Morocco is an enticing holiday destination with plenty to explore. With its Arab, Berber, and French influences, the culture here is truly unique, and its bustling cities are perfectly complimented by coastal destinations and pristine natural landscapes.
Morocco is perhaps most famous for its major cities, including Marrakesh, Rabat, Fez and Meknes. Marrakesh is particularly popular, boasting a rich history, unique architecture, and delicious local cuisine.
Outside of Marrakesh and the other imperial cities there is also plenty to experience in Morocco, including Essaouira and the Atlas Mountains. Be sure to try the local cuisine, with Moroccan food always packing a punch of zesty and aromatic flavours. Our favourites include tagine, zaalouk, and the delicious khobz – a crusty wood-fired bread served with many meals.
festivals, deserts, mountains, and coastlines.
Take a look at our expert-written guides for recommendations for every type of traveller, from city explorers to beach lovers and adventure seekers. We’ll provide insight into the best times to visit, essential travel tips, and must-see destinations, and insider info from the Riviera Travel team.
Best Time to Visit Morocco
Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to October) tend to be popular times to visit Morocco’s cities like Marrakech, Agadir and Fez as temperatures are warm but not overwhelming, and there’s little rainfall. Coastal destinations such as Essaouira are popular year-round, especially in summer as temperatures hit mid-20s. When it comes to festivals, Morocco has many of them thanks to its Arab, French and Berber influences. Berber new year – Yennayer – falls in January, while the Almond Blossom Festival is in February and the Rose Festival is in May. There are also arts, music and film festivals throughout the year and, of course, religious events such as Ramadan, which change date each year.
For a full insight into each month, take a look at our guide to the best time to visit Morocco.
Where to Stay When Visiting Morocco
Culture vultures looking for that bustling city life must visit Marrakech, with its labyrinth of alleyways, classic, French colonial buildings, beautifully chaotic souks and historic sites.
Then there’s the walled city of Fez, a UNESCO-listen heaven for history lovers. Explore the Medie complex mosaics and charming courtyards of the spiritual Al-Attarine Madrasa.
On the coast, Essaouira is a 15th century town with a rich and varied history, not to mention some incredible architecture and local beaches, and Agadir is popular for surfers.
Top Things to Do and See in Morocco
On our escorted tours of Morocco, you will experience everything Marrakesh has to offer, including the stunning medieval ramparts that surround the varied stalls and vendors within the maze-like medina. Any Morocco tour should include a trip to Jemaa el-Fnaa, the bustling square within Marrakesh’s old city. The square plays host to food stalls, snake charmers and a host of traditional Moroccan storytellers, musicians and performers, and is a truly unique and mesmerising experience. Our guided tour of this vibrant city will also include the stunning Saadian tombs, which date back to the 16th century, and contain some of the most highly intricate carvings you are ever likely to see.
And then there’s Casablanca, made famous by the 1942 film starting Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart. Founded by the Berbers in the 7th century but also settled by Arab tribes and the European colonialists, there’s a patchwork of influences here which can be appreciated in its distinctive architecture. On our Imperial Cities of Morocco tour, you can see the best that the city has to offer, including the famous Hassan II Mosque, and Rick’s Café, a tribute to the bar and restaurant in the film.
Also on the coast you’ll find Essaouira, a port city with beautiful ancient walls overlooking the sea, hiding alleyways full of stalls selling local wares, and Rabat, Morocco’s capital city that’s filled with French-colonial sweeping boulevards and avenues alongside the iconic blue houses of the medina.
Outside of the cities, you have the truly beautiful Atlas Mountains which are a must-visit when travelling to Morocco. Whether you’re a true adventurer looking to test your limits, or prefer a quiet moment of solace at altitude, surrounded by natural beauty, these mountains are sure to impress.
If you’re wondering when to visit these places, read our guide to the best time to visit Morocco.
Looking for an in-depth list of things to do in Morocco? Take a look at our comprehensive guide.
What to Wear in Morocco
It’s incredibly important, when travelling to new countries, to respect the local culture and customs, while making sure that you are comfortable.
Modesty is important in Morocco, which means covering shoulders and knees, particularly for women. If in a resort and enjoying some time poolside, it’s perfectly fine to wear swimwear, but if out and about then women should aim to wear long dresses, skirts or trousers to cover their legs, and tops or dresses that cover shoulders and don’t show cleavage. Meanwhile, men should avoid short shorts and sleeveless shirts outside of beach or pool areas.
