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Travel Talk Tours Review: The Exotic Morocco Tour

Last updated: March 15, 2023 . Written by Laurence Norah - 13 Comments

We’ve explored a number of countries in partnership with Travel Talk Tours , including Turkey, Morocco and Egypt .

You can read about our Jewels of the Nile tour in Egypt here , and our tour of Turkey with Travel Talk Tours here .

In Morocco we did the Exotic Morocco tour with Travel Talk Tours, and this tour is all about our experience on that trip.

By the end of the post, we hope you’ll have an idea if this is the sort of tour for you.

In case you’ve not heard of them, Travel Talk Tours do excellent value group tours in a number of countries around the world, and it seemed like a fun and easy way to meet new people, experience new countries, and find exciting things to take pictures of.

The first trip we ever did with Travel Talk Tours was this tour of Morocco , titled “Exotic Morocco”. This was billed as the best way to experience the highlights of the country, from the medinas of Fez and Marrakech, to the beach of Essaouira, through to camping under the stars and camel riding in the Sahara desert.

That’s a lot to take in, and a lot of ground to cover, with the desert and wilderness parts being what I was most looking forward to.

So what was our experience with Travel Talk Tours in Morocco? Read on for our full review of our Travel Talk Tours Exotic Morocco tour! You can also see more photos from this tour (if there aren’t enough in this post!) in this photo essay I did.

Our 10 Day Exotic Morocco Tour Itinerary with Travel Talk Tours

This post outlines our experiences and review of our Travel Talk Tours Morocco Tour.

This was a 10 day Morocco tour, covering many of the highlights of Morocco over the 10 day itinerary. If you wanted to travel for a shorter time, Travel Talk have a number of Morocco tours on their website here .

Day 1: Marrakech

I’d actually spent eight days in Marrakech prior to the tour starting, so had fairly comprehensively visited all the sights. This was a good thing, but the first day was really just about meeting the rest of the group and having an evening briefing.

Our guide let us know how to get into the old city from our hotel (about 3km away), but no formal activities were arranged. If you are interested in sight-seeing in Marrakech, this excellent post has you covered .

Day 2: Drive to Desert Camp in Zagora

The adventures on the bus begin! You’re going to notice there’s a lot of time spent on the bus. On our tour, this was a comfortable bus that could seat around 22 people, and as there were only 16 of us, most people got two seats.

That’s not standard of course, but it did make the trip fairly comfortable.

Our trip took us from Marrakech to Zagora, a journey that required crossing the Atlas mountain range, which divides the country.

These are a gorgeous mountain range, and the drive through them was filled with jaw dropping scenery.

The tour stopped a few times on the way for bathroom / drink / snack breaks, and we had a longer stop for lunch.

Lunch stops on the tour were always optional, in that you didn’t have to go to the recommended restaurants, but everyone did because it was generally the easiest (and sometimes only) option!

Finally, after a full day of driving, we got as far as the bus could go, and walked the last section to the desert camp as the sun was setting. Here we had a full meal, music by firelight, and tented accommodation under the stars.

In this case, the accommodation was fairly basic, with four beds per tent, although everything was clean and well maintained. The food was excellent, and we had a really nice evening with everyone.

Day 3: Camel Trekking and 4×4 adventures

The day started early – I wanted to catch the sunrise – so I was out of bed by 6am. Conveniently, a whole pile of camels were collected just behind the tents, which made for some photogenic scenes as the sun rose over the sand dunes.

Then, after breakfast, it was time for a two hour ride on a camel in the desert!

I’m not going to lie, riding a camel isn’t exactly a comfortable affair. For the first ten minutes it was tremendous fun. Then you realise that the seat isn’t so comfortable (you try putting a seat on a hump), and you’re going to be stuck up here for another hour and fifty minutes, and it becomes more of an endurance test. Ok, so I may be exaggerating a little. It was definitely an experience.

Jess actually decided to walk her camel rather than ride it and just walked along with the guides and helped direct the camels which was perhaps the smarter idea.

But I am quite happy to now have ticked off “camel-riding” from my things I’ve done list, and plan not do it again…

From the camel riding we hopped into a collection of 4×4’s. I was particularly excited to be in a Toyota Landcruiser, which took me back to my year’s Australian exploration . Having an actual padded seat was also a bonus after two hours on a camel.

Our first stop was a village which makes pottery, and we had a nice tour of the pottery making, followed by the option to buy some pottery.

This was a really nice experience, and there was no hard sell at all, just the opportunity to buy some pottery if you wanted. It was really nice pottery, so a lot of folks invested in tagines and tableware, which were at quite reasonable prices.

Then, on again, this time, into the edge of the Sahara proper – hence the 4×4’s! We had a brief stop for lunch, which involved a large picnic rug under some palm trees, and then drove into the desert. If you’ve never ridden a jeep in the desert, you’re in for a treat, this is a load of fun as these vehicles show off what they can do in the sand.

We stopped by a huge dune from where we had a gorgeous view of the sunset, before heading to another desert camp under the stars.

I very much preferred this second desert camp. Surrounded by huge dunes and with a gorgeously clear sky, it was perfect for star gazing and a spot of astrophotography. Plus, music and drinks by the campfire, not to be sniffed at!

Day 4: Onwards to Tinghir

After another early start (you can’t miss the opportunity to shoot a sunrise in the Sahara!), we had another decent breakfast and it was onwards to Tinghir.

If you look at a map of Morocco, you’ll notice that Tinghir is about a five hour drive from Mhamid, which is the town on the edge of the desert, and we were an hour and a half’s drive inside the desert. So, you guessed it, another full day on the bus.

Again, the scenery was pretty epic, and there were plenty of stops for photos, bathroom breaks, snacks and so on, so this wasn’t a problem.

The highlights of this day (other than that gorgeous sunrise), was the trip up into Todgha gorge, a fantastic canyon in the eastern part of the High Atlas mountains, with walls that tower up to 160m on either side.

It’s very popular with hikers, and a really worthwhile place to visit.

Then, we drove into Tinghir and spent the night in a hotel with lovely panoramic views over the city as the sun set.

Day 5: To Fez!

Our fifth day was another day of driving. Morocco is a fairly well spread out country, so a lot of transportation seems inevitable.

The good news is that we had two nights scheduled in Fez, which meant a whole day of exploration was to come. In the meantime, it was a full day on the bus, enjoying the scenery of the Atlas mountains, again with lots of short breaks.

The highlight of this trip had to be the stop for the monkeys. I mean, who doesn’t like monkeys? (Sorry if you don’t like monkeys).

We paused for at least a half hour in a lovely wooded area where we watched monkeys of all sizes playing in the trees, swinging from branches, and generally having a good old monkey time.

Then, it was into Fez, where we checked into a lovely hotel, and had the option of an evening entertainment performance (extra fee). This involved a short bus trip into the centre of the city, and an evening of dinner and entertainment. This included music, belly dancers, and a magic show.

It was also very interactive, with everyone ending up on stage at some point. The food was tasty, and everyone had a great deal of fun.

Day 6: A Day in Fez

Fez is home to the oldest university in the world, and the old medieval market, or medina that makes up the heart of the old town centre, has roots reaching back to the 9th century.

So it was no wonder that it’s a UNESCO listed site , or that our tour would have us spending a full day here.

This involved a guided tour of the medina which lasted a few hours, with a local guide.

We were led through the maze that is the medina (I would have been totally lost within moments on my own!), who showed us all sorts of interesting stalls where the locals come to do their shopping, as well as some of the highlights of the medina including that ancient university.

Then it was on to the world famous tanneries of Fez. Unfortunately, these are under serious renovation, after countless centuries they were a little the worse for wear. So we got to see a construction site, and a video of what they should have looked like.

Having visited tanneries before, I wasn’t totally sad about this, because they smell awful when in operation! Still, I was a bit sad to miss the photography opportunity.

Then we were given the opportunity to buy from a local tannery, as well as from a local weavers. Again, these were generally fairly soft-sell locations without too much pressure to buy, the quality and prices were reasonable, and certainly plenty of souvenirs were bought by folks on the tour! Then it was back to the hotel and dinner at our leisure.

Day 7: Rabat and Casablanca

From Fez, it was another long drive, this time to the coast, with our destination being the city of Casablanca – made famous by the movie of the same name, even though none of said movie was actually filmed anywhere near Africa!

On the way we stopped for a tour of Rabat, which is the capital of Morocco and another World Heritage Site. Here we were taken for a tour with a local expert guide. This included a visit to the Hassan Tower, construction of which commenced in 1195 but which was never finished.

Then, it was on to the Andalusian Gardens , the ruins of the Roman city of Chellah , before we finished our tour wandering around the gorgeously colourful Kasbah of the Udayas – filled with lovely blue and white walls, intriguing doorways and tiny alleyways.

I think it’s fair to say we would all have been happy to spend more time in Rabat.

Time, unfortunately, wasn’t on our side, as we had to head on down the coast to Casablanca, another long drive away. We took the scenic coastal route, and I did enjoy seeing the rural coastline, and how different it was from the mountainous and desert regions.

Finally, as evening was hoving into view, we arrived into Casablanca. Casablanca isn’t really as romantic as the movie made out , being largely a commercial port city, but it does have a impressive mosque.

The Hassan II Mosque isn’t particularly old (1993), but it is the largest mosque in Morocco, the seventh largest mosque in the world, and it has the highest minaret in the world, at 210m. It’s also a convertible, in that the interior roof retracts to open the interior to the sky. It’s a rather impressive building, to say the least.

We had an optional tour (fee) scheduled of it for the following morning, but as the light was so lovely, we had a chance to explore and wander a little as the sun set, where I was able to capture some jolly nice images.

Then, it was back to the hotel, dinner, and bed.

Day 8: Casablanca and Essaouira

Casablanca started with a morning tour of the Hassan II Mosque. Like the majority of the activities we did, this was also optional, but most people chose to do it.

It was very much worth it as the building is hugely impressive, and as I’d never been in a mosque before, I was intrigued to learn how they worked.

The guided tour was very interesting, and if you’re in Casablanca or on this trip with Travel Talk, I very much recommend making the time to do this.

Then, we left Casablanca, and headed down the coast to Essaouira, another pile of driving away. We stopped for a delicious sea food lunch on the way, and arrived as night was falling.

The hotel was about a 20 minute walk outside the city centre, but some of the group still took advantage of our guide’s offer of a walking tour, and spend some of the evening exploring the medina and old city. I have to admit that Jess and I were tired, so gave that one a miss, opting to explore it the following morning on our own.

Day 9: Essaouira and Marrakech

Our last full day of tour started off with a relaxing free morning, which was nice. We opted to spend it wandering into Essaouira, filming location of one of my favourite TV shows .

After a twenty minute walk along the beach we arrived at the city walls, and I have to say, I instantly fell in love with this 18th century walled city. It just seemed like the perfect place to come and while away a few weeks, wandering the alleys, city walls and beach, whilst sampling some delicious Moroccan cuisine.

Of course, we didn’t have time to spend a few weeks – just a few hours. We packed them full though – with a highlight being the visit to the Citadel – well worth the minimal entry fee for the views.

Then, it was time to head back to the hotel, check out, and hop into the bus for the last journey of the tour – back to Marrakech!

We stopped on the way for a tour of an Argan oil production facility. Argan is an oil from a tree endemic to Morocco, and naturally is said to have all kinds of exciting properties. We didn’t buy anything, but it was interesting to see how the oil was produced and to meet the people making it.

Then, the last leg of the journey took us back to Marrakech, where we checked into the hotel.

There was the option of a trip into the city centre that evening which we didn’t take, as we’d already spend a couple of weeks in Marrakech , and had a few more nights scheduled there before our trip to Egypt.

Day 10: the End!

Whew! Still with me? Not much to say about the final day – after breakfast everyone said their goodbyes, exchanged contact details (well, facebook friend requests) and headed on their way.

Travel Talk includes airport transfers, so trundled everyone who was leaving back to the airport.

A good few people had booked a couple of extra nights in town, which I would recommend doing as otherwise you won’t see much of Marrakech. I’d also advise booking a guesthouse in the old medina part of town rather than where the Travel Talk hotel is located, as otherwise you’ll be journeying back and forth by taxi the 4km or so each way.

In terms of accommodation recommendations, we stayed at a centrally located basic Riad for three weeks, and there are plenty of options to choose from in Marrakech at all price points.

So that was the tour in detail. Let’s go over my thoughts on our experience and see if this is the right experience for you.

Travel Talk Tours review: What was good about our Exotic Morocco Tour?

Covered a lot – As you can see from what we did, our ten day itinerary really packed in a lot. We saw everything from deserts to mountains to beaches, cultural highlights and adventure activities. It was a fantastic way to easily experience a lot of Morocco in a relatively short period of time.

Great people – A tour like this can be made or broken by the people on it. In our case (and on both our tours with Travel Talk in fact), we had lovely people, many of whom have become friends – in fact one will be visiting us in Scotland soon!

We had a lot of laughs and a lot of fun together on our ten day adventure, and I got the impression that Travel Talk tours tend to be like this as a rule rather than an exception.

Easy way to see the country – It’s obviously entirely possible to do a trip like this on your own, plan it all out yourself, go at your own pace and so on.

For a first time visit to Morocco though, this could be a bit of an overwhelming amount of work, and the Travel Talk tour removes all the hassle.

You see all the highlights, hang out with great people, have a lot of fun, and don’t have to worry about anything other than making the bus in the morning. Too easy.

Decent accommodation at the price – One thing that really impressed everyone on the tour was the quality of our accommodation.

Aimed firmly at the backpacker market, the hotels we stayed in were a far cry from the hostels that many were used to.

Sure, you’re not going to be staying in the Ritz, but the hotels were all nice three and four star properties with good beds, high cleanliness standards, private bathrooms and so on.

No-one on the tour had anything bad to say about the accommodation.

Friendly, knowledgeable guides – Our guide Mustafa was very friendly and certainly knew a lot about the history of the country.

On those long bus rides, he’d often get up and chat to us about where we were driving, what we were seeing, and the history of the country. I have to confess, Jess paid more attention to this than me, I was happy to just let the scenery wash into me.

Value – Everyone we spoke to on the tour was very impressed by the value that the trip offered – we saw a lot, and as mentioned above, the accommodation was of a good standard.

It is worth mentioning that the sticker price on the website is not the final price. Like most tour companies, not all meals or activities are included in the price you pay prior to joining the tour.

Travel Talk certainly don’t hide this – it’s really obvious on their website what is and what isn’t included in each tour. Generally, you need to budget in entrance prices, some meals, any optional activities, and tips on top of the advertised price.

Each tour on the Travel Talk website has guidance for how much you might need to budget for these – see here for the Exotic Morocco example .

Then, also consider drinking water, alcohol, snacks, and gifts to come to a final budget.

I think the trips are excellent value for money, just make sure you do your sums first to be sure they are right for you!

Exotic Morocco Travel Talk Tours review: What wasn’t so great?

There are always going to be a few things that aren’t always ideal, although whether or not these are deal breakers for you entirely depends on your perspective. Personally none of the things I’m listing here were really issues for me, but I’m bringing them up so you’re aware:

WiFi access – There’s no WiFi on the bus, and the majority of the hotels we stayed at only offered WiFi in the lobbies. Usually this was fast enough for social media and e-mail, but I wouldn’t suggest you’d be streaming movies or uploading video.

In some cases, we couldn’t get it to work at all.  I expect over time this situation will evolve, but for now, be prepared not to be in constant contact with the world. Not a terrible thing really.

Long bus rides – As you’ll have noticed from the overview of what we did, we spent a lot of time on the bus. Like, a LOT of time. The bus was comfortable, and the driver and roads were both excellent, so it never felt dangerous, but it did go on for a while on some days.

The plus point to this is that we saw a lot of Moroccan scenery, which was absolutely stunning, particularly in the High Atlas and Desert sections of the tour.

There were also lots of stops for photos (and to buy water / use the loo), as well as loads of information from our guide about what we were seeing.

If you’re happy to gaze out of a bus window for hours on end, you’ll not have a problem with this. Otherwise, consider loading up your device with movies, bring a well stocked Kindle, or prepare to become best buddies with everyone on board!

Free time – We didn’t have a great deal of free time scheduled in to our trip, unless you opted out of some of the activities.

We did have plenty of time on the bus of course, but exploring on our own was a bit limited.

My advice would be to add on a day or two in Marrakech at the start or end of the trip if you want to see more the city, as the tour spends a minimal amount of time in the city, and there’s more than enough to do in Marrakech to fill a couple of days of sight-seeing and shopping.

If you’re looking for more ideas on what to do in Marrakech, check out this post from Jess, highlighting 12 must do’s in Marrakech !

Who’s going to be on a Travel Talk tour like this?

Morocco, being a Muslim country (if fairly liberal) isn’t known as exactly a party destination.

Our group was made up of 16 people (Travel Talk Tours can be up to 30 in size), with lots more women than men – there were three guys travelling with their girlfriends, including me, and then the rest of the group were either solo female travellers or groups of girlfriends. Ages ranged from mid-twenties to early thirties.

Nationalities wise, there was a heavy skew towards Australian, with Travel Talk tours generally popular amongst Australians and New Zealanders – our guide confirming that the gender split, age range and nationalities in our tour were pretty standard for their Morocco trips.

So just know that you will probably be on a tour with a group of 20-something Australian women.

Tips for travelling in Morocco

Morocco is a safe country to travel in. The main issues are health, in terms of keeping an eye on what you eat and drink, and the occasionally aggressive nature of some of the vendors.

In the latter case, this might be from street performers demanding you pay them an extortionate amount for the photo you snapped of them or someone who offers you a tour of the tanneries, followed up by some aggressive tactics to make you part with your cash.

My advice would be to have some change available to pay vendors if you do decide to take photos, and to stick to only organised tours with a pre-agreed price for the activities.

You’ll be largely insulated from the hassle on the Travel Talk tour, although some of the shops that the tour visits do feature some fairly persistent vendors.

Just remember that they’re trying to make a living, and if you do want to buy, nearly every price is negotiable.

For food and drink, similar rules apply to travelling in a good many countries – only drink bottled water, steer clear of salad and fruit that hasn’t been peeled, be wary of ice cubes (it might not be bottled water) and only eat food that is well cooked and served hot.

Check out this guidance for more info on staying healthy abroad.

Personally I didn’t get sick on the trip, but I travel a lot, and my stomach is pretty good at handling different types of food.

