We spent 10 days in Morocco at the end of December, 2022. We had an amazing time, drank gallons of mint tea (hold the sugar), and challenged each other to see how many souvenirs we could fit in our carry-ons. I went into the trip expecting things to feel very touristy given how much of the economy is catering towards tourism, but was pleasantly surprised. Even during a holiday week, most sites were not that busy and market vendors were not as aggressive as we've encountered in other countries. We found Moroccans to be incredibly hospitable and will miss the decadent riad breakfasts!
This Google list has most of the recommendations noted below if you want to view things in a map form. And there are some quick notes on various spots on the map that aren't called out below. Otherwise, read on for more detail.
The first decision you'll need to make it where you'll want to spend your time - the options are varied and will shape your experience (and how much time you'll spend in transit). In general, we chose to stay in cities (forgoing the hiking/mountains and desert excursions) and tried to not move to a new place every day.
Our high level itinerary is below.
The main reason we went to Rabat was because I have a high school friend, Claire, who is working there. But otherwise, I think you can probably skip it and go straight to Tangier. I've also heard great things about Asilah in the north, but we couldn't squeeze that in. I thought Tangier was really beautiful but I think most itineraries I saw skipped that and added an overnight in the Sahara. In terms of flights, John and I flew in/out of Casablanca since there is a direct from IAD. Otherwise, everyone else flew into Rabat and out of Marrakech which worked out well for all of them. The airports were all pretty straightforward and easy to get through.
Getting around: Chahine was our driver/travel agent/tour guide extraordinaire. A friend introduced me to him and he was awesome! He's been working in tourism since 1994 -- first as a driver and then as a tour guide as well. In addition to transport, he helped us book some of our riads directly (they were showing as sold out online), recommended restaurants, hired local guides in some cities, answered all our silly questions, and was great company! All seven of us and our carry-on sized suitcases fit in his van. Please let me know if you want his contact information.
Language: If you speak French or Arabic that'll go a long way. We were okay with English in most places but learning a few words in French or Arabic (greetings, some menu items, bargaining phrases) can be helpful. You can also download certain languages for "offline use" on the Google Translate app which I highly recommend. In some cases, we took photos of the french menu and Google Translate will overlay the English translation directly.
Budgeting:
Cuisine: We loved Moroccan food and pretty much ate it for every meal. It is full of spice but not spicy (you can sometimes get harissa on the side). Breakfasts were included everywhere we stayed. Lots of fresh fruit, eggs, a variety of carbs (bread, pancakes, roti-type bread, cakes, etc.). For lunch, sometimes we just grabbed a snack where convenient, or if possible, tried to find a kefta/kofta stand for some grilled meat (beef often served in a pita type bread). Most dinners consisted of Moroccan soup (kind of reminded me of minestrone), pastilla (a savory meat-filled pastry topped with cinnamon and powdered suger), a couple tagines (chicken, beef, or vegetable - sometimes a fish or lamb option), maybe kebabs, and a cous cous dish (kind of the same as tagine but with very fine cous cous as the base - traditionally only served on Fridays but many restaurants will have it). If you don't like Moroccan food, it may be tough as there wasn't a ton of variety. John and I got some food poisoning once we got home but we are thinking it was honestly the food we ate on our return flight or at the airport - other than that, everyone in our group was fine the whole trip. I think it's likely because the water around the country is mostly potable.
Other notes:
This Google list has most of the recommendations noted below if you want to view things in a map form. And there are some quick notes on various spots on the map that aren't called out below. Otherwise, read on for more detail.
The first decision you'll need to make it where you'll want to spend your time - the options are varied and will shape your experience (and how much time you'll spend in transit). In general, we chose to stay in cities (forgoing the hiking/mountains and desert excursions) and tried to not move to a new place every day.
Our high level itinerary is below.
- Day 1: Arrive in Casablanca/Rabat, meet in Rabat for an overnight there
- Day 2: Tour Rabat, then drive to Tangier (there is a high speed train you can take from Rabat to Tangier)
- Day 3: Tour Tangier, then drive to Chefchaouen
- Day 4: Full day in Chefchaouen
- Day 5: Drive to Fes, with stops at Moulay Idriss and Volubilis on the way
- Days 6-7: Full days in Fes
- Day 8: Fes to Marrakech (long drive), with a stop in Casablanca to see the Hassan II Mosque
- Days 9-10: Full days in Marrakech
- Day 11: Depart from Marrakech/Casablanca airports
The main reason we went to Rabat was because I have a high school friend, Claire, who is working there. But otherwise, I think you can probably skip it and go straight to Tangier. I've also heard great things about Asilah in the north, but we couldn't squeeze that in. I thought Tangier was really beautiful but I think most itineraries I saw skipped that and added an overnight in the Sahara. In terms of flights, John and I flew in/out of Casablanca since there is a direct from IAD. Otherwise, everyone else flew into Rabat and out of Marrakech which worked out well for all of them. The airports were all pretty straightforward and easy to get through.
Getting around: Chahine was our driver/travel agent/tour guide extraordinaire. A friend introduced me to him and he was awesome! He's been working in tourism since 1994 -- first as a driver and then as a tour guide as well. In addition to transport, he helped us book some of our riads directly (they were showing as sold out online), recommended restaurants, hired local guides in some cities, answered all our silly questions, and was great company! All seven of us and our carry-on sized suitcases fit in his van. Please let me know if you want his contact information.
Language: If you speak French or Arabic that'll go a long way. We were okay with English in most places but learning a few words in French or Arabic (greetings, some menu items, bargaining phrases) can be helpful. You can also download certain languages for "offline use" on the Google Translate app which I highly recommend. In some cases, we took photos of the french menu and Google Translate will overlay the English translation directly.
Budgeting:
- The cost of Chahine's services was about $175 USD per day (fixed daily rate). This may vary based on the size and type of vehicle.
- Local guides ranged from $30-80 USD including tip depending on how much time they spent with us. I get the sense that these prices don't vary at a per person level (two of my cousins joined the trip after we had started planning and the cost didn't change). We were a group of 7 so this felt really reasonable. Entry fees to sites (when applicable) ranged but were usually under $10 pp, with the exception of the Jardin Majorelle tickets which I think were closer to $20.
- We stayed in ~4-star riads (bed and breakfasts) throughout our trip. Prices varied but were generally about $110-150 USD/night for a double room. I'd note that we traveled during peak season, especially being in Marrakech right between Christmas and New Years. You can definitely find cheaper accommodations and splurge for luxury riads or hotels.
- Breakfast was included everywhere we stayed and they were all delicious!! The majority of our dinners cost about $70-90 for the 7 of us. We often just snacked for lunch (~$35 for the group) vs sitting down for a longer meal given how big the breakfasts are.
- Morocco is a very cash-based economy -- from market vendors to restaurants to our riads, we used cash for just about everything. It's worth asking your hotels/riads in advance since that will likely be your biggest expense. There are easily accessible ATMs, but you may want to exchange some money before your trip if you have a debit card with ATM fees. And remember, if an ATM asks if you want to accept their conversion rate, you should always reject it -- your bank rate will always be better!
Cuisine: We loved Moroccan food and pretty much ate it for every meal. It is full of spice but not spicy (you can sometimes get harissa on the side). Breakfasts were included everywhere we stayed. Lots of fresh fruit, eggs, a variety of carbs (bread, pancakes, roti-type bread, cakes, etc.). For lunch, sometimes we just grabbed a snack where convenient, or if possible, tried to find a kefta/kofta stand for some grilled meat (beef often served in a pita type bread). Most dinners consisted of Moroccan soup (kind of reminded me of minestrone), pastilla (a savory meat-filled pastry topped with cinnamon and powdered suger), a couple tagines (chicken, beef, or vegetable - sometimes a fish or lamb option), maybe kebabs, and a cous cous dish (kind of the same as tagine but with very fine cous cous as the base - traditionally only served on Fridays but many restaurants will have it). If you don't like Moroccan food, it may be tough as there wasn't a ton of variety. John and I got some food poisoning once we got home but we are thinking it was honestly the food we ate on our return flight or at the airport - other than that, everyone in our group was fine the whole trip. I think it's likely because the water around the country is mostly potable.
Other notes:
- There are a lot of cats in Morocco so if you're allergic, be prepared!
- I would recommend packing light or at least packing in a way where you can carry all your belongings easily. If you're staying in a medina, you'll likely need to walk with your bags at least a few blocks since cars can't drive within the old city. Most hotels will have porters that can come meet you and/or there are folks waiting around parking lots that will wheel your bags in for a few dhs, so that's always an option!
- Wifi was always available everywhere we stayed (and at most restaurants) but it wasn't always super strong connectivity.
- You can buy a local sim at the airport when you arrive for $1 USD per GB.
- I think water across the country is potable but we still primarily drank bottled water.
- You'll want to carry 1-2 dhs for public restrooms. Gas station rest stops / bathrooms were particularly nice! The worst bathrooms were at the airport, surprisingly.
Rabat
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Rabat is the capital city of Morocco - it's very modern, clean, and relatively quiet compared to the other places we visited. We were lucky that we landed just a couple hours before the Moroccan soccer team arrived home -- so we caught a glimpse of their bus as they headed to the Royal Palace to have dinner with King Mohammed VI. That was a really fun experience!
Before driving to Tangier, we spent about 2 hours visiting the Mohamed V Mausoleum / Hassan Tower and the Oudaya Kasbah. From both locations, you get panoramic views of Salé, across the river to the north. At Oudaya Kasbah, Chahine showed us what a neighborhood communal oven looks like. Traditionally, each neighborhood in a medina will have these 5 things: a mosque, a public hammam (bath/steam rooms), a fountain, a communal oven, and a Koranic school. People either buy bread directly from the bakery (1 dhs per piece of bread) or bring their own dough from home to be baked here. We saw several women bring in their dough and we were told there are no mix-ups :) |
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John and I stayed with Claire - everyone else was planning on staying at the Gardenia but they had a last minute issue and we booked a centrally located Airbnb which worked out.
Tangier
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So on the way to Tangier you can stop at the Hercules cave and also a lookout point where you can see where the Atlantic and Mediterranean meet. I don't think this is worth the small detour and I'd recommend skipping this.
Tangier has a really interesting history - it was an international zone in the early 90s and sort of governed by rotating powers (or also maybe not really governed at all). A lot of Europeans lived / pass through Tangier and many "famous" writers and artists spent time here (we didn't recognize most names but maybe you will!). More recently, there's a lot of investment in Tangier (there's a high-speed train from Rabat to Tangier) since it's a large port city so remains economically very important. It's also right along the water so there are a lot of luxury vacation apartments/homes being built. John and I went on a run along the water (there's a wide sidewalk and this was the only place where it was easy to do a run) and it looks like there's going to be a really nice waterfront marina soon. We stayed in the old part of town, but I think there's a newer part of town if you want to stay in a hotel. We loved La Maison de Tanger, a cute bed and breakfast with 9 rooms, and would have happily stayed another night or two. Email them directly to book. We had dinner at Restaurant Kebdani which was awesome - would definitely recommend getting the fish soup and a fish entree here since you're on the coast. We didn't see a lot of fish on the menu in other cities. Claire told us Kebdani had the best tagines she's had in Morocco and we did not disagree! After dinner we stopped for a quick drink and dessert at El Morocco Club which seems to be quite the institution. If you want to go for dinner you should probably make a reservation. There was also a cute Japanese place around the corner that honestly looked quite good! We did a half day walking tour in Tangier before leaving. In addition to just walking the streets and learning about Tangier's history, we visited the Kasbah Museum (mostly go for the beautiful interior courtyard) and the Tangier American Legation Museum (American history buffs will enjoy). |
Chefchaouen
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Chefchaouen is instagram-famous for its blue walls. Because of this, I was a little worried it would be a tacky tourist-trap, but we enjoyed our time here! We were there during the week and it was the week before Christmas so it was still pretty quiet (we probably saw ~20 tourists the entire time). We stayed in the old city at Riad Cherifa -- John enjoyed their breakfasts the most. They served shakshuka in the morning with sfenj, a Moroccan donut that tastes just like Chinese you tiao. Just down the block from our riad was a sfenj shop where you could also ask them to fry it with an egg in the middle (5 dhs) -- very very greasy but also delicious.
