As I promised, here I am to give all the details and tips about Morocco and every city I visited in my past 2 weeks. Get ready because I prepared a long post…
Some facts…
To begin with, as you might know Morocco is a muslin country. However, it is not a strict country and many people wear “occidental clothes”. Girls: you can wear shorts if you want to but to be honest I avoided doing it when I was traveling to another city or walking around by myself. 😀
Arabic and French are the 2 official languages but on the streets people usually speak another dialet. In Marrakech almost none speak French as most people speak Berber. In the most touristic places everyone speaks a bit of Spanish, English and French.
Morocco is a constitucional monarchy and today the king is Mohammed VI. Pictures of him can be seen in every corner 😀
Money: Dirham is the currency in Morocco, however, you can often pay with Euros.
money money money
1€ is around 11dh -> You can take Euros with you and change them in Morocco (I advise you to do it in big hotels or verified places) or you can just used your credit/ debit card. With the last option you always get the official exchange rate.
PS: I usually use my card and I always try to take out the largest amount of money I can so I do not pay fees several times. I will always be a low budget girl. 😀
About my trip to Morocco…
I wanted to do a trip before going to Australia. What I really wanted was going to Kenya, Tasmania or Namibia. Have you been there? I saw pictures of these countries and I fell in love. However, tickets were expensive, I had to ask for visa. Morocco suddenly showed up as a very nice option: Cheaper, closer and much more occidental than any of the countries I referred above. Skyscanner showed me an ok price and I got the ticket 😀 From this explanation you can see how organized I am about my trips. ahahah
When is the best moment to visit Morocco?
I went in August! However, August might not be the best month to visit the country. If you come from a cold country you will be happy with the hot weather but STILL: It was super super super HOT. I still remember I could not walk more than 2 hours on the street. Plus, the hot weather can get you tired very very fast. Visiting the country in September or October might be cheaper and the weather will be, for sure, better.
Which cities should I visit in Morocco?
Marrakech – The lively city
The city that never sleeps in Morocco and the one that everyone wants to visit. Marrakech is a city with a lot of activities and places to visit. Make sure you do not miss the Majorelle garden. The entrance is about 7€ but it is totally worth. The garden is beautiful!!! You can also find the Yves Saint Laurent memorial, a cafe and a shop inside.
Ben Youssef Madrasa used to be an Islamic college and it is also a very nice place to visit. There are many rooms and walls that show the details of the Marrocan architecture. The Bahia Palace can not be miss it either. It might have been one of the biggest palaces of the time (19th) and today among the gardens, the rooms and the fountains, this palace is a magic monument in Marrakech. Entrance: 1€ – 2€.
Jemaa el-Fnaa is the big square where everything happens: a lot of restaurants, street markets and entertainment activities… At night we can see families or individuals playing, acting or just singing to entertain others (if you want to film or take pictures as a souvenir, make sure you have a coin with you). Not far from the main square is located the Koutoubia Mosque. Non-muslin people can not get in the mosque but it is nice to have a look from the outside. This is the largest mosque in Marrakech.
To finish, going to Marrakech and not visiting the Souks (markets on the street) is like going to Rome and not seeing the Pope. It is a MUST. Men can be a bit annoying with women but the tiny streets and the shops are lovely. Be careful: Do not get lost!!!
Merzouga – The city in the Sahara Desert
Check all the details about the desert in my last post (HERE)
Fez – The city where you get lost
Everyone told me to be careful in Fez because it is known to be one the most dangerous cities in Morocco. Apparently, there are not many jobs in town and the economic situation is difficult. I have to admite it is pretty easy to get lost in the city. Good point: The big souk is amazing and the sellers do not push you to buy stuff as hard as they do in Marrakech.
In Fez I also went to an Hammam ritual, a luxury session where your body, mind and skin are purify. The session lasted for 1h-1h30 and it costed 15€.
Chefchaouen – The blue city
Walking around, exploring the tiny streets and taking pictures are the activities of the famous blue city. To be honest it is almost impossible to walk more than 5 minutes without stopping to take a picture or admire the wall/ corner. The blue city is very very beautiful.
PS: There are many theories about the blue in every house. Some say the blue is to keep the mosquitos away, others say blue represents the sea and others believe the blue was establish by the jews. Either one, I just loved the city and how it looks.
There is a waterfall not far from the medina. I did not go because I do not like super cold water but apparently is amazing!!
Casablanca – The Financial capital
Rabat is the capital of the country but Casablanca is where things happen. The city is huge and the busiest one in the country. Casablanca is not touristic at all (you will have difficulties finding accommodation here) but you can always find nice cafes and beach spots. I would say the main touristic attraction is Hassan II Mosque, the biggest mosque in Morocco and the only one non-muslins can get it. The mosque is open everyday during the prying hours (there are 5 moments a day).
How much money did I spend in Morocco?
The more stops you do, the more you spend. In 2 weeks I was in 5 different cities which means I had to pay train/ bus/ taxi to get to all these cities. Everything will depend on the goal of your trip. If you are going to Morocco to stay in a nice hotel, enjoy swimming pool and the hammams sessions (which I also did): PERFECT. If not, it might be more difficult to define a budget in advance. However, see below my expenses so you can have an idea of the prices.
Transportation
Flight: I payed almost 300€ for my flight ticket (but you can get cheaper ones, I booked it 5 days before departure).
Bus/ Train: There are buses and trains to connect the different cities.
Marrakech – Merzouga – Marrakech: Transportation was included in the travel pack I payed (see more HERE)
Marrakech – Fes: 190 drh
Fez – Chefchaun: 75 drh
Chefchaouen- Casablanca: 120drh
Taxi: From the bus station to the medina (old town) you usually need to take a taxi.
PS: Always make sure you defined the price of the ride before you take it. Drivers always try to get more drh from you.
Accommodation
The cheapest place I got was in Marrakech (I believe the most touristic places are the cheapest ones). There, I payed 5€ per night. The most expensive place was in Casablanca: 20€ per night. Most of the places had breakfast included. I used Hostelworld, Airbnb and Booking.
Food
Food was my biggest problem in Morocco. I am not a big fan of Tagine and Couscous (typical Moroccan dishes). It was so hot in Morocco that I barely could eat. Anyway!!! During my organized trip, I spent around 8-10€ in nice restaurants. On my own, I was going to less expensive places. I would say you can have a nice meal for less than 5€. 😀
You should also have a “water budget”. I was drinking at least 2l of water a day and each bottle costed from 0,50€ to 1€.
Others
I did not really spend much money in shopping because I do not have my own place anymore to stock stuff. Among the few souvenirs, the little wallet I got and my massage and Hammam session, I think I spent less than 30€.
How long should I stay in Morocco?
After a very long trip to South America I was not used to travel for short periods anymore. When I suddenly booked my trip to Morocco I thought, well, at least 2 weeks to visit this country. It turnes out I was pretty tired and 2 weeks seemed very long to me. However, if you want to visit different cities in Morocco, I advise at least 10 days in the country. If you are going to get a stamp in your passport and get a quick taste of the culture: 5 days might be more than enough.
I hope you liked this post about Morocco. Have you been in Morocco? Did you visit these cities? What do you think about the country? I will be posting my video of Morocco soon. 😀 Stay around.