Morocco travel advice. Top things to know before you travel

After travelling a couple of times to this wonderful North African country and spending over a month there, I always recommend it to anyone wanting to travel to Africa for the first time but here’s some Morocco travel advice for things you need to know before you go.

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Is Morocco Safe?

This is one the first questions when someone asks me about Morocco travel advise and I always say a big fat yes. Generally, Morocco is safe to travel. However, you do need to stay alert for scammers as unfortunately that’s a reality of the country.

Whether they just “invite” you to enter their shops for free and then want to force you to buy something or want to guide you on their cities without you asking for it. It’s quite important you show them right form the beginning that you don’t want any of their “services”.

Fear not, Moroccan people can be lovely and hospitable. Specially out of the most touristy areas.

When to visit Morocco?

In general, it’s best to avoid the extreme heat of the summer months and that’s what makes Morocco a fantastic destination for the shoulder seasons as temperatures are really pleasant in spring, autumn and even in some places during the winter.

I’ve been in the southwest coast in January (Agadir, Anza, Essaouira, etc) and it was lovely temperature-wise compared to most of Europe and also without too many crowds. But hiking in Mount Toubkal or the desert in that time would mean taking lots of layers with you to stay warm so it’d be better to go in spring or autumn for those.

Language in Morocco

The official language in Morocco is Arabic, but Moroccan Arabic is called Darija which is different from other Arab countries. About half of the population also speaks Berber.

With the colonial past of the country, there are areas in the north of Morocco where many people can speak Spanish (such as in Tetouan and Tangier) and going more south many people will speak French.

Having said so, I’ve found many people in my travels that only spoke Darija or Berber so be prepared to have some difficulties when trying to communicate with people that are not working in hotels or guesthouses when you travel in Morocco.

Here are a few useful Moroccan phrases:

As-salaam Alaykum: to say hello
Walaykum As-salaam: this is what you respond if someone else greets you as above
Salam: Hi (short for As-salaam Alaykum)
Beslama: goodbye
Wah: yes
La: no
Afak: please
Shokran: thank you

Take cash when you travel in Morocco

The Moroccan Dirham is the official currency and I highly recommend you to look into any ATM fees you may incur when you travel in Morocco as in this country cash is king, so don’t count too much on using your card a lot, specially if you like visiting markets and local restaurants that are not so tailored to tourists.

As a general safety measure in any country you travel, you should not have all your cash stashed in your wallet. Look to spread in two or three safe pockets in your rucksack, daypack or anywhere else. I recommend not having too many notes visible in your wallet and always be discreet when taking your wallet out to pay for something as you don’t want to grab anyone’s attention.

When using local ATMs anywhere in the world, have a quick look around if you’re not a transited area and don’t spend much time counting the cash by the ATM if you took a “large” amount of money.

How to travel between cities in Morocco

All of the public transport that I’ve used in Morocco has been fairly efficient. From intercity buses to trains, where they exist.

Bus companies like CTM have a large network across the country and although I think that’s the most expensive bus company, tickets can still be affordable and the buses are generally well maintained.

Local buses can be tricky to predict as in many places there are no timed schedules so be prepared for that.

The train network covers only some sections of the country but the trains I took were always on time and not expensive.

In some areas you can also find shared taxis, you must make sure to negotiate the price before getting in the car as sadly there are many scams around in Morocco and being a tourist they will try to overcharge you if you don’t ask in advance.

Note that when travelling by intercity bus you have to pay for any luggage in addition to your ticket. The luggage charge is about 5-10 Dirhams per bag. This is consistent across all the bus companies I used on my travels in Morocco.

Do you need travel insurance to travel in Morocco?

As with almost anywhere you go this is a personal preference. I don’t usually take travel insurance in most countries I visit but nowadays there are so many alternatives to be covered for any eventuality at a great value that it makes sense to get a policy just in case.

In the past I have taken travel insurance policies with TrueTraveller in the past as every time I compared quotes with World Nomads they came consistently much lower and covering a range of adventure experiences.

Lately I’ve been hearing great things about SafetyWing so I may give them a try next time. If you have used them please share your experience below in the comments!

Do you need a visa to travel to Morocco?

EU, USA and other country visitors generally don’t need a visa to travel to Morocco up to 90 days. However, make sure to always check your embassy’s advise as policies keep changing all the time across countries.

In general the entry to Morocco is fairly straight forward but count on spending a bit of time at the airport as I’ve experienced some long queues even in low season.

Is Morocco cheap?

Morocco can be both a budget destination or a premium one as its tourism industry is well developed so you will find cheap hostels, luxury hotels, local restaurants and premium experiences.

If you’re a budget traveller know that you can haggle for almost anything if you’re shopping in a local market and if you don’t you will most likely be scammed.

Because the country is relatively well developed, Morocco is similar to Tunisia or Senegal in terms of pricing for food and transport and perhaps even a bit cheaper for accommodation as there’s a better stablished hostel culture.

Sample prices when travelling in Morocco

The prices below are from 2025 and mostly low cost options. Which doesn’t mean you’re compromising in quality but most of the times you’re getting a real and authentic experience compared to places specifically tailored for tourists.

Hostel dorm: 100-160 Dirhams (MAD). This can vary quite a lot in different cities
Basic private room: 120-250 MAD
Dinner at a local restaurant (not fancy): 40-80 MAD
Local breakfast: 10-30 MAD
Pastry at local bakery 5-15 MAD
Buses:
Agadir to Essaouira 95 MAD
Essaouira to Casablanca 100 MAD
Agadir airport to city 50 MAD
Fes to Tetouan 90 MAD
Tetouan to Tangier 35 MAD
Marrakesh to Airport 30 MAD
Local buses: 2-4 MAD
Train:
Casablanca to Rabat 45 MAD
Rabat to Fes 125 MAD
Tangier to Marrakesh 360 MAD

How long to travel in Morocco

I’ve been a couple of times in Morocco and it’s one of those countries that are great for slow travel as you can easily spend two or three months and experience a diverse range of cities, villages and natural landscapes.

Being so close to Europe and with low cost flights available year-round, you can also take one city at a time for some weekend escapades. Seriously, look at the flights as from places like London they can be under £10!

My final tip for this Morocco travel advice guide

When you’re ready to leave Morocco, you MUST print your boarding pass! Mobile boarding passes are not accepted in Morocco (as of now, I imagine they should change this policy someday) so don’t forget about this really important step as otherwise your cheap flight ticket may become a lot more expensive! For some more ideas on what to take with you, here’s a practical packing list for Morocco.

Have you been travelling in Morocco and have other tips to share with fellow travellers? Please drop a comment below and share with the community!

Save the pins for the next time you Travel in Morocco!