• second half of September through May.
• We avoid the months of:
• January and February (when itʼs cold in the desert and it rains more (and snows in the mountains)
• The summer months (from May till the end of August) when it is very hot
• We also avoid traveling in Morocco during Ramadan, but we like to start our tour during the very last days of Ramadan. Why? Please, read here. Ramadan times change yearly in 2020 from the 24th of April till the 23rd of May, and in 2021 from April 13th to May 2nd. On our tour we travel through different parts of the country, and the climate changes intensely- from the Mediterranean, to Mountainous and then the Desert . . . that means in some parts of the county it can be warm, and in others very cold, at the same time.

Morocco is a moderately safe country – tourist crime rates are low and mostly consist of petty thievery of non-attended items, so we advise our guests to always use common sense (to keep their valuables in the safety box in the room, avoid exposing expensive cameras, and in city centres always take care of personal belongings). Every now and then, the risk of terrorism grows, so we avoid crowded places as much as we can, and always keep an eye on happenings around us. We also have a very reliable local partner who follows the latest safety announcements and news instructions.

• there are no special health hazards in traveling to Morocco. Please, read more.
• POTABLE WATER: it is a good idea to only drink bottled water in countries with different hygiene standards than at home.

Moroccan Arabic; other languagues: Berber, French, Spanish (in some parts)

CURRENCY: Dh or Mad/Moroccan

CREDIT CARDS: accepted in tourist places, but Morocco is a country of cash

ATMs in the cities

PRICES: 0.5l water 10 Dh (roughly 1 eur), fresh orange juice or other fruit juices from 15 to 20 Dh, lunch in a good restaurant in the cities 250 Dh (and more), tea or coffee in a cafe from 20 Dh . . . .

The muslim culture is a culture of cooperation and care for others and for society. Every Moroccan usually takes care of their extended family, elderly parents and their underaged siblings. In a country that has a low average salary and big poverty, the people appreciate tips very much and accept them gratefully.

In some areas (south of the Atlas mountains) there is a shortage on daily necessities and people are happy to receive basic food, clothes (old T-shirts), small (mini) toys for children, candles, baseball hats (for boys and men) . . . We like the idea of presenting the (more educated) people in the cities with postcards of the visitorʼs home country (or home town). Not to bring: alcohol, or any kind of pork.

wifi is available at all riads and hotels, 3G in the phones (roaming can be quite expensive, but itʼs possible to buy a Moroccan SIM card and use a Moroccan connection).

Moroccans do not like to be photographed! If they do pose, they will expect some reward for it (a small tip of 5 Dh/ 0.5 eur).

for non-muslims the Moroccan mosques are off-limits. There are a few, though that open their door for such visitors. We visit one of them in Casablanca- Hassan II Mosque.

Guests should wear clothes they feel comfortable in and beautiful wearing. According to the Moroccan climate (a strong sun) and a few long transfer days (for more information on the program, please send as an inquiry and we will send you our brochure of the tour), comfort on the move, and protection from the sun come together with the elegance. Morocco is a muslim country, and we believe respect toward the visited culture brings respect toward the visitor, so we suggest modest clothes that cover the knees and shoulders (or even better – a full length dress for the ladies, especially in the rural areas) and with no cleavage for the ladies. The best fit for travel in Morocco are tunics with loose fitting pants and shirts with mid/long sleeves and long shorts for gentlemen. A nice airy and beautiful scarf is, in a sunny country, always a good protection from the sun and a nice fashion accessory . . . and can also be altered with a sun hat.

• OUR SUGGESTIONS on what is best to wear:
• During the FIRST HALF OF THE TOUR (until we leave the city of Fes): guests can wear casual dress
• In the DESERT: the best dress is with long sleeves and covering the knees (tunics and long trousers for the ladies, and light shirts and long trousers for gentlemen) and a desert scarf (we usually buy one on the way)
• FASHIONABLE CITY (Marrakesh): a bigger freedom of dress - Casual, Country Club Casual or dressy casual with a beautiful long maxi-dress and a hat for the ladies, and casual for the gentlemen
• Dinners: Elegant and Smart casual, lounge dress code, semi-formal dress code (dresses covering the knees and shoulders) for the ladies and semi-formal or cocktail attire or black tie creative attire for gentlemen.
• LOCAL CUSTOMES AND DRESS:
• For the ladies: there is no ladies dress code in Morocco, so Moroccan women wear very different styles. Somethimes they wear jeans and a tunic, or trousers and a Djellaba dress… some of them cover their heads, though the majority do not.
• For gentlemen: Moroccan men wear long trousers (in all seasons), a shirt or a Djellaba (a long outer robe with a baggy pointed hood), and soft leather slippers (called Babouch).
• Read more about what the Moroccans wear daily and when they dress up on our Blog.

