Morocco
Medinas, desert, mountains, and coast — sensory and varied.
Morocco compresses a remarkable amount into a small country. Marrakech and Fes for medieval medinas, the Atlas for trekking, the Sahara for camel-and-stars nights, the Atlantic coast for surf and slower towns. It's intense — vendors, tannery smells, traffic — but rewards travelers who lean in.
At a glance
- Best time
- March, April, May, October…
- Climate
- Warm
- Budget
- Backpacker – Mid-range
- Trip length
- 1–4 weeks
- Language
- Arabic and Berber
- Currency
- MAD (Dirham)
- January: fine
- February: fine
- March: peak
- April: peak
- May: peak
- June: fine
- July: avoid
- August: avoid
- September: fine
- October: peak
- November: peak
- December: fine
Avoid: July, August. Shoulder: January, February, June, September, December.
Highlights
-
Marrakech
The medina, Jemaa el-Fnaa, riads, and the southern launch point.
-
Fes
The largest car-free urban area in the world. Older and more intact than Marrakech.
-
Sahara (Merzouga or Zagora)
Camel trek and a night under the stars in the dunes.
-
Chefchaouen
The blue mountain town — touristy now but still photogenic.
-
Essaouira
Atlantic coast — windsurf, fish markets, slower energy.
Practical info
- Visa
- Visa-free for most Western passports (90 days). Verify before travel.
- Currency
- MAD (Dirham). Roughly 10 MAD ≈ 1 USD.
- Language
- Arabic and Berber. French widely spoken; English limited.
- Safety
- Generally safe. Aggressive vendors and scams in tourist areas — firm "no" works.
- Getting around
- Trains between cities are good. Buses for the south. Hire a driver for desert.
- Tap water
- Tap water not recommended outside major hotels.
- Plug type
- Type C Type E 220V
- Money
- Cash dominant. Cards in cities, less elsewhere.
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Last updated 2026-05-04