Earlier this spring, I finally checked off a country that has been on my bucket list for years – Morocco. Located on the northwestern tip of Africa, Morocco is fairly accessible from the States or from Europe (it’s right by Spain and Portugal). I spent 10 days in Morocco and traveled to 5 different spots across the country. (To see the amount of time I recommend spending in each location, scroll to the end of this post where you’ll find a day-by-day itinerary.)
A few things to keep in mind as you plan your trip to Morocco:
- Currency: Morocco has its own national currency: the Moroccan dirham. For conversion, generally 10 dirham = 1 US Dollar. We mostly used cash – for shopping at the souks and for tipping our drivers/hotel staff. Most restaurants accepted credit card.
- My debit card (I use Visa) was rejected at most of the ATMs on the street, but there are change bureaus in all of the cities as well. To make sure you can always access cash, I’d recommend bringing both bills to exchange at change bureaus, as well as a debit card for ATMs.
- Affordability: I found Morocco to be fairly affordable. We stayed at nice riads in both Fez and Marrakech that were priced at ~$200 USD per night (or less). Lunch was often under $5 USD for a meal with a drink. Marrakech is definitely the most expensive city of all the Moroccan places I visited.
- Transportation: There is no Uber in Morocco. Instead, I got around using a mix of taxis and private transfers.
- I took a taxi whenever I was traveling within a city. There are petit taxis and grand taxis (small and large). Before you get into the taxi, tell the driver where you want to go and ask how much it will cost. Rule of thumb is that a ~10 minute drive should cost ~50 dirhams ($5). Don’t get into the taxi if they tell you a number significantly higher than what makes sense. You can haggle them down and the driver will take you for a reasonable cost.
- To travel between cities, I booked private transfers through this company. I used this car service to get from Tangier to Chefchaouen, and from Chefchaouen to Fez. For my transportation to/from the Sahara desert, transfers were included with the package I booked (more on this later)
- Language: The most popular languages in Morocco are Arabic and French, with English as a distant third. I usually tried to use Arabic for basic greetings but then fell back on the French skills of my companion.
- Travel companions: I visited Morocco with a friend. Especially if you’ve never been to Africa or the Middle East, I’d recommend traveling with someone to Morocco, whether it be a friend, family, or an organized travel group. Almost everyone I met in Morocco was friendly and helpful. However, Morocco is still is a country with a culture that’s very different from the United States or Europe. I went to Jordan a year ago (find my post here) and Morocco was fairly similar to Jordan, despite being in Africa, not the Middle East.
Keep reading to see the highlights from my 10-day Morocco trip. If you have to shorten the itinerary, I’d make sure to definitely keep the Sahara Desert and Marrakech, which were my favorite. I’d also recommend doing this itinerary in order – it makes sense logistically given transportation requirements.
Stop 1: Casablanca
To preface this relatively brief section of the post, I spent exactly 23 hours in Casablanca. We landed here at 9 in the morning after a direct flight from JFK and used our day in Casablanca to get our bearings and adjust to a new country. Casablanca is the economic capital of Morocco, and you can feel it as you drive through the city – there are banks, skyscrapers, modern shopping centers, and similar attractions around every corner.
One day in Casablanca was just enough to time to grab a few bites to eat, visit the the Hassan II Mosque, and head to bed at a reasonable hour. After settling into our hotel (one night at the Casablanca Marriott), we had lunch around 1pm at Lily’s Restaurant in the oceanfront neighborhood of La Corniche.
All I really wanted to do in Casablanca was visit the Hassan II Mosque, which is the second largest mosque in Africa. After lunch, we walked along the ocean towards the mosque for a 3pm tour I had scheduled. This was a fairly short group tour, maybe 45 minutes, which was perfect for my level of attention.
As I mentioned, we kept our time in Casablanca relatively simple – eat, mosque, eat. For dinner, I made us a reservation at Rick’s Cafe, which is famous from the original Casablanca film. If you take anything away from this blog post, please know that this was without a doubt the worst restaurant I have ever eaten at. Spare yourself and eat somewhere else when in Casablanca.
