All excursions with Berber Travel Adventures begin in Amizmiz, which is only a short drive from Marrakech. You have three options for transport:
Option #1: Arrange for a Taxi to Pick You Up
If you want to be picked up from your hotel in Marrakech and brought straight to Amizmiz, we can arrange a taxi just for you.
This is the easiest and most popular method our customers use for
getting to Amizmiz. The taxi price is
normally 200 DH one way (400 DH round trip) and we can organise that for you once we know where you are staying in Marrakech.
For some hotels and riads not centrally located in Marrakech, the
round trip price may reach 500 DH. Once you are picked up, the taxi takes about 45-55 minutes from your hotel to Amizmiz.
You will be asked to pay the driver directly, since this cost is not
part of our excursion price and is received completely by the driver.
If you are staying at a hotel near Djemaa el Fna that cannot be
accessed by car (because of narrow streets), we may ask you to meet
the taxi in front of the Djemaa el Fna post office building, marked “POSTE MAROC,” which is directly
facing the square. Click
here to see a photo of the building.
Option #2: Come by Taxi on Your Own
If you want to come by taxi on your own, then you will need to do two things:
First, in Marrakech you need to get a small taxi (called ”petit taxi”) and have it drop you off at a second taxi stand area for the main leg of the trip. If you simply tell the petit taxi driver that you want to go to Amizmiz (pronounced AMZ-meez ), he should take you to the right place. The cost will depend upon where you pick up the petit taxi, since these taxis have meters. Petit taxis can only hold three passengers besides the driver, so if you are a larger group, you may need two or three of them.
Second, once you arrive at the large taxi stand, you’ll have to get a ”grand taxi” out to Amizmiz. This shouldn't be too difficult, because the moment you step out of the petit taxi, men will be asking you where you are going. Just say Amizmiz (pronounced AMZ-meez ). The cost per person for this second ride will be 18 DH. However, you should know that these taxis seat 6 passengers besides the driver, and you have to wait until all spots are filled before the taxi will depart. Once the large taxi fills all spots (which might take some time) and departs, it takes about 45 minutes to get to Amizmiz.
Option #3: Come by Bus on Your Own
This is the cheapest option of the three (11 DH per person each way), but also the most complicated. Please only consider this option if you are good with directions and skilled in using public transport. It involves three steps: 1) finding the bus stop, 2) catching the correct bus, and 3) getting off at the right location in Amizmiz.
Step 1: Finding the Bus Stop in Marrakech - Sidi Mimoun
The bus from Marrakech to Amizmiz departs from the medina section
of the city near the famous Koutoubia mosque. There are many bus stops
in the area, but you need to find the bus stop area called "Sidi Mimoun." You may have to ask someone how to get there, but it is only a 5
to 10 minute walk from Djemaa el Fna. Depending on the time you
arrive, there may be several buses or none at all. The picture to the
right shows you the Sidi Mimoun bus stop area, and may be clicked for
a full-sized photo.
The map below shows the Sidi Mimoun bus stop in relation to the Koutoubia
mosque and Djemaa el Fna. The red line traces the route from Djemaa el Fna
(top) to the bus stop (bottom). Click on any red marker to identify
the position.
If you are coming from Djemaa el Fna, click here to see a photo showing you the path you want to take, between the post office (left) and the small park (right). The same park is visible on the map above as a triangular area with dark green trees.
Step 2: Catch the Correct Bus - #45 to Amizmiz
Once you arrive at the Sidi Mimoun bus stop, you need to catch bus
#45 to Amizmiz. There are several buses for route #45, with buses
running about every 40 minutes from the the bus stop. The cost is 11 DH per
person, which you pay when you board the bus. Once you catch the bus and it departs, it takes about 1 hour 15
minutes to arrive in Amizmiz. There are several stops before reaching
Amizmiz.
In order to make sure you arrive in Amizmiz on time for your excursion,
it is wise to get to the bus stop approximately 2 hours before your
excursion begins (just in case you wait the full 40 minutes for the bus,
plus 1 hour 15 minutes to arrive).
Also, be aware that several different bus routes use the Sidi Mimoun bus
stop, not just bus route #45. Therefore, you may see up to 5 or 6 buses
at the same time all together at the bus stop. You will need to look for the #45 sign and at
the front of each bus to find the correct one.
Step 3: Get Off the Bus in Amizmiz
Amizmiz is the last town for bus route #45. However, there are a few
stops in Amizmiz, so you need to make sure you get off at the right
location.
Do not get off at the early stop in Amizmiz next to the
roundabout (traffic circle). Make sure you go down a hill and cross a
bridge over a river bed (which may be dry). You will enter an area that
looks much more active and busy, with many shops and a taxi area. This
is where you want to get off the bus. It is not the last stop, but
usually the second to last stop. If you miss this stop and end up going
to the last stop, you can usually walk back down to the taxi area in a
couple of minutes. Amizmiz is not a very large town, and you should be
able to find the taxi area on foot if you miss the stop.
Click here for a satellite
image of where you should get off the bus.
If any problems arise, do not hesitate to call
Jamal on his mobile phone at: 06-72-37-26-68. You may call from a "teleboutique,"
a small shop with several pay phones that use coins.