An aside on riads - riad means paradise in arabic, and is the term used for a traditional Moroccan home. They are very nondescript on the outside (most don't even have external facing windows) but one you enter, there's usually an indoor courtyard with a garden or pool. The rooms are interior-facing. Many riads you'll stay in are within the medina (old city) and have been sold to foreign owners and renovated (often combined with neighboring riads to make for a larger space). They are super peaceful and usually have a good amount of communal space which was great for our group to hang out in at night (many also have rooftops). We had one full-day in Chefchaouen and spent the morning on a walking tour. After lunch we wandered around town and had some down time before taking a quick walk (20 minutes) to the Spanish mosque for a beautiful sunset. Chefchaouen is along the Rif mountains so is also a great home base for a day hike if you want to do that. The two main crops grown in this area are olive and cannabis -- cannabis is legal to grow in Morocco but not consume (so be mindful of vendors offering to sell it to you). Most of the cannabis is exported to Europe for recreational use or cosmetic products. Two notes on restaurants: Chez Hicham had amazing gambas al pil pil (shrimp in garlic sauce). Restaurant Triana had a great view (it's right along the river and you can sit out on the patio). |
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Fes
On the way to Fez we stopped at Volubilis which has ruins of an ancient Roman city and Moulay Idriss, a nearby town that houses the tomb of Idris I who was the first Islamic ruler of Morocco. In August it's a popular pilgrimage site. I don't think either are must-dos especially if you've seen other Roman ruins before. But we did have some of the best kefta ever in Moulay Idriss so if you go, look for the spot I pinned on Google Maps. :)
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Fes was John's favorite city! We stayed in the medina at Riad Salam Fes which was really beautiful - it's on the larger size (about 50 rooms) and was a bit noisy (we could hear people arriving in the lobby and also when they moved furniture on the roof above us) so if you're sensitive to sounds, bring ear plugs or consider staying elsewhere.
We had two full days in Fes which felt like the perfect amount of time. You'll likely want some sort of walking tour in Fes - the medina is a crazy maze and it's a bit hard to navigate on your own. We started at the Royal Palace, walk through the Jewish Quarter, then saw a lot of the different craftsmen that Fes is famous for (tanneries for leather, blacksmiths, wool dying -- ceramics we did the next day since they have moved outside of the medina for environmental reasons). Because the medina can be confusing to navigate, there are locals who will "offer" to guide you to where you're going (or just ask you where you're going and walk with you). Unless you're actually lost and want their help, you should aggressively decline or ignore them. They will ask you for money once you get there for showing you the way. This also means that as you're walking, people will often tell you you're going the wrong way or that the way you're headed is closed so you can't pass through -- it's likely part of their "sales" technique. I got the advice that any shopping you want to do should be done in Fes but to be honest I think Marrakech had the same if not a larger selection. For example, pottery in Fes has a distinct style but in Marrakech you can also get pottery from the Safi and Tamegroute regions (the latter is a distinct green color). I really wanted to buy a rug but ultimately came home rug-less. If you do want to buy anything, shop around a little until you get a sense of prices. I think what people will start at is probably 3x or so what you can counter with. We found the bargaining to be pretty friendly so have fun with it! And buying stuff at market stores instead of the tanneries or ceramic workshops directly will always be a bit cheaper (and your guide if you have one is always getting a cut :)). All that being said, if you have time to get something custom made like a leather bag or jacket, you can definitely do that here. We also took a little walk in the newer part of town where a lot of folks have moved -- you can see the European influence (large boulevard, more buildings with balconies, etc.). Foodwise, we had another AMAZING kefta lunch here - in the picture to the right, it's the restaurant with the red sign behind the tree. Probably hard to find but worth an attempt! It's pinned on the Google Maps. For Christmas, we splurged for a dinner at Nur which I'd honestly give a 3/5. It was nice to have something different but I didn't think it was amazing. We had a great meal at Culture Box - we also ate at Cafe Cinema which I believe is the same owners (if you go there, get the amlou crepe for dessert). |
Casablanca
We stopped in Casablanca on the way from Fes to Marrakech to see the Hassan II Mosque. This is the only mosque in the country that non-Muslims can visit. There are set entry times that don't conflict with the call to prayer, so check the schedule to make sure you arrive at a time where they're permitting tourists. It's really grand and we thought it was worth the visit. Your ticket comes with a guided tour in English (or French/Spanish and maybe another language or two). This is basically the only touristy site in Casablanca and it seems like that was part of why the King chose to build this mosque here.
