Morocco

Welcome to the Morocco Country Guide

Marhabaan and welcome to our Morocco country guide! When we touched down in Morocco we had officially reached the continent of Africa for the first time. Morocco will therefore always be special to us. Located in north Africa, Morocco is rich in berber and arabic culture with influence from both French and Spanish invasion. The people of Morocco speak Moroccan arabic, a language unique to their country and many of them practice Islam. They come from many backgrounds and are proud of their history. We were fortunate enough to spend a week in this diverse country and although we flew into and out of Casablanca, we covered a lot of ground exploring few of the major cities and the Sahara desert. This guide reflects the major areas that we were able to visit on a suggested one week itinerary in Morocco. Each area that we visited offered a different experience. Morocco has so much to offer and does not disappoint. We hope that you will consider at least a week, if not more, here as there are vast areas and endless opportunities to explore a country rich in history and full of friendly, prideful people.

What can I expect from Morocco?

Upon arrival in Morocco, you can expect to be immersed into a culture of Arabic, Berber, French, and Spanish influence. While many people speak the native language of Moroccan Arabic, a good majority of people also speak French, Spanish, and/or English. The country spans over 172,000 square miles and offers a wide array of terrain. There are cities, beaches, mountains, and portions of the Sahara desert all within this country. Due to the diversity of terrain, the weather can vary throughout the country and throughout the year, making any month of the year a good time to visit.

You can spend time wandering around the old Medinas, touring the grand mosque, walking along the beach, hiking the Atlas or Rif mountains, or riding camels in the Sahara desert. You definitely don’t want to miss Casablanca, Marrakech, Fes or Chefchaouen as each city is very unique and different than the last. You can also spend a day eating couscous and tagine, drinking mint tea, and relaxing at a Hammam or in your Riad. If you are from the US or a country with similar currency conversion rates, you can expect to splurge on lodging, food, and excursions while still spending minimal money making Morocco a great destination for any budget.

Things to See and Do in Morocco

Explore Casablanca

Spend a day in Marrakech

Get Lost in Fes

Buy a Rug

Ride a Camel

Camp in the Sahara

Tour From Marrakech to Fes

The Blue Pearl of Morocco

Typical Costs When Traveling

Accommodation – We mostly stayed in Airbnb’s which ranged from $60/night for 2 people and $90/night for 2 people. We took a 3 day tour from Marrakech to Fes which included 2 nights accommodations, transportation and meals for $125/person.

Food – All of our Airbnb’s included breakfast in the price which helped save money and was a delicious breakfast. Meals on our own were around $9 for lunches and $35 for nice dinners with wine.

Transportation – We took lots of different types of transportation while in Morocco. The Train from Casablanca to Marrakech was about $10/person.The Bus from Fes to Chefchaouen was $8/person. We took a private taxi from Chefchaouen back to Casablanca which was our most expensive transportation expense at $100/person. There are much cheaper ways to travel between the two but we were in a time crunch. Taxi’s around the cities varied from $1-2 to $40 from the airport to hotel.

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Suggested daily budget – 75-100 USD (Note: This is a suggested budget assuming you’re staying in an Airbnb, eating out twice perday, and using local transportation. Using the budget tips below, you can always lower this number. However, if you stay in fancier accommodation or eat out more often, expect this to be higher!)

Money Saving Tips

Opt for Riads off Airbnb opposed to fancy hotels. Lots of Riads are family run and can be just as nice as more expensive hotels.
Book tours before arriving in Morocco so you can search prices online, very hard to get accurate prices when negotiating in person.
Don’t pay asking price for rugs, always negotiate the price down, if price won’t budge buy your rug somewhere else.
Take the train or bus when traveling between cities, much cheaper than private taxi.

Know Before You Go

It may cost money to use the bathrooms.
It costs less to take money out of the ATM in Chefchaouen than any other city. Be careful when taking money out. The streets are very crowded.
Ramadan can affect transportation.
Medinas can get difficult to navigate and there is no service. People will try to direct you in the wrong direction for a fee. Use porters if they are available to you.
Do not walk alone at night.
Travel with a backpack instead of suitcase to minimize difficulty navigating narrow streets and busy Medina’s.