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Morocco 🇲🇦

backpacking Africa Morocco 🇲🇦Medina mazes, Sahara dunes and mountain villages linked by long bus rides.

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Backpacking Morocco in 2027

A complete guide including when and where to go, costs, transport, itineraries, and practical travel advice.
An overview of visiting Morocco

Backpacking Morocco
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 23, 2026

Skip the riad spa and use a neighborhood hammam. Almost every medina in Morocco has one, often beside the mosque, with separate hours or sections for men and women, and entry runs around 15 to 25 MAD (US$1.50 to 2.50) before you tip an attendant for a scrub. In Fes, a woman with forearms like a baker worked a rough kessa glove over my back until gray rolls of skin came away, and the steam smelled of black olive soap and wet stone.
The country earns the trip through density. You get the car-free maze of Fes el-Bali, Berber villages under Jebel Toubkal, the orange dunes of Erg Chebbi and food that spends hours over charcoal. The friction is real too. Marrakech’s medina is packed in spring and October, fake guides work its junctions, and the snake-charmer photo stop on Jemaa el-Fna is a cash grab you can skip. Bus rides of 6 to 10 hours are normal.
Spain, a ferry away, is smoother and pricier. Morocco is cheaper and asks more of you. It suits travelers who enjoy bargaining and long conversations, and wears down anyone who needs to be left alone.

👉 Get the 📖 Travel Guide of Morocco

Marrakech and the High Atlas (Marrakech, Imlil, Toubkal)

Marrakech is the loudest, pushiest city in Morocco, and two or three days there is plenty. Jemaa el-Fna fills with grill smoke and snake charmers after dark, and souk touts are relentless, so expect to say no constantly. The train from Rabat takes about four hours. The better half sits 90 minutes south, where grand taxis climb to Imlil, the trailhead for Toubkal (4,167 meters), a two-day summit hike that needs fitness and no climbing gear in summer. Suits first-timers.

Fes and Meknes (Fes, Meknes, Volubilis)

If you see one medina, make it Fes el-Bali. It is car-free, donkeys haul gas bottles through lanes barely shoulder-wide, and the Chouara tannery vats are viewed from leather-shop terraces where browsing is expected afterward. Getting lost is normal, so a licensed guide for half a day saves hours. Trains from Rabat take 2.5 to 3 hours, Meknes is 40 minutes closer, and Roman Volubilis is a short grand taxi ride from Meknes. Suits history lovers with patience for crowds.

The North (Tangier, Chefchaouen, Tetouan)

The north sees fewer tour groups than Marrakech, with one exception: Chefchaouen’s blue lanes have photo queues by mid-morning. Sleep there, walk at 7 a.m., then hike to the Spanish Mosque for sunset or out to the Akchour waterfalls. Tangier is 1 hour 20 minutes from Rabat on the Al Boraq high-speed train, and Chefchaouen is roughly 3 hours by bus from there. Spanish is widely spoken. Suits slow travelers and hikers who want calmer days.

The Sahara and the Gorges (Merzouga, Todra Gorge, Ait Ben Haddou)

Skip the three-day Sahara tour from Marrakech if you can: it packs 9 to 10 hours of driving each way around one night in the dunes. Go slower instead, through Ait Ben Haddou’s mud-brick ksar and the Dades and Todra gorges to Merzouga, where Erg Chebbi’s dunes rise to about 150 meters. Overnight buses run from Fes and Marrakech. Villages are small, distances long, winter nights near freezing. Suits travelers with a spare week.

Atlantic Coast (Essaouira, Taghazout, Agadir)

Essaouira is where travelers decompress: a walled, whitewashed fishing port where the steady wind keeps summer cool, draws kitesurfers and thins out the hustlers. Buses from Marrakech take about 3 hours. Farther south, Taghazout is a surf village of hostel rooftops and beginner-friendly point breaks, 20 minutes north of Agadir, a concrete beach resort rebuilt after the 1960 earthquake that is not worth a stay. Suits surfers, remote workers and anyone burned out on medinas.
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Why go?Why Morocco is worth visiting

Backpackers

Backpacking Morocco works because the hostels are often converted riads, with dorms around a tiled courtyard … read more 👉
Backpacking Morocco works because the hostels are often converted riads, with dorms around a tiled courtyard and a rooftop terrace where everyone ends up at sunset over mint tea. Travelers move along a fairly fixed loop, so you keep running into the same faces and forming groups for the desert or the mountains. The scene is social without being a booze circuit, since alcohol is scarce and expensive. I would skip the party-labeled hostels in Marrakech, which are noisy and overpriced, and spend a week at a surf hostel in Taghazout, where shared boards and family-style dinners do the socializing for you.

