Marrakech to Merzouga by Bus: Complete Guide to Bus Travel Options

Marrakech to Merzouga by Bus: Complete Guide to Bus Travel Options

Here's the detail that a lot of bus guides gloss over: there is no single bus that takes you all the way into Merzouga. CTM and Supratours run to Rissani, the town closest to Merzouga on the paved highway network, roughly 35 km short of the village itself — the last leg is a separate grand taxi or arranged transfer. Depending on your route and connections, getting from Marrakech to Rissani by bus takes somewhere in the 12-15 hour range including a change partway (typically at Ouarzazate or Errachidia), and the whole journey — bus plus the final taxi — runs a small fraction of what a private tour costs.

How the connection actually works

The realistic path is Marrakech to Ouarzazate (or, on some routings, Errachidia) as a first leg of several hours, followed by a second leg down toward Rissani via Erfoud, then a grand taxi or private transfer for the final short stretch into Merzouga. Both CTM and Supratours run this corridor; Supratours (part of ONCF, the national railway) generally has the newer, more comfortable fleet and prices legs of this length somewhere around 150-280 MAD, while CTM tends to be a little cheaper, generally 130-220 MAD for a comparable leg. Smaller local and regional bus companies also serve parts of this route at lower prices, with more variable reliability and comfort — worth asking your riad or hotel which ones are currently well regarded rather than trusting a specific name from an old online guide, since that changes over time.

What the ride is actually like

The first leg, up over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, is the most dramatic — genuinely beautiful mountain scenery, but with enough winding road that motion sickness is a real consideration for anyone prone to it; a window seat away from the cliff edge and some ginger tablets or motion sickness medication are worth having on hand. The second leg toward Rissani flattens out considerably as you head into pre-Saharan terrain, with the landscape turning progressively more sparse and desert-like the further south you go. Expect a rest stop or two along the way for food and a bathroom break, though exact timing depends on the specific service and connection you catch — don't plan your day around a fixed schedule found online, and always confirm your onward connection time with station staff before you get off a bus, since missing a tight connection at Ouarzazate or Erfoud can add hours to the trip.

The final stretch into Merzouga

From Rissani, a shared grand taxi is the standard way to cover the last leg, usually filling up and leaving every hour or so; a private taxi costs more but goes directly to your accommodation rather than waiting to fill seats, which is worth it if you're arriving late in the day. Some hotels and camps can also arrange a transfer from Rissani if you contact them ahead of time — worth doing if you'd rather not negotiate a taxi after a long day of travel.

What it costs, and what it doesn't include

All told, budget on the bus fares plus the Rissani-to-Merzouga transfer coming to a modest total, well under what any private option would cost — but remember that meals along the way, the grand taxi at the end, and any hotel transfer are all separate costs on top of the ticket price itself, not included in it. Check current fares directly with CTM (ctm.co.ma) or Supratours (supratours.ma) rather than relying on a number quoted elsewhere, since pricing shifts with season.

Is the bus actually worth it?

If your budget is the deciding factor, yes — this is a legitimate, safe way to reach Merzouga for a small fraction of what a tour costs, and plenty of backpackers and budget travelers do exactly this. But it's worth being honest about the trade-off: you're spending the better part of a full day in transit and arranging your own connection at Rissani, versus a private multi-day tour that turns the same road into an actual itinerary — stops at Ait Ben Haddou, the Dades Gorge, an overnight partway rather than one long push, and no taxi transfer to arrange yourself at the end. If the cost gap between the two options is close for your trip, it's worth pricing both out properly before deciding, since they're genuinely different products, not just different price points on the same experience.

Contact Us

Trying to work out whether the bus-plus-transfer route or a private tour fits your trip better? Send us your dates and budget and we'll give you a straight comparison.

WhatsApp: +212 675 203 319 / +212 668 534 981 Email: hello@merzougaway.com

Last updated: August 2026.