Many of the folks on our trip did get upset stomachs, diarrhea and the likes at some point in the tour, which is pretty much par for the course when travelling in areas like this.

Pack hand sanitiser and Imodium, or pop into a pharmacy when you’re in the country – there are plenty on hand, and they are more than used to handing over the right kind of pills to travellers in need!

If you go in the hotter months, stay hydrated, and be aware of the signs of dehydration – which can often manifest as food poisoning.

When’s the best time to visit Morocco?

Situated in North Africa, Morocco gets incredibly hot in the summer months (40C+), and quite cool in the Winter months, particularly at night and higher altitudes. There’s even skiing in the Winter.

The best time to visit therefore is generally the Autumn and Spring time, when daytime temperatures are in the mid twenties, and it’s cool enough at night not to need to use air conditioning.

Pack layers as sometimes it can be a bit cool at night, especially in the desert and in the higher mountainous regions.

Is the Exotic Morocco tour of Morocco with Travel Talk Tours for you?

Of course, I can’t answer that exactly! Hopefully you’ve got an idea of whether or not it is based on the post above.

I would say that if you want to see a good amount of Morocco, have a safe and fun trip with good people that also happens to be great value, then yes.

Of course, if you’re not into group tours, this won’t be for you. Travel Talk also generally has an age range of 21 – 35 on their tours, although our guide said that they have had all ages, so if you’re young at heart this would work for you too!

One thing that did stand out as a positive was that many of the folks on the tour had been on Travel Talk tours before, and were planning to go on them again. Clearly the company is getting it right on their tours for their audience, which is a great sign.

Finally, this wasn’t a “party” tour.Whilst alcohol was available at the hotels we were at, and stops were made to give us the option to purchase it (for example before heading into the desert), the long days, early starts and full schedule meant that whilst people might have had a beer or two (or some fine Moroccan wine!) in the evenings, there weren’t any late night party sessions.

Of course, this might vary based on your group, but again, indications from the guide were that this was very much the exception.

Further Reading on Morocco

If you’re looking for more reading on Morocco check out the following:

• Our guide to spending 3 days in Marrakech
• Jess’s guide featuring the best  things to do in Marrakech
• My photo essay on Marrakesh
• This travel guide to Morocco , for something to read and get you excited about on the plane ride over!

And that summarises our experience travelling Morocco with Travel Talk ! Have you been to Morocco? Been on a tour with Travel Talk? Share your experiences in the comments below!

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There are 13 comments on this post

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Tharsi says

30th December 2018 at 10:37 pm

My friend and I will be traveling from Toronto to Morocco in mid-February. We are so glad we came across your post. This really helped us decide if we want to do the trip or not. With the recent travel advisory do you think it’s still safe to travel to Morocco ?

Laurence Norah says

31st December 2018 at 12:29 am

Hey Tharsi!

So, there are very often travel advisories in destinations. In our experience, whilst they serve a useful purpose, they tend to be fairly broad brush, so it’s just a question of what you personally feel comfortable with. Currently I would personally see no reason not to travel to Morocco, but I can’t of course promise you that it’s a safe destination – nowhere truly is (even home!). So it’s always a personal decision. I think it’s safe yes, no less safe than the majority of destinations around the world, but that’s just my thought.

Not sure if this helps, but I hope you have safe travels 🙂

Breanna says

17th December 2018 at 12:03 pm

Hello there!

Thank you so much for the blog post! Part of the reason I ended up booking was due to it. I leave in a few days and im very excited!

I was wondering if you had a rough budget/general idea of how much you spent while on the tour? I can’t seem to find one from Travel Talk, and I’m just trying to sort out how much I should bring. Just a rough estimate would be great!

Thanks again,

17th December 2018 at 4:04 pm

Hey Breanna!

Our pleasure! You’re going to have an awesome time 😀

So, your main expenses will be your Travel Talk local fees (the exact amount should be in your booking,/pre-departure info), money for entrance fees to each paid attraction or museum you wish to visit (the amount for each should be in pre-departure info), and any money for any optional activities you wish to do (options and prices should be provided, these are normally booked the day you arrive and meet your tour group and leader).

The rest of your budget would be money for meals that are not covered (meals are relatively inexpensive in Morocco , you can normally eat for 5 to 10 USD we’d say), extra money for snacks/souvenirs/gratuities/extras (many public toilets have an attendant/cleaner present that you should tip a small amount).

On one of the last days of the trip, the group will collect tips/gratuities for the driver and tour guide (this is recommended but optional, and you can give what you wish).

We did not spend a lot of money in Morocco but some of the people on our tour bought a lot of souvenirs, goods, snacks, etc., and you decide if you want to do optional activities or not so you do have quite a bit of control over your budget. We’d also add that near the start of the tour there were some stops so folks could stock up on drinks and so on, which is a good budget option.

I’d exchange your money in Marrakesh after you arrive, the tour staff can tell you the best place for rates. I’d keep cash on you as some shops/stalls may not accept credit cards. You can pay the local payment in GBP, EUR, USD or the local currency; however the Travel Talk website advises you to pay the local payment in GBP in order to avoid exchange rate differences at the destination 🙂

This website should give you a good idea of some of the average prices for things like food, groceries, coffee, and souvenirs in Morocco: https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Marrakech?displayCurrency=MAD

Hopefully this helps! We’d also say that if you’re doing the desert night sleep over, to make sure to bring some warmer clothes as the desert can be cold at night, especially at this time of year 🙂

Have an awesome trip, and do pop by when you are done to let us know how it was!

Laurence & Jess

Tracey Clarke says

9th May 2018 at 6:11 pm

Excellent Blog! very helpful … and the links were informative! My husband and I are going on the Exotic Morocco tour in July. We were wondering about when and where to get cash. Should we get a large sum at once? or smaller portions along the way? Also, does the dessert get cold at night in July? We want to pack light and just wondering about the best type of clothing to bring. Thanks for your help!

10th May 2018 at 8:54 am

We felt very safe on the tour so you should be fine to get a fair amount of cash, but the guides will tell you at the beginning of the tour as to your options for where you can withdraw cash so you can plan accordingly. We were there a little later in the year than July so it was a bit cool in the evenings, but the tents came with blankets. I have to confess I’m not sure exactly how cold it would be – I’m guessing not freezing, but possibly a bit cool, so maybe bring some warmer layers to be on the safe side. And do please pop back once you’re trip is done so I can update the post!

Stephanie says

18th June 2019 at 7:02 pm

Tracey, Is your Exotic Morocco tour starting on July 6th?

Mary Njenga says

11th March 2018 at 7:33 pm

Thanks ever so much for your detailed blog, it inspired me to sign up and I am now going solo trip next month. I have read many reviews that it helps to arrive a day or two ahead of the tour to explore Marrakesh. What would be your must-see places and what was your average budget per day? I plan on purchasing my first professional camera, what would be suited for Morocco as a beginner?

11th March 2018 at 8:59 pm

My pleasure, I’m sure you’re going to have an awesome time 😀 It definitely helps to arrive early if you want to see Marrakesh as the tour doesn’t include a lot of time for signtseeing. We’ve written a guide to our favourite things to do in Marrakech, which you can see here: https://independenttravelcats.com/12-things-to-do-in-marrakesh-morocco-marrakech/

In terms of budget, it’s not a very expensive place, I’d say you could easily get by on £20 – £40 a day.

For a camera, that’s quite a big question. I’m not sure exactly of your budget, but I’d probably recommend either a mirrorless camera like the Sony a6000 or the Fuji X-A5, or the Canon Rebel EOS 200D to get started. I’ve actually written a whole guide to picking a travel camera which might help, you can see that here:

https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/best-travel-camera/

If you read that and still have questions, I’m happy to help of course!

Happy travels!

Simona says

16th February 2018 at 7:30 pm

Thank you very much for all the details included in this article. I have 2 big curiosities: did you go to Chefchaouen too? We’d be very interested in visiting it and I saw it mentioned on the website describing the tour. Also, did you pay full amount of the trip upon subscribing? Thanks much for your help and happy visiting:)

17th February 2018 at 8:35 pm

Hi Simona! The tour we did, titled Exotic Morocco, did not go to Chefchaouen, however, looking at the itinerary, this tour does seem to have been updated and now includes Chefchaouen. For the payment, Travel Talk splits the payment into two parts – one part that you pay up front, and one part that you pay locally when you arrive. This is made pretty clear when you book, and is listed as the tour price and the local payment. So you pay the tour price on booking, and the local payment on arrival. Hope this helps!

18th February 2018 at 7:07 am

Thank you very much for clarifying and for inspiring me to choose them for the Morocco tour!

19th February 2018 at 6:12 pm

My pleasure – have a great trip!

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Morocco travel blog — the fullest morocco travel guide for a budget trip for first-timers.

Morocco is an Islamic country located in the northwestern part of Africa, both the gateway to the Mediterranean Sea and the gateway to the Sahara desert, so this country possesses different types of terrains and diversity in climate, along with countless of extremely beautiful, impressive, spectacular landscapes. As part of the Arab world, Morocco also has many cultural traditions and a treasure of very unique Islamic art and architecture. That is why Morocco is always a favorite destination of many tourists around the world, and especially always on the “must-visit” list of any traveler. So, what to do and how to plan a perfect budget trip to Morocco for the first-time? Let’s check out our Morocco travel blog (Morocco blog, Morocco trip blog) with the fullest Morocco travel guide (Morocco guide, Morocco tourist guide) from how to get there, best time to come, where to stay, best places to visit and top things to do to find out the answer!

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Morocco travel blog: Overview of Morocco

Geographically, Morocco is formed up of four different regions: The Sahara desert with its towns and Berber oasis (Siwa Oasis); the Atlas and Rif mountains; the plains were home to the royal cities of Strasbourgesh and Fez (Fes); and finally the sandy shores of the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by small seaside towns and the cities of Rabat and Casablanca.

Morocco (Arabic name Al Mamlakah al Maghribiyah, meaning “The Western Kingdom”) is a country located on the northwest coast of Africa, bordered by Algeria to the east and Western Saharah to the south. The whole country of Morocco is divided into 16 regions, with the capital of Rabat and the largest and most famous city of Casablanca.

Safety and security

Theft can happen in big cities and along beaches, where you should avoid deserted areas and stay alert at all times, especially after dark. Remember do not bring large amounts of money or valuables with you.

In big cities, in addition to petty theft, pickpockets and extorting money, I find the safety and security in Morocco not so bad. In crowded places, there are many policemen in uniform and plain clothes. In the old towns (Medina) always have crowded markets, it is necessary to pay attention to your belongings. You should leave the passport in the suitcase at the hotel, bring only a photocopy.

The southwestern border region which bordering Algeria and the southern territories of Western Sahara, especially near the border with Mauritania because of kidnapping and is advised by the authorities that visitors should not to come there due to the complicated security situation in these areas.

The US government has a website to notify the security situation (terrorism, natural disasters) of all countries in the world here .

The French government also has a similar site, access here .

The national religion of Morocco is Islam. Coming here, it is advisable to wear discreetly, limit open underarms and short skirts on streets to show respect for locals. If it’s too hot, you can bring a thin, long, large scarf to wear instead of a shirt with sleeves.

In Morocco, in large places of worship, men and women are not allowed to pray in the same area but must be separated, male on one side, female on the other. There are different entrances as well.

The Moroccans speak two main languages, Arabic and French, and in the mountainous areas, there also is a Berber language. All the signs, in addition to Arabic, they are also available in French, so you don’t have to worry about falling illiterate.

A few common words (transliteration):

• Where is the toilet: Fin kaynin toilettes?
• Hello: Salam
• Goodbye: Bslama
• Thank: Shokran
• Thank you (in Berber): Ten miêrt
• Agree, ok : Wakha
• Let’s go: Y-allah

The flag of Morocco flag is red, with a green five-pointed star, which is the symbol of the Kingdom of Morocco. Originally, the Moroccan flag was plain red, embodying the Alaouite dynasty, which ruled Morocco since 1631. In 1915, a green five-pointed star was added to distinguish it from the flags of other countries that also had red. Green is the color of hope and also the color of Islam. The star represents the 5 pillars of Islam:

• Fasting (Ramadan)
• Pilgrimage (to Mecca, Islam’s holy site)

Morocco blog: When to visit?

Due to its diversisty in geography, the best time to travel to Morocco depends largely on where you will going to, but overall, Morocco is a great year-round destination. With its long coastline, majestic mountains, and desert landscapes, it’s an incredibly diversity country in landscape that offers unique experiences to explore at any time of year. January is the wettest and coldest month and July and August are the hottest months, so you’ll see less touristy. Spring (March & April) and autumn (September & October) have the most pleasant weather.

In the Sahara region, cities in the plains, you should be avoided come in mid-summer. Desert climate is hot, dry and clear in the summer, but nighttime temperatures can plummet. However, the hottest months are ideal for visiting coastal cities like Essaouira and Rabat. The winter months in the mountains are very cold, which can be difficult to come as many hotels do not have heating system.

From October to May next year is the best time to visit Morocco. The autumn and spring’s weather is cool. Winters are not as cold as Southern Europe. The desert night is quite cold, so you still need to bring warm clothes. The Moroccan spring often comes a little earlier than in Europe. From mid to late February, plum and apricot blossoms bloom white on oases in the middle of desert. In late April, early May, roses bloom brilliantly in the valley of roses (Vallée dés Roses).

During Christmas and New Year, the whole Europe is on holiday, the streets will be a bit crowded and the price of services will be slightly higher. Because Morocco is Europe’s neighbor, the French and Germans like to go to their neighbor to relax, especially special holidays.

Morocco travel blog: Getting to Morocco

The simplest and most convenient way is flying to big cities like Casablanca, Marrakech, Fes, Rabat… There are many low-cost airlines operating daily flights from European cities to Morocco and the flight time is also very reasonable (It takes average 3 – 4 hours of flying) such as Ryanair, Volotea, Easyjet… If you hunting hard, you can find cheap airfares for just a few dozen of Euros / round-trip. I often use Skyscanner , Google Flights to find tickets and then go directly to websites of airlines to buy.

Alternatively, you can also drive to Morocco from Europe via a transit ferry from the Spanish city of Tarifa to Tangier. Some ferry companies such as FRS, Inter Shipping regularly operate ferries that connecting these two cities with travel time of about 1 hour. See ferry routes and timetables here .

Morocco blog: Getting around Morocco and between cities

Morocco’s national railway company is ONCF. The railway network in Morocco is concentrated mainly in the north and cities along the west coast, connecting the major cities. Therefore, if you want to getting to cities in the South (such as Agadir), the bus is the most reasonable choice.

Train tickets can be purchased online through the company’s website at:( https://www.oncf.ma/fr/ ), via app ( iOS , Android ) or directly at ticket counters at train stations.

If you want a guarantee and rest assured, you can buy tickets 1 to 2 days in advance.

Like me, when I was in Marrakech, I checked the train schedules and prices in advance on the web, then went to the station 1 hour before departure and bought tickets directly at the ticket counter. This helped me more flexible and not be constrained by time.

A few things you should keep in mind are:

• The ticket counter will stop selling 3 minutes before departure time.
• In big cities like Marrakech or Casablanca have relatively high frequency of trips, on the contrary, smaller cities like Meknes have quite a few trips. So, if you stay in small cities, you should carefully check the departure time of train to arrange a reasonable travel time.
• On the train, you must always keep your belongings within sight, to avoid being “lost your luggage” when train stops at stations.

Example fares: Train from Casablanca – Marrakech : 95 MAD (10 USD); Bus supratours from Marrakech – Essaouira : 80 MAD (8.4 USD), Train from Fes – Meknes : 22 MAD (2.3 USD).

It is the most convenient means of transportation in Morocco. The bus network covers the whole country, so it is possible to reach places that train cannot. The major bus carriers are CTM ( http://www.ctm.ma/ ), Supratours ( http://www.supratours.ma/ ), SATAS and Trans Ghazala.

When traveling in Morocco, I chose the CTM bus company (because the company has frequently bus trips, and the service is also relatively good).

Riding by bus, I recommend you to book tickets 1 to 2 days in advance to be able to choose the most suitable trip in terms of both tickets and timetables. The reason is that if you buy tickets on the departure date, but unfortunately the bus trip you already choose is already full, you will be pushed to the next trip. In big cities, the waiting time between bus trips is not too long (about 1 hour), so take the next trip is still okay.

But, in contrast, in small cities (eg Chefchaouen) the frequency is reduced quite a lot and you have to wait for a long time to wait for the next bus, which can affect your expected schedule.

This is also a good option to getting around in Morocco, helping you to be more proactive in your time as well as being able to reach places that trains and buses cannot reach. However, self-driving in Morocco also requires you to be very steady and careful.

As far as I can see, the traffic here is a bit chaotic, especially in small cities (eg Chefchaouen): pedestrians cross the street anywhere; On the road, in addition to cars, there are also horse-drawn carriages, donkey carts, and horns are loud, in general, it feels quite similar to Vietnamese traffic.

Moreover, the terrain in the North of Morocco has many hills and passes, so self-driving is not for weak drivers.

Getting around in cities

Inside medina, motor vehicles are prohibited, you can only walk or donkey riding. The area of medina is not too large but complicated like a maze. So prepare a good pair of walking shoes.

In Moroccan cities, there are always people who are enthusiastic to show you the way to ask for money. If needed, let them guide directions for you and pay about 10-20 MAD (1-2 USD). If you feel uncomfortable, just say “No” clearly a few times. If they insist on following and walking ahead, pretending to give directions, I often take advantage of when they don’t notice and stop by a shop on the street. If they don’t see you anymore, they will leave away.

In order to limit being disturbed on the road, you should not hold a paper map in your hand with a blank face, a half-lidded gaze. Instead, you should download offline maps of MAPS.ME or Google Maps , plus compass apps to your phone for convenient navigating. In Marrakech and Fes, paper maps are also not very effective because in the souks, almost all streets have no numbers, streets without names.

Outside of medina, the most convenient way to travel are taxis. Taxi prices in Morocco are comparable to Vietnamese taxis. In Casablanca and occasionally in Marrakech, taxi is billed by meter. During rush hour, the drivers often refuse to turn on the meter, you should ask in advance to be sure and bargain the price before getting on the car.

There are two types of taxis operating in cities in Morocco: “grand taxi” – large taxi and “petit taxi” – small taxi.

Small taxi: 4-seater car, only allowed to run in the inner cities. According to regulations, this type of taxi can only carry a maximum of 3 passengers.

“Our group went with 4 people, even though we saw that the car still has an available seat and asked the driver to take all 4 of us, the driver disagreed and asked to divide into 2 groups to accept it”.

Large taxi: Usually a 7-seater taxi, this type can go out of town or traveling between neighboring cities.

In cities, to getting from city center to airport, you can only take this large taxi.

With most taxis, the price list is listed on the window of the car, however, you can still bargain with the driver to get the most reasonable price.

Casablanca also has a tram system, the way to buy tickets and travel is the same as in Europe.

Morocco travel blog: Where to go?

Marrakech (marrakesh).

There are few places where red is so overwhelming as in Marrakesh, from houses, walls, even the streets are painted pink or red. This North African city has a multi-dimensional, mysterious and captivating life.

It is the country’s fourth largest city, after Casablanca, Fes and Tangier. Marrakesh, located in the southwest, was once the capital of Morocco, playing an important role in the trans-Saharan trade route. The history of formation and development of Marrakesh has gone through many periods. Since the 13th century, Marrakesh is no longer the capital, but is still one of the four imperial cities of Morocco, an important commercial center. Marrakesh is also one of Morocco’s artistic cities, a national and international tourist destination.

Attractions in Marrakesh: Jemaa el Fna Square, Medina old town, Souks. Medina Old Town is a top tourist attraction in Marrakesh and is surrounded by 9km of high walls. Jemaa el Fna Square is a bustling place with all kinds of representations of the daily life of Moroccans, Ali Ben Youssef Medersa is the largest Koran school in North Africa, Bahia Palace, Souk Flea Market in the Medina is also a must-see place during your visit.

Chefchaouen

Also known as the Blue City of Morocco, Chefchaouen is located in the Rif Mountains in the northwestern Morocco. It’s a small city, a bit remote, but well worth a visit in the vibrant shades of turquoise of the houses, charming alleyways, a photogenic and perfect spot to take virtual living photos.

The city is built on a hill, so be prepared for a hike, when you get to the top it can feel like you just went for a hike. Walking is the best way to experience the city as there are many narrow streets that cannot be accessed by cars.

Sahara Desert tour

There are many Sahara desert tours that offered by tour operators in Morocco, with options ranging from camping, day trips, or night add-ons combined with other city tours. Camping in the Sahara Desert is a dream for any visitor, it’s definitely the ultimate nomadic experience. This is where you can experience walking on the sand dunes to watch the sunrise, camel riding, camping…

Known as Morocco’s cultural capital, Fes is a place you’ll definitely want to visit once. Ranked as the second largest city in Morocco, Fez served as the country’s capital until 1925. The city is known as the “Athens of Africa” ​​for preserving its diverse historical heritage. One of the heritages with the most vivid image of the Moroccan people is in the Fez markets (souks). Visit the Fes el Bali area to discover the unique cultural features, which was recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site in 1981.

Fes is located just over 300 miles from Marrakech which you can reach by car or plane. This UNESCO World Heritage city is one of the best-preserved ancient Arab cities in the world and the largest car-free urban area on earth.

The seaside city of Essaouira

Located on the coast of Morocco, Essaouira is known for its laid-back atmosphere and excellent kitesurfing conditions and beautiful beaches. If you stay in Marrakech, there is a bus that connects these two cities. The journey takes about 2.5 hours. Another option is to hire a taxi from Marrakech airport and a one-way trip will cost around $90.

Tangier is a northern Moroccan city with a population of over 2 million, located on the North African coast, to the west of the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, which borders the Mediterranean and Atlantic Oceans at Cape Spartel. This city has cultural features, architecture that mixed of France and Spain.

Surrounded by beautiful beaches, Tangier attracts visitors by its vibrancy that few places have. Visitors can move here by taxi after about 10 minutes from city center. My first impression of Tangier is the lively, bustling street and beautiful beaches just ten minutes away from the center. By the beach are markets, modern residential areas, frequented by tourists from all over the world with a wide variety of goods on sale.

In 1923, Tanger was called an international city under a treaty between nine countries with interests in Morocco: France, Italy, Spain, Great Britain, USA, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal.

Meknes is one of the four most popular tourist destinations in Morocco. Before choosing Marrakesh as the next capital, Meknes served as the capital of Morocco from 1672 – 1727 under the rule of Sultan Moulay Ismail. Today, the city still retains the images that recreate the heroic history with the architectural style of Spain and Morocco. Especially the great gates with high walls. The impressive historical landmarks: Mosques, old markets and squares… Especially the old town (medina) in this city is also recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site.

Casablanca is the largest city in Morocco and the largest port in Africa. Casablanca is known to many people through the movie of the same name, but it is not the filming location of this movie. With the diversity in culture from Portuguese, French and Moors, make the city is more dynamic and full of vibrant.

The city of Ouarzazate is known as “The Door of the Desert” because of its location on the edge of Sahara Desert. This place is a “quiet” land of palm trees, sandy roads and buildings bearing the image of fortresses. In particular, Ouarzazate also owns two largest film studios in the world, Atlas Studios and CLA Studios. Moreover, there are many movies using the setting here, so this city is also known as the “Hollywood of Africa”. When coming to this city, the following attractive tourist attractions will surely attract you: First is Sahara desert, Todra gorge – a great natural wonder or visit Taourirt Kasbah, which is an important histrical fortified residence complex of Morocco.

The city is now the capital of Morocco and was established in the 12th century. Rabat impresses with its diverse landscape of flowers, plants and trees. In addition, monumental works must be mentioned gates such as the Great Gate of the Kasbah (Bab Oudaya) and The Gate of Ambassadors.

Some notable attractions in Rabat: Mamora forest, beautiful beaches, mosques, Mausoleum of Mohammed V, ancient city (medina), Royal square, Chellah medieval fortified, … Not only that, tourists can visit the National Craft Museum or stop at the street cafes while wandering in Rabat.

The town of Asilah or Arzeila is located in the northwest region on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. It is located in the northern Atlantic Bay and is 31km from the city of Tangier. The town has a pretty good depiction of Moroccan culture, including murals.

Morocco travel blog: Where to stay?

Room rates in Morocco are much cheaper than in Europe. The price for a double room, included breakfast, from 30 USD (guesthouse), 50 – 60 USD (2-star hotel or hostel), with more than 100 USD you can stay in a 4-star hotel.

To find top rated and best hotels in cities in Morocco you can go to Booking.com , Agoda.com . If you want a budget stay let choose Airbnb , and use this link https://www.airbnb.com/c/anht5185 , to register for an Airbnb account and book a room, you will get a discount up to $55 for the first booking.

The main attractions are located in medina (old town in city), you should rent a room here for convenience. But also should not be too far from the motorway in case you have bulky luggage, to avoid spend much effort. For example, in Marrakech, you should rent a room near Jemaa el-Fna square, in Casablanca, you should rent near United Nations Square or Casa-Port Railway Station (note that in Casablanca there are 2 big stations that are quite far apart), in Fes, you should rent in Talaa Sghira street or Talaa Kebira street (the beginning of this street near Bab Boujloud).

In the old town, there are usually few big hotels. Instead, there are Dar or Riad which are traditional Moroccan homestays. Riad is usually built in square-shaped, with a skylight and a small garden in the middle, creating a quiet and pleasant atmosphere. You should stay there once, I’m sure you will like it.

Morocco blog: How to buy and choose desert tour?

Coming to Morocco, riding a camel in the sunset or sunrise in the Sahara desert is an experience not to be missed. In the medina in Fes and Marrakech there are many tour operators offering tours to the desert, but in reality there is only one company that organizes it. Tour operators only distribute as travel agents, so there is no need to book online in advance, so just directly go to their offices to bargain and choose the cheapest one to buy.

Check out the tour schedule here: https://www.igomorocco.com/

There are different types of tours to desert: 2 days to Zagora (Ouarzazate); 3 days to Erg Chebbi (near Merzouga) or 4 days to both places. I found the 3-day tour to Erg Chebbi is the most suitable and reasonable. The 2-day tour to the Zagora does not see the beautiful shimmering sand dunes as shown on Instagram, while the 4-day tour is a combination of the two tours above, you will have to waiting for the car for a long time in Ouarzazate.

The distance from Merzouga to Marrakech and Fes is about the same. If your itinerary includes both of these cities, you can request tour operator pick up in Marrakech, drop off in Fes or vice versa.

If riding a camel, you should wear long pants, not lace or jean pants that are too tight or hard (my own painful experience). Overnight in the desert, you have to sleeping in a Berber tent which is very cold, need to bring extra warm clothes. In addition, you should bring more toilet paper – “paper attached to the intestines”, haha!

Morocco travel blog: What to eat?

Moroccan food is delicious and rich. Traditional restaurants often have tajin, couscous, pastilla or lamb or beef stews. In souks (traditional markets), there are many kinds of savory, delectable grilled meat, skewers. Morocco is a Muslim country, so people don’t eat pork.

Breakfast in riads has many types of breads, cornmeal pancakes, with jams, honey, butter, mint tea, and delicious freshly orange juice.

The Moroccan pastries are also delicious (but very sweet). Some pastry is as small as a thumb, goes well with mint tea.

During the two weeks of eating and drinking all over Morocco, I always remember of eating fresh fish and seafood in Essaouira. If you have the opportunity to visit, do not forget to try.

B’ssara (Moroccan fava bean soup)

B’ssara is a soup made with simple ingredients using beans, olive oil and local flavor cumin. This is a traditional Moroccan dish often used in daily meals. It can be used in breakfast to start a new day and served with bread. The price for this dish is quite cheap, a bowl costs only a few cents.

You can’t leave Morocco without trying tagine! This is a stewed soup that is considered a Moroccan’s culinary cultural symbol with its very own taste. Its ingredients include mea, poultry, or fish, vegetables, spices, nuts, all are stewed in a clay pot. It’s available everywhere that you can find easily in this country from high-end restaurants to eateries, roadside food stalls.

Goat Cheese

Goat cheese comes in a lot of Moroccan recipes and is amazing. If you are a lover of goat cheese then you will especially love this in Morocco.

Morocco is home to a wide variety of olives. The country is one of the world’s largest producers of olive oil, so it’s the perfect place to sample all kinds of olives.

Almonds are the basis ingredient of many of the delicious things here, especially the orange blossom flavored almond milk and Moroccan spiced almonds.

Kefta tagine

Kefta tagine is the name of a dish made from minced beef or lamb mixed with ingredients and spices such as coriander, garlic, and cinnamon. Then it will be rounded into balls and cooked in tomato and onion sauce under skillful hands of chefs. The final step to perfect the dish make it greasy, a few eggs will be added into the pot.

You must definitely enjoy delicious dishes made from lamb, the most famous of which is Méchoui. Previously it was a traditional dish used in wedding parties, later it was mentioned as one of the famous street foods in Morocco. To make this dish, people use a whole lamb, marinate with herbs and spices and then spit-roasted on charcoal.

Akouda is a cake made from mashed potatoes combined with aromatic spices. This dish is deep-fried until golden crispy and eaten hot. It can be dipped with tomato sauce, served with salad or sandwiched with bread are all very delicious, this dish is popular in northern Morocco and in old towns (medina).

This is a traditional dish associated with Moroccan culture and religion. On the Friday after the weekly prayer, if you travel to Morocco, you will find this dish on all Moroccan family tables. Couscous is stewed from vegetables such as zucchini, pumpkin, eggplant, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, green beans, chicken and beef. Especially served with Leben – a traditional fermented milk.

Chermoula fish

Bordered by Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean with a long coastline, Moroccan cuisine is rich with a lot of dishes made from a multitude of different types of fish. Chermoula is one of them with an irresistible delicious taste. The dish with a combination of herbs, spices and fish is grilled over charcoal with the highlight of a special sauce.

Deep-fried Moroccan doughnuts

Import from French, a pastry lover’s dream. They are similar to fried donuts and you will find them all over the country.

Moroccan sweets, pastries

You’ll find shops full of sweets, and it’s easy to sample a variety. You can grab some bread and baklava or almond briouats and almost anything dipped in orange blossom water.

Moroccan smoothie made with avocado fresh fruits such as bananas, apples, kiwi, eggs, milk, and candies or nuts, is a must-try sweet treat of Moroccan cuisine.

Morocco travel blog: What to buy?

Morocco is one of the countries with many specialties. Tourists come here often buy:

• Rug: If you know that Iran has a famous Persian rugs, Morocco is also known as a rug paradise. The most prominent is the unique Berber wool rugs. One useful tip to not buy the wrong type of fake rug is to ask the seller to burn the tassels to try. If it’s real wool, it won’t catch fire, while fakes will catch fire and burn.
• Pottery (the most beautiful in Fes): You can come across all styles and ceramic products that Moroccans still use every day such as vases, cooking utensils, dishes, mosaics, ashtrays… The ceramics in Fes and Safi are best, the two main ceramics production sites of this country, they have a unique Moroccan style.
• Leather goods (in Fes, Essaouira or Marrakech). Head to Marrakesh and Fez to shop for these items, bags and leather products. Here sells a variety of products with vary prices, types and quality for you to choose from. In other cities of Morocco you can also buy these products but it is a bit smelly.
• Spices: Moroccan spices are very popular with tourists to buy as gifts after their trip. Locals sell spices in souks in every city. The most special is Ras el Hanout, which is a spice named after “head of the shop”. The reason it is called that is because the owner of the shop will mix this spices for you. Usually it consists of cumin seeds, cinnamon powder, ginger powder, clove pepper powder and some other spices.
• Herbal, dried rose, dried fruit (Marrakech or Essaouira have the most).
• Argan Oil (in Essaouira): The rarest gift that can only be found in Morocco is argan oil. Because the only place on earth where argan trees grow is near Essaouira. However, it is because of its scarcity that many people fake it to sell at a high price. When buying this oil, you should note that you should refer to a reputable place to buy and from locals to avoid being scammed.
• Decorative lamps and jewelry (in Marrakech)
• Fresh fruit, pomegranate, orange, and cactus are delicious.

Goods in Fes are a bit more expensive than in Marrakech, but much better. The souk near Marrakech’s Jemaa el-Fna square sells a lot of Chinese goods, making it difficult to distinguish the real from the fake items. Shopping in souks in Morocco, you always remember to bargain, starting from 1/3 to 1/2 off the asking price. It’s also a pleasure of going to a market, isn’t it?

Sometimes, you can meet people nearby invite you buy weed, you should be careful because Morocco has many policemen in plain clothes hidden in the crowd.

Morocco blog: Traveling cost

• Hotel: $50 – 60 / 1 night (double room in 2-star riad for 2 people)
• Food: $10 – 20 / 1 meal at delicious restaurants, with a nice view

I budgeted $80 – 90 / 1 person / 1 day (excluding airfare) and found it very Okay. If your budget is slightly lower, the total cost will be in the range of $60 – 70 / 1 day for all: meals, transportation, sightseeing (excluding airfare).

Picture below is the courtyard of La Table du Palais. One of the nicest restaurants I’ve been to. 150 DHs for the main course, 220 DHs for the main course and 1 side dish, 250 DHs for the whole appetizer, main course and dessert. If you just want to sit and rest for a while, don’t want to eat, you can order a glass of orange juice or mint tea, very affordable.

Morocco blog: Suggested Morocco travel itinerary

Over 2 weeks of traveling in this beautiful North African country has helped me gain some experience to be able to arrange a reasonable exploration itinerary.

Here are 2 itineraries that I think are quite reasonable for those who want to once set foot in Morocco:

• Itinerary 1: Marrakech (day 1 & 2) – Ouarzazate (day 3) – Merzouga (day 4) – Fès (day 5) – Chefchaouen (day 6) – Fès (day 7).
• Itinerary 2 (long time): Marrakech (day 1) – Essaouira (day 2) – Marrakech (day 3) – Ouarzazate (day 4) – Merzouga (day 5) – Fès (day 6 & 7) – Chefchaouen (day) 9) – Fès (10th) – Merknès (11th) – Rabat (12th) – Casablanca (13th) – Marrakech (14th).

In addition, if you have more time, you can also add to the itinerary of other tourist cities of Morocco such as Agadir, Tangier. Or, if you are an adventurer, you can also book High Atlas trekking tours departing from Marrakech, visit Berber villages (Imlil, Asni, Ourika, …) and admire the wonderful valleys beauty of this mountains.

These tours are very diverse in terms of places to visit as well as the number of days to go to which help you freely choose, and of course it is also sold a lot at agents in Marrakech.

We had another Morocco trip itinerary for 7 days here: Morocco 7 days itinerary — How to spend 7 days in Morocco perfectly to visit: Fez, Chefchaouen & Tangier .

Morocco travel blog: Some notes before you go

• Money exchange: The exchange rate in the airport is often not as good as outside, you should only exchange a little at the airport and then go to the city center to continue exchange. In Marrakech, on Prince Moulay Rachid street near Jemaa el-Fna square there are many banks.
• Major cities have ATMs, but don’t expect much because the machines are often broken.
• Plugs: Most plugs in Morocco are type C and type E. Standard voltage is 220 V and standard frequency is 50 Hz. An adapter will be the best for most electronic devices. Internet: Although you’ll find that most cafes, restaurants, and hotels in the city have Wi-Fi handy (and cheap!) for 4G while you’re traveling in Morocco. You can buy a Maroc Telecom SIM card for just 40 dirhams (just over $4) and get 10GB of data for 100 dirhams ($10).
• What to wear? Choose light, appropriate clothing. Be sure to always cover your shoulders and knees like using scarves and maxi skirts. They are ideal for warm sunny conditions and that shows respect for the culture – which in turn will get you treated with respect.
• Do not take pictures without permission in Morocco. They will respond as soon as you press the button. Many people here, and especially the elderly, think that if they are photographed, their images will be used for bad purposes. They are quite negative because of the influence on religion and spirituality. Usually people in tourist cities and young people will be more open, but you should ask before taking photos.
• Long pants should be worn when riding a camel, it is not denim or lace fabric and too tight will make you uncomfortable when sitting for more than 1 hour on a back of a camel. In addition, sleeping in a tent in the desert should wear enough warm clothes. Besides, it is necessary to prepare necessary personal belongings and drinking water, but it must be compact and hygienic.
• Do not go alone at night when traveling to Morocco, you need a trusted person to accompany you. Even if you are a muscular man, you should not go at night, especially in the desert, in a remote place. Another reason is because Moroccan roads are not always convenient and well-lit, so you should keep this in mind when traveling.
• Public toilets in Morocco are chargeable, except for hotels and restaurants. At some places, there is no collection, but there are still people standing to remind you not to forget to put tips in a box after use.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, from and to Morocco you can refer to

• 2D1N Zagora Desert Tour from Marrakech
• Ourika Valley Day Tour from Marrakech
• Essaouira Day Trip from Marrakech
• Agadir Day Trip From Marrakech
• Moroccan Cooking Class in Marrakech
• Marrakech City Tour
• Quad Biking Experience in Marrakech

Are you looking for more top things to do in Morocco: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Let’s check it out here. And here .