Food

Moroccan food is at its best where locals eat. Breakfast is msemen, a flaky square flatbread, with honey … read more 👉
Moroccan food is at its best where locals eat. Breakfast is msemen, a flaky square flatbread, with honey and amlou (argan oil, almonds and honey). In Fes, bowls of bissara, a garlicky fava bean soup with cumin and olive oil, cost almost nothing and beat any hotel buffet. The set-menu restaurants with rooftop views near the main squares serve tired tagines at triple the price; skip them. Follow the smoke instead: small grill shops let you buy meat by weight at the butcher next door and have it cooked on the spot. For tanjia, the Marrakech clay-pot beef slow-cooked in hammam embers, ask in the Mellah area.

Mountains

Morocco’s mountains run from the green Rif in the north to the bare, red Anti-Atlas in the south, with … read more 👉
Morocco’s mountains run from the green Rif in the north to the bare, red Anti-Atlas in the south, with the High Atlas in between holding North Africa’s highest peak. Toubkal is the famous one, but on spring weekends the trail is a queue, and a licensed guide is now mandatory. For more solitude, the Aït Bouguemez valley and the M’Goun massif offer multi-day walks between Amazigh villages with mud-brick granaries and barley terraces. Hire a local guide and muleteer in the valley and sleep in village gîtes; you get warm bread, a dry bed and conversation. Expect snow above 3,000 meters well into April.

People

Moroccans are curious, quick-witted and fond of teasing, and conversations in Morocco tend to start … read more 👉
Moroccans are curious, quick-witted and fond of teasing, and conversations in Morocco tend to start with where you are from and end with an invitation to tea. On Fridays, families often insist you stay for couscous after the midday prayer, and saying no takes real effort. Humor carries a lot: a joke in broken French or Darija opens more doors than politeness. The smooth talker who approaches you first in a medina is usually selling; the shopkeeper you approach is usually the better company. Sit at a neighborhood café, order a nous-nous (half coffee, half milk) and let the regulars do the talking.

Architecture

The craftsmanship in Morocco is the draw: geometric zellige tilework, carved cedar ceilings and stucco … read more 👉
The craftsmanship in Morocco is the draw: geometric zellige tilework, carved cedar ceilings and stucco cut as fine as lace. The Bou Inania Medersa in Fes and Ben Youssef Medersa in Marrakech show it at its peak, with courtyards of marble and wood built for students in the 14th and 16th centuries. Casablanca’s Hassan II Mosque is one of the few mosques open to non-Muslims, on guided tours, and its scale justifies the trip to an otherwise skippable city. Down south, the earthen kasbahs of the Dades valley are crumbling in fascinating ways. The Majorelle Garden is pretty but crowded and pricey; Volubilis, with its Roman mosaics, is a far better use of a morning.

Low cost

A backpacker in Morocco typically spends around 270 to 490 MAD (€25 to €45) a day covering a dorm bed … read more 👉
A backpacker in Morocco typically spends around 270 to 490 MAD (€25 to €45) a day covering a dorm bed or simple riad room, street food and local buses or second-class trains. Food is where you save most: a bowl of harira, bread and a plate of grilled sardines cost a fraction of a tourist-restaurant meal. Prices climb in Marrakech and for organized tours. Guided medina walks booked through accommodation are rarely worth the markup; a map app does the job. Eat lunch as your main meal, when local canteens serve the day’s tagine at their lowest prices.

Scenery

Morocco packs drastic landscape changes into short distances. Within a day you can move from snowy Atlas … read more 👉
Morocco packs drastic landscape changes into short distances. Within a day you can move from snowy Atlas passes to palm oases and the striped canyon walls of the Dades Gorges, where the road switchbacks up in tight hairpins. The Todra Gorge narrows to rock walls about 300 meters high and is best early, before the tour vans arrive. Ouzoud Falls are worth seeing on a weekday, but on weekends the paths jam with picnickers. Along the Atlantic, the red sea arch at Legzira still stands near Sidi Ifni. Stay overnight in the gorges or the oases; the light at dawn and dusk is the whole point.

Beach life

Beach life in Morocco means the Atlantic: cold, powerful water, long sand beaches and serious surf. … read more 👉
Beach life in Morocco means the Atlantic: cold, powerful water, long sand beaches and serious surf. Taghazout and Imsouane, with one of Africa’s longest right-hand point breaks, draw surfers year-round, while windy Essaouira and the lagoon at Dakhla are kitesurfing hubs. Snorkeling and diving are poor on the Atlantic side, and nightlife is minimal outside Agadir. For clear, calmer water, the Mediterranean coves around Al Hoceima are the better bet in summer. Bring or rent a wetsuit even in August, since water temperatures rarely pass 21°C. Women swimming on local beaches away from surf towns will feel more comfortable in a T-shirt over swimwear.

