The checklist as a PDF
Entry, health, money, transport and safety, laid out for print, with their sources and verification date.
Morocco
North Africa
Medinas, Atlas, Atlantic and Sahara. Medinas, Atlantic horizons and the earthen forms of Aït Benhaddou.
- On the map
CapitalRabat
When to goMar–May, Sept–Nov
CurrencyMoroccan dirham
LanguagesArabic +1
Population · 202538.4m
Morocco opens onto both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Its capital is Rabat; Arabic and Standard Moroccan Tamazight are its official languages, and the dirham its currency.
The country’s highest point is Jbel Toubkal, at 4,167 m in the High Atlas. The territory covers 446,550 km² according to Wikidata.
The Viafro verdict
For whom, and for which trip.
An editorial bearing, with no percentage and no rating: our criteria are written down, and every “good to know” links to its source.
- For which trip
- Marrakech · Essaouira · Casablanca
- Best season
- Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November).
- Length
- Ten days: an imperial city, the coast and a night in the desert. (Viafro’s rule of thumb)
Best time to visit
Twelve months, in colour.
Hover or tap a month: its reading and its source appear. Bars measure rain, the figure is the capital’s mean maximum.
Ideal
November
Late autumn, still pleasant; nights get cold in the Atlas and the desert.
- Mean maximum
- 21 °C
- Rain
- 94 mm
- Station
- Rabat
Source: Rough Guides
Before you go
The essentials, tab by tab.
Entry, health, safety, money and facts: dated official extracts, never paraphrased.
Visa, passport, customs
GOV.UK advice, written for British passport holders. French travellers: see France Diplomatie (https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/information-par-pays/maroc/conseils-aux-voyageurs-entree-sejour).
- Passport valid for the whole stay; an identity card alone is no longer accepted.
- On arrival, check that your passport has been stamped. A return ticket and proof of sufficient means may be requested.
- Beyond 90 days, an extension must be requested from Moroccan immigration; it is exceptional and limited to 3 months.
Vaccines, malaria, water
This is not medical advice: talk to your doctor or an international vaccination centre before you travel.
- No vaccine is listed as compulsory; routine vaccinations should be up to date.
- Depending on the length and conditions of the trip: hepatitis A, typhoid, hepatitis B for frequent or long stays, rabies for young children and rural areas.
Per the ministries
Viafro gives no safety rating: here are the zones and advice published by the French ministry (in French) and the official extracts, with their dates.
Vigilance zones published by France Diplomatie (in French) · page updated on 15 Sept 2026 · see the official map
- Red · Zones formellement déconseillées (rouge sur la carte)
Tout déplacement le long de la frontière avec la Mauritanie est formellement déconseillé. Le seul point d’accès à la Mauritanie est la route côtière qui mène à Nouadhibou.
- Yellow · Zones de vigilance renforcée (jaune sur la carte)
Le sud de la frontière avec l’Algérie ;
Le Sahara occidental : lors de sa traversée, tout itinéraire s’écartant de la route côtière goudronnée doit faire l’objet d’un accord préalable de la gendarmerie royale ou des forces armées royales.
- There can be occasional violent crime in Morocco. Criminals have used knives against tourists in street attacks, thefts and burglaries in major cities and along beaches. To reduce your risk: avoid quiet areas, particularly after dark
- There is a high threat of terrorist attack globally affecting UK interests and British nationals, including from groups and individuals who view the UK and British nationals as targets. Stay aware of your surroundings at all times.
What the country’s law provides
Photography, alcohol, drugs, relationships: the rules published by the ministries, quoted as they stand, without comment.
- Morocco’s laws and customs are very different to those in the UK and reflect the fact that Morocco is an Islamic country. Always respect local traditions, customs, laws and religions.
Currency
Moroccan dirhamViafro publishes no price or budget range without a source: amounts will come from our own expenses recorded on the ground, dated and itemised.
- There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Morocco. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.
Express card
Structured data from Wikidata and the CIA World Factbook, re-checked at every site update.
- Population · 2025
- 38,430,770
- Time zone
- −1 h from Paris
- Plugs and voltage
- Type C and E plugs · 127 V and 220 V
- Driving side
- Driving on the right
- Calling code
- +212
- Languages
- Arabic, Standard Moroccan Tamazight
- Area
- 446,550 km²
- Highest point
- Jbel Toubkal, 4,167 m
- Main religions
- Muslim 99%, other 1%
Getting there and around
Airports, roads and transport.
- CMNMohammed V International AirportCasablanca10.3 M passengers · official site
- RAKMarrakesh Menara AirportMarrakech6.4 M passengers · official site
- AGAAgadir–Al Massira AirportAgadir2 M passengers · official site
- TNGTangier Ibn Battouta AirportