Morocco is a fascinating country to explore. From the lively and colorful cities like Marrakesh, Fez, and Agadir, to the Atlas Mountains, to the beaches along the coast, to the Sahara Desert, and even more, there is just so much to see and do in this country.
In this post, rather than talk about a specific destination, I’m going to give you my top tips for visiting Morocco. All of these are based off things I learned when I traveled to Morocco and are things that I wish I was more prepared for.
Top Morocco Travel Tips
Of course this is not everything you need to know about traveling Morocco, but again, these are the things that I wish I knew or think that others should be aware of while planning their own trips. Morocco is high on my list to return to and when that happens, this list will inevitably be updated with even more information.
The Marrakesh Bus is Cheaper Than a Taxi Provided by Your Hotel
When you book your hotel or riad, you’ll likely be sent information about tours and taxi shuttles. On the surface, the 15-20 euros taxi sounds like a great deal. Someone will meet you at the airport and take you to your accommodation.
This is what I did when I arrived in Marrakesh. I figured it would be easy and painless. To an extent it was. While my driver wasn’t there when I arrived (we arrived nearly an hour early so I can’t judge), he did show up and took me most of the way to my accommodation (the last minute was closed to cars so I had to walk). That said, I do have to note that the airport is not far from the city center and the entire taxi ride took about 15 or 20 minutes.
Later on the trip, I took a tour to the Sahara Desert and I talked to another girl who told me how easy the bus was. Rather than pay another 15 euros for taxi, I could take the local bus for 30 dirham (or 3 euros). That’s just what I did.
If you’re like me and looking to save a few dollars (or euros), look into taking the public bus. There is a bus stand outside the airport in the parking lot near all the taxis. Look for the Alsa bus (here’s the location on GoogleMaps). Line 19 does a loop (there’s a map posted at the bus stop) between the airport and the city center. Pay the driver for a ticket, get on, and enjoy your ride into the city.
To return to the airport, just look for a bus stop for line 19.
As a note, the bus obviously takes longer than a taxi, but for the cost savings, I found it worth it.
Morocco Travel Tip #1 – Save money and take the bus to the airport.
Marrakesh is Calmer in the Mornings
If you read accounts from other travelers visiting Marrakesh, you’ll probably have read stories about how Marrakesh is intense. To an extent, I would agree with that. But there is a calmer time to explore the city.
I didn’t have a lot of time in Marrakesh, so my exploration of the city was limited to the morning before my flight. I had breakfast at my hotel and then went out to explore the city. Prior to 10:00am, the city is still waking up. Many vendors are still closed or just starting to set up their stalls for the day.
The benefit of all of this is you can walk through parks and squares without being hounded by people trying to get you to buy something. The downside is you do miss out on some of the chaos that is Marrakesh. The vendors throughout the souks aren’t all open and there’s little shopping to be done.
I think it depends on the person, but I won’t deny that part of me enjoyed my calm, morning walk through Marrakesh. Plus, I always like seeing cities come alive in the morning. If you walk through the city between 8:00 and 10:00, this is exactly what you’ll see.
Morocco Travel Tip #2 – There times of the day where Marrakesh is not as intense.
Be Ready to Negotiate and Haggle
I will be the first to admit that I hate haggling. Just tell me the price and I’ll decide whether or not it’s worth it. While there are a handful of stalls in Marrakesh that will put a sign out with a price, these aren’t everywhere. This is also true for many other places you’ll stop.
Be ready to ask for the price. And once you get the price, don’t be surprised if you need to haggle. It’s annoying but it’s how it works in Morocco for many vendors. The good news is if you’re buy groceries or if you’re at a restaurant, you’ll get a price and that’s it (though at restaurants you’ll have to tip—more on this later).
Morocco Travel Tip #3 – Be ready to haggle for prices.
Have Cash to Pay for Hotels
I’m used to arriving at a hotel and just handing over my credit card to pay for the room. In Marrakesh, I stayed at two separate hotels (the rest of my accommodation in Morocco was covered by my tour). At both hotels, I needed to have cash to pay for the room.