Uniqueness

Morocco is no secret, but almost everyone follows the same loop, so leaving it takes little effort. … read more 👉
Morocco is no secret, but almost everyone follows the same loop, so leaving it takes little effort. Jebel Saghro, a volcanic range south of the High Atlas, sees seminomadic Aït Atta herders moving with their flocks and very few hikers. Amtoudi, in the Anti-Atlas, has a fortified clifftop granary still reached by a steep mule path. Figuig, a cluster of oasis villages on the Algerian border, feels far from anything familiar. Skip remote spots that only work with a private driver if you are on a budget. Time your visit to a weekly rural souk, where villages trade livestock, spices and gossip and nobody is performing for you.

⭐ HighlightsStandout locations across the country

  • Fes el-Bali: The old medina of Fes is a working, car-free city. Mules carry crates of Coca-Cola through lanes barely wider than your shoulders, and the Chouara tannery hits you before you see it, a sharp mix of lime and animal hide that explains the sprig of mint pressed into your hand at the terrace door.
  • Jemaa el-Fna at dusk: By day it is a wide, sun-blasted square. After sunset the food stalls roll in, smoke from grilled merguez drifts over the crowd, and Gnaoua drummers rattle iron castanets while storytellers hold circles of locals who laugh at jokes you will not catch.
  • Erg Chebbi: The dunes near Merzouga rise to around 150 meters and change color by the hour, from pale apricot at noon to deep rust at sunset. The sand is so fine it gets into your phone charger port, and at night the cold arrives fast enough that you will want the camp blanket.
  • Aït Benhaddou: This fortified ksar of packed earth climbs a hillside above the Ounila riverbed, its towers the color of dry clay. Cross the river
… read more 👉
  • Fes el-Bali: The old medina of Fes is a working, car-free city. Mules carry crates of Coca-Cola through lanes barely wider than your shoulders, and the Chouara tannery hits you before you see it, a sharp mix of lime and animal hide that explains the sprig of mint pressed into your hand at the terrace door.
  • Jemaa el-Fna at dusk: By day it is a wide, sun-blasted square. After sunset the food stalls roll in, smoke from grilled merguez drifts over the crowd, and Gnaoua drummers rattle iron castanets while storytellers hold circles of locals who laugh at jokes you will not catch.
  • Erg Chebbi: The dunes near Merzouga rise to around 150 meters and change color by the hour, from pale apricot at noon to deep rust at sunset. The sand is so fine it gets into your phone charger port, and at night the cold arrives fast enough that you will want the camp blanket.
  • Aït Benhaddou: This fortified ksar of packed earth climbs a hillside above the Ounila riverbed, its towers the color of dry clay. Cross the river on stepping stones, climb to the old granary at the top, and the wind carries the sound of film crews or goats, depending on the day.
  • Chefchaouen: The blue walls are real and so are the crowds. Come at dawn, when the lanes are empty, cats sleep on painted steps and the only sound is water running from the Ras el-Maa spring below town.
For quieter corners, the painted boulders of Tafraoute, the cliffside town of Sidi Ifni and the high plateau around Imilchil all deserve a detour, and I would head to Tafraoute first for its Anti-Atlas granite and almond groves.
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🧭 RoutesSuggested travel routes through Morocco

The 5-Day Marrakech & Atlantic Route


Palace courtyards, smoky night markets and a windswept fishing port, all within a single bus ride of each other. This is Morocco at its most concentrated, built for a first trip with no wasted travel days.
  • Evenings among the storytellers and grill stalls of Jemaa el-Fna
  • The painted ceilings of Bahia Palace and the ruins of El Badi
  • Majorelle’s cobalt gardens
  • Ramparts, fish grills and kitesurfers in Essaouira

👉 explore this 5-day route

The 10-Day Northern Medinas Route


From the Strait of Gibraltar through the blue Rif mountains to the imperial heartland, mostly by train. Expect medieval lanes, Roman ruins and mountain rivers rather than desert sand.
  • The kasbah and sea views of Tangier
  • Blue lanes of Chefchaouen and the river trails of Akchour
  • The madrasas and tanneries of Fes
  • Roman mosaics at Volubilis

👉 explore this 10-day route

The 15-Day Sahara & Kasbah Grand Loop


An overland arc from the Atlantic over the Middle Atlas to the dunes, then west through gorges and … read more 👉

The 5-Day Marrakech & Atlantic Route


Palace courtyards, smoky night markets and a windswept fishing port, all within a single bus ride of each other. This is Morocco at its most concentrated, built for a first trip with no wasted travel days.
  • Evenings among the storytellers and grill stalls of Jemaa el-Fna
  • The painted ceilings of Bahia Palace and the ruins of El Badi
  • Majorelle’s cobalt gardens
  • Ramparts, fish grills and kitesurfers in Essaouira

👉 explore this 5-day route

The 10-Day Northern Medinas Route


From the Strait of Gibraltar through the blue Rif mountains to the imperial heartland, mostly by train. Expect medieval lanes, Roman ruins and mountain rivers rather than desert sand.
  • The kasbah and sea views of Tangier
  • Blue lanes of Chefchaouen and the river trails of Akchour
  • The madrasas and tanneries of Fes
  • Roman mosaics at Volubilis

