Morocco

A whole country three hours' flight away

Morocco brings together very different landscapes a few hours' drive from one another: medinas that are still lived in, including those of Fez, Marrakesh, Meknes, Tetouan and Essaouira, inscribed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization); the High Atlas, which peaks at Toubkal, 4,167 m; the dunes of the Sahara, at the end of the road of the kasbahs; and two coastlines, the cool, windy Atlantic and the calmer Mediterranean.

For European travellers, proximity changes everything. Marrakesh is a few hours' flight from Europe's main cities, direct or with one stop; Tangier is an hour by ferry from Spain. A long weekend is enough for one medina; a week lets you combine a city with the sea, or a city with the mountains; ten days open up the desert or the imperial cities circuit.

Where you stay is part of the trip. The riad, a traditional house built around a patio or an inner garden, is the classic way to stay in a medina; the Riads page explains how to choose one. In the south, the kasbah, a fortified earthen house, and the desert camp take over.

Six ways to see Morocco

A first trip: Marrakesh, then the sea or the mountains

Marrakesh is the easiest way in: a 700-hectare medina listed by UNESCO in 1985, Jemaa el-Fna square, palaces and gardens. Three to four days are enough for the city; beyond that, it becomes a base. Essaouira, 184 km away on the Atlantic, is its natural counterpoint: an 18th-century walled medina, cool and windy, to be enjoyed on foot. That is the idea Marrakesh and Essaouira in 7 days. The other complement is the High Atlas, less than two hours' drive away, for a day in the mountains, a few nights in a kasbah or the ascent of Toubkal, offered by the idea Trekking in the High Atlas and Toubkal.

History: the imperial cities

Fez, with Fes el-Bali, a medina founded between 789 and 808 where no cars run, needs at least three days. Meknes and Volubilis are visited in a day from Fez: the capital of Sultan Moulay Ismail and the largest Roman archaeological site in the country. Rabat, the capital, listed by UNESCO for its historic town as well as its modern city, is the mildest stop in summer. The idea The imperial cities in 10 days links them by train as far as Marrakesh. For 20th-century architecture, Casablanca adds its Art Deco centre and the Hassan II Mosque, which non-Muslims visit with a guide.

The north: Tangier, the Rif and the Mediterranean

Tangier looks across the Strait of Gibraltar to Spain. From there you reach Tetouan and its Andalusian medina, Chefchaouen, the blue town of the Rif and gateway to the Akchour gorges, then Fez: that is the idea Tangier, Chefchaouen and Fez in 8 days. On the Atlantic, Asilah and Larache make a stop between Tangier and Rabat; the idea Casablanca, Rabat and Tangier by high-speed train travels the coast without a car.

The desert: three deserts for three trips

In Morocco, the word desert covers three different experiences, compared in the guide Choosing a desert camp.

• Agafay, a stony desert about 45 minutes from Marrakesh, is for an evening or a night in a camp, without changing base.
• Erg Chebbi, at Merzouga, is a dune field 22 km long and 5 km wide that rises to 150 m. You get there along the road of the kasbahs, through Ouarzazate and the Dades and Todgha valleys: the idea Marrakech, Dades and Merzouga in 8 days follows that route.
• Erg Chigaga, more remote, at the end of the Draa Valley, can only be reached by 4x4: that is the idea The Deep South and Erg Chigaga in 9 days.

Merzouga is about 457 km and 7 hours' drive from Fez, and two days from Marrakesh over the Tizi n'Tichka pass: either way, Sabaro advises one night on the way and two nights there.

The Atlantic: winter sun and board sports

Agadir is the winter resort: an average high of 21.2 °C in January and 10 km of seafront, for families and golfers. To the north, Taghazout is the centre of Moroccan surfing, with beaches for learning and point breaks for experienced surfers; the idea Surf, yoga and spa in Taghazout makes it a week without changing hotel. Far to the south, Dakhla encloses a 37 km lagoon on the edge of the desert, where the wind reaches at least 19 knots on about 323 days a year: it is the kitesurfing destination, in the idea Kitesurfing in Dakhla. The Surfing, Kitesurfing and Golf pages bring together the hotels that suit them; the idea Golf in Marrakech is a reminder that Marrakesh is also a golfing city.