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My Free Range Family

Destinations , Morocco · Last Updated: March 5, 2024

Morocco Itinerary for 14 Days: The First Timer’s Complete Guide!

This is the itinerary to 14 days in Morocco that you’ve been looking for – ALL the best sights and highlights for a 2 week adventure. Hold on tight… it’s going to be a fun ride!

Morocco is a big country, with so many corners to see, but this itinerary to 14 days is a winner. So keep it close, and click through to the city guides for the full details on each destination. If you need options or add-ons, skip through to the end for our BONUS 14 days in Morocco loop itinerary and other awesome suggestions.

ALSO: Don’t miss posts for –

• 1 month Morocco itinerary
• 8 day beach and surf itinerary
• 10 day desert, valley and mountain itinerary
• 12 day city and mountain medina itinerary

Yes, we know our Morocco itineraries! This is because we slow travelled Morocco from top to bottom for 3 months. As a result, we came to know the country extensively, visiting all the best sights of Morocco and uncovering some of the best hidden gems.

This itinerary goes into a great deal of depth, with seperate destination guides to our favourite locations. So be sure to dig deep, in order to unravel the best itinerary for 14 days in Morocco for your holiday. Everything has been carefully pieced together a complete travel guide to Morocco if you will.

Click the links for the best places to stay in each destination. Read our recommendations on how to get to each destination and browse our maps to better understand the lay of the land.

💥 IF YOU DON’T WANT TO DO IT ALONE! – Below we recommend our preferred 14 day guided tour options with three different operators. Choose between private or group, budget friendly, local or international.

This is an ultimate first-timers itinerary to Morocco… so on your marks… get ready… be steady… & go!!!

Table of Contents

Best Morocco Itinerary Map for 14 Days

On the map below you can see that this journey starts in Tangier and finishes in Marrakech . Therefore this 2 week itinerary is great for travellers who want to start and finish in different locations. Internal flights within Morocco are cheap, so a short flight back to Tangier could also close or complete this itinerary.

See our Morocco Itinerary for more details on taking internal flights and everything you should know about the different options for transport. The guide in mention, also provides a summary of all of the destinations and regions listed below in our itinerary. Therefore it’s a really good overview and travel guide for planning your epic Morocco vacation. (Also linked below)

Read: Our Morocco Itinerary Master List

* This post may contain affiliate links that may earn me a small commission should you decide to click through and make a valid purchase (at no extra cost to you). Thanks for your support!

Recommended Guided Tours of Morocco

Before we dig deeper on our 14 day itinerary of Morocco, I am going to take a punt and say some of you might prefer a guided tour. Sometimes it’s just nice to relax knowing that your travel is all taken care of, particularly in a new destination such as Morocco. So take the trouble out of organising your own 14 day tour and have one organised for you. Here I share three of my preferred guided tour options.

Browse the following travel tour operators. Choose between private and group tours, local knowledge or international tours, budget versus more expensive –

Choose Local with Morocco Travel

Get in touch with Mimoun from Morocco Travel. He is super helpful, very friendly and operates one of the most professional local tour groups we have experienced. These private tours of Morocco come at a great price, and provide total flexibility. Click here to find out more about the 14 day tour with Morocco Travel .

Book Small Group tours with Intrepid Travel

Check out these two 14 day options with Intrepid Travel – the Premium Morocco in Depth or the Best of Morocco . When booking via the TourHub website you can get a further signup discount. This adds an extra discount to your booking when compared to bookings made through the Intrepid Travel website.

Alternative Tour – G Adventures

I also like the 15 day tour from Casablanca to Marrakech with G Adventures. Click for their Highlights of Morocco tour to find out more!

Itinerary Overview & Where to Stay

Right, getting back to organising your own 14 day itinerary! Lets start shall we 💃

One of the best resources you’ll find here in our itinerary for 14 days in Morocco are our links on where to stay. When planning itineraries finding the best accommodation always takes the most time am I right?!

Well you can be sure that each of these hotels are in excellent locations and they come with super reviews. Where possible I have tried to find the quintessential riad stay, which are my favourite type of Moroccan hotels. In addition, they are priced within the mid-range budget … so won’t break the bank on a 2 week holiday.

14 Days in Morocco Itinerary Details

On to the nitty gritty. If we were visiting Morocco for 14 days, this is exactly how our itinerary would look.

Starting in the north the journey begins south through the Rif Mountains to the iconic mountain village of Chefchaouen. This was a must for me, and I’m so glad we visited, but many travellers miss out given it’s location in the far north.

The incredible Fes Medina is one you will have heard of also, and a Medina we loved. Continuing on south to the Sahara desert, experience the sand dunes and a Berber camp. Following this, you turn to the west and begin the journey through Kasbah country. Such breathtaking scenery of mountains and valleys.

Finally, you arrive in the famous red city of Marrakech where you have a decision to make. Maintain your course west towards the Atlantic ocean and coastal Medina of Essaouira. Alternatively book a tour with Trek Atlas to the Atlas Mountains, for two nights in the village of Aroumd and trekking on the tallest mountain in North Africa.

SO MUCH GOOD STUFF! I’m excited for you just thinking about it. Read on for the nuts and bolts!

Tangier: Days 1 – 2

Kick starting your trip through Morocco in Tangier. The Kasbah and Medina of Tangier are a gentle start to the journey. In other words, it’s a lot more easy to navigate, and lot less easy to get lost or overwhelmed. If you stay two nights you could also take a day trip out to Cape Spartel to see the lighthouse and Atlantic beaches.

🚀 Getting There: Okay, there are two main ways to arrive in Tangier, this is by ferry or flight.

Let’s first look at the ferry. Crossing from Spain on the FRS Iberia ferry into Port de Tangier Ville is easy. We did this a few years ago, when taking a day trip to Tangier from Tarifa, Spain . This is a good option if you’re combining your Morocco itinerary with a south Spain itinerary .

Your second option is to fly into Tangier. There is an international terminal, which will suit travellers arriving from Europe. However, for visitors coming from the United States or Asia, then Casablanca or Marrakech will be a better itinerary starting point. In which case, you could travel this itinerary in reverse with an internal flight from Tangier back to your starting point.

But also check out our Morocco itinerary , for a more detailed guide on how to take the ferry or how to fly into Morocco, particularly, if you’re coming from further afield.

💎 Where to Stay: Kasbah Rose is a super little mid-range option for couples and families. Once again we have more options in our guide below.

⚡️ Things to do in Tangier:

• The Grand Socco and Cinema Rif
• Saint Andrew’s Church
• The Kasbah – where you’ll find the Ibn Batutta Museum, Kasbah Museum & Contemporary Art Museum
• The Phoenician Tombs
• Take a glass or two of mint tea at Cafe Hafa
• Go shopping in the Medina!
• Take a day trip to Cape Spartel and Hercules Cave

Read: Top Things to Do in Tangier

Chefchaouen: Days 2 – 4

I’ve already mentioned Chefchaouen above. This is the blue village in the Rif Mountains, where streets, walls, doors and basically everything in sight is painted blue. It’s an Instagrammers mecca.

But I’ll let you in on a little tip. Most people visit Chefchaouen for a night only. However I would give it two, especially if you’re there in and around the summer months. Then if you do, take a day trip to Akchour and God’s Bridge. Swim in the cool clear water of the river, drink fresh orange juice and eat a piping hot tagine.

This was one of our favourite off the beaten track destinations in Morocco. And after the flurry of tourists in Chefchaouen all trying to get the perfect blue tinted photos, you’ll welcome the day trip into the mountains. On the way you’ll cruise past the endless fields of marijuana plants growing on the roadside.

🚀 Getting There: From Tangier jump on the CTM bus , booking your tickets online a day or two in advance. Travel time is 2 hours and 30 minutes.

💎 Where to Stay: Riad La Santa but read our post below for more accommodation options.

⚡️ Things to do in Chefchaouen:

• We suggest a relaxing day exploring the blue streets of the medina
• Walk to the Spanish Monastery in the afternoon to catch the late afternoon light and sunset
• A day trip to God’s Bridge in the Rif Mountains is definitely worth your time

Read: Top Things to Do in Chefchaouen

Fes: Days 4 – 6

My first impression of Fes was seriously influenced by everyones comments ahead of our visit. It’s impossible not to get lost in the Medina they said. To be honest these messages put the fear into me!

Yes it’s big, yes it’s a maze, but it is very manageable and we had fun putting together our self-guided tour and map for Fes – linked below.

The history, the culture and the riads of Fes are all a big wow for me. I loved negotiating our way around the Chouara Tannery and walking alongside the leather vats and chatting to the locals. Also I thoroughly recommend finding the time for a Moroccan cooking lesson while you’re in town!

Consider also a tour to Meknes, Moulay and Volubilis to see the old Capital city, the holiest city and surprisingly Morocco’s very own Roman ruins!

🚀 Getting There: The bus from Chefchaouen to Fes is best made with CTM again. Travel time is just over 4 hours.

💎 Where to Stay: Dar Seffarine is my first choice, but see our guide to Fes for a second option.

⚡️ Things to do in Merzouga:

• Bab Boujloud or the Blue Gate
• Bou Inania Madrasa
• Place Nejjarine and the Carpenters Souk
• Nejjarine Museum & Fondouk
• The Henna Souq
• Zawiya or Mausoleum of Moulay Idris
• Al Attarine Madrasa
• Al Qaraiyyin University and Mosque
• Chouara Tannery
• Day Trip to Meknes and Volubilis
• Marinid Tombs

Read: Two days in Fes and Self-guided Walking Tour

tours from fes to Marrakech

Unless you’re self-driving Morocco, there is an easier way of carrying out the following steps in our itinerary. That is to take a multiple 2 or 3 day guided tour. And don’t worry, it’s not cheating. In fact many visitors to Morocco connect Fes and Marrakech with a guided tour.

We have picked some of the best tours on Get Your Guide and Viator for you to browse. They basically just take the stress out of connecting to the small villages with public transport. The only thing to note is that they don’t visit Todra Gorge or Roses Valley.

The first tour from Fes to Marrakech, is listed with Get Your Guide.

Alternatively, these guided tours on Viator also start in Fes and end in Marrakech. They are highly reviewed and all come with the Viator Badge of Excellence.

Merzouga: Days 6 – 7

Welcome to the Sahara… the mighty Erg Chebbi dunes of Morocco. You could spend one or two days here. Though one day may be enough, especially if you’re visiting during the summer months.

Travel in morocco for many people is one of the best opportunities to experience sand dunes and the desert. We’ve lived in the Middle East for many years. Therefore, it’s only natural that we’ve become familiar with desert landscapes. And the Moroccan desert is no less majestic than the Wahiba Sands of Oman, or the Empty Quarter of Abu Dhabi. So if given the chance, you have to experience the desert just once in your life.

And a night in the desert in Morocco is particularly special. This is because most experiences include a night stay in a Berber camp. And throughout the evening you’ll eat local food and listen to beautiful local music. It’s an experience you won’t soon forget.

🚀 Getting There: From Fes it’s a long journey into the Sahara desert. Travel time from Fes to Merzouga is more than 7 hours one way and is best made with SupraTours .

💎 Where to Stay: Merzouga Sahara Luxury Camp is one of the best rated places to stay for location they score a 9.8 on Booking.com. What’s more, both dinner and breakfast are included in the accommodation price.

• Camp under the stars in a traditional berber style tent
• Make music around an evening fire

🐪 Special Note: Many visitors to Morocco want to experience a camel ride. In all honesty, this is not something we chose to do and therefore I can’t comment. There is much discussion online regarding the ethics around the use of animals in tourism. Therefore we urge you to do your homework before booking a camel ride.

Ouarzazate & Ait Ben Haddou: Days 7 – 8

🚀 Getting There: If you are going by public transport – we recommend a night in Ouarzazate before spending the night in the Todra Gorge. If you’re self driving you can do it the other way around. This is because public transport through the gorges is a little less easy.

As such, if you are travelling by public transport, SupraTours (7½ hours) from Merzouga to Ouarzazate is your best option.

💎 Where to Stay: Stay the night in Ouarzazate, or book a nights accommodation in Ait Ben Haddou.

Ait Ben Haddou – Kasbah El Hajja is one of the only places to stay in the middle of the kasbah. And so this would be our recommendation – an experience like no other.

Ouarzazate – Dar Kamar is located in the heart of the Kasbah Taourirt and very non-touristy. The kasbah is beautiful and rustic, a photographers dream!

🚕 In the afternoon, visit Ait Ben Haddou by taxi or car. Walk around the ancient kasbah, take a mint tea, talk to the locals. We recommend you visit the local artisan gallery, and a late afternoon bite to eat from one of the kasbah’s terraces.

⚡️ things to do in Ouarzazate:

• Explore the Kasbah Taourirt of Ouarzazate
• Visit the film studios of Atlas Film Studios

Todra Gorge & Roses Valley: Days 8 – 9

If you don’t mind getting a little intrepid for a day, then don’t go past Todra Gorge or Roses Valley (Bou Tharar).

You may not have considered Morocco well known for valleys and gorges. But the natural beauty of the mountains and gorges is truly one of our favourite parts of Morocco. They are also less frequently visited and as a result one of the truest experiences of this gorgeous country. The people are friendly, humble and so very welcoming.

🚀 Getting There: As above, if you are relying on public transport then you will be visiting Todra Gorge after spending a night in Ouarzazate. In which case, you’ll need to arrange a taxi or jump on a collective taxi from Ouarzazate. This is very easily done from the city and won’t cost a fortune. Travel time to Roses Valley is 2 hours; to Todra Gorge is 2½ hours.

💎 Where to Stay: As the closer location, Roses Valley will be a more economical choice in terms of taxi fare – Kasbah Chems is a superb option with a true feeling of being off the beaten track. Trust me, you’ll want to stay longer!

Todra Gorge – The beautiful family run Dar Tawira is a great option and good value for money. It’s a short 10 minute walk to the Todra Gorge and they are rated as a superb guest house on Booking.com.

⚡️ Things to do in Roses Valley and Todra Gorge:

• Take a local guided walking tour. They will show you the best of the area and take you to the best places to eat.
• Relax, drink mint tea and go with the flow!
• If you need a local guide in Bou Tharar, let us know and we can connect you with our friend Mohammed.

Marrakech: Days 9 – 11

Next, you’re in Marrakech, one of my favourite cities and Medinas in Morocco. Some love it, others don’t, but by now you’ll be familiar with Moroccan Medinas and should be able to take it all in your stride.

I strongly recommend you arm yourself with our Marrakech guide below. We visited Marrakech multiple times. And photographed and recorded it all to help other travellers experience the best from this hectic and colourful city.

From the madrasas and palaces to the gardens, the hammams and the street food. Marrakech is so much fun!!

Following your stay in Marrakech you have the option to head to the coast to Essaouira, or the Atlas Mountains.

🚀 Getting There: From Roses Valley (Bou Tharar) or Todra Gorge you can take a taxi back to Ouarzazate and connect with the CTM bus back to Marrakech. Or take a taxi to Elkelaa Mgouna (Kalaat M’Gouna), which will be closer, followed by a 6 hour SupraTours bus to Marrakech.

💎 Where to Stay: Midrange – Riad Tizwa Marrakech

We do recommend 8 beautiful riads to book for a Marrakech stay, from budget and midrange through to luxury. So read our post below for full recommendations and photos.

⚡️ Things to Do in Marrakech:

• Place Djemaa el-Fna by Day
• Place Djemaa el-Fna by night
• Ben Youssef Madrasa or Ibn Youssef School
• Jardin Majorelle
• Le Jardin Secret – The Secret Garden
• Bahia Palace
• El Badi Palace

Read: 3 Days in Marrakech

Option 1 Essaouira: Days 11 – 13 or…

Next you are faced with the tricky dilemma of deciding whether to go to Essaouira or the Atlas Mountains. And it’s not an easy choice to make. I guess you need to ask yourself if you prefer beach and more shopping or hiking and mountain villages.

Essaouira… (sigh) so many words I have written and shared on this special little place. It’s not on everyones list of highlights but it is on mine. It’s just such a beautiful pace after busy Marrakech, but at the same time there is plenty to see and do.

Don’t be fooled into thinking Essaouira is going to be the place you’ll get a tan. It’s not that kind of beach, but there is definitely a charm to it and a friendliness that you’ll love.

🚀 Getting There: Given that we spent SO much time in Essaouira, I wrote a dedicated guide on getting from Marrakech to Essaouira . It explains everything you need to know, and is helpful in terms of understanding how public transport generally works in Morocco. The travel time by bus is about 3 hours.

💎 Where to Stay: We stayed in Ryad Watier , which I wrote a full review on. But also check my post on the 8 best riads to stay at in Essaouira for more inspiration.

⚡️ Things to Do in essaouira

• Walk the long stretches of beach on foot or go horse riding with Yassine Cavalier Stables
• Visit Sidi Kaouki surf beach or take a surf lesson on the main beach in Essaouira
• Take a day trip to Ida Ougourd Markets to see the locals trading
• Enjoy shopping in the medina and walk the ramparts
• Try some of the best street food in Morocco or watch the sunset from a rooftop terrace

Read: Travel Guide to Essaouira

Option 2 Atlas Mountains: Days 11 – 13

Option number two for your final couple of days in Morocco. Does your preference steer you towards the mountains and valleys of the Atlas. Perhaps a little hiking and trekking for your final Moroccan experience.

If this is the case, we recommend booking this trip with our friend Ahmed. It’s relevant to note here, that we are not an affiliate and do not receive any commission should you choose to book this tour.

Note : Hiking without a guide in the Atlas Mountains is not permitted.