👉 explore this 10-day route

The 15-Day Sahara & Kasbah Grand Loop


An overland arc from the Atlantic over the Middle Atlas to the dunes, then west through gorges and earthen villages to Marrakech. It’s the trip for seeing how much the landscape shifts in two weeks.
  • A night in a camp among the Erg Chebbi dunes
  • Cedar forests and macaques around Azrou
  • The Todra and Dades gorges
  • Sunset over the Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou

👉 explore this 15-day route

🌤️ When to go?When to go for the best experience

The best months for backpacking Morocco are April, May, October and November, when Marrakech and Fes sit in the mid-20s °C, desert days are comfortable and room rates stay moderate outside holiday weeks. Region changes everything here: the Atlantic coast stays mild all year, while the Sahara and the interior swing from 40°C-plus summers to frosty winter nights, and the High Atlas carries snow for much of winter.
  • Spring (March to May): Warm days, green valleys and the best overall weather for combining cities, mountains and desert. Crowds and riad prices climb around Easter and European school breaks, so this is the busiest good season.
  • Summer (June to August): The interior bakes and desert tours turn punishing, while the coast fills with Moroccan families on holiday. The High Atlas and the cooler Atlantic towns are where summer works.
  • Autumn (September to November): Heat fades, the sea is at its warmest and the surf season starts. November gives you spring-quality weather for less money and far fewer tour groups.
  • Winter (December to February): Sunny, cool days, cold nights and the lowest prices of the year, apart from a sharp spike over Christmas and New Year.
I’d pack a warm layer for any desert night outside summer, and I’d book Easter or New Year rooms at least a month ahead.

source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: fair for travelingFEBFebruary: fair for travelingMARMarch: good for travelingAPRApril: excellent for travelingMAYMay: excellent for travelingJUNJune: highly recommended for travelingJULJuly: fair for travelingAUGAugust: fair for travelingSEPSeptember: highly recommended for travelingOCTOctober: excellent for travelingNOVNovember: excellent for travelingDECDecember: fair for traveling
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💰 Costs (as of 2026)Typical budget expectations

Backpacking Morocco costs most budget travelers US$30 to 45 a day. That covers a dorm bed, street food, intercity buses and a paid sight or two. Expect roughly a third of what the same trip costs across the Strait in Spain.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Dorm accommodationUS$8 to 16 per nightA medina hostel dorm in Marrakech runs US$10 to 16, usually with a rooftop breakfast of msemen and mint tea included. Chefchaouen and Fes dorms often go for US$8 to 12. You pay less by booking directly at the reception for stays of three nights or more, and by skipping the riad hostels on the main squares. Spanish dorms in Seville or Málaga cost US$25 to 40 for a comparable bed.
MealsUS$6 to 12 per dayA bowl of bissara (fava bean soup) or harira costs US$0.50 to 1, a msemen pancake US$0.30 to 0.50, and a vegetable tagine at a workers’ café US$3 to 5. Self-catering at Marjane or Carrefour Market is barely cheaper than street food, but it is worth it for bread, cheese, dates and 1.5-liter water bottles at US$0.60. The grilled-meat stalls on Jemaa el-Fna charge two to three times what a side-street grill does.
Local transportUS$3 to 12 per day (averaged)Supratours or CTM from Marrakech to Essaouira
… read more 👉
Backpacking Morocco costs most budget travelers US$30 to 45 a day. That covers a dorm bed, street food, intercity buses and a paid sight or two. Expect roughly a third of what the same trip costs across the Strait in Spain.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Dorm accommodationUS$8 to 16 per nightA medina hostel dorm in Marrakech runs US$10 to 16, usually with a rooftop breakfast of msemen and mint tea included. Chefchaouen and Fes dorms often go for US$8 to 12. You pay less by booking directly at the reception for stays of three nights or more, and by skipping the riad hostels on the main squares. Spanish dorms in Seville or Málaga cost US$25 to 40 for a comparable bed.
MealsUS$6 to 12 per dayA bowl of bissara (fava bean soup) or harira costs US$0.50 to 1, a msemen pancake US$0.30 to 0.50, and a vegetable tagine at a workers’ café US$3 to 5. Self-catering at Marjane or Carrefour Market is barely cheaper than street food, but it is worth it for bread, cheese, dates and 1.5-liter water bottles at US$0.60. The grilled-meat stalls on Jemaa el-Fna charge two to three times what a side-street grill does.
Local transportUS$3 to 12 per day (averaged)Supratours or CTM from Marrakech to Essaouira costs about US$9 to 11. Marrakech to Fes by CTM runs about US$20 to 25. The ONCF second-class train from Casablanca to Marrakech is US$12 to 16. City buses cost about US$0.40, and petit taxi hops in town US$1 to 3 on the meter. Fares here sit close to Tunisia’s and well below the cost of Spanish ALSA coaches.
ActivitiesUS$5 to 20 per day (averaged)Sahara tours drive the budget. A three-day group trip from Marrakech to Merzouga costs US$70 to 120 with meals and a camp night. Jardin Majorelle is about US$17, and Bahia Palace about US$10. A local neighborhood hammam costs US$1.50 to 3, versus US$30 and up at a tourist spa. I’d save on the spa hammams and put that money into a desert tour that leaves from Fes, so you spend fewer hours on the road.
MiscellaneousUS$2 to 5 per dayA Maroc Telecom or inwi SIM is US$2 to 5, and 10 to 20 GB of data adds another US$5 to 10. Mint tea in a café costs US$1 to 1.50. Tips for guides and porters run US$1 to 3, public toilets US$0.20 to 0.50, and foreign ATM fees can reach US$3 to 5 per withdrawal.
Total Daily BudgetUS$30 to 45 per dayStaying in Chefchaouen and eating street food can push you toward US$25. Marrakech with a desert tour lands nearer US$45. The same style of travel costs US$80 to 110 in Spain and US$60 to 90 in Portugal.
⚠️ Prices can change and everyone travels differently, so take this as a rough guide. Hope it helps you plan your adventure!