Off the main circuits

Several regions suit a slower trip, away from the busiest itineraries. On the Atlantic, El Jadida and Oualidia, between a Portuguese fortress town and an oyster lagoon, Safi, a town of potters, and Sidi Ifni and Mirleft, between cliffs and 1930s architecture. In the mountains, Tafraout and the Anti-Atlas and their pink granite villages, Azilal and Ouzoud, between waterfalls and the Ait Bouguemez valley, Ifrane and the Middle Atlas, with their cedars and macaques, and Taroudant, a walled town between Agadir and the Atlas. On the Mediterranean, Al Hoceima and its land and marine national park, and Oujda and Saidia, in the far north-east.

Morocco season by season

Morocco has few bad seasons, but each season has its regions.

The Atlantic stays cool all year, from about 16 to 21 °C depending on the month and the place: a wetsuit is a must for board sports. Beginner surfers prefer the calmer sea from May to August, experienced surfers the swells from October to March.

Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin around 8 February, the official date being set by the Moroccan authorities after sighting of the crescent moon. The country then lives to the rhythm of the fast, with quiet days and lively evenings; the guide Travelling in Morocco during Ramadan explains how to adapt.

Linking the regions

Moroccan distances are measured in hours on the road more than in kilometres, and your choice of transport shapes the trip.

The train along the Atlantic axis. Al Boraq, the high-speed train of ONCF (Office national des chemins de fer, the public rail operator), links Tangier with Rabat in 1 h 20 and Casablanca in 2 h 17. Conventional trains continue to Marrakesh, about 2 h 35 from Casablanca, and to Meknes and Fez. The imperial cities circuit and the coast from Tangier to Casablanca can thus be done without a car. The guide Getting around Morocco gives timetables and fares.

A car with driver for the interior. The High Atlas, the road of the kasbahs, the desert, the Rif and the southern coast are travelled by road. Traffic is heavy and dangerous on several national roads, including Casablanca-Marrakesh, and the Marrakesh-Agadir mountain motorway is very dangerous. For these journeys, Sabaro advises a driver; for those who want to drive, the guide Driving in Morocco sets out the rules.

A few benchmarks. Marrakesh-Ouarzazate: 194 km and about 3 h 45 over the Tizi n'Tichka pass. Fez-Chefchaouen: 194 km and about 3 h 30. Tangier-Chefchaouen: 112 km and just over 2 hours. Fez-Marrakesh: about 6 h 30 by direct train, or about an hour by air.

What changes in 2026 and 2027

• Time. Since 20 September 2026, Morocco has been on GMT all year round: the same time as London in winter and 1 hour behind in summer. Some websites and apps still show the old offset.
• A new public holiday. Unity Day, created in 2025, is celebrated on 31 October, for the first time in 2026.
• The eclipse of 2 August 2027. Northern Morocco lies within the path of totality. In Tangier, totality lasts about 4 minutes 50 seconds, around 8:47 local time; Tetouan and Chefchaouen see it too. Book accommodation early: the idea The eclipse in Tangier and northern Morocco and the guide Watching the eclipse prepare the day.
• High speed to Marrakesh. ONCF is extending the high-speed line to Marrakesh, over about 430 km operated at 320 km/h; the high-speed network is due to reach 630 km by the end of 2029. Until then, Tangier-Marrakesh involves a change in Casablanca.
• The High Atlas after the earthquake. The magnitude 6.8 earthquake of 8 September 2023 struck the mountains about 70 km south-west of Marrakesh. Choosing a guide and accommodation from the valley puts money directly into mountain families' hands. In Taroudant, the damaged ramparts are the subject of a restoration programme.

Before you go

Visa rules, length of stay and the passport validity required depend on nationality: the entry requirements table on this page gives the rule for your country, and the guide Morocco entry requirements sets it out. The Moroccan dirham cannot be bought outside the country, and the Office des changes, Morocco's exchange control authority, limits the banknotes you may bring in or take out to 2,000 dirhams: you change or withdraw money on arrival. A drone is held at customs without prior authorisation, as the guide Moroccan customs explains.

Foreign ministries do not all give the same advice. Your country's advice: