We all feel some type of way when we are visiting a foreign country. Is it safe? Am I bringing enough money? Will I like the food? These are always questions that I personally need to know, along with several others. I made a quick list of key components that everyone should be aware of before visiting Morocco. A lot of this may be easy to figure out while doing your research, but certain things are questionable until you actually go and experience the journey yourself. I hope this post helps you out and stay tuned for my FULL itinerary post! ♥
Lodging
Morocco is highly recognized for staying at hostels, known as Riads. They are quite beautiful and capture what living in Morocco was really like back in the day. On average, a nice Riad will be about 70-90 USD a night, but there are cheaper ones that are decent. Alternatively, you can stay in a hotel, which ranges as the star rating gets higher. Luxury and 5-star accommodations are pricy, being that Morocco is now so popular in tourism. I stayed at the Sofitel in Rabat and the Sofitel in Marrakech as well. I stayed at Palais Amani when I was in Fes, which was more of a luxury Riad, but SO worth.
Food & Drinks
You can find very cost-effective food/beverages throughout Morocco. I had a lot of meals at the hotels that I stayed in because it was difficult being a vegetarian. But just like any other hotel, the prices are jacked up like crazy. I will list all the places in my itinerary post where I ate at, and they were all reasonably priced. You will find yourself seeing a lot of street food in the souks. If you eat meat and your stomach can handle it, I recommend trying the street food because it did smell amazing! If you’re a fresh juice type of person, get a glass to quench your thirst! Ordering bottles of wine are like ordering bottles of water in Europe (It’s just that awesome). Morocco’s traditional dish is called “tagine”, which if you eat meat, you must try. My friend that I traveled with loved it! I wasn’t a fan of the vegetarian version, but you have to try it at least once otherwise are you really in Morocco?
Transportation
We chose to take taxi’s when we wanted to go to dinner or the souks. Taxi prices are cheap. They rarely use a meter when going out locally, so they will give you a set price, but always negotiate up front. Our 10-15 minute taxi rides were equivalent to $10 USD, which is very cheap if you are splitting it with your travel buddies. Morocco is also linked up with Uber, which is another option we used at several points during our trip. Other than that, you can hire a driver by negotiating prices or rent a car! All of these options are affordable and probably the most convenient. I am not opposed to public transportation in foreign countries, but we were on a tight schedule so we didn’t want to risk taking trains or buses. When in doubt, take a local camel for a spin. (JK)
Dress Code
Even though Morocco can get very hot, you have to be cautious of what you wear. Certain cities are more religious than others, so please always have a shawl or a cardigan to cover up your shoulders if you are wearing something that is revealing. When walking around in Marrakech, I saw many tourists wearing off the shoulder tops/tank tops, which is accepted throughout the city. However, in places like Fes and Rabat, it is respectful to be covered up and it also avoids any unwanted attention by random people.
Safety
I just want to point out that while being in Morocco, in no way did I feel threatened, harmed, or unsafe. I think sometimes people have the wrong impression because they think that our cultural differences can get in the way, therefore making it dangerous. I learned from one of our driver’s that the President of Morocco is currently trying to enforce as much safety as possible because its emerging into being one of the biggest hotspots in tourism this century. They even have checkpoints on certain roads to ensure that everything is good and there is no sketchy activity going on. Even though I had a wonderful experience, it is still very important to be careful of your surroundings and never wander off alone in the dark, but that rule applies to any country in the world. P.S. Watch out for the stray cats! (Probably the only part of my trip that was scary)
Optimal Time to Travel
Pick what’s best based off of your weather preferences, but I recommend beginning/middle of September for ideal weather. I made charts with average daily temperatures throughout Morocco so you can get a better idea of the months that you may want to avoid, considering tickets will be the cheapest during those months, and that may incline you to purchase them without knowing the weather.
Souvenir Shopping
There are so many great options for souvenirs to bring back home for friends & family. It goes without saying that the souks will have anything and everything you imagined. Some popular items that you can bring home are leather sandals, spices, tea, argon oil products, kaftans, shawls, and even rugs if that is within your price range. These items are very important and appreciated in Morocco, so bringing a little bit of culture back home is always thoughtful.
SIM Cards vs. International Data Plan
The moment you get off of the plane, you will run into vendors who are selling SIM Cards and data packages, which will probably last you the entire trip. I purchased a SIM card and got the 5GB data plan for 100 MAD (~11 USD), which I didn’t even use up, and I was snapchatting/instragramming like crazy. I think that is much more worth it than switching over to an International Data Plan with your cell phone provider because the cheapest I’ve seen it being is $40. It’s also a better idea to just wait until you get to the airport and purchase there because you don’t know how your data plan is going to pick up service in Morocco. You won’t be able to use your credit card so be sure to exchange or have exact cash with you.
Mosques in Morocco
The Mosques in Morocco are so elegant and beyond words beautiful. Unfortunately, most mosques only allow Muslim men and women. If you are Muslim, PLEASE go inside to pray and enjoy the beauty. If you aren’t Muslim, it is still worth going to see from the outside. A lot of them have the classic tile look that Morocco is know for. You can always take photos from the outside (it makes for a great photoshoot). One mosque you can go inside and tour is the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca.
Holy Friday’s
Friday’s in Morocco are no bueno when it comes to being a tourist. If you are on a tight schedule, do not expect Friday to be a day where you are out and about. The souks are going to be very dead, and many outside restaurants/shops will be closed or open for just a few hours of the day. It’s kind of cool to walk around the souks without many people there. It does get really crowded on regular days so if you have leisure time on Friday, spend an hour or two walking in peace. I have realized that every country has a day to spend with family, doing religious activities. In Morocco, they dedicate their whole Friday to this. Everything is lively and back in action on Saturday!
Hope this helps/answers any questions you may have on Morocco! If you want to visit Fes, be sure to click on my Five Things in Fes post and keep a lookout for my full Itinerary that i will be posting soon!
xoxo