✈️ The backpacker research shortcutMorocco Travel Guide

An offline-friendly backpacking guide with optimized travel routes, ranked highlights, transport advice, and the best areas to stay.
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The digital guide (424 pages) contains:
✅ 112 highlights, ranked by travel appeal
✅ Optimized 5, 10 & 15-day travel routes
✅ Cities, national parks, landmarks, beaches
✅ How to get around
✅ Offline-friendly for travel without Wi-Fi
👉 Click to see all 30+ guide features

📅 Plan smarter in minutes, not weeks
✅ Month by month travel advice
✅ Festivals & national holidays
✅ Budget expectations

🗺️ Go to the right places, skip the overrated ones
✅ Honest pros & cons of destinations
✅ Top hikes, parks & viewpoints
✅ Lesser-known places most travelers miss
✅ Clear “worth it vs skip it” guidance

🛏️ Travel smoothly without rookie mistakes
✅ Best areas to stay
✅ Transport systems explained simply
✅ Common scams & safety advice
✅ SIM cards, money & practical tips

🌍 Understand the country, not just visit it
✅ Culture & traditions
✅ 52 Essential phrases & customs
✅ Festivals worth planning around
✅ Traveler-friendly historical context
✅ Insights that make places more meaningful

📱 Built for real travel conditions
✅ Fully downloadable PDF
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🛏️ Where to stay?Where to stay in Morocco

Morocco has plenty of hostels and budget guesthouses, most set in converted riads with dorms around a tiled courtyard and a rooftop terrace where breakfast is usually included. In Marrakech, the Medina near Jemaa el-Fnaa keeps you walking distance from the souks and food stalls but comes with motorbike noise, touts and confusing alleys after dark, while Gueliz is calmer and has most of the city’s bars, at the cost of a 20 to 30 minute walk to the old town. In Fes, staying inside Fes el-Bali puts the tanneries and medersas on your doorstep (the lanes go quiet and dim at night, so note your route), … read more 👉
Morocco has plenty of hostels and budget guesthouses, most set in converted riads with dorms around a tiled courtyard and a rooftop terrace where breakfast is usually included. In Marrakech, the Medina near Jemaa el-Fnaa keeps you walking distance from the souks and food stalls but comes with motorbike noise, touts and confusing alleys after dark, while Gueliz is calmer and has most of the city’s bars, at the cost of a 20 to 30 minute walk to the old town. In Fes, staying inside Fes el-Bali puts the tanneries and medersas on your doorstep (the lanes go quiet and dim at night, so note your route), whereas the medinas of Chefchaouen and Essaouira are smaller, safer-feeling and easy to find your way around, and Taghazout near Agadir is packed with surf hostels that suit a social crowd more than sightseers.

If you enjoy meeting fellow travelers, consider choosing hostels with high ratings for atmosphere. On the other hand, if you prefer having your own space, a hotel might be a better option.