🚀 Getting There: From Marrakech transport will be arranged if you choose to book with Trek Atlas. Otherwise you can take a collective taxi to Asni, followed by a taxi to Imlil. Travel time from Marrakech to Imlil is 1 hour 30 minutes.

💎 Where to Stay: As part of the tour with Trek Atlas, you’ll stay in a guesthouse in the small Berber village of Aroumd.

⚡️ Things to do in Aroumd and the Atlas Mountains:

• Take lunch beside the river in Imlil and walk the track to Aroumd
• Stroll around the non-touristy village of Aroumd and chat to the friendly locals
• Go hiking, swim in the rivers and waterholes
• Drink a freshly squeezed orange juice while admiring an incredible mountain view
• Enjoy the valleys, rivers or challenge yourself with a summit to Mount Toubkal

Read: Atlas Mountain Tours with Trek Atlas

Adjusting the 14 Day Itinerary of Morocco

After listing the two main options above for our first itinerary – adding beach time in Essaouira or trekking time in the Atlas Mountains – you have one other itinerary to consider.

BONUS Loop Itinerary to 14 Days in Morocco

Enter the Loop Itinerary for 14 days in Morocco!

The significant difference, is that both Tangier and Chefchaouen are removed from the itinerary. However, Casablanca makes it onto the list, as well as Essaouira and Atlas Mountains both find a sneaky spot.

With this itinerary, you could essentially start and finish in Marrakech, or Casablanca. However our preference would be to fly into Casablanca and finish in Casablanca. That way finishing up the itinerary with the chilled vibes of Essaouira.

Casablanca is the Capital and provides a completely different perspective into Moroccan life. We share a list on our Northern Morocco itinerary of things to do and see in Casablanca.

From Casablanca to Fes, jump on the fast train. This is an easy journey, less than 4 hours. Book tickets online in advance directly on the ONCF website . Then for the final leg, connect between Essaouira to Casablanca via the CTM bus. Travel time is 5 hours 40 minutes.

More Morocco Itineraries

As we mentioned above we have 4 other travel itineraries for Morocco. What are you waiting for, go take a look! Or jump to our master Morocco Itinerary and travel guide, and get planning your epic Morocco holiday.

• 8 days – Atlantic Coast of Morocco Itinerary – Surf and Beaches
• 10 days – Central Morocco Itinerary – Sahara, Mountains and Valleys
• 12 days – North Morocco Itinerary – Cities and Mountain Medinas
• 1 month – Road Trip & Itinerary of Morocco

Don’t forget to save or bookmark this itinerary to 14 days in Morocco for later!

We now travel full-time and have plenty more itineraries and guides to share on all the destinations we visit. Sign up to follow our journey! (And don’t worry we won’t spam you with unnecessary emails.)

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August 23, 2023 at 4:47 pm

Great info!

August 25, 2023 at 7:19 am

Thanks so much!

October 4, 2023 at 6:53 pm

Luved reading your piece! Thank u so much – it’s extremely helpful!

October 10, 2023 at 11:16 pm

Thanks Tas, I’m glad to hear it has been helpful 🙂

October 18, 2023 at 5:52 pm

Very nice and informative read. Out of interest, did you drive around Morrorco? And if so, are all the destinations suitable for a standard hire car?

November 20, 2023 at 10:50 pm

Thanks for your message Brad… we didn’t drive around Morocco, but this was purely because we were staying for 3 months and relying on public transport as a more affordable long term option. In saying that, we have many travel friends who have toured Morocco by both car and campervan. And from our experience seeing much of the country I would have no hesitation in driving when we visit next time. I hope this helps 🙂

December 14, 2023 at 8:12 am

Love your blog so much!! I’m glad I found it.

We’re going to Morroco in Dec for 7 days only and I can’t seem to decide whether the Fes-marakech with sahara desert is worth the drive or will it be too much driving ? We plan on taking a tour but should we do from and back to Fez after seeing the Sahara or should we do fez- sahara- marakech ?

Our return is from Casablanca so have to get back there.

December 14, 2023 at 11:14 pm

Oh so many question marks with this itinerary Wafa 🙂 I personally think Casablanca – Fes – Sahara – Marrakech – Casablanca is a lot to fit in 7 days. In saying that, if you don’t plan to return to Morocco and you want to see it all, then perhaps you say what the heck and go for it! I would recommend that you get in touch with our contact Mimoun from Morocco Travel (click here). He can help you put together a realistic itinerary for a private guided tour. He is awesome help and won’t see you wrong!

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18 things to know before traveling to Morocco

Oct 15, 2023 • 7 min read

It helps to learn a little lingo: here's what to know before your trip to Morocco © Thomas Barwick / Getty Images

I am originally from the UK and have been living in Morocco since 2018. There are things I wish I'd known before jumping headfirst into the seemingly lawless world of Moroccan taxis and bargaining in the souqs.

Morocco reveals the full spectrum of real life: the good, the bad, the ugly and the oh-so beautiful. For some visitors, Morocco can be a huge culture shock. But with some awareness and understanding, it is possible to appreciate these differences, connect more deeply and see the country through a different lens without trying to change it.

1. Plan your itinerary loosely and allow for changes

Research the places in Morocco you’d like to visit but leave wiggle room for changes along the way and enjoy the spontaneity that Morocco allows. While it’s possible to pre-book tours and activities, it’s usually just as easy to reserve them when you arrive in the country.

2. Take public transport, especially in cities

Driving in cities such as Casablanca and Marrakesh is best left to the locals. Getting around Morocco is easy, even without a car. An excellent train network links many cities, including Africa’s first high-speed train, Al Boraq , between Casablanca and Tangier . A comfortable and reliable bus network connects towns big and small. Book train and bus tickets a day or two in advance to ensure the travel time you'd like.

3. Book professional guides

To get the most out of your trip to Morocco, use a guide who has in-depth expertise and speaks your language. In cities, check with the local tourism office or your accommodations for recommendations for licensed guides in the area. If you’re surfing, check ISA’s directory of certified instructors .

Hiking guides are mandatory for climbing Mt Toubkal in the High Atlas. Check with Bureau des Guides .

4. Understand the written and unwritten rules of the road

In Morocco, you drive on the right side of the road and seatbelts are mandatory, even though some taxis don't have them. Car horns are used often - not in an aggressive way, but as a means of communication. 

Watch out for people, bicycles, motorcycles and animals coming from all sides. Avoid driving at night because some vehicles do not have or use their lights. Take notice of the speed limits and the roundabouts that have stoplight systems. If you’re stopped for speeding – police speed checks are common – or other penalties, having cash on you to pay fines (usually between Dh150 ($15US) and Dh300) is preferable to going to a local police station.

5. Practice the art of haggling 

Haggling is a game and part of the shopping experience in Morocco . Try not to get frustrated – the ideal scenario is that both sides come away feeling like they got a fair price. 

For big purchases, do your research, have a price in mind or shop around until you do. Sometimes vendors say to pay what you feel like, so if you don't have a price, ask some questions: how many hours did it take to make? Where did the materials come from and at what price?

The souqs are filled with fake tennis shoes, which are just that: fakes. Many Moroccans don't care whether their Nikes are original; they just want the best price for the latest styles.

6. Cash or card?  

The Moroccan dirham is a closed currency, which means you cannot use or get it outside the country. Morocco’s rural areas still operate on a cash economy, but cards are widely accepted in towns and cities.

7. Learn some of the lingo 

A mixture of French, Arabic, Amazigh and English is spoken in Morocco, depending on where you are in the country. Don't expect everyone to speak English. Apps like Google Translate can be useful, but learning some basic Arabic phrases will reward you with feeling more connected and engaged with people you meet.

8. Respect the motto of ‘God, king and country’

These words are etched on hills around the country. Islam is the state religion, and the rules of Islam are applied to personal matters in the same way that state law works in other countries. It is illegal to speak disrespectfully about religion or the king. Non-Muslims are not permitted to enter mosques or cemeteries, except the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca . Friday is a holy day across the country, and most people take a few hours off in the afternoon to go to the mosque and eat couscous with their families afterward. Check business opening times before you visit if you're heading to a particular place on a Friday.

The holy month of Ramadan and the celebrations of Eid offer a different cultural experience, and during these times many places will be closed.

9. Things to know before going to Marrakesh

Marrakesh is the most popular city in Morocco for visitors, so pre-book entrance tickets to major attractions such as Jardin Majorelle and Musée Yves Saint Laurent online to avoid waiting in line. The Marrakesh medina comes to life around 5 p.m., but the 'pink city' is more than just the medina – spend time exploring Gueliz and step off the main boulevards onto the leafy side streets to discover pretty street cafes, bistro restaurants and small indie boutiques.

10. The dress code depends on where you are

To visit the Hassan II Mosque and other religious sites, visitors – both men and women – must cover to their shoulders and knees. Dress modestly in cities and towns to avoid unwanted attention. At bars and nightclubs, almost anything goes, but in rural areas, cover up and be respectful of the local customs. 

At the beach, you can wear shorts, dresses, vest tops and swimwear including bikinis. Pack comfortable footwear that’s suitable for uneven roads and a scarf to cover your shoulders.

11. Ask before taking photos of people 

No matter where you are in the world, it’s best to ask permission before taking someone’s photo. Many people are fine with it, but others aren’t. Some may ask for money. Do not take photos of military or government buildings. Drones are not allowed in Morocco without special permission. 

12. Learn how to deal with the hassle

Simply ignore people who offer goods that you do not want. There's no need to be polite to everyone who wants to sell you something. By not reacting, they'll get bored and walk away. 

In some places you may receive comments and, at worst, inappropriate behavior, but shouting ‘Police!’ will send these people away. In Marrakesh, there's also a high chance you will alert the undercover tourist police.

13. Can you drink alcohol in Morocco? 

Even though alcohol is forbidden by Islamic law, it is widely available and sold in licensed wine shops and international grocery stores. Not all bars and restaurants serve alcohol. 

14. Eat with your right hand

Moroccan cuisine such as tagines and grilled fish are traditionally eaten with bread using your right hand. The left hand is considered unclean because it’s typically the hand used when going to the toilet. 

15. It’s okay to get lost

Getting lost is part of the joy of exploring Morocco with its unmarked roads, the maze of souq alleys and areas of no cell phone reception. Relax but be aware of your surroundings and ask for help if you need it.

In medinas, it’s helpful to know that if the street sign is a hexagon, it's a dead end. If it’s a square, it’s a through street.

16. Don’t drink the tap water

Morocco’s tap water is not safe to drink. Bring a water bottle with a filter to avoid buying plastic.

17. Bring tissues for public toilets

Some public toilets do not have toilet paper. Unless you are comfortable using water to clean yourself, keep a pack of tissues and some anti-bacterial hand gel or wipes on you.

18. Street cats and dogs are everywhere and part of the community 

It’s best not to feed street animals from your table because they might not leave, but you can keep leftovers and feed them elsewhere on the street.

See whether a rescue center is set up in the communities you’re visiting and show your support with donations or by volunteering your time.

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21 Things You Must Know Before Visiting Morocco Travel Tips

• Africa / Fez / In the City / Marrakech / Morocco
• 33 Comments

Visiting Morocco? This is what you need to know before visiting.

More and more people are visiting Morocco every year. It’s a beautiful country, and as photographers and videographers, we had a field day.

On the flip side, there were also downsides to visiting especially as a woman. If you plan on going, we put together a few pointers to help you set realistic expectations and prepare for your trip.

Thank you Contiki for hosting our trip. See our full 15 day trip itinerary here . All opinions are always our own. This post may contain affiliate links, where we receive a small commission on sales of the products that are linked at no additional cost to you. Read our full disclosure  for more info. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Local Adventurer possible.

Last Updated: March 16, 2023

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21 things you must know before visiting morocco, best places to stay in morocco, planning checklist, more resources, 1. dress appropriately.

Overall, guys can dress however they like, but women need to dress more conservatively. Although you see many tourists wearing whatever they want, we chose to cover up as much as possible to avoid unwanted attention.

Even if you’re traveling with a group of guys, you may still get harassed. Some of the girls in our group got groped on multiple occasions even though we were paired off with a male buddy.

It was mostly really old men, and it happened more often in crowded places. When visiting mosques, you need to cover down to your wrists and ankles.

For the ladies out there, keep a  shawl / scarf  handy (this one is reversible and great for traveling light)

See More: What to Pack for Morocco – 2 Weeks in a Carry On

2. Currency and Cost

More established shops will take credit cards, but most smaller markets, street vendors, and cabs will not. Be ready with the local currency.

The Moroccan Dirham (DEE-rahm) goes for roughly 10.4 Dirhams (DH) per 1 USD or 11.09 per 1 euro. We thought things would be cheaper in Morocco, but the prices were comparable to Europe because of how touristy the country has become.

Our guide recommended that each person exchange 100 euros daily, which was plenty for us.

3. ATMS Can be Hit or Miss

Exchange enough money when you get your chance. Ask the front desk at your hotel; they may have money to exchange.

The ATM quickly ran out when our entire group was trying to exchange money. Who knew ATMs can run out of money!

A few people from our group thought the ATM was giving an error and tried multiple times, but the ATM didn’t dispense any while still charging it from the bank for every attempt.

Also, traveler’s checks are pretty much useless in Morocco. It’s hard to find a place to cash them.

4. Keep Correct Change with You

Moroccan cab drivers rarely “have change” when you need it. At least, that’s what they tell you. To avoid overpaying, keep your coins.

Most of our cab rides within the city cost roughly 30 Dirhams. The dilemma with keeping change though is that you will not be able to exchange it back when leaving the country since they only want larger bills.

You want to keep correct change while you’re in the country, but you also want to spend it all before leaving.

5. Learn to Haggle

If you’re shopping in the markets or medinas, you will have to learn to haggle. I know some people have strong opinions about paying full price for the sake of “charity”, but selling is like their national sport and haggling is an integral part of their culture.

More likely than not, they will still get the better deal, but keep in mind if you are willing to spend the time, you can get items for at least 25-50% of the starting price.

Know what you’re willing to pay before you start the haggling process and walk out if you can’t get the price you want. They may call you back multiple times.

Also, you may want to bargain with your cab drivers before getting in. Most of our rides within the city cost 30 DH. If they demanded more, our guide told us to hand them the money and walk away.

Luckily, that didn’t happen to us because we always firmly set a price before the ride.

If you’re looking to buy a carpet or anything with a higher price tag, do your research before visiting Morocco. People get tricked into buying them as “an investment” to sell later. Don’t fall for their sales tactics and the local guide’s added pressure to buy.

Have some change ready for tips. A good general rule of thumb is 1 DH at a local place and 3-5 DH at nicer places.

7. Be Wary of Local Guides

You should absolutely hire a local guide to help you get an inside perspective on the country and navigate through the maze of the medinas (old towns). However, be sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.

The local guides have built relationships with many different stores, and they are most likely getting a cut of the sales. Don’t be fooled when they say they are trying to help you haggle to get the best price, because they usually aren’t. We were able to get better prices without them. This happened in Fes.

See More: 21 Amazing Things to Do in Fes Morocco

8. Stay Away from Strangers Offering Free TOurs or Directions

Even if you don’t hire a local guide, you might find other locals offering you tours while you’re walking around the markets and medinas.

If you go with one of them you may end up completely lost and pressed to spend money. Most of the time they will ask for a tip afterward too.

This is the same with asking for directions. A lot of them will offer to walk you to where you’re going but then ask for a tip. If you’re so inclined, always keep money to pay them off, plan ahead and ask your hotel, or pull up some maps when you have WIFI.

Also, if you are  renting a car in Morocco  so that you can get around on your own, be sure to plan ahead rather than wait until you are there.

9. Fridays are Holy Days and Prepare for Holidays

Keep in mind that it is a Muslim country, so pay attention to their holidays otherwise you might be there when everything is closed.

Also, most shops and attractions will close on Friday since it’s their holy day.

A friend of mine went during Ramadan and told me it was very difficult to eat meals. We happened to arrive in Morocco on Eid al-Adha, where they were slaughtering and sacrificing animals on the street.

All shops we saw closed that day and most shops were closed the following day.

Plus it was a bloody mess, most of which we avoided. Below you can see what is usually a crowded marketplace is deserted.

10. Be Careful what Water You Use

To stay safe, drink bottled water and even use it to brush your teeth. Also, avoid using any ice when you’re out. The LARQ Self-Cleaning Water Bottle is really useful when you’re in Morocco if you don’t want to buy a ton of bottled water. See all the top travel water bottles we tested on the road.

11. Pack Some Imodium

I don’t care how strong you think your stomach is, you should pack some  Imodium   just in case. This is always a good rule of thumb for all travel.

At least a third of our group wasn’t feeling well after the first meal in Morocco. I popped a couple of Imodium, and I was fine the next day. Others were not so fortunate.

See More: 21 Moroccan Foods You Must Try

12. Watch Your Pockets

Most Moroccans are friendly and honest, but you should always be careful with pickpockets in any major city, especially in crowded places like the markets. Pickpockets often target touristy areas.

13. What Language Do they Speak?

Moroccans speak a mixture of Arabic, Berber, English, and French. You’ll be fine with English in most of the larger cities, but you’ll probably need a translator in the rural parts of the country.

Here are a few basic Arabic words that came in handy:

• Hello  (Peace Be With You): Salam Alikome (salaam a eleikum)
• Thank You:  Choukran (shokran)
• No Thank You:  La Choukran (la shokran). This one is useful when you have a bunch of street vendors hassling you to buy something.
• Watch Out:  Balak. Although you won’t use this yourself, you’ll most likely hear this in the medinas or souks (outdoor markets). Locals will say balak if coming by with a mule, motorcycle, or cart to warn you to either get the side or get run over.

14. Visiting Mosques

If you’re hoping to see a Mosque while visiting Morocco, you might be out of luck unless you’re Muslim. Most mosques are off-limits to non-Muslims, with the exception of the massive Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. They are still beautiful to take photos from outside though!

If you’re looking for beautiful architecture,  Bahia Palace   is open to visitors.

See More: 21 Fascinating Things to Do in Marrakech Morocco

15. Alcohol, Drugs, and Parties?

Although most Moroccans are Muslims, yes, they still have all these. Hashish, an extract of the cannabis plant, is quite commonly offered to you in the streets. 

Contiki loves their parties, and we were told that only hotel bars had alcohol available for tourists, but we surprisingly found several bars and even nightclubs serving alcohol.