I was not expecting this and just happened to have enough cash. It should also be noted that while you could pay in dirhams, hotels will also likely allow you to pay in euros. I paid for both of my hotels in euros as I simply didn’t have enough dirhams with me. But thankfully, I had enough cash.
Morocco Travel Tip #4 – Bring cash for your hotels.
Try to Carry Small Bills for Tips
Morocco has a very strong tipping culture and you’ll need to be prepared for that. Part of that means having small bills and coins so you can leave a tip (and not go broke in the process).
What makes this hard is that when you go to an ATM, the ATM will likely dispense 100 or 200 dirham notes. This is fine for large purchases, but not helpful when you need to make small purchases or leave a small tip.
If you do get stuck with big bills, try to break them whenever possible. Grocery stores are great for this, although they didn’t love that a whole group of tourists came through their check out line with only big bills (though we all still got cash back).
Bonus: if you’re going on a tour, this is even more important. My group had 14 people and we had to figure out the tips between us. Nearly all of us only had 100 or 200 dirham notes so tipping became an adventure as we tried to figure out small notes and taking turns leaving tips for the whole group. If you have small notes and coins on your tour, you’ll make a lot of friends.
Morocco Travel Tip #5 – You’ll tip a lot so carry small bills.
You Will Tip A Lot
Tips are expected in Morocco and it can be a lot. I come from the US which has a strong tipping culture, but I felt lost while I was in Morocco. I’m sure there were times I was supposed to tip and didn’t, not out of rudeness but simply because I didn’t know any better.
The problem is that it’s not just restaurants. You’ll also be expected to tip at hotels, for guides, for the bathroom, and so much more. If you’re traveling on a guided tour (such as a trip out to the Sahara Desert), don’t hesitate to ask your guide. During my tour, we often had to be reminded to tip (and then get information about the correct amount to tip).
Morocco Travel Tip #6 – Be prepared for a lot of tips.
Stick to Bottled Water
For many travelers, it’s best to stick to bottled water. While Moroccans can drink the water without issues, the water in Morocco has more minerals that many Western tourists are not accustomed to. Save yourself the stomach issues, and stick to bottled water.
If you’re concerned about your plastic consumption, bring a reusable bottle and buy a big bottle of water from the supermarket. All of the bottled water is cheap, but you’ll use less plastic by buying a bigger bottle and refilling the same reusable bottle.
As a note, I use tap water to brush my teeth. I had no issues, but it’s no guarantee for everyone.
Morocco Travel Tip #7 – Don’t drink the tap water.
Be Prepared to Pay for the Bathroom
At hotels and some restaurants, you won’t need to pay for a restroom, but you’d be surprised how often you’ll need to pay. On our long drive to the desert, we stopped periodically to stretch and to use the restroom and at nearly every single stop, we had to pay to use the restroom. The amount changed based on the stop and ranged anywhere from 2 dirhams to 10 dirhams. There was really no way to know, but I recommend keeping a few coins handy for bathroom stops.
And don’t think you can just get away without paying. There is usually someone there to collect your money. But they’ll also give you toilet paper, which is good because it’s rarely ever in the stalls.
Morocco Travel Tip #8 – Keep coins handy to pay for the bathroom.
Carry Toilet Paper
That brings me to my next tip: carry toilet paper with you. Trust me when I say it’s not fun to walk into a stall, start doing your business, and realize there is no toilet paper. Often, there is something you can use outside of the stalls, but you need to know about that first. Obviously it’s good to take a look to see if any toilet paper is provided, but in general, I recommend just keeping some in your day pack and your day pack with you when you use the restroom.
Speaking of toilet paper. Don’t be surprised if you’re handed a napkin or piece of paper towel instead of toilet paper.
Morocco Travel Tip #9 – Don’t forget toilet paper.
You Aren’t Guaranteed a Hot Shower
In general, Morocco is a hot country, so having a cold shower, particularly in the warm summer month can be cool and refreshing. During the winter months, this can be less fun.
While this won’t likely won’t be an issue if you stay at higher end hotels, know that you may not have hot water. This is actually something that my Sahara Desert tour company warned us about. I traveled in March and it could get chilly in the evenings, particularly in the mountains and out in the desert. We were told to prepare to not have hot water. We did get lucky and we had hot water, but I think it’s good to prepare to not have it.