Best hostels in Morocco


Best quality hotels in Morocco

🚌 Getting aroundWhat moving around is really like

Most backpackers in Morocco end up on a mix of ONCF trains and CTM or Supratours buses, because together they reach nearly every city on a first route at fixed, posted prices with no haggling. Trains cover the Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca, Fes and Marrakech corridor, and buses fill in the coast, the mountains and the desert. Expect full carriages on Fridays, Sundays and around Eid, when half the country travels home.
  • ONCF trains: The Al Boraq high-speed line links Tangier and Casablanca in about 2
… read more 👉
Most backpackers in Morocco end up on a mix of ONCF trains and CTM or Supratours buses, because together they reach nearly every city on a first route at fixed, posted prices with no haggling. Trains cover the Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca, Fes and Marrakech corridor, and buses fill in the coast, the mountains and the desert. Expect full carriages on Fridays, Sundays and around Eid, when half the country travels home.
  • ONCF trains: The Al Boraq high-speed line links Tangier and Casablanca in about 2 hours 10 minutes for roughly MAD 150 to 400 (US$15 to 40) in second class, cheaper the earlier you book. Regular trains run Casablanca to Marrakech in about 3 hours for MAD 100 to 150 (US$10 to 15) and Fes to Marrakech in about 7 hours for MAD 200 to 250 (US$20 to 25). Buy on the ONCF app, the website or at the station. Second class is fine most days, but on busy routes first class is the only way to guarantee a seat instead of standing in the corridor.
  • CTM and Supratours buses: Marrakech to Essaouira takes about 3 hours for MAD 80 to 110 (US$8 to 11), Fes to Chefchaouen 4 to 5 hours for MAD 75 to 95, and the overnight Marrakech to Merzouga run 12 to 13 hours for MAD 200 to 260. Seats recline and most coaches have air conditioning. Book online, in the apps or at the company office, and budget MAD 5 to 10 per checked bag. Cheaper private local buses cost about half but stop constantly; they are not worth the time on anything longer than 3 hours.
  • Grand taxis: Shared sedans that leave when every seat is sold, ideal for hops of 30 to 90 minutes such as Fes to Meknes (about 1 hour, MAD 25 to 30). Pay the driver per seat at the taxi rank. Buying two seats gets you real room, and the price per seat is fixed, so ask a local passenger what they paid.
  • Petit taxis: Small city cabs, color-coded by city, carrying up to three passengers and forbidden from leaving city limits. Metered rides cost MAD 7 to 30, with a 50 percent night surcharge. Insist on the meter (“compteur”); in Marrakech, where drivers often refuse, agree a price before you get in.
I would ride Al Boraq for the north to south leg and book the Merzouga bus at least two days ahead, because it sells out in spring and autumn.
In Morocco, the cheapest airport transfers are the airport bus in Marrakech (30 dirhams, about €3) and the Al Bidaoui train in Casablanca (about 50 dirhams, roughly €5), with fixed-rate taxis as the faster backup.
Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK), about 6 km (4 miles) from Jemaa el-Fnaa and the medina
  • Airport bus L19 (20 to 30 minutes, 30 MAD one way or 50 MAD return, about €3 / €5) leaves from right outside arrivals roughly every 30 minutes from early morning until about 9:30 to 10 pm, stopping at Jemaa el-Fnaa, Koutoubia and Gueliz, and you pay the driver in cash dirhams.
  • Airport taxi (15 to 20 minutes, about 100 MAD by day and 150 MAD at night, roughly €10 / €15) waits at the rank outside arrivals, where a board lists the fixed fares, so agree the price before loading your bag and carry small notes because drivers rarely have change.
  • inDrive (15 to 20 minutes, about 60 to 100 MAD, roughly €6 to €10) works with a local SIM or airport Wi-Fi, though drivers often ask you to walk to the parking area or the road outside to avoid the taxi rank, and you pay in cash.
Casablanca Mohammed V Airport (CMN), about 30 km (19 miles) south of the city center
  • ONCF Al Bidaoui train (35 to 40 minutes to Casa Voyageurs, 45 to 50 minutes to Casa Port, about 50 MAD or €5 in second class) leaves from the station on the lower level of Terminal 1 roughly every hour from early morning until late evening, and you buy tickets at the counter, the machines or the ONCF app before boarding.
  • Grand taxi (40 to 60 minutes depending on traffic, about 300 MAD by day and up to around 400 MAD at night, roughly €30 / €40) leaves from the official rank outside arrivals at a fixed rate that covers the whole car, so split it if you are in a group and pay in cash.
  • inDrive (40 to 60 minutes, about 150 to 250 MAD, roughly €15 to €25) needs mobile data to book, pickups usually happen in the parking area rather than at the terminal door, and you settle the fare in cash with the driver.
⚠️ Prices and routes can change, so take this as a rough guide and ask for local advice when you arrive.
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🔒 Safety (risk Level: medium)Common concerns and things to watch out for

Safety for solo travelers, including women and LGBTQ+ individuals
Morocco is generally safe for solo travelers, with low violent crime and the main risks being pickpocketing, pushy touts and unofficial “guides” in the medinas of Marrakech, Fes and Tangier. Solo women often face persistent catcalling and unwanted attention, which is usually verbal; dressing conservatively, walking with purpose and ignoring comments helps, and many women find group tours or female-friendly riads make desert and mountain trips easier. For LGBTQ+ travelers, same-sex relations are illegal under Moroccan law, so discretion and avoiding public displays of affection are strongly advised, even though foreigners are rarely targeted. After dark, stick to lit main streets and take registered taxis rather than wandering empty medina lanes.


Full official government travel advisory (live updates)
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✈️ VisaDo you need a visa to visit?

Citizens of the US, Canada, the UK, the EU, Australia, New Zealand and many other countries can visit Morocco without a visa for up to 90 days, provided their passport is valid for at least three months beyond arrival. Travelers from countries that need a visa can apply through the official Moroccan e-Visa portal (where eligible) or at a Moroccan embassy or consulate, usually with a return ticket, accommodation proof and bank statements. Overstaying the 90 days requires an extension from the local police, so plan your exit date carefully.

source: acces-maroc.ma
⚠️ Visa requirements can change over time, so always check the latest visa requirements with the official embassy or government website before you travel.

🎒 What to pack?What to wear and bring

Packing for Morocco means planning for big temperature swings: summer afternoons in Marrakech and the Sahara can top 40°C (104°F), yet desert nights and Atlas mountain villages drop near freezing in winter, so layers beat bulky single pieces. Pack modest, breathable clothing that covers shoulders and knees, which keeps you comfortable in the sun and respectful in medinas and rural areas, and women will appreciate a light scarf for mosques and dusty winds alike. Sturdy, closed shoes handle uneven cobblestones, steep Chefchaouen stairways and rocky Atlas trails far better than flip-flops. Keep your bag light and soft-sided, since you will often carry it through narrow medina alleys where taxis cannot go.

Apart from this country specific advice, I have also crafted a general packing list that should help on any trip. authorOver the years, I've learned the importance of packing minimally. It's so much easier to jump on the back of a truck or squeeze yourself into the last spot of a minibus without that supersized backpack. If you're headed to a warm destination, leave your winter jacket at home; for colder regions, opt for thin thermal underlayers. Instead of packing your entire wardrobe, bring just three sets of clothes, as laundry facilities are available everywhere.

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🙋 FAQFrequently asked questions

Trip Planning

Planning a backpacking route through Morocco can be tricky — you need to balance must-see places, travel times, budget, and how long to stay in each destination. Our free personalized Morocco itinerary planner creates a route based on your travel style, trip duration, and interests, so you can spend less time researching and more time exploring.



Personal tip: I normally search on good rating for atmosphere (for meeting people) and location (for easy exploring). Cleanliness as a bonus.


Travel Essentials

No vaccinations are required to enter Morocco unless you arrive from a country with yellow fever risk, in which case a yellow fever certificate may be requested. Health authorities recommend being up to date on routine vaccines (MMR, tetanus-diphtheria, polio) plus hepatitis A and typhoid, since both spread through food and water. Hepatitis B and rabies shots are worth discussing with a travel clinic for long stays, rural trekking or contact with animals, as stray cats and dogs are common. Malaria is not a concern in the country.


vaccination requirements
When I first started traveling, I often spent part of my first day in a new country hunting for a local SIM card. While this can still be slightly cheaper, it also takes time and planning.

These days, it's much simpler to install an eSIM before leaving home. Once you arrive in Morocco, you can activate it immediately and have mobile data from the moment you land — which is especially useful for ordering transport or navigating away from busy airports.

There are many providers nowadays, and price differences are usually small. I personally go with Holafly, as it offers excellent network coverage throughout the country and strong global coverage, so you can manage multiple countries from a single app.


HolaFly eSim

Culture & Customs

Dress modestly in Morocco, covering shoulders and knees, especially outside beach resorts and in rural villages, and women will draw less attention with loose, longer clothing. Use your right hand for eating, passing money and shaking hands, since the left is considered unclean, and accept mint tea when offered as a sign of hospitality. Always ask before photographing people, particularly women and market vendors, some of whom will expect a small payment. Non-Muslims cannot enter most mosques, with the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca the notable exception. During Ramadan, avoid eating, drinking or smoking in public during daylight hours. Haggling is expected in souks, but stay friendly and only make an offer you intend to honor. Don’t show public affection; couples of any kind should keep it private, and LGBTQ+ travelers should be especially discreet given that same-sex relations are illegal. Drink alcohol only in licensed bars, hotels and restaurants, never on the street.
Trying traditional food is always a great way to experience the culture. Here are some must-try dishes for Morocco.
  1. Tagine: A slow-cooked stew named after the cone-lidded clay pot it simmers in, commonly chicken with preserved lemon and olives or lamb with prunes and almonds. It is the everyday centerpiece of Moroccan home cooking and roadside cafés alike, eaten by scooping with bread.
  2. Couscous: Steamed semolina piled with vegetables and meat, often topped with caramelized onions and raisins (“tfaya”). Families traditionally share a big platter after Friday prayers, so Friday is the day restaurants serve the best versions.
  3. Pastilla (Bastilla): A flaky pastry pie layered with spiced pigeon or chicken, almonds and eggs, dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar. Its sweet and savory mix comes from Andalusian-influenced Fes cuisine, and it is served at weddings and celebrations.
  4. Harira: A tomato, lentil and chickpea soup with herbs and a little meat. It is the classic dish for breaking the fast during Ramadan, usually alongside dates and honeyed chebakia pastries.
  5. Tanjia: A Marrakech specialty of beef or lamb cooked for hours in a tall urn, traditionally in the ashes of a hammam furnace. Local men prepare it for gatherings, and it falls apart at the touch of bread.
  6. Rfissa: Shredded msemen flatbread soaked in a fenugreek and saffron broth with chicken and lentils. It is the dish served after childbirth and at family feasts, prized as comfort food.
Tap water in Morocco’s major cities is treated and many locals drink it, but the change in mineral content and occasional older pipes can upset unaccustomed stomachs, especially in rural areas. Most travelers are advised to stick to bottled water, with a 1.5-liter bottle of brands like Sidi Ali or Sidi Harazem costing around MAD 6 to 8 (under US$1). A filter bottle or purification tablets are a good way to cut plastic waste, and it’s wise to skip ice and raw salads washed in tap water during your first days.
The main language in Morocco is Arabic. Backpacking is way more rewarding if you know a bit of the local language, so I'd suggest brushing up on the basics just in case your Arabic skills have become a bit rusty.

