Morocco from medinas to the Sahara: a first-timer's primer

Morocco rewards people who arrive with a plan for the small things. The big things (riads, tagines, the dunes) take care of themselves. It’s the cash rules, the alley that ends in a wall, and the man who insists the tannery is closed that wear first-timers down. Here’s the order I’d tackle it in. Our Morocco country page keeps the dirham rate, public holidays and plug details in one place.

The paperwork is easy; the money isn’t

For many passports, getting in is simple. The UK government says British citizens can visit without a visa for up to 90 days, with a passport valid for at least three months after arrival. The US State Department gives the same 90-day visa-free stay for US citizens, but asks for six months’ passport validity on entry. Other nationalities should check with a Moroccan consulate, and our Morocco country page is a quick starting point.

Money is where Morocco is different. The dirham (MAD) is a closed currency. Morocco’s foreign-exchange regulator, the Office des Changes, says travellers may import or export no more than 2,000 dirhams in banknotes (Office des Changes FAQ, in French). In practice, that means:

• You’ll buy most of your dirhams in Morocco. Exchange bureaux at the airport and in town, and ATMs, are the normal route. Don’t expect to find good rates for MAD at home.
• Keep your exchange receipts. The US State Department notes that dirhams can only be converted back if you have receipts showing the original exchange (State Department).
• Spend down before you fly. Anything over the limit has to be changed back before departure. Budget to arrive at the airport with a small amount, not a wad.
• Declare large sums of foreign cash. Foreign currency worth 100,000 dirhams or more must be declared on arrival and departure (GOV.UK).

Cards work in hotels, bigger restaurants and chain shops in the cities. The souks, petit taxis, hammams and desert camps want cash. A multi-currency card such as Wise Partner lets you withdraw dirhams at a local ATM without an exchange counter’s spread. Your Moroccan bank may still charge a withdrawal fee, so take out larger sums less often. Our travel money cards comparison covers the trade-offs.

Medina navigation: three rules

The old walled cities are the reason most people come. They’re also built to confuse. The Medina of Fez and the Medina of Marrakesh are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and Fes el-Bali in particular is a dense web of lanes where cars can’t go and phone GPS often drifts.

Rule one: navigate by gates and landmarks, not the blue dot. Learn the name of the nearest bab (gate) to your riad and one big landmark: a mosque, a square or a main street. In Marrakech, Jemaa el-Fna is your reset button. Download an offline map before you go, but expect it to be wrong by a lane or two in the tightest quarters.

Rule two: get the riad to collect you the first time. Most riads will send someone to meet your taxi at the nearest drivable gate. Accept. Finding an unmarked door at night with a suitcase is nobody’s idea of a holiday. Screenshot the route on the way in.

Rule three: politely decline the “helpers”. The UK Foreign Office warns that “it is common for people posing as official tourist guides to harass tourists,” and says official guides carry a badge and local-authority permission (GOV.UK safety advice). The classic lines are “that way is closed” and “the tannery is only open today”. A firm “la, shukran” (no, thank you) and walking on purposefully works better than arguing. If you want a guide, and in Fes it’s genuinely worth a half-day, book a licensed one through your riad.

Data matters here, both for maps and for calling your riad. A travel eSIM gets you online the moment you land, and a local SIM from a shop in town is the alternative if you’re staying a while.

Haggling without the stress

Fixed prices exist in Morocco: in supermarkets, cafés, pharmacies, many state-run artisan shops, and anywhere with a printed menu or price tag. Everywhere else in the souk, the first number is an opening position. A few habits make it painless:

1. Decide what it’s worth to you before you ask. Not what you think the “real” price is. You’ll never know that, and it doesn’t matter.
2. Ask the price, then pause. Silence does more work than a counter-offer.
3. Counter low but not insultingly low, and move in small steps. The theatre is part of the exchange and is rarely hostile.
4. Only name a price you’ll actually pay. Agreeing a number and then walking away is the one real breach of etiquette.
5. Walking away is allowed before agreement. Often the best price arrives as you leave.

The Foreign Office also warns that scammers sometimes swap in inferior goods, so watch the item you chose get wrapped (GOV.UK). For taxis, insist on the meter in a petit taxi, or agree the fare before you get in.