After our disappointing dinner, we headed back to the hotel. We had booked a 9am train to Tangier for the next morning. The high speed bullet train from Casablanca to Tangier was the only form of public transportation I took while in Morocco, and we organized it to make the drive between Casablanca and our next stop, Chefchaouen, more manageable.
I’m not dedicating a full section to Tangier because I spent less than an hour in the city before we started our drive to Chefchaouen; however, I would say that Tangier appeared to be a pleasant city, with fairly modern infrastructure and palm trees everywhere. We took a private car transfer (more on this later) from the train station in Tangier to Chefchaouen, which is where this itinerary will head to next.
Stop 2: Chefchaouen
(Pronunciation: shef-shoo-an)
I knew I wanted to go here the moment I first booked my flight to Morocco. Chefchaouen is a city in the mountains of Morocco between Tangier and Fez and the entire city is painted blue. We stayed here for one night in this hotel. Many people visit Chefchaouen as a day trip because the town is quite small, and I agree it didn’t take long to browse through the shops and appreciate the blue buildings.
There isn’t that much else to do in Chefchaouen besides stroll around and soak in all the blue, so that’s what we did. I also bought some ceramics and a few small paintings of the blue city.
We woke up the next morning and our hotel set up breakfast for us on the roof, which was a gorgeous way to start the day.
Due to the higher altitude, Chefchaouen is a good bit colder than the rest of Morocco. In mid-May, I was pretty cold in all of the summery outfits I had brought (smiling through the cold, pictured above). Keep this in mind as you pack, and bring layers.
Chefchaouen, similar to many places in the world outside of the United States, had a lot of stray animals. Mostly cats, some dogs. It looked like a lot of the residents put out food an water for the strays, which made me feel better about the whole thing.
After our one night in Chefchaouen, we had arranged for another private car transfer through Daytrip, and then we were on our way to Fez (a 5 hour drive). Our two car transfers between Tangier/Chefchaouen, and between Chefchaouen/Fez, were both done through this company. For our longer car transfers to and from the Sahara desert, transportation was included as part of the desert camp we booked.
Stop 3: Fez
Fez was certainly the city where I learned the most. Traditional, filled with artisans and culture, Fez was a bustling hub of activity.
We stayed at a riad in the medina (the old town) – while our accommodations themselves were truly stunning, the medina was a bit overwhelming. The medina is a convoluted maze and it’s very easy to get lost (Google Maps doesn’t work well.) Also, the locals in Fez find it amusing to tell you that different streets or directions have dead ends, or are under construction. (I think they are mostly doing this as a joke, but also in the hopes they’ll be able to guide you to your destination and collect a tip for doing so.)
As nice as our riad was, I would have rather stayed outside the medina on my own where it wasn’t so easy to get lost, and used a guide when exploring the old town.
I would definitely recommend getting a guide to show you around Fez (more so than in any of the other cities mentioned on this trip). In advance of my visit to Fez, I booked this tour, because I was most interested in seeing the tanneries and the Bou Inania Madrasa.
I followed my guide everywhere in Fez. I was one step behind him at all times (he is the figure pictured in the shot below).
Our guide took us through many of the different sections of the Fez medina. We saw food markets, textiles, furniture, carpets, silk weavers, metalworks, and all other manners of artisanal craftsmanship.
The tanneries were very cool, very authentic, and very smelly. I was handed a sprig of mint at the door when I arrived, which helps to hide the scent associated with turning animal hides into leather goods.
I’ve also seen a lot of influencers posing in front of the tanneries…I love a good photo, but in my opinion, this is not the place. The tannery workers were working nonstop and sweating profusely as they dyed the different animal pelts (camel, goat, cow). My guide said that the tannery workers have the hardest job in the country. It felt like a traditional and preserved aspect of Moroccan culture that was amazing to see, but not appropriate to turn into an Instagram background.
Madrasas are universities and they all have beautiful mosaic work and intricate detailing around the courtyard. There are beautiful madrasas in Fez, Marrakech, and likely several other Moroccan cities as well.
While in Fez, we ate at the Ruined Garden in Riad Idrissy for lunch (a garden restaurant in the medina), and at Palais Faraj for dinner (an upscale hotel right outside the medina). Palais Faraj in particular had amazing food and decor and would probably have been an excellent hotel for my time in Fez.
I thought Fez was cool and authentic, but there were definitely a few nerve-wracking moments alone in the medina when we were lost amongst the maze-like streets. We were relieved every time we returned home to the calming presence of our riad. As such, exploring Fez doesn’t rank too highly on my list of must-dos in Morocco.
Stop 4: Merzouga (the Sahara Desert)
What was absolutely fantastic about Morocco was visiting the Sahara desert. I’ve been to desert landscapes before (Wadi Rum in Jordan) but this experience was beyond cool.
There are a lot of luxury desert experiences to choose from in the Sahara (and there are also many options in the Agafay desert, which is located much closer to Marrakech). We chose to stay two nights at the (aptly named) Desert Luxury Camp, which is located in the vicinity of Merzouga. For the all-in price of about $600 USD, we spent two nights in the desert, in beautiful accommodations, eating excellent food. And to top it off, this desert camp includes private transfers to and from the camp (from any destination), which was important, because the drive was long.
I spent a lot of time researching whether to visit the Sahara Desert or the Agafay desert. It seems that people enjoy both. If you have the time, definitely opt for the Sahara, because it was so cool to be alone amongst the sand dunes. If you are crunched for time, the Agafay is a great alternative, but the landscape there consists of stone, not sand dunes.
On the way to the camp, our driver asked if we would like to make a stop to go ATV-ing across the desert (it wasn’t included in our camp package). I loved this experience – I’ve never been on an ATV before, and riding one alone across the vast expanse of the Sahara sand dunes was honestly epic. It was a real main character moment for me.
Once you’re actually in the camp, there isn’t much to do besides admire the view and enjoy the many variations of tagine. Our camp had a pool, which I took a dip in (indoor pools only – outdoor pools become filled with sand)!
I also enjoyed a private camel ride with a local guide for three hours. We rode across the Sahara to explore the dunes. My local guide made tea for us, using kindling from the ground and a kettle he pulled out of his bag. Incredibly cool.
I did also try sandboarding, which is exactly how it sounds. It’s a fun and tiring workout, because every time you glide down the dune, you have to trek back up again with the board!
In the evenings, our camp provided dinner and then entertainment in the form of a drum and dance circle. The musical skill was impressive, and all of the travelers in the camp participated.
I loved the desert. If you’ve never had a desert experience, it is 100% something to add to your list. The Sahara is famous for a reason.
Stop 5: Marrakech
My last and final stop in Morocco was my favorite of all: Marrakech. We left the Sahara early in the morning with our private driver and drove for ~7 hours to reach the city. Marrakech is the place that fully embodied my expectations of Morocco. Casablanca was too corporate, Chefchaouen was too small, Fez was too intimidating, and the Sahara was like another planet…but Marrakech was a Moroccan dream.
We stayed three nights in Marrakech at Riad Dar Bensouda. The place was fairly popular with other travelers and beautifully laid out with an interior pool and three different rooftops.
The riad was also in an amazing area – not directly in the medina, which had overwhelmed me in Fez, but in a calmer but still bustling area with a local market right outside. I felt very at home here.
Marrakech was easy to explore as a tourist without a guide because there are so many other international travelers there. We had no problem calling taxis and wandering the souks. Shopping in Marrakech was practically an Olympic sport. I came home with so many souvenirs, my favorites being a carved wooden mirror, a ceramic vase, and argan oil.
Make sure you haggle – whatever price you are given by the shopkeeper, offer half.
There are a lot of motorbikes in Marrakech – even on small pedestrian streets where you’d think that bikes wouldn’t fit. The drivers definitely know what they’re doing, but be vigilant!
