{
 "key": "riad-pickup",
 "type": "guide",
 "language": "en",
 "url": "https://ouzoudexcursions.com/marrakech-riad-pickup-info/",
 "json": "https://ouzoudexcursions.com/data/en/pages/riad-pickup.json",
 "translations": {
  "en": "https://ouzoudexcursions.com/marrakech-riad-pickup-info/",
  "fr": "https://ouzoudexcursions.com/fr/prise-en-charge-riad-marrakech/"
 },
 "title": "Pickup from Your Riad in the Marrakech Medina",
 "meta_title": "Riad Pickup in Marrakech Medina for Your Ouzoud Trip",
 "description": "Staying in a medina riad? Cars cannot enter the lanes, so we meet you at the nearest gate. Usual pickup points by quarter and tips for a smooth Ouzoud start.",
 "summary": "Cars cannot drive into the narrow lanes of the Marrakech medina, so for a riad inside the walls we meet you at the nearest gate or car park the vehicle can reach, such as Bab Doukkala, Bab Agnaou or Place des Ferblantiers. Hotels outside the medina (Guéliz, Hivernage, Palmeraie, Agdal) are picked up at the entrance. Your driver confirms the exact point on WhatsApp the day before.",
 "updated": "2026-10-22",
 "highlights": [
  "Hotels outside the medina: pickup at the entrance",
  "Medina riads: nearest gate or car park the vehicle can reach",
  "Exact point confirmed by your driver the day before",
  "Many riads walk guests to the car",
  "WhatsApp contact with your driver on the morning"
 ],
 "facts": [],
 "itinerary": [],
 "includes": [],
 "excludes": [],
 "faq": [
  {
   "question": "Can a car pick me up at my riad in the Marrakech medina?",
   "answer": "Usually not at the door. Most medina lanes are too narrow or closed to cars, so we meet you at the nearest gate or car park the vehicle can reach, often a few minutes' walk from your riad. Some riads near the Koutoubia or Bab Jdid are on streets open to cars, and there we come to the entrance."
  },
  {
   "question": "Where is the pickup point for my riad?",
   "answer": "It depends on your quarter. For example, riads in the Mellah are usually met at Place des Ferblantiers or Bab Mellah, in the Kasbah at Bab Agnaou or Place Moulay Yazid, and near Bab Doukkala at the gate itself. Give us your riad name and address when you book; your driver confirms the exact point the day before."
  },
  {
   "question": "How do I find the pickup point in the medina?",
   "answer": "The easiest way is to ask your riad to walk you there: many riads send someone to accompany guests to the car, and they know the gate the drivers use. Otherwise, your driver sends you the meeting point on WhatsApp, and you can share your live location if you get lost in the lanes."
  },
  {
   "question": "What if I cannot find the driver on the morning of the trip?",
   "answer": "Message or call your driver on WhatsApp, using the number shared with you the day before, and send your live location. If you cannot reach the driver, contact us on WhatsApp at +212 661 454 738. Stay where you are, near a landmark such as the gate or a shop sign, so you are easy to find."
  },
  {
   "question": "Do hotels outside the medina get picked up at the door?",
   "answer": "Yes. Hotels in Guéliz, Hivernage, Palmeraie, Agdal and other areas outside the medina walls are picked up at the hotel entrance, as the vehicle can drive right up. Give us the hotel name when you book and your driver confirms the time the day before."
  },
  {
   "question": "Do I need to bring luggage on the Ouzoud trip?",
   "answer": "No. It is a day trip and you come back to the same place in the early evening, so leave your luggage at your riad or hotel. A small bag with water, sun cream, a light layer and some cash is enough for the day."
  }
 ],
 "content_markdown": "If you are staying in a riad inside the walls of the Marrakech medina, our driver cannot pick you up at the door: cars cannot get into most of the lanes. Instead, we meet you at the nearest gate or car park the vehicle can reach, usually a short walk from your riad. Hotels outside the medina are picked up at the entrance. In both cases, your driver confirms the exact point on WhatsApp the day before your trip.\n\nThis page explains how it works, gives the usual pickup points by quarter and shares a few tips so your day to the Ouzoud Waterfalls starts on time.\n\n## Why cars cannot reach most medina riads\n\nThe medina is the old walled city of Marrakech. Its lanes, called derbs, were built long before cars: many are only a couple of metres wide, turn sharply, pass under arches or end in dead ends. Most are closed to cars and only scooters, bicycles, handcarts and pedestrians get through. A minivan, let alone a 17-seat minibus, simply cannot go in.\n\nThat is why riads often seem hard to find from a map. The good news is that every quarter has a gate, a square or a car park on its edge where vehicles can stop, and that is where we meet you.\n\n## Hotels outside the medina: pickup at the entrance\n\nIf you are staying outside the walls, in Guéliz, Hivernage, Palmeraie, Agdal or any other area with normal streets, your driver picks you up at your hotel entrance. Give us the hotel name when you [book](https://ouzoudexcursions.com/book-ouzoud-private-tour/) and wait in the lobby at the time confirmed by your driver.\n\n## Usual pickup points by medina quarter\n\nThese are the points we usually use. Your driver confirms the exact one for your riad, as traffic and access can change.\n\n| Quarter or area | Usual pickup point |\n|---|---|\n| Mellah, Bahia Palace | Place des Ferblantiers or Bab Mellah |\n| Kasbah, Saadian Tombs | Bab Agnaou or Place Moulay Yazid |\n| Koutoubia, Mamounia, Bab Jdid | Hotel or riad entrance (streets open to cars) |\n| Mouassine | Bab Laksour or Dar el Bacha |\n| Dar el Bacha, Bab Laksour | Rue Dar el Bacha |\n| Riad Laarous, Bab Doukkala | Bab Doukkala |\n| North of the souks, Ben Youssef | Dar el Bacha or Bab Taghzout |\n| Tanners' quarter | Bab Debbagh |\n| East of the medina | Bab Aylan |\n\nIf your riad is not in this list, do not worry: give us the name and address and we will find the nearest point the vehicle can reach.\n\n## How we confirm your exact pickup point\n\n1. **When you book**, give us your riad name and full address, ideally with the link to its location on a map.\n2. **We check the quarter** and choose the nearest gate or car park the vehicle can reach.\n3. **The day before**, your driver writes to you on WhatsApp with the pickup time and the exact meeting point, often with a map pin.\n4. **On the morning**, your driver waits at the agreed point and you can reach each other on WhatsApp.\n\n## Tips for a smooth start\n\n- **Share your riad name and address** as soon as you book, not just the name: several riads can have similar names.\n- **Ask your riad to walk you to the gate.** Many riads send someone to accompany guests to the car, and they know exactly where drivers stop. Ask the evening before so they can plan it.\n- **Be ready 5 minutes early.** The walk from your riad to the gate takes a few minutes, and the lanes are easy to get lost in when you are in a hurry.\n- **Leave your luggage behind.** It is a day trip and you come back to Marrakech in the early evening. A small bag with water, sun cream, a light layer and some cash is enough.\n- **Keep your phone charged** with WhatsApp working, so you can reach your driver.\n- **Ignore offers to guide you** to \"your car\" from strangers in the lanes; follow your riad staff or the pin your driver sent.\n\n## What if you cannot find the driver?\n\nIt happens, especially on a first morning in the medina. Here is what to do:\n\n1. Message or call your driver on WhatsApp, with the number shared the day before.\n2. Send your live location from WhatsApp, so the driver can see where you are.\n3. Stay put near something easy to describe, such as the gate, a mosque or a shop sign, rather than walking around.\n4. If you cannot reach your driver, write to us on WhatsApp at **+212 661 454 738** and we will connect you.\n\nThe pickup is the only tricky part of the day. Once you are in the vehicle, it is about 3 hours to the falls, with the same pickup point for your return in the early evening, unless you ask for another drop-off.\n\n## Ready to book?\n\nTell us your riad name and address with your date and number of travellers, and we will confirm the pickup point with your total. Choose your offer: [private transport](https://ouzoudexcursions.com/private-driver-marrakech-ouzoud/), [private guided tour](https://ouzoudexcursions.com/private-ouzoud-waterfalls-tour/) or [premium day](https://ouzoudexcursions.com/premium-ouzoud-private-tour/). More practical answers are in the [FAQ](https://ouzoudexcursions.com/faq/)."
}