Trains: Al Boraq and the classic network

Morocco has Africa’s first high-speed railway. Al Boraq opened in November 2018 between Tangier and Casablanca via Kenitra and Rabat (Al Boraq). The new high-speed line runs at up to 320 km/h as far as Kenitra. South of there, trains continue on upgraded classic track at up to 160 km/h (High-speed rail in Morocco). The opening cut Tangier–Casablanca from 4 hours 45 minutes to about 2 hours 10.

A high-speed extension from Kenitra to Marrakech, about 430 km, was launched in April 2025, and ONCF aims to finish it before the 2030 World Cup (High-speed rail in Morocco; Railway Gazette). Until it opens, Casablanca–Marrakech and the lines to Fes and Meknes run on the conventional network. Those trains are comfortable and far less stressful than driving into a medina city.

Buy tickets from the national operator, ONCF, online or at the station. Book Al Boraq ahead around weekends and holidays. Trains around Eid are busy.

Ramadan, dress and other local norms

Ramadan moves about 11 days earlier each year. It is expected to begin around 8 February 2027, but the exact date depends on the moon sighting (timeanddate). Travelling during Ramadan is fine and often memorable, especially the evening ftour (breaking of the fast). Expect shorter opening hours, some cafés closed in daytime and lively streets after sunset. The Foreign Office warns that eating, drinking, smoking or chewing gum in public in daytime during Ramadan may cause offence (GOV.UK). The State Department also warns that driving gets risky around dusk, when everyone is racing home to eat (State Department). Check our holidays page for the Eid dates around your trip.

Dress. The official UK advice is “loose-fitting clothing which cover the arms, legs and chest”. That’s sensible for anyone in the medinas and rural areas, and it’s also practical in the sun. Beach resorts and upmarket parts of Casablanca are more relaxed, but a scarf in your bag covers mosque visits and conservative villages.

Other things worth knowing, all from the Foreign Office:

• Drinking alcohol anywhere other than a licensed restaurant or bar is illegal and can lead to arrest.
• Same-sex relations are illegal. Avoid public displays of affection, especially near religious sites.
• Flying a drone needs permission from the civil aviation authority. Without it you risk a fine and losing the drone.
• Always ask before photographing people, especially children.

Desert trips: what you’re actually booking

The “Sahara trip” most visitors take means the dunes of Erg Chebbi, next to the village of Merzouga near the Algerian border. The dunes rise up to 150 m above the surrounding plain (Erg Chebbi). The alternative is Erg Chigaga, beyond Zagora and M’Hamid, which is more remote and reached partly by 4x4.

The thing tour listings play down is distance. Merzouga is a long drive from Marrakech over the High Atlas. Even in a straight line, Marrakech to Errachidia, the nearest airport, is about 346 km by our airport data. That’s why “3 days, 2 nights from Marrakech” itineraries spend most of day one and day three in a minibus. Your real options:

• Shared group tour from Marrakech (3 days). Cheapest and simplest. Lots of driving, one night in a camp. Fine if you accept the van time.
• Private driver (3–4 days). Same roads, but you choose the stops: Aït Benhaddou, the Dadès and Todra gorges.
• Start or finish in Fes. Fes to Merzouga is a shorter run, and a Marrakech-to-Fes loop through the desert avoids doubling back.
• Fly to Errachidia and transfer to Merzouga, if flights line up with your dates.

The best season is roughly October to April, when temperatures are milder (Erg Chebbi). Desert nights in winter are properly cold, so pack a warm layer even if Marrakech felt hot. The State Department advises against isolated camping in favour of guarded campgrounds, so book a recognised camp rather than pitching up alone.

Remote camps, long road days and quad bikes are exactly where travel insurance matters. Check that your policy, for example World Nomads Partner, covers the activities you plan.

Plugs and power

Morocco uses Type C and Type E sockets at 220 V, 50 Hz (see our Morocco page and IEC World Plugs). A standard two-pin European adapter works. UK, North American and Australian visitors need one, and anything single-voltage at 110–120 V shouldn’t come without a converter. The IEC World Plugs site shows what each socket type looks like.