Two things I definitely recommend doing in Marrakech (and one that I don’t):
- Do: Visit the Ben Youssef Madrasa. We bought a ticket (a few dollars) upon arriving and stayed for maybe 15 minutes. The architecture is stunning, but the madrasa is crowded with tour groups, so you don’t need long.
2. Do: Drink coffee at Dar el Bacha. This spot came highly recommended by many blogs and it did not disappoint. I loved the garden and orange trees in the museum’s garden, and the decadent coffee and pastries served in the cafe.
You can buy tickets in advance for the museum, but it doesn’t get you a table at the restaurant. We just added ourselves tot he waitlist and hung around in the courtyard until a table was ready. You aren’t allowed to explore the courtyard after you dine, so make the most of it!
3. Skip: The YSL Museum and the Jardin Majorelle. If you are a huge museum person, or a big fan of YSL, it might be worth it for you. But to us, the museum was small, and the gardens were crawling with tourists – we felt like sheep being herded.
We bought tickets in advance (~$30 USD per person for a combined ticket to the museum and gardens) but it looked like you could buy tickets at the door to the garden as well. Tickets purchased in advance are not refundable.
Where to eat
Marrakech has a thriving restaurant scene – as such, I’m dedicating a mini section on where to eat in Marrakech.
My overall favorite: Dardar Rooftop. This place is very popular, so make a reservation in advance. We ended up coming for cocktails at around 5pm before having a full dinner later on in the evening. There was a live band playing and all around great vibes.
The most luxurious: lunch at La Mamounia. You need a reservation to eat at any of the hotel’s formal restaurants, but we enjoyed a salad and sandwiches in the central courtyard restaurant.
I would definitely come back and stay in this hotel one day…it’s about $800 a night.
The best food: La Trattoria. Maybe this is a bit of a cop out, because La Trattoria serves Italian food, not Moroccan. However, after 9 days in a row of tagine, I needed a new cuisine. La Trattoria did not miss on the food (burrata, pesto pasta, lava cake) nor on the ambience.
The best vibe: KABANA Rooftop. I accidentally mixed up the times for our reservation, so when we arrived at 8pm, they had already given our table away. But the hostess still managed to seat us. Kabana reminded me of a trendy NYC rooftop party. Again, not particularly Moroccan, but very cool in any nation.
Other Marrakech restaurants to try:
- Folk Marrakech
- La Table de la Sultana
- Le Jardin
I wrapped up my third and final day in Marrakech with breakfast on the roof of our riad before heading to the airport.
And that closes out my 10-day Morocco trip! Hopefully this gave you some inspiration for planning your own trip to Morocco sometime soon.
Itinerary/Logistics
As promised, see below for the day-by-day schedule I followed while in Morocco:
- Day 0 (Flight Day): I flew one-way from NYC to Casablanca through Royal Air Maroc. I left New York in the evening to arrive in Casablanca at ~9am.
- Day 1: Explore Casablanca, spend the night.
- Day 2: In the morning, take the bullet train from Casablanca to Tangier, followed by a private car transfer from Tangier to Chefchaouen (~4 hours driving). Arrive in Chefchaouen in the afternoon, spend the night.
- Day 3: Spend the morning in Chefchaouen. Around noon, take a private car transfer from Chefchaouen to Fez (~5 hours driving). Arrive in Fez in the early evening and settle down for the next 2 nights.
- Day 4: Explore Fez
- Day 5: Leave Fez in the morning to drive to the Sahara desert (~7 hours driving). Arrive in the desert before dinner. Spend two nights in the desert.
- Day 6: Enjoy the day at a luxury desert camp in the Sahara.
- Day 7: In the early morning, leave Sahara and drive to Marrakech (~7 hours driving). Arrive in Marrakech around 6pm and settle down for the next 3 nights.
- Days 8 & 9: Explore Marrakech.
- Day 10 (Flight Day): Wake up in Marrakech, then hop on your return flight. If you’re following my path, I flew from from Marrakech to Casablanca in the morning (a 30 minute flight), then from Casablanca to New York in the afternoon. I arrived back in NYC at ~7pm on Day 10.