We decided we didn’t want to pay 300 DH (30 euros) to get into a club that already appeared like a sausage fest from the outside.

They also told us it’s pretty typical for prostitutes to hang out at nightclubs there too. There was a special DJ guest that night, but normally the club was supposed to cost around 150-200 DH.

16. Do I need a Visa or Vaccines?

Almost all English-speaking countries (except South Africa and Australia) do not require visas to enter the country. The CDC also doesn’t require any vaccines although many would recommend Hepatitis A and Typhoid shots. Find out more details from  CDC here  for the most updated information on vaccinations before visiting Morocco.

17. Have the RIght Converters

Don’t get stuck in Morocco without a way to charge all your electronics. We recommend picking up  one of these  so that you have options for wherever you travel and additional outlets in case there aren’t many in the hotel room.

Morocco uses the following: Voltage: 220 V, Frequency: 50 Hz, Power sockets: type C / E. If you have something that works in Europe, then it will be the same. If you’re traveling from the states,  the adapter  will help you get everything charged.

18. Ask Before Taking Photos (And You may have to Pay)

When you’re walking through the markets, be careful when taking photos of people and shops. Unless you are purchasing something, they may get angry at you and even demand money for the photos.

When we took photos of the snake charmers, we paid 20 DH. Some may even hassle you for more, so again, it’s good to first establish a price before taking a photo.

19. Bring TOilet Paper with you Everywhere

Don’t expect bathrooms to have toilet paper. Be prepared with your own and also have some hand sanitizer available. A lot of public restrooms have a small fee as well so if you see an attendant be sure to ask the price before using the bathroom.

Though they’re not flushable, I like to bring my  wet wipes  on all my trips to wipe my hands when I don’t have easy access to bathrooms.

20. Souvenirs to Bring Home

Fez is known for leather and carpets, while Marrakech is known for fragrances, oils, and spices (like saffron). If you’re buying saffron, make sure you’re buying the real thing. Many places sell artificial saffron for dirt cheap or mix the real with the fake stuff. No one wants saffron cut with other spices.

You can ask them to do a demonstration in water. If it colors the water yellow, it’s real, if it turns reddish, it’s the dye coming out from the artificial saffron.

You can also smell the difference (should smell more herbal), or ask for a couple of strands to put in your mouth and spit it onto a tissue to see what color it produces.

21. It’s a cat Lover’s Heaven… and Hell

There are homeless cats everywhere in Morocco. They are super cute and made us smile every time we saw them but also really sad every time we had to walk away and leave them.

It seemed that the people of Morocco took care of them in their own way. We saw them feeding them scraps of food in the markets. If you’re highly allergic to cats, don’t forget to bring some allergy meds with you.

Final Thoughts as a Woman Visiting Morocco

There were many times on our trip that I genuinely wished I was a man visiting Morocco. While others simply got annoyed (full disclosure), I was much more sensitive since I still have residual resentment from some sexual traumas when I was younger that I am working out.

It’s a work in progress, making the trip incredibly challenging personally. For the most part, we had the best-case scenario of traveling with a local guide and Contiki. Those incidences happened within the few hours of free time that we wandered off alone.

Overall, Morocco is beautiful, and we’re happy to have experienced the country.

Instead of scaring you from visiting, we hope it educates you and helps you go in with the right mindset and expectations. As long as you’re entirely aware of your surroundings and know what to expect, you can have a wonderful experience.

• Get comprehensive insurance for your trip.
• Find a great deal on Morocco hotels .
• Arrange a rental car for your trip.
• Book a tour for your visit.
• Get airport lounge access .
• Buy a travel charger to keep your devices charged.
• Get a new backpack for your trip.
• Buy a Morocco travel guide .
• Pack the appropriate shoes for your trip.
• Don’t forget your in-flight essentials .
• Lonely Planet Morocco  – they always have great photos and information.
• Moon Morocco  – also very photo heavy.
• Morocco National Geographic Adventure Map
• Pocket Arabic Dictionary

Is Morocco one of the top places you want to visit? Why or why not? Can you think of any other tips for visiting Morocco?

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Esther + Jacob

Esther and Jacob are the founders of Local Adventurer, one of the top 5 travel blogs in the US. They believe that adventure can be found near and far and hope to inspire others to explore locally. They explore a new city in depth every year and currently base themselves in Las Vegas.

Follow on Instagram (E + J) , YouTube , TikTok , and Pinterest.

This Post Has 33 Comments

I’ve been to Morocco 3 times. Tangier and twice to Agadiar. Guess what IM A WOMAN and had the most amazing time in both areas. In Tangier we visited the Casbah which was amazing. Haggling was fun and the people are great. Never felt vulnerable and I have not been insulted or felt afraid. On the most part the people are really nice. I absolutely love Agadir. Its modern in its approach and there’s loads to do. The beach is beautiful. As two women travelling without a man, oh who’d of thought, we did not have any issues in Morocco anymore than anywhere else. Wherever there’s men they’ll be the ones who are rude, sexist and revolting. That’s unfortunately the way some of them are. Otherwise the people of Morocco are lovely. I’d go every year if I could afford it.

That’s so great to hear you had a wonderful experience! I’ve definitely heard a mix of thoughts from both sides.

Thanks for your list of tips. I’m a bit conflicted about Morocco due to my serious feminist leanings, but I so want to see it. It’s a shame that there is such disrespect and hypocrisy, but I suppose that’s everywhere in some regard. ;-)

You’re welcome, Hillary. I still hope you get to experience all the good parts of Morocco. I think it’s definitely changing with the younger generations, but it really is a different world view over there.

as local Moroccan, I can confirm that the tips that you provide are true. I am ashamed of the ‘Watch Your Pockets’ tip; what can I say?! every place have it’s good and bad people. however, by mentioning that you are making people aware so that they don’t have any bad experiences in Morocco. thank you :)

I think it’s true for most big cities in the world. :) Thanks Abdou!

Hi I’m Indian live in dubai UAE I like to visit Morocca it need visa or not I’m hear with residents visa

Great article. My friend is currently in moroco and hates it. I hope that she gets home safely and isnt raped. I am never going to visit! I will stick to places like Finnland, Switzerland and new Zealand

Stay safe everyone!

dont forget that you can be beheaded if you backpack in the countryside :)

I did not hear about that!

Thank you realy Marrakesh is very nice

So glad I found this! I booked today for me and my partner to go next year. Great to have an idea of what to expect.

So glad you found this helpful, Donna. I hope you two have a great trip!

Such a detailed insides about morocco, a great read to be aware before going to morocco, I have some more insights in depth. If you want to read.

Thanks for the information, yes I agree that before visiting In Morrocco we must know about the details of that places. When I had visited that place I don’t know anything about that place but my journey was very interesting and beautiful. The natural beauty also attracts me a lot.

Glad you found it useful, Diana!

Thank you for being so detailed. Your blog is wonderful and very insightful. I will use it in future travels. Thank you for including pictures.

Thanks so much for reading, Madison!

Wow…such an amazing experience feeling happy while visiting Morocco. Basically, in time of our trip we visited local market bought many products. Thanks to our local guide from yougomorocco.com planned a trip in a perfect way. I hope I will plan this place in an upcoming year.

Thanks for such an informative blog! I would love to travel to Morocco, and in fact, almost booked a trip, but decided to go elsewhere instead due to time constraints. Thanks for the advice to get out of the cities and explore more.

thanks for sharing the valuable info for Morocco visitors !!

I’m planning to visit Morocco with my boyfriend in March. But I’m a bit skeptical. Will I be safe in Morocco

My daughters middle school is deciding bet Morocco & Brazil. there will be at least a minimum of 20 middle schoolers with parents, The trip will be next April 2018. Im worried either way on what they can do

I feel like as long as there are parents watching out for them, they should be okay. It’s unfortunate to say, but it helps if the parents are male. Our tour guide was telling us they previously sent a female guide who didn’t fare too well in the country.

Very informative write up. I appreciate your work. I will be visiting Casablanca on official note in a weeks time just for two days. I hope the experience will be great! However, you did not mention what the cost of various hotels are like.

Thank you so much.

I’m moroccan and I have been there like 5 times I think but everything you said is true. It’s good you’re being honest about it. Morocco is good but it’s not perfect.

Thanks for your comment. If you think about it, no country is perfect. I’m sure plenty of people have gone and had different experiences too, so it’s best seeing it for yourself. :)

Very informative. Thank you for being so open and honest. I still want to visit Morocco and now have a good idea as what to.expect, especially as a woman.

Thanks, Suzy! You absolutely should! :)

Thanks, I will be in morocco in July, really helpful tips, Choukran :) regards Ayaz

You’re so welcome! Have a great trip :)

How I can trip to morocco is there any cheap morocco holidays packages ? My friend suggest me this website http://www.viriksonmoroccoholidays.co.uk is this good ? i find this website have very affordable packages but I am confused because of fraud.

Unfortunately we’re not sure about that company since we’ve never been. The only experience we have in Morocco is with Contiki, which we had a great time with! Good luck!

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Go deeper into the cultures and habitats of the places we explore. More is included and you’ll enjoy greater hands-on exploration, interactions with local experts, and freedom to roam.

National Geographic Family Journeys

Are you an adventure-loving family in search of meaningful ways to discover the world together? These tours are specially designed for travellers seven and up and their inquisitive families.

Jane Goodall Collection

Step deeper into the animal kingdom while respecting all of its inhabitants. Our incredible collection of wildlife-focused tours is endorsed by the world-renowned ethologist.

Roamies by Hostelworld

The thrill of adventure. The awesomeness of hostels. Get ‘em both on these immersive small group trips for 18 to 35-year-old travellers.

Why choose us

As the leader in small group travel for 30 years, we know how to do it right: flexible itineraries, freedom to roam, safety, peace of mind, and locally based guides.

Change the world just by having the time of your life. When you travel with us, you become a force for good by acting responsibly and creating positive impact.

Together with our non-profit partner, Planeterra, we ensure local communities touched by our tours benefit from our visits in as many ways possible.

Trees for Days

Leave your destination even greener than you found it! For every day on tour, we’ll plant a tree in your honour and ensure that our forests get to live their best lives.

Travel resources

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Loyalty discount

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Student discount

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Morocco travel & tours

Where the sahara meets the sea.

Beaches and Berbers, medinas and mosques, souks and sand dunes... Morocco has variety and an exotic feel that has fascinated travellers since long before the modern traveller arrived. Affordable and only a short ferry from Spain, Morocco's mix of traditional and modern strikes the perfect balance between the intensely exotic and comfortingly familiar. Cities like Fez, Marrakech, and Casablanca evoke images of medinas, spice markets, and couscous, while the geographic extremes – from the Atlas Mountains to beach resorts to camels in the desert – make it eminently photogenic. The mad circus of Marrakech's Djemaa el Fna square, packed with incense, salesmen, and snake charmers, is so bizarre and entertaining you'll be looking for the hidden camera.

Popular Morocco tours

Morocco travel reviews

Morocco tour photos from our travellers, recommended tours, the best ways to pay for services in morocco.

The local currency in Morocco is the Moroccan Dirham (MAD). ATMs are very common in Morocco with Cirrus and Plus system cards are the most widely accepted debit cards. While ATMs are commonly available, there are no guarantees that your credit or debit cards will actually work - it is important you check with your bank before departure and advisable to travel with more than one type of card. Visa cards are the most widely accepted credit cards, but are generally only useful for larger/expensive purchases. You should be aware when purchasing products or services on a credit card, that a fee usually applies. The foreign currency most commonly accepted in Morocco is the Euro. You will be able to exchange Euros, as well as GBP and USD at money exchange offices in major cities. Do not rely on credit or debit cards as your only source of money. A combination of cash (Euro/GBP or USD) and cards is best.

Tips on tips

Some reasonable suggestions on how to tip the staff

Small service providers

$ 3 usd/day.

A recommendation for tipping small service providers (such as restaurant and bar waiters, hotel staff, reception, cleaning personnel, bell boys, taxis and van drivers) is about $3 USD per day, depending on the quality of the service (this does not include your G Adventures CEO).

G Adventures CEO

$ 35 to $ 40.

At the end of your trip if you felt your G Adventures CEO did an outstanding job, tipping is also expected and appreciated. The precise amount is entirely a personal preference, however $35-40 USD per person per week can be used as a general guideline.

Packing for Morocco

You will be on the move a lot, so our advice is to pack as lightly as possible. We highly recommend using a backpack or light sports bag, whichever you find easiest to carry, plus a small daypack. Luggage space on public transport is limited. You must be prepared to carry your own bags and be comfortable carrying them between transport and hotels (max. 15-20mins walking), hopping on and off trains and public buses and up and down stairs.

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Electricity and power supplies in Morocco

In Morocco the power plugs and sockets are of type C and E. The standard voltage is 220 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz.

Morocco Trips & Tour Packages

When people throw around the word ‘remarkable’, they’re probably referring to places like Morocco.

In a place where riding a camel over dunes at sunset is not unusual, where tagines spiked with saffron perfume the air and Amazigh people herd goats on the slopes of the High Atlas Mountains, the word remarkable just doesn't cut it. Whether you're wandering the wind-battered port town of Essaouira, exploring the famous Kasbah in Aït Benhaddou or sleeping beneath the Saharan stars , a healthy does of Maghreb hospitality will make a Morocco tour truly unforgettable.

Our Morocco trips

Let's create an exclusive trip for your group.

Morocco tour reviews

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North Morocco Adventure

South Morocco Discovery

Classic Morocco

Articles of Morocco

The 7 best places to go on a hot air balloon ride  

This Moroccan artist is making space for local creativity to thrive 

Morocco’s High Atlas Foundation is bridging communities by growing trees

Visiting Morocco after the earthquake showed this traveller the power of travel

4 tips for Black travellers visiting Morocco

The top 10 destinations to travel in May 2024

The top 7 destinations for travel in April 2024

What to pack for a hike: An essential checklist

Morocco at a glance

Capital city.

Rabat (1.9 million)

37.9 million

Moroccan Arabic, French, Berber dialects, some Spanish

(GMT) Casablanca

CALLING CODE

Electricity.

Type C (European 2-pin) Type E (French 2-pin, female earth)

Learn more about Morocco

Best time to visit morocco.

The climate in Morocco varies wildly according to the season and area of travel. In the lowlands, the cooler months from October to April are popular among visitors. This time of year is pleasantly warm to hot (around 86°F) during the day and cool to cold (around 59°F) at night. Winter in the higher regions often brings snow and can therefore get seriously cold, particularly at night. Tourists flock to the coastline from June to September for fun in the sun, with warm mostly rain-free days. Further inland it can get hot and rain is rare, which makes the best times to travel March to June and September to December. As a Muslim country, Morocco observes Ramadan. If you are planning to go on holiday in Morocco during Ramadan, it is important to consider that many restaurants and shops will either be closed or operating at reduced hours during this time.

Read more about the best time to visit Morocco.

Read more about the weather in Morocco.

Culture and customs

Morocco's culture has developed over centuries of influence from far and wide. Contemporary Morocco is a fascinating mix of Berber, Mediterranean, Andalucian and African traditions, which are present in the cuisine, clothing, music, language, customs and lifestyle. As an Islamic country, most Moroccans are Muslim; however, there are small populations of people who practice Judaism and Christianity. Classic examples of Islamic architecture can be observed all throughout the country and tenets of the Islamic religion are carried out in the customs and lives of the people. The 'Call to Prayer' can be heard five times a day, women are expected to dress modestly and alcohol isn't drunk by most of the population. 

Most of Moroccan society can be considered traditional, with respect for elders, connection to family, and giving alms to the poor hallmarks of everyday life for many Moroccans. Hospitality is another important element of society, with warmly welcoming people into your home a time-honored tradition and social responsibility that dates back centuries.

Eating and drinking

Intrepid believes that one of the best ways to experience a country is by eating! Whether you're sampling street food, savoring a cheap eat, or indulging in a banquet, there are endless options to choose from wherever you are in the world. 

Believe the hype - Moroccan food is legendary.

Things to try in Morocco

These slow-cooked stews are synonymous with Moroccan cooking. Chicken, olive, and citrus are well-known favorites, but there are endless variations using different meats, vegetables, and seasonings.

2. Couscous

Forget instant cous cous and try the real deal in Morocco. Often served with vegetables and meat, regional varieties sometimes also include everything from sweet raisins to spicy harissa or smoky almonds.

3. Fresh fruit

Morocco has an amazing array of fruit available in the markets, shops, and juice bars. Choose from bananas, mangoes, oranges, avocados, or peaches - eat fresh or get them whipped up in a juice.

4. Mint tea

While traveling through Morocco you'll probably drink more sweet mint tea than ever before. Offered as a gesture of hospitality when visiting someone's home or shop, it's considered impolite to refuse, so accept graciously.

Read more about what to eat in Morocco.

Read more about what to drink in Morocco.

Geography and environment

Located in North Africa, Morocco has the best of many worlds within its boundaries. From the sun-drenched beaches of the coast to the sands of the mighty Sahara and the snowy peaks of the High Atlas and Rif Mountains, Morocco has great variety in its landscapes and terrain. This combination of desert, woodlands, forest, mountain steppe, and grasslands ensures a wide diversity of flora and fauna lives within the country.

History and government

Early history.

The land now known as Morocco has been inhabited for centuries, with Moroccan civilization being known for its richness in history and culture. Centuries of foreign trade, invasion, and dynastic rule have given Morocco many different cultural influences that are evident in today's society. From the Phoenicians who entered Morocco via the Mediterranean in the 6th century BC, to the Roman influence of 40 AD and the formation of Islamic Morocco in the years after, Morocco has evolved with the rise and fall of dynasties, formation and dissolution of empires and the birth of new governments, movements, and ways of living. Reaching its height under the Berber Dynasties of the 11th and 12th centuries (the Almoravids, Almohads, Marinids, and Wattasids), Morocco subsequently fell to Arab tribes in 1559. The current royal family are descendants of the Alaouite Dynasty who have largely ruled since the 1600s, despite enduring a few crises in the 18th and 19th centuries, mainly in relation to European influence in the area and surrounding countries.