Morocco Travel Tip #10 – Be prepared for cold showers.
In Marrakesh, You’ll Need a Printed Boarding Pass for Your Flight
If you’re flying out of the airport in Marrakesh, either to reach another domestic destination or an international destination, you’ll need to get a printed boarding pass. I’m used to checking in online and using my phone to show my boarding pass. At the Marrakesh airport this is not enough. You’ll have to stop by the check in desk to get a printed version of your boarding pass.
And no, printing out your boarding pass at home wasn’t enough (as I saw two people try to do). You need to show your boarding pass to get into the security line and if you don’t have a physical boarding pass, you’ll get turned away. There are also signs posted around the airport to remind you of this.
So what’s the point in me telling you this information? Since you have to go to the check in desk, even if you just have carry on luggage, you’ll want to make sure to give yourself extra time. I had to wait in line for nearly 30 minutes and while I got to the airport with plenty of time, I ended up having significantly less time before my flight than I expected. Don’t cut it close and give yourself plenty of time at the airport.
Morocco Travel Tip #11 – Get to the airport early to print your boarding pass.
You May Not Have Heat in the Hotels
I already mentioned that you may not have hot water at your accommodation. It’s also a good idea to not expect heat. Again, Morocco is generally a warm country and for most of the year, this is not a problem.
I traveled in March and it was cold at night. I burrowed under the blankets provided and managed to stay warm, but I did not have heat in any of the rooms that I stayed in. In one room, we turned on the heat, set it to 20 degrees Celsius, and waited. No heat ever came on (or cold air for air conditioning either). Thankfully, every place I stayed provided warm, heavy blankets. I’m a very cold sleeper, but these blankets were always enough to keep me warm.
Morocco Travel Tip #12 – In winter, don’t be surprised to have rooms without heat.
Use Your Dirhams Before You Get to the Airport
Morocco is a very budget friendly place to travel, but you’ll be paying for a lot of things with cash. This is fine, but you’ll generally want to use up your Dirhams before you leave the country (so you don’t have to go through the hassle of exchanging your excess currency).
It should go without saying that things at the airport are more expensive, but I didn’t quite realize that it would literally be three times (or more) of prices in the city. As someone who had less than 100 dirhams to use up, this wasn’t a huge deal. Though, it was hard for me to justify some of these prices when I knew what the cost was in the city (and when I knew I’d be flying to another country and be able to pick up some snacks at a grocery store for much cheaper). So my advice is to use up all of the dirhams in town, except for what you need to get to the airport.
Additionally, try to use up your dirhams before you leave the country. While some places may allow you to change them outside of the country, I spoke to one girl who was explicitly warned that she wouldn’t be able to exchange any excess dirhams when she got back home.
Morocco Travel Tip #13 – Use your dirhams before going to the airport.
You May Be Able to Pay in Euros
While the official currency of Morocco is Dirhams, you’ll often be able to pay in euros, especially in the larger cities. When I paid for my hotels in Marrakesh, I paid cash in euros. My group pooled money to tip our guide at the end of our three day tour to Merzouga and half of that was in euros. As I walked through Marrakesh, some of the shops in the souks had signs stating prices in euros. In the Marrakesh airport, prices were listed in euros, but you could pay in dirhams once you reached the register.
When I visited, the conversion was pretty easy. 10 dirhams = 1 euro and many vendors were happy to accept euros as payment. So if you’re coming from a place where it’s easier to get euros, consider bringing extra euros for your trip to Morocco.
Morocco Travel Tip #14 – Euros are often accepted as valid payment.
Final Thoughts
I didn’t spend enough time in Morocco during my trip and it’s high on my list to return to. But with these tips, I think everyone will have a great start in planning their trip to Morocco.
Continue Your Adventure
Sahara Desert: One of the coolest things you can do in Morocco is take a tour to the Sahara Desert. Ready to go to the desert? Don’t miss my top Sahara packing tips.
Spain: While technically a different continent, Spain is just a short flight from Morocco. Take in the architecture of Barcelona, the Alhambra of Granada, the relaxed vibe of Sevilla, or one of the great day trips from Madrid.