Shoulders and knees must be covered for both men and women if visiting religious sites. It’s a nice idea to take a loose scarf or shawl with you to cover up your shoulders and/or head – there’s a high likelihood you’ll not be allowed in if you don’t have one, so come prepared!
Temperatures can get very hot, so it’s important to wear loose clothing – linen and cotton are breathable and can be nice and cooling even if wearing long trousers or sleeves. They also create a barrier from the sun, so you’re less likely to get burned (although, of course, it’s always recommended to wear SPF protection all over!).
On the topic of sun protection, a good sunhat and pair of sunglasses will keep you protected throughout the year.
If you’re wondering about what the weather’s like each month, our guide to the best time to visit Morocco can help.
What to Eat When Visiting Morocco
One of the best parts of travel is being able to taste the local flavours, and there’s plenty of opportunity to try something new in Morocco. There are dishes you may recognise that are popular at home, as well as some new names.
Perhaps most popular is tagine; this is a stew, usually with meat and vegetables in a spiced sauce, but there are many different types – what connects them is that it’s cooked in a conical clay pot called a tagine, giving the dish its name. Many people like to try a cooking class to learn how to make tagine, then buy their own pot to try and recreate the experience at home.
Stews and soups are common across the country, from broad bean-based b’ssara to the tomato-based lamb sou harira, and it’s easy to find a lot of fish dishes in Morocco, often served with vegetables and couscous.
You could try some of the nation’s sweet and savoury pies – there’s pastilla, or b’stilla, dish made up of layers of flakey pastry. They can include tender shredded chicken spiced with North African flavours, or more unusual fillings such as pigeon meat with almonds, spiced with saffron and coriander, along with cinnamon and sugar.
Sample some street food at the many markets of the cities – shawarma, kofta and baklava have become popular across the world, so you can easily recognise these treats, or try something a little different like maakouda – a crispy potato fritter – or snails.
The most popular drink in Morocco is undoubtedly mint tea – although hot, it’s refreshing no matter what the weather is like. You can also find freshly squeezed orange juice stalls at markets.
Best Ways to Get Around in Morocco
We’re aware that getting around a new destination can be daunting, with language barriers and complex public transport systems getting in the way of a seamless experience. Travelling with a tour operator like Riviera Travel means that you don’t have to worry about these logistics, and everything is taken care of for you, but here are a few tips for getting around Morocco:
- Renting a car is the best way to travel around if you’re wanting to go to more remote regions
- If you’re travelling within a city, take taxis. There are official petits taxis - yellow in Marrakesh, blue in Rabat and red in Casablanca - that are metered so you don’t need to haggle or set a price before you travel. However, beware of the driver trying to convince you the meter is broken but they’ll figure out the price
- If doing longer journeys, grand taxis are larger vehicles (as the name suggests!) that normally fit around six people. They will wait around until full, so if you’re travelling solo or in a couple, you might be waiting for others to be going in the same direction. They can even be hired with a driver to explore the country if you’re not up for renting a car yourself.
- The ONFC train service links Morocco’s major cities but be prepared that timelines aren’t as reliable as you’ll find in places like Germany or Japan.
- Buses are a great, budget-friendly way to get around the cities and even further into the country to places that are otherwise tricky to get to by train. Some of them are similar to the cross-country coach services you can find in Europe and North America, so are safer and more comfortable, while others are more village buses that aren’t as safe and are less reliable.
Health & Safety Advice for Traveling to Morocco
While technically the water in Morocco’s major towns and cities is safe to drink as it meets World Health Organization (WHO) standards, many visitors like to exclusively drink bottled water just to be on the safe side.
While your doctor can provide specific advice based on your health needs, the NHS Fit For Travel site recommends travellers get hepatitis A and tetanus boosters before going to Morocco, and potentially rabies and typhoid. Malaria isn’t an issue in Morocco, and you don’t need a yellow fever vaccination certificate.
If you need to travel with mediation, Travel Health Pro has excellent tips on what you need to know, but generally:
- You should always travel with your medication in your hand luggage, in case anything happens to your checked luggage.
- You should travel with your medication in its original packaging from the pharmacy.
- If possible, also take your prescription with you in case you need to get more medication.
- Some medications are restricted in the UK that are not in Morocco, and vice versa. You may be stopped from bringing these out of or into the UK if you travel with more than three months supply.