Recent history

With the signing of the Treaty of Fez, Morocco was declared a protectorate of France in 1912 with Spain being allocated control of parts of Morocco, mainly in the north and south. European control was generally opposed by Moroccan citizens, with the people of Rif attempting to establish a separatist republic in 1921. Decades of opposition continued, with rioting and protests leading to increased political tension. In 1955, the road to Moroccan independence was paved by Mohammed V who negotiated reforms and the restoration of independence. By 1956, France had relinquished its protectorate of Morocco and in 1957, Mohammed V became king. In 1961, Hassan II assumed the title of King of Morocco and continued to rule until his death in 1999. His son, Mohammed VI, took over the mantle of king in 1999 and continues to rule today.

Top places to see in Morocco

1. marrakech.

Things just happen in Marrakech. One moment you're sitting down to a camel burger, the next you're chatting with a snake charmer. The labyrinthine markets are the perfect place to lose yourself but find a Moroccan memento or three.

The endless dunes of the Sahara will call to your inner explorer. Jump on a camel and start riding out over the sandy waves. At sunset, the desert glows rich and red and at night the stars turn the sky crystal.

The desert is calling! Add a  3 day Sahara Mini Adventure  to your Morocco trip itinerary.

3. Essaouira

The name 'Essaouira' means image, appropriate since its charm is undeniable. Within the stone ramparts, you'll find art galleries, wood workshops and whitewashed houses with bright blue shutters. Portuguese, British and Jewish influences all mingle in this artist's town.

Explore this windswept coastal city on our  11 day Premium Morocco Highlights with Essaouira trip,  or make it a quick journey on our  Five Days in Morocco tour.

Fes is the cultural heart of Morocco and home to some of its most iconic sights. Feel every sense come alive in the medina. Shops, dye pits and mosques all vie for space and you're as likely to see a donkey as a car.

5. High Atlas Mountains

The mountains are best explored at the ground level by foot or bicycle. Travel through Amazigh villages, up along crop terraces, down through lush valleys and past orchards, goats and Moroccan rural life. The seriously fit can tackle Mount Toubkal for incredible views.

Join a  7 day Mount Toubkal Trek  or a  Mount Toubkal Long Weekend Trek  for those short on time.

6. Todra Gorge

This is a rock climber's heaven or the ideal place for beginners to get a taste. It's a tight squeeze in some places but a sparkling river, the odd palmeraie, Berber villages and high cliff walls make it worth breathing in for.

7. Moulay Idriss

The small Medina of ancient Moulay Idriss was once forbidden to non-Muslims. Now it is a pleasure to explore as the faithful gather to pay homage to the founding father of Islam in Morocco at the 8th-century mausoleum.

8. Ait Benhaddou

Perfectly preserved, this is one of Morocco's most picturesque kasbahs. Centuries ago it was a stop for caravans as they carried salt across the Sahara. Today, it is inhabited only by a handful of families and the odd film crew.

Visit Ait Benhaddou on our  8 day Classic Morocco tour .

9. Casablanca

The very name conjures up images of war-time romance. But the real romance of Casablanca must be its French influences and the beautiful Hassan II mosque, the largest in Morocco.

10. Volubilis

Do some time travel and visit the ancient hilltop city of Volubilis, one of the Roman Empire's most remote bases. The ruins here are beautifully preserved and it's easy to believe you've stepped into the 2nd or 3rd century.

Rabat is Morocco's lively capital. Its history is long and colorful, having been host to Roman settlements, pirates, and more recently the Moroccan parliament. Stroll through the old quarter or enjoy views over the Atlantic Ocean from Kasbah des Oudaias.

12. Chefchaouen

You might recognize this city from the famous photos of its bright blue buildings. Set against a wide valley and tucked between two peaks in the Rif Mountains, much of Chefchaouen was recreated by Andalusian refugees escaping the Reconquista, so it might remind you of the hills of Spain.

Get a chance to wander around this striking blue city on our  18 day Morocco Encompassed tour .

13. Tangier

The coastal town of Tangier is the gateway between the Mediterranean and Africa. Enjoy fresh seafood by the port, watch the sunset over the Atlantic or visit the Caves of Hercules.

Explore the Gateway to Africa on our  9 day North Morocco Adventure.

Morocco has one of the oldest retail cultures in the world. From bargaining in age-old souqs to swiping your credit card at a modern gallery, it's all possible in Morocco. But to experience brilliant bargains, exciting finds, and a dose of history, you can't go past the souqs.

It's a good idea to check with your local customs officials to ensure that you are able to bring certain items back into your home country.   Australia   and New Zealand generally have strict quarantine laws.

Things to buy in Morocco

1. Silver jewelry

Jewelry fiends will love Morocco's affinity with silver jewelry. Chunky rings, elaborate necklaces, and patterned earrings can all be found for great prices, especially if you're willing to haggle.

Save room in your backpack for an iconic silver teapot and some delicate tea glasses. Morocco's silversmiths have this ancient art running through their veins, with centuries of craftsmanship being passed from generation to generation.

The quality (and price) of leather in Morocco is pretty phenomenal. Handcrafted handbags, wallets, belts, and purses can be found in almost every souq around the country.

Festivals and events

Ramadan and eid.

The ninth and holiest of months in the Islamic calendar, Ramadan is observed by most in Morocco and is thought to be a time of spiritual rejuvenation. For this month, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset - refraining from eating and drinking during daylight hours. Eid marks the end of fasting with 3 days of feasting and celebration.

Gnaoua World Music Festival

Seaside Essaouira hosts this world-famous festival that celebrates the mysterious music of the Gnaouas, brought to Morocco centuries ago via the African slave trade. Jazz, rock, blues, and pop music add a contemporary flavor, although the drums of the Gnaouas are the true soul of the festival.

Casablanca Festival

Touted as a 'celebration of all things Moroccan', this annual festival includes local and international music performances, dance, art installations, theatre, workshops, and street parades. This fusion of history and modernity, innovation and tradition is a shining example of what it means to be a citizen of cosmopolitan Casablanca.

Read more about festivals in Morocco.

Similar destinations

We have a variety of similar destinations, trips and routes that you could consider! Tie another trip into your holiday, or, see how we can help you get from A to B. We have tours departing from a variety of locations around Africa. The option below may be of interest:

Tours from Marrakech

Tours to Marrakech

Tours from Casablanca

Sahara Desert tours from Marrakech

Tours by type

Morocco solo tours

Further reading

Morocco travel faqs, do i need a covid-19 vaccine to join an intrepid trip.

Trips from 1 January 2023 onwards

From 1 January 2023, Intrepid will no longer require travelers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 (excluding all Polar trips and select adventure cruises).

However, we continue to strongly recommend that all Intrepid travelers and leaders get vaccinated to protect themselves and others.

Specific proof of testing or vaccination may still be required by your destination or airline. Please ensure you check travel and entry requirements carefully.

Do I need a visa to travel to Morocco?

• Australia: No - Not required 
• Belgium: No - Not required 
• Canada: No - Not required 
• Germany: No - Not required 
• Ireland: No - Not required 
• Netherlands: No - Not required
• New Zealand: No - Not required 
• South Africa: Yes - in advance (in general, visa processing can take approximately 20 working days)
• Switzerland: No - Not required 
• UK: No - Not required 
• USA: No - Not required 

Visas are the responsibility of the individual traveler. Entry requirements can change at any time, so it's important that you check for the latest information.

Please visit the relevant consular website of the country or countries you’re visiting for detailed and up-to-date visa information specific to your nationality. Your consultant will also be happy to point you in the right direction with acquiring visas.

Visas can take several weeks to process, so familiarise yourself with any requirements as soon as you have booked your trip to allow for processing time.

Australians, New Zealanders, Canadians, Americans and British citizens do not require a visa to visit Morocco for stays up to 90 days. All other nationalities should check with the Moroccan Embassy or Consulate in their country for up-to-date visa information.

Is tipping customary in Morocco?

While tipping isn't mandatory in Morocco, rounding up the bill and leaving spare change at restaurants and cafes is generally standard practice. Taxi drivers and porters will also accept tips, 10 dirhams is usually sufficient in this case.

What is the internet access like in Morocco?

Morocco's cities have internet access available in internet cafes and hotel lobbies. In some cases, free Wi-Fi can be accessed in public places. Less internet access is available in rural areas, so be prepared to 'disconnect' when traveling out of Morocco's big cities.

Can I use my cell phone in Morocco?

Cell phone coverage is generally very good in Morocco's cities and metropolitan areas, although coverage can be limited in remote or mountainous areas. Ensure you have global roaming activated with your carrier if you wish to use your phone while in Morocco.

What are the toilets like in Morocco?

Morocco's toilets are a mixture of modern flushable toilets and squat toilets, so be prepared to encounter both. Carry your own supply of toilet paper and soap, as these aren't always provided.

What will it cost for a…?

Morocco's unit of currency is the Moroccan dirham (MAD). Here's what you can expect to pay for a:

• Mint tea = 6-10 MAD
• Fresh juice = 18 MAD
• Basic meal = 100 MAD
• Expensive meal = 200 MAD

Can I drink the water in Morocco?

Drinking tap water isn't recommended in Morocco. Your leader will advise where filtered water can be found, and some hotels provide it. For environmental reasons, we suggest carrying a reusable water bottle to cut down on plastic waste.

Are credit cards accepted widely in Morocco?

Major credit cards are accepted by most large shops, hotels and restaurants, although smaller vendors and market stalls often only accept cash.

What is ATM access like in Morocco?

ATMs are easily found in large cities and airports, although are less common in rural and remote areas. When traveling out of the city, be prepared by having enough cash, as ATMs aren't always an option.

What public holidays are celebrated in Morocco?

• 11 Jan: Independence Manifesto Day
• 1 May: Labor Day
• 26 Jun: Aid al-Fitr / End of Ramadan
• 30 Jul: Throne Day
• 14 Aug: Oued Ed-Dahab Day
• 20 Aug: Revolution Day
• 21 Aug: HM Mohammed VI's Birthday
• 1 Sep: Aid al-Adha / Feast of Sacrifice
• 22 Sep: Islamic New Year / Muharram
• 6 Nov: Green March Day
• 18 Nov: Independence Day
• 1 Dec: The Prophet's Birthday

Please note: Morocco public holidays may vary.

Is it safe to travel to Morocco?

Morocco is an extremely safe country to travel to as long as you abide by the local culture and customs.

Is Morocco a safe destination for LGBTQIA+ travelers?

We recommend LGBTQIA+ travelers exercise discretion when traveling in Morocco as homosexuality is not widely accepted in the community. Homosexual acts (including kissing) are illegal in Morocco and can attract a fine or even a jail sentence for offenders. That said, some towns (such as Marrakech and Tangier) are considered more gay-friendly than others. As long as travelers use discretion and avoid public displays of affection, travel in Morocco should not be a problem.

For more detailed and up-to-date advice, we recommend visiting  Equaldex  or   ILGA  before you travel.

If you are traveling solo on an Intrepid group tour, you will share accommodation with a passenger of the same gender as per your passport information. If you don’t identify with the gender assigned on your passport, please let us know at the time of booking and we’ll arrange the rooming configuration accordingly. A single supplement is available on some tours for travelers who do not wish to share a room.

What should I wear in Morocco?

While Moroccan days are generally mild-to-hot or hot-and-humid, they can give way to cooler nights – outside of the summer months, anyway. Packing layers and sensible footwear to deal with Morocco's changeable climate, uneven paths and conservative culture is always a good idea.

F emale travelers aren't expected to dress as conservatively as local women, but it’s still a good idea to pack clothing options that will allow you to cover up.

How will I get around Morocco?

Intrepid believes half the fun of experiencing a new country is getting there, and getting around once there! Where possible, Intrepid uses local transport options and traditional modes of transport - which usually carry less of an environmental impact, support small local operators and are heaps more fun.

Depending on which trip you're on while in Morocco, you may find yourself traveling by:

Board an iconic ‘ship of the desert’ and amble off across desert sands for a quintessential Sahara experience.

Where will I stay in Morocco?

Traveling with Intrepid is a little bit different. We endeavor to provide travelers with an authentic experience to remember, so we try to keep accommodation as unique and traditional as possible.

When traveling with us in Morocco you may find yourself staying in a:

Admire beautiful arches and tiled mosaics while staying in a traditional Moroccan riad. The riad is the Moroccan traditional house, normally with two or more stories around an Andalusian-style courtyard that contained a fountain. Riads were the stately city homes of the wealthiest citizens such as merchants and courtiers.

Does my trip to Morocco support The Intrepid Foundation?

Yes, all Intrepid trips support the Intrepid Foundation. In fact, we make a donation on behalf of every traveler. Trips to Morocco directly support our foundation partners, Education For All and High Atlas Foundation. Intrepid will double the impact by dollar-matching all post-trip donations made to The Intrepid Foundation.

Education For All

Education for All allows girls in remote areas of Morocco to access education and prepare for successful careers. Donations from our trips help girls in the High Atlas Mountains through secondary school, bringing a generation of women out of the cycle of illiteracy, poverty and early marriage.  

Find out more or make a donation. 

High Atlas Foundation

The High Atlas Foundation helps communities in Morocco implement human development initiatives such as organic agriculture, women's empowerment, youth development, education and health initiatives. Donations from our trips directly support their sustainable agriculture programs, which fund fruit tree and wild medicinal plant nurseries, irrigation infrastructure, organic certification, technical skills-building, carbon sequestration, and commercialization.  

Do I need to purchase travel insurance before traveling?

Absolutely. All passengers traveling with Intrepid are required to purchase travel insurance before the start of their trip. Your travel insurance details will be recorded by your leader on the first day of the trip. Due to the varying nature, availability and cost of health care around the world, travel insurance is very much an essential and necessary part of every journey.

For more information on insurance, please go to: Travel Insurance

How do I stay safe and healthy while traveling?

From Australia?

Go to: Smart Traveller

From Canada?

Go to:  Canada Travel Information

From the UK?

Go to:  UK Foreign Travel Advice

From New Zealand?

Go to:  Safe Travel

From the US?

Go to:  US Department of State

The World Health Organisation also provides useful health information.

What is it like traveling on a small group tour?

Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or you’re about to embark on your first trip, traveling can be as intimidating as it is exciting. That's the beauty of a small group tour. From handling the logistics and organizing amazing cultural activities to local leaders who know each destination like the back of their hand (like which street has the best markets and where to get the most authentic food), traveling on a small group tour with Intrepid will give you unforgettable travel experiences without the hassle that comes with exploring a new place. Plus, you'll have ready-made friends to share the journey with. All you have to do is turn up with a healthy sense of adventure and we’ll take care of the rest.

Does my Intrepid trip include airfare?

While our Intrepid trips include many modes of transport, from tuk-tuks to overland vehicles, bullet trains and feluccas, airfare to and from your home country is not included in your tour package.

APRIL SALE Extended:   Book now for   up to 60% off!

Budget Tours & Trips to Morocco

Explore a varied offer of budget Morocco adventures that will take you through some of the most well known destinations such as Marrakesh and Ait Benhaddou. Each affordable tour will provide you with memorable experiences for some of the lowest prices on the market. Discover the best  budget trips  and budget tour operators  around the world with TourRadar!

250+ Budget Morocco tour packages with 1,272 reviews

• In-depth Cultural
• Sightseeing
• Christmas & New Year

Northern Morocco: Blue Cities & Bustling Marrakech

It was an amazing experience traveling in Morocco with g adventure! Our tour guide Abdul is absolutely incredible. He’s very helpful and knowledgable in the culture and fun places to go. Would definitely recommend the tour!

Essential Morocco

Excellent - I had the most amazing time on this tour and it would not have been the same without our guide Omar. The local guides were also fantastic, I feel like we got a really authentic experience. I will recommend this tour to all of my friends and family. Thank you so much!

• Hiking & Trekking
• Mountain Hikes

Climb Mt Toubkal

The trek was very well organized and our guide was outstanding. I really recommend this tour.

Imperial Cities

Some days were a bit long Especially the final return day in the bus in extremely poor roads when pretty exhausted. As a single traveller I would have enjoyed more English speaking travel companions. Adnan was an excellent tour guide however his casual chat and jokes and fun were in Italian or French so I felt on the “outer” quite a bit .

Morocco 9 Days Tour from Casablanca

What an awesome trip - from the excellent pre trip communication with Hamid including the professional digital links, to our fantastic driver Youssef, and then to the amazing places we visited across our 9-day adventure. We travelled as a group of 6 - which worked perfectly with Youssef always available and willing to help us with anything and everything along the way - always checking in to make sure we were safe!! Highlights were the camel trek from the Sahara camp, Marrakesh and the beautiful Riads we stayed at - but seriously it was all a highlight. Would highly recommend MSDT to anyone planning a trip to Morocco!

• 10% deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Morocco on a Shoestring

I've travelled to Morocco on a couple of occasions but this was my first time visiting the the north. I thoroughly enjoyed this tour and all of the great sightseeing that was included in the trip itinerary. The group I travelled in was great, really varied with some Aussies and Europeans and a couple from the US too. Our guide was brilliant, he gave us lots of advice when visiting the places included on the tour and also helped us in finding places to eat during our free time and made suggestions for the free time too. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending this tour to my friends and am already looking to travel with Encounters Travel to Egypt. Thanks for a great trip!!!

Morocco Encompassed - 15 Days

Perfect handling by the guide and driver. Younis never just tried to do the obvious but tried to offer something beyond. Always just the right amount of help, advice, information and choice.Good balance! Also very good selection of destinations, hotels and activities in the itinerary. It's obvious that some amount of driving is necessary if you want to cover it all - so well done here.

• €150 deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

• Mountain Bike

Mountain Biking in the High Atlas

Back at home we usually had moments of mountain biking. But this 8-day active Mountain Biking tour was one of a kind. It was a great adventure for us. As experienced mountain bikers, this adventure was challenging but extremely amazing. Throughout our tour we rode through amazing trails while enjoying the beauty of the Moroccan landscapes. We began from Marrakech to Imlil, and explored various Berber villages—and loved the culture of the Berber people. Our desire to take part in an amazing mountain biking was elevated by the hospitality and delicious typical Berber food. All in all it was a unique mountain biking experience. One that we’d never had before. We appreciate you View Morocco for your selflessness!

3 Days Sahara Adventure (Fes / Marrakech)

We were a family of 4 during our quick 3 day tour. Said was our Guide and incredible driver. We were so fortunate to have Said. His calm, considerate demeanor was a perfect match for our family. He never pushed us to stop and shop at certain spots like other tours might. We upgraded to the luxury option for our accommodations. It was well worth our money. The food was outstanding, and our beds and lodging were extremely comfortable. We even had a full shower in our tent in the Sahara. Everywhere we went along the way everyone was so kind and welcoming. We really enjoyed our time during our three day tour. I can’t recommend Ali and his staff more. It truly was a great experience. Their communication was always great. They really made us feel like family and took care of us if we were one of their own family members. If you’re looking for a small private, intimate tour company, then look no further than this one.

Highlights of Morocco

Great tour i enjoyed a lot but we spend a lot of hours on route! Our guide was the best very professional and friendly

Morocco One Life Adventures - 11 Day Tour Tour

Loved the whole trip: Marrakesh, Sahara, Atlas Mountains and Essaouira 🫶🏻 Adjustments were made when needed and all our wishes were fulfilled. High recommendation!

One Week in Morocco: Sahara & Todra Gorge

• Overland Truck

Morocco All Aspects Tour

I have rated the trip as good but I must qualify in saying that it could have been a disaster. It all started before the trip even started. In order to avoid 22hrs of connecting flights and layoff, I have decided to stay an extra day so that I can catch a direct flight. I have asked Tour Rada to arrange for a hotel close the airport for 150CAD, When I received my voucher prior to the commencement of the trip I noticed there wasn't one for the extra night hotel. I asked Mr. Kahlil from the tour operator Morocco Discovery but received no voucher. I then called Tour Rada to ask them to confirm if Mr. Kahlil cannot make the arrangement, I want a refund of my 150CAD and make my own arrangement. It was then Mr. Kahlil came back with a note saying that he already has a confirmation at the Hetel Atlas Sky Airport. I told him I am OK with the selection and he returned with a note saying it is "all confirmed". As you would have guessed by now, there was no confirmation on record when I show up. Fortunately, the driver Mr Abder (I think his full name is Abderaman) stayed with me instead of just dropping me at the hotel entrance. He ended up prepaying for the hotel. Apparently, Mr. Kahlil has given Mr Abder some money to pay for unforeseen expenses. That is a clear indication that Mr. Kahlil know well in advance that there will be a lot of "unforeseen" events. According to the brochure, the tour will be accompany by a "Tour Leader" and "An Excellent Cook" who will be cooking us best Moroccan breakfast and dinner. I believe the original plan was for a group of 10. When no one except me and my wife show up, I can understand why there are no tour leader or cook. What I cannot understand is that there seemed to be very little planning considering that the tour is scheduled to run every two weeks all the way to Dec 2019. Every morning involve a fury of phone calls between the driver and his car rental agency (Mr Abder works for the car rental agency not Morocco Discovery) to find out where we will be staying that night. Because Mr Kahlil do not communicate directly with Mr Abder, there appears to be a large number of calls just to relate the negotiations back and forth. Some times new hotels provided to the driver days before were changed and he only find out because I was asking some questions that requires classification. It was like a new crisis every day. We only ended up staying in one of the hotels listed in the voucher. All other accommodations are last minute arrangements, many of which are not even paid directly by Morocco Discovery. Mr Abder has to paid with the "emergency fund". He was not just my driver, he is also my pro bono tour guide, my guardian angel without whom, the trip would have been a total disaster. In all fairness, I must give some credit to Mr Kahlil as there were a lot of mistakes but he more than made up for them in most cases. There were 5 nights where we were suppose to stay in camps but we ended up staying in cottages at camp sites of guest houses instead. At the end of the day, I seriously doubt if he makes any money out of the trip. This leads me to the advice I have for travelers who plan to take the tour based on this review. I gave the tour an overall good rating not because the tour is well planned. On the contrary, if it was not for the herculean effort of the driver, the tour could easily have been a disaster. It now turns out to be one of the most memorable trip we have ever taken so far due to the many challenges overcame all along the way. However, this is no warranty that the same outcome is awaiting the next traveler. Please take into consideration all the warning signs not just our outcome. When I book a tour, I always look for one that seemed to be good value but one I think the operator can earn a fair return as well, a win win combination. A badly run tour that consistently loose money will eventually run out of options and ended up hurting themselves as well as their customers and suppliers. There is no fun to be abandoned in the middle of a tour when an operator went bankrupt. Based on my experience with this tour, there are ample warning signs for you to consider with care. Good luck.

Morocco Encompassed Casablanca - 14 Days

The trip to Morocco exceeded our expectations. Our tour guide and driver, Younas and Mohammad, went above and beyond for us many times, making the trip feel like we were with family and not strangers. They make a great team. The people of Morocco were welcoming and warm. I have recommended this trip to family and friends as it truly was an adventure of a lifetime. The highlights of the trip included the overnight in the Sahara where again we were treated like family. (The staff went above and beyond for me to celebrate my birthday at the camp). Shopping at the many medinas. The camel ride on the beach in Essaouira and, of course, seeing the goat trees and feeding the Barberry apes. I highly recommend this trip.

Morocco 11 Days Tour from Casablanca

There is a lot to see in Morocco and the 11-day tour was just right in experiencing practically all. The driver, Khalid, took the trip from GOOD to EXCELLENT through his willingness to look after our comfort and through his professionalism and knowledge of Moroccan culture. A highlight was lunch at Khalid's family home, complete with traditional foods and the warmth of his Mom and extended family. We highly recommend Khalid and this tour.

What people love about Budget Tours in Morocco

The tour was really good and had a great group. Abdul our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the places we were and we definitely had a laugh with him! He also had some good recommendations for food. The accommodation we stayed in in each place were alright, some better than others but pretty good considering the price I paid for the tour. There were a couple of things on the itinerary that were mentioned that we would see or go to that we didn't, but there were a couple of those things that we sorted ourselves between us in the group. Would definitely recommend this tour if you want to see more of Morocco than just Marrakech.

Nicely planned itinerary exploring all the essential highlights of Morocco: beautiful nature, amazing culture and tasty food; and the pacing of the road trips was also very manageable. Our tour guide Mustapha is a true gem in this trip - he answered all our questions, taught us local languages, and even arranged a surprise birthday cake for me! Definitely a trip to remember :)

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Where to eat in Fez, birthplace of Morocco's finest food traditions

The history of this imperial city is intertwined with many of Morocco’s greatest food traditions — a tour of its vast medieval medina can lead to centuries-old recipes, but also local wines and experimental kitchens.

“You need to be in a relaxed mood to make couscous,” says chef Nezha Bouayadi, hair neatly tucked into her black hijab. Arabic R & B music echoes around the walled patio of The Ruined Garden, a restaurant in Fez that champions local Fassi food culture. Like many businesses in the city’s eighth-century medina, this leafy patio restaurant is hard to find, but the successful are rewarded with dishes that rarely make it onto menus — and the chance to see couscous made from scratch every Friday.  

Nezha massages grains of semolina through a fine wooden sieve. Then, alternating between fingertips and palms, she instinctively adds splashes of water and flour, rolling the grains around a rough basket until she’s got that couscous texture. Some 20 minutes later, it’s ready to be steamed and plated with saffron-flecked roast pumpkin and courgette, then scattered with sticky caramelised raisins and marinated chickpeas. The couscous is as light as air, absorbing all the rich sweet-savoury juices.

Nezha learnt to roll couscous when she was 16, in preparation for getting married. While the dish remains a Friday lunch staple — part of weekly holy day rituals — few Fez households still make it at home this way; most opt to buy bags in shops and markets.

  While times change, tradition is not taken lightly in Fez’s medina. On first appearances, life in what’s the largest car-free urban area in the world looks little different to how it was a millennium ago. Along thousands of tiny medieval alleyways, whose mud-packed walls are propped up by wooden beams, artisans hammer, polish and paint in cubbyhole shops. Founded by Moulay Idriss — a descendant of the prophet Muhammad — Fez is considered Morocco’s spiritual and cultural heartland. Unlike in Marrakech, where many souks now cater to travellers, Fassis still come out in force to do their shopping here on Saturdays.  

“Everything you see is local, seasonal and brought to the market this morning,” says Loubna El Bouchikhi the next day, on a tour of Fez’s kissaria — covered markets where we’re buying ingredients for her cooking class. Negotiating laden donkeys and hand-pulled carts, we pass tables of coriander and parsley before turning into another section where a sea of olives glistens under naked bulbs. In keeping with tradition, everything in the market is halal, and different alleys are dedicated to specific foods — like ancient supermarket aisles.  

We arrive at Fez Cooking School later in the day, as muezzins are announcing the adhan (call to prayer) from a mountainside bristling with minarets and Imperial tombs. The school is set on the rooftop of an 18th-century merchant’s house-turned-hotel called Palais Amani, built by a family who grew wealthy trading goods such as wool, and leather from Fez’s tanneries.

“Fez is like a melting pot,” says Loubna, as we stand charring aubergines on an open flame to make zaalouk — a dip similar to baba ganoush that she says was brought to Morocco by Sephardic Jews. Considered holy by Arabs, Fez was the first Moroccan city to establish a mellah — Jewish quarter — in the 15th century, in response to southern Spain’s Jewish expulsion. This ancient mixing of cultures is at least partly responsible for Fez’s reputation as the birthplace of many of Morocco’s signature dishes — pastillas and tagines among them.

“When the Sephardic Jewish people came to Morocco, they brought a lot of cooking techniques,” explains Loubna. Among them were the processing of olives and pickling of vegetables, along with the recipes for pastillas — pies stuffed with cinnamon and meats such as pigeon, dusted with icing sugar. “That combination of sweet and savoury is 100% Sephardic origin,” she says.  

Tagines and pastillas are ubiquitous on Moroccan tourist menus, but this evening they’re refreshingly absent at Nur fine-dining restaurant. “We have no pork, no bread, no couscous and no tagine!” says chef-owner Najat Kaanache, ushering me into the kitchen. Najat tells me she’s been doing a photo shoot for her next cookbook, so she’s dressed not in chef’s whites but a richly coloured kaftan that gives her the air of a Moroccan Frida Kahlo.  

That impression of an artist at work follows through onto the plate, in all nine beautiful courses, beginning with tiny seaweed tacos of white fish and wakame. Najat’s take on zaalouk follows, with homemade Worcestershire sauce and deliciously crisp tentacles of fried octopus, with a finale of Moroccan halba cake made with fenugreek.

Najat is a remarkable woman. Raised in a simple house near San Sebastian, northern Spain, she went to university in London, and worked with chef Ferran Adrià at El Bulli, where she met Anthony Bourdain, who put her on CNN. She’s also filmed a food documentary for National Geographic with Gordon Ramsay in the Taza mountains north of Fez, where her family are from. Returning to her roots, she opened her first Moroccan restaurant, Nur, in 2017. Two years later the Fez establishment had earned a spot on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.  

Inspired by Nur’s exclusively Moroccan wine list, I head to the rooftop bar at hotel Riad Fes, one of the medina’s highest vantage points. Up here, across a patchwork of flat-roofed dwellings, I can single out two of Morocco’s holiest sites: the pea-green pyramid roof of Moulay Idriss’s mausoleum, and the tall minaret tower of Kairaouine mosque and university, established in 859 and considered the world’s oldest university.

While alcohol is forbidden in Islam, Morocco’s winemaking heartland has nevertheless thrived around the country’s most sacred city, originating in vineyards established during the French protectorate era (1912-1956). Restaurants and hotels like Riad Fes are champions of local wineries such as Chateau Roslane, whose complex signature Cabernet Merlot is the standout of the five I try, including a Sauvignon Blanc-Chardonnay blend grown close to the UNESCO-listed Roman ruins of Volubilis nearby, a ‘gris’ dry rosé blush from Meknes and a peppery Syrah made near Casablanca.

Ready for dinner, I head back to the medina where queues are starting to form at snack vendors along the ancient main street of Talaa Kebira. The throaty call of a drum guides me to an alleyway so dark I’m half convinced I’m lost. But this is the entrance to Cafe Clock. When Brit Mike Richardson opened this cultural hub in 2007, after a London career in hospitality that included time at The Wolseley, he wanted to create a bridge between travellers and the local community. Today, 40% of the cafe’s footfall is Moroccan — which is no mean feat for a foreign-owned business in Fez. Mike has since opened Clocks in Marrakech and Chefchaouen, but the original — which plays host to a cinema, art exhibitions and regular music performances — is still an institution.

I nab the last seat as a group of musicians in white djellabas (robes) warm up instruments for an aissawa performance showcasing a celebratory form of call and response music from the nearby Middle Atlas mountains. People are drinking tea and milkshakes amid chatter in Darija, Morocco’s Arabic dialect, and I order Cafe Clock’s signature dish: the camel burger.  

Lean, nutritious and with its origins steeped in traditions of nomadic Arabic desert culture, camel meat is still sold along Talaa Kebira today — but it’s typically only eaten by Moroccans at celebrations. As I wait for food, the cafe feels like it’s gearing up for a fittingly raucous shindig. The burger arrives, patties piled high with gherkins and homemade tomato and cinnamon ketchup, just as the drumming picks up pace. It’s an unusual taste: gamey, but light. Around me, hands start to twirl, heads bob, people clear their throats to sing. And so, the beat goes on, as it has in Fez for a millennium — just with a few new rhythms.  

Where to eat in Fez, Morocco

1.   Nur The food at this fusion medina restaurant is as cutting-edge as its off-the-wall monochrome decor. The menu by Spanish-Moroccan chef Najat Kaanache offers an eclectic mix of dishes, from calamari with lemongrass broth to duck with artichoke, truffle and Moroccan spices. Tasting menus from US$80 (£63) per person, excluding wine.

2. Abdullah's tea stall Affable Abdullah Touati has run a tea counter in Fez medina since 1969, just off the metal-workers’ Place Seffarine. He uses a blend of herbs — peppermint, spearmint, sage, marjoram, absinthe and lemon verbena — grown behind his house on the edge of the city. It’s served to locals and travellers at low plastic stools piled with cushions. 10 MAD (80p) a glass.  

3.   Foundouk Bazaar Paper lanterns lead up to inviting roof terraces at this contemporary Moroccan cafe-restaurant above the ancient medina thoroughfare of Talaa Kebira. Popular with young Fassis, the menu runs from dishes such as shakshuka to tagliatelle with feta and olives. The orange-blossom and cinnamon lassi tastes like Morocco in a glass. 175 MAD (£14) for three courses.

4. Bissara soup stands In the Al Aachabin food section of Fez el Bali medina, split-pea soup is made the traditional way, the peas slow-cooked and smashed with a long wooden pole akin to a baseball bat. Popular at breakfast, it’s served with olive oil and ground cumin. 15 MAD (£1.15) per bowl.  

Related Topics

• FOOD TOURISM
• FOOD HISTORY

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As airplane makers struggle to meet demand, Morocco wants to become a manufacturing hub

Engineers and workers stand inside Safran Aircraft Engines repair plant outside of Casablanca, Morocco, Thursday, April 18, 2024. Moroccan officials are aiming to turn the country into an aerospace hub, luring investors and manufacturers who have aimed to spread out their supply chains and find willing workers since the COVID-19 pandemic. (AP Photo)

Engineers and workers repair an aircraft part inside Safran Aircraft Engines repair plant outside of Casablanca, Morocco, Thursday, April 18, 2024. Moroccan officials are aiming to turn the country into an aerospace hub, luring investors and manufacturers who have aimed to spread out their supply chains and find willing workers since the COVID-19 pandemic. (AP Photo)

Aircraft parts are placed for repair inside Safran Aircraft Engines repair plant outside of Casablanca, Morocco, Thursday, April 18, 2024. Moroccan officials are aiming to turn the country into an aerospace hub, luring investors and manufacturers who have aimed to spread out their supply chains and find willing workers since the COVID-19 pandemic. (AP Photo)

Women workers repair aircraft parts inside Safran Aircraft Engines repair plant outside of Casablanca, Morocco, Thursday, April 18, 2024. Moroccan officials are aiming to turn the country into an aerospace hub, luring investors and manufacturers who have aimed to spread out their supply chains and find willing workers since the COVID-19 pandemic. (AP Photo)

A worker repairs aircraft parts inside Safran Aircraft Engines repair plant outside of Casablanca, Morocco, Thursday, April 18, 2024. Moroccan officials are aiming to turn the country into an aerospace hub, luring investors and manufacturers who have aimed to spread out their supply chains and find willing workers since the COVID-19 pandemic. (AP Photo)

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CASABLANCA, Morocco (AP) — Moroccan officials want to turn the country into an aviation hub, luring investors aiming to spread out their supply chains to more nations with available and affordable workers.

The North African kingdom is among a longer list of countries vying for contracts with big manufacturers looking to speed up production and deliver more planes to meet demand. Companies like Boeing and Airbus — as well as the manufacturers that build their components — are outsourcing design, production and maintenance to countries from Mexico to Thailand.

In Morocco, efforts to grow the country’s $2 billion-a-year aerospace industry are part of a years-long push to transform the largely agrarian economy through subsidizing manufacturers of planes, trains and automobiles. Officials hope it dovetails with efforts to grow Moroccan airlines, including the state-owned Royal Air Maroc.

“The needs are huge and we are in a very good position,” said Hamid Abbou, the airline’s CEO. “Most of the big suppliers in Europe are struggling to get people to work in this industry. We don’t have that issue.”

Despite hopes among its cheerleaders, the air travel industry faces headwinds. When demand rebounded after much air traffic stopped during the pandemic, manufacturers faced challenges building enough planes to meet demand from airlines. For Boeing, delays caused by supply chain issues were compounded by high-profile emergencies and deadly crashes that further curtailed deliveries.

From eastern Europe to southeast Asia, new levels of demand have forced manufacturers to seek out new locations to build and repair parts.

Safran Aircraft Engines, a French manufacturer, sends engines for Boeing 737s and Airbus 320s to a repair plant outside of Casablanca every six to eight years and then sends them back to airlines from countries including Brazil, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The company is among 130 in the sector active in Morocco, where parts ranging from wings to fuselages are produced in an industry that employs 42% women — a proportion that industry lobbyists say is larger than its European and North American manufacturing industry counterparts.

Though many companies eye Morocco as a source for comparatively cheap labor, the industry and government have worked to train skilled workers at IMA, an institute for aeronautics professions in Casablanca.

At an event celebrating Safran’s 25-year partnership with Royal Air Maroc, Safran CEO Jean-Paul Alary said he hoped Morocco’s aviation industry would continue to expand, particularly as industrywide demand increases and companies face labor shortages in Europe.

“It’s the access to well-qualified talent that’s been well-trained,” Alary said of Morocco. “They are the key players for achieving our goals.”