Marrakech
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Our last stop of the trip! We spent 2 full days (3 nights) in Marrakech -- it was by far the busiest city we visited which I think is because we were there between Christmas and New Years which is peak holiday travel and also because in general Marrakech is the number one tourist destination in Morocco. Lots of budget airlines from Europe fly direct to Marrakech which makes it a quick and easy trip from Europe.
We stayed at Palais Calipau which I just found randomly on Booking.com. It was as nice as the pictures look and located in the kasbah - a 15-20 minute walk from Jemaa el-Fnaa square. We looked into staying at La Maison Arabe which came highly recommended but it was already booked. We did book their cooking class (via Viator) which was an awesome half day activity. A friend also recommended Amal which could be another option! The night we got in, we walked to Jemaa el-Fnaa night market to grab dinner. We had some grilled meats (unfortunately not as good as the ones we've previously had on the trip), fried fish (pretty good!), fresh juice, and snail (bitter!). It was a really busy square with tons of vendors, but overall still manageable. |
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The next morning we did our cooking class and then visited Jardin Majorelle (Yves Saint Laurent museum was unfortunately still closed for renovation). It's definitely worth a visit but is pretty crowded so if you're not going with a guide, be sure to buy tickets online in advance. Otherwise you'll probably wait in line for 20-45 minutes to get tickets at the door. Tour guides have their own queue to buy tickets. For dinner that night we went to Al Fassia which was amazing! John called it the "Abou El Sid" of Morocco. Prices are comparable to a dinner in DC (entrees about $18-20 USD) but it was all very good. Chahine says it's somewhere he goes and often people will have Al Fassia cater big events or weddings. We really liked the seafood pastilla, cous cous royale, and chicken tagine with carmelized onion. Email to make a reservation in advance!
The next day, we spent the morning on a walking tour and hit 3 of the main tourist sites: Saadian Tombs, Bahia Palace, and Ben Youssef Madrasa -- it's a lot of walking but you can't really drive between those sites that conveniently anyway. Get ready for ~20k steps! We then scheduled afternoon tea at La Mamounia hotel - it was cool to see and overall a good experience (the amlou macaroons were a hit) but it's a little stuffy, as expected.
We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the medina and doing some last minute shopping. Check out the map for some of the pinned boutiques if you want to check out some modern/more upscale Moroccan fashion.
Two places I wish we had time to go: Le Jardin Secret and the photography museum (near a lot of restaurants and shops, so you could easily fit these in). They're pinned on the map as well!
The next day, we spent the morning on a walking tour and hit 3 of the main tourist sites: Saadian Tombs, Bahia Palace, and Ben Youssef Madrasa -- it's a lot of walking but you can't really drive between those sites that conveniently anyway. Get ready for ~20k steps! We then scheduled afternoon tea at La Mamounia hotel - it was cool to see and overall a good experience (the amlou macaroons were a hit) but it's a little stuffy, as expected.
We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the medina and doing some last minute shopping. Check out the map for some of the pinned boutiques if you want to check out some modern/more upscale Moroccan fashion.
Two places I wish we had time to go: Le Jardin Secret and the photography museum (near a lot of restaurants and shops, so you could easily fit these in). They're pinned on the map as well!