Want to understand locals better?
The complete Travel Guide for Morocco includes 52 essential words and phrases — greetings, thank-yous, ordering food, transport, numbers, and common local expressions you'll actually hear.

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English in Morocco is spoken reliably in hostels, riads and tourist hubs like Marrakech, Fes and Chefchaouen, and increasingly by younger Moroccans, while in Rabat you will still hear French far more often in offices and shops. In rural villages and the Atlas, people speak Darija (Moroccan Arabic) or Amazigh languages, and English can be close to nonexistent. French is the language that helps most everywhere: menus, train tickets and road signs all use it. Download offline French and Arabic packs in Google Translate and learn “shukran” (thank you) and “la, shukran” (no, thank you), which also politely ends most sales pitches.

Money & Payments

The local currency of Morocco is MAD (د.م.).
ATMs are easy to find in Morocco’s cities and towns, including inside medina gates and at airports and train stations, though they thin out in small Atlas villages and desert towns, so withdraw before heading rural. Many Moroccan bank ATMs charge no local fee, while some add about MAD 25 to 35 per withdrawal, on top of whatever your home bank charges. Cards work in mid-range hotels, supermarkets like Marjane and Carrefour, chain restaurants and ONCF train ticket offices, but souks, taxis, street food stalls, small riads and grand taxis are cash only. The dirham is a closed currency that you can’t buy legally abroad, so bring euros (most widely accepted) or US dollars as a backup and exchange them on arrival. Use banks or official bureaux de change, which offer fair rates with no commission, never street changers, and keep your receipts so you can convert leftover dirhams back before departure.
Tipping in Morocco is customary and part of how many service workers earn a living, with 10 percent standard in sit-down restaurants and small change (MAD 5 to 10) left at cafés. Porters, hammam attendants and parking guardians expect MAD 5 to 20, while licensed guides typically receive MAD 50 to 100 for a half day and desert or trekking crews around MAD 50 to 100 per day from the group. Petit taxi drivers don’t expect tips, but rounding up the fare is appreciated.

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📸 PhotosTravel photos from Morocco

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Photographed by: Johan Kruseman

We 💚 feedbackKey takeaways from the trip

The first three days in Morocco are the hardest, with touts, haggling and the sense that everyone wants something from you. It passes. By week two you know which offers to wave off and which tea invitations to accept, and the country gets far warmer. Learn a handful of Darija phrases before you land: salam alaikum, la shukran (no thank you) and bshhal (how much). Locals respond to Darija instantly, prices drop, and the persistent guys back off faster than with any amount of English.

✈️ When did I visit Morocco?
In October 2011, I backpacked Morocco for two weeks, with climbing the Mount Toubkal in summer clothing as a highlight. Originally written after my visit, this guide has been kept up to date with input from locals and recent travelers (last update: 23 October 2026)

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on my own backpacking experience in Morocco, supplemented with up-to-date research and feedback from other travelers. Travel details can change, so if you notice anything outdated or incomplete, feel free to let me know.



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👋 Meet the founderWho’s Behind Take Your Backpack?

Johan, backpacker and founder of TakeYourBackpackHi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.

This site is built on a combination of firsthand travel experience and carefully curated insights from other backpackers. Many guides are based on places I’ve personally visited, while others bring together tips, observations, and practical advice shared by trusted travelers I’ve met along the way.

The goal is to provide realistic, experience-driven guidance — not generic itineraries — so you can explore destinations with better context, clearer expectations, and more confidence.

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