. Season is October to April only.
4×4 raids
Different discipline, different pricing — see the full article on raids.
| Format | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 4×4 with driver, per day | — | 1,500–2,200 MAD (€142–210) per vehicle |
| Guided erg crossing | 2 days | 1,300–1,900 MAD (€125–180) per day, guide only |
| Organised raid, vehicle provided | 7–10 days | 19,000–37,000 MAD (€1,800–3,500) per person |
| Self-drive rental, equipped Land Cruiser | per day | 1,300–2,100 MAD (€125–200) |
Most rental contracts prohibit erg driving. Read the terms before planning a Chigaga crossing on rented tyres.
Marrakech and the cities
| Activity | Duration | Price per person |
|---|---|---|
| Official city guide, half day | 4 h | 300–500 MAD (€28–47) for the group |
| Official city guide, full day | 8 h | 500–800 MAD (€47–76) for the group |
| Cooking class with market walk | 4–5 h | 350–700 MAD (€33–66) |
| Street food tour, evening | 3 h | 400–650 MAD (€38–62) |
| Neighbourhood hammam | 1–2 h | 15–50 MAD (€1.50–5) |
| Hammam and gommage, riad spa | 1.5 h | 300–800 MAD (€28–76) |
| Calèche around the ramparts | 1 h | 150–250 MAD (€14–24) per carriage |
| Hot air balloon at dawn | 3–4 h total | 1,800–2,800 MAD (€170–265) |
| Quad or buggy, Palmeraie | 2 h | 400–700 MAD (€38–66) |
Note the guide lines. A city guide is priced for the group, like a mountain guide. Four people sharing a full-day guide pay 125–200 MAD each.
Entry tickets
| Site | Price |
|---|---|
| Ben Youssef Madrasa | 60–70 MAD |
| Saadian Tombs | 70–100 MAD |
| Bahia Palace | 70–100 MAD |
| Majorelle Garden | 150–200 MAD |
| YSL Museum | 100–150 MAD |
| Le Jardin Secret | 80–120 MAD |
| Volubilis | 70–100 MAD |
| Aït Ben Haddou | 30–50 MAD |
Transfers and getting around
| Route | Price |
|---|---|
| Marrakech airport → medina | 70–100 MAD official |
| Petit taxi, in-city | 20–40 MAD — insist on the meter |
| Marrakech → Essaouira, private | 1,000–1,500 MAD per vehicle |
| Marrakech → Imlil, private | 400–700 MAD per vehicle |
| Marrakech → Fez, private | 2,500–3,500 MAD per vehicle |
| Train, Marrakech → Casablanca 2nd class | 100–140 MAD |
| Al Boraq, Casablanca → Tangier | 200–400 MAD |
| CTM coach, Marrakech → Essaouira | 90–110 MAD |
The train is excellent value and the reason many Morocco trips cost less than expected. It does not, however, reach the mountains or the desert.
Accommodation, for reference
| Type | Per night |
|---|---|
| Hostel dorm | 80–150 MAD |
| Simple riad room | 300–600 MAD |
| Good riad with breakfast | 700–1,500 MAD |
| Design riad / small luxury | 2,000–5,000 MAD |
| Mountain gîte, half board | 200–350 MAD per person |
Tipping
Expected, modest, cash.
- City guide, half day: 50–100 MAD
- Mountain guide, per day: 100–150 MAD from the group
- Muleteer, per day: 50–80 MAD
- Desert camp staff: 50–100 MAD per guest per night
- Driver, per day: 50–100 MAD
- Restaurant: round up, or 5–10% somewhere good
On a multi-day trip, tips are usually pooled at the end and handed to the guide to distribute. Ask him how it is normally split — he will tell you straight.
Two worked examples
A comfortable week for two — good riads, private 4×4 for a 3-day desert loop, half-day guide in Marrakech, a cooking class, mixed restaurants:
roughly 16,000–22,000 MAD (€1,500–2,100) for two, excluding flights.
The same week at the budget end — riad simple rooms, group desert tour, trains, street food:
roughly 6,000–8,000 MAD (€570–760) for two.
Both are real trips. The difference is transfers and beds, not the country.
The three things that save the most money
Travel in a group of four to six. Every guided item on both these pages is priced per group or per vehicle. Going from two people to four nearly halves the per-person cost of the guided portion.
Avoid October and April if you can. February, June and November deliver similar experiences at 20–30% less.
Eat one street back. The gap between a main-square restaurant and the place around the corner is about four times, for food of similar quality.