Morocco seems like a modern (Europeian) country at first, but the people are traditional and appreciate modesty in dress and behavior. 2. The Kingʼs royal visits (and whereabouts) and the Moroccan weather- two components of Allahʼs (Godʼs) will that influence everybodyʼs life and travel in and around Morocco. The King loves to move about and when he does, the streets, squares or roads might be closed. The weather is unpredictable and its changes are sometimes a matter of minutes.

DISHES: couscous topped with meat or vegetables, tajine, bastilla, lamb with prunes, kefta meatball tajine, harira soup. MEAT: beef, chicken, mutton, lamb, sheep, goat, snails, pigeons (in a traditional Bastilla pie) and seafood (mostly at the seaside and in Marrakesh). Moroccans do not eat pork due to their religious restrictions. SPICES: Morocco is a land of spices. They use a lot of home grown saffron, mint, cinnamon, turmeric, (oriental) cumin, ginger, paprika, coriander, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, sesame seeds, cloves, fennel, anise, garlic, and others. The traditional mixture of 35 spices is called Ras-el-Hanout (the expression means “head of the shop,” as it is the best they sell in a shop). HERBS: mint, parsley, oregano, coriander, marjoram, sage, and verbena. FRUIT: oranges, tangerines, strawberries, fresh and preserved olives, lemons. Dried fruits: sultanas, raisins, apricots, dates (from the south of the country). VEGETABLES: aubergine, tomato, onion, green peppers, spinach, potato and sweet potatoes, chickpeas, carrots, cabbage, turnip, fava beans, squash, zucchini, brocoli, and more. DRINKS: this is a land of green tea with fresh mint leaves and a lot of sugar. To learn how to properly pour the tea into a small, painted glass, read in our Blog. Moroccans also drink coffee (with milk, or black), and they also prepare very tasty smoothies (avocado, bananes, strawberries, and others) and fresh orange juice. Moroccans do not drink alcohol due to their religious restrictions, but in all the hotels, they sell imported (or a few local) wines, beer, and even whiskeys, gin, etc. OILS: olive oil and precious argane oil. OTHER: Amlou is a healthy spread or a dip made of argane oil, mixed with grinded roasted almonds and argane flower honey. Moroccans believe that Amlou is also an aphrodisiac . . . .

A TRADITIONAL MOROCCAN BREAKFAST

• B'sarra bean soup
• orange juice, tea or coffee,
• Moroccan rounded bread or semolina pan-fried flatbread called Harcha or Beghrir, tender bubbly Moroccan pancakes made of semolina (and yeast) or Msemen, a square crepe-like type of bread
• butter, marmalade or honey, or argane oil, olive oil or Amlou spread,
• fresh fruit,
• a croissant or two

BREAKFAST IN THE HOTELS: mostly continental French style breakfast (tea/coffee, croisant, bread, butter and jam, cheese or omelette), in the hotels they have a vast variety of different breakfasts… 

In Morocco there are so many souvenirs to buy, so it is a good idea to have a very relaxed kilogram allowance for the plane, or to be ok with paying the extra baggage at check in . . . Bigger items can be shipped abroad.

Argan oil, babouche leather slippers, and leather items, Djellaba dress, berber baskets or market bags, bread baskets, hammered metalworks, musical instruments, and gnawa music instruments, Ras-el-Hanout spices and other spices (saffron), dried dates, tea, artisanal soaps, or Rassoul and a hammam glove- Kiss, lanterns, berber rugs and carpets, together with matching pillow covers, woven goods, pottery and Zellige (tilework), wooden items, coloured tea cups and metal tea pots, tea sets, fossils (made into a bathroom sink) . . . and a Fes hat.