- Be careful when buying medication abroad – only buy from proper pharmacies.
Things You Should Know Before Going to Morocco
On an escorted tour, your Tour Manager will be able to help with any questions about local customs as you go, but here are some things to consider before you go.
Money
- The Moroccan currency (dirham) is only available to buy within Morocco.
- Ensure you have cash on you while out and about as many places won’t accept card. It’s a good idea to have small bills and coins.
- You’ll need to haggle while shopping! There’s no fixed price, and even the advertised price at a market will be inflated with the expectation to haggle down. It can be intimidating but it’s part of the culture and should be fun rather than scary.
- Daily life
- Cars drive on the right hand side of the road, but bikes and motorcycles may weave in and out so be careful when crossing the road.
- You may get hassled. People will likely recognise that you’re a tourist and try to sell you things on the street. You can ignore them and they’ll go away – if you engage, even if you’re trying to be polite, they’ll probably stay around longer.
- Ask people before you take photographs of them, and don’t take photos of military or government buildings.
- Public toilets probably won’t have any toilet paper, so travel with tissues.
Religion
- Morocco is an Islamic country, and the country’s motto is ‘God, King and Country’. It’s illegal to speak ill of the king of Islam, and you’ll find that the laws of Morocco include some religious laws.
- Non-Muslims aren’t able to enter most mosques or cemeteries, with the exception of Casablanca’s Hassan II Mosque.
- Fridays are holy days, so opening hours may differ.
Food and drink
- Alcohol is forbidden under Islamic law, but there are licensed shops, resorts and restaurants that may sell or serve it.
- Knives and forks will be provided in restaurants, but quite often people eat stews and tagines using bread, or dip bread or crudites into hummus. Make sure you try to use your right hand when doing this; the left hand is considered unclean as it’s the hand used when going to the bathroom.
Do You Need a Visa to Visit Morocco?
- People with UK passports can visit Morocco for up to 90 days for tourism reasons without a visa.
- When you enter the country, your passports should have at least three months’ validity left before they expire.
- Passports should not be damaged – border forces have previously denied entry to people with damaged passports.
- The official gov.uk website has the latest advice for entry requirements to Morocco.
Language to Know When Visiting Morocco
Morocco has a mix of cultural influences, so you’ll find a mixture of French, Arabic and English is spoken, as well as Amazigh, the language of the Berbers or Imazighen, the indigenous inhabitants of North Africa.
While staff in restaurants and hotels will likely speak good English, there are some easy phrases will help you feel a bit more connected.
- Salam Alaikum – this common Arabic greeting can be heard all over Morocco, and it means ‘peace be upon you’. You respond to it with Wa Alaikum Salaam, which means ‘and peace be upon you’.
- Hello – Salam (sah-laam)
- Goodbye - Beslama (bes-lah-ma)
- Yes - Wah
- No - La
- Please – Afak (af-ack)
- Thank you – Shokran (shoo-krahn)
- You’re welcome – Al ‘afw (al-afoo)
- Coffee – Qahwa (ka-wah)
- Water – Ma’
What Currency is Used in Morocco?
The Moroccan currency (dirham) is only available to buy within Morocco. You can find foreign exchange counters throughout the city, at the airport or within banks. Cards are accepted in hotels and restaurants in major cities, but we recommend travelling with cash, particularly a good stash of small bills and coins as some places may not have a lot of change for long bills.
What Plugs are Used in Morocco?
Morocco uses both type C and E plugs. We recommend taking a universal adaptor so that you’re prepared for any eventuality.
Moroccan Laws & Emergency Info
150 is the phone number for emergency medical attention or a fire
190 is to call the police.
Some of Morocco’s law are based on Islamic law. Public displays of affection are frowned upon in general, but it’s particularly important to be aware of this if in a same sex couple or unmarried couple. Some hotels may enforce a policy of not allowing unmarried or unrelated members of the opposite sex to share the same hotel room.
It’s important respect the local culture of modesty, and keep shoulders and legs while out in public.
It’s illegal to speak ill of the king of Islam, and there are also restrictions around public commentary or displays of materials that dispute Morocco's claim to sovereignty over the Western Sahara.
There are strict rules around drugs and alcohol – hotels, resorts and restaurants may serve alcohol, but it’s illegal to drink in the streets, and many establishments won’t sell alcohol at all during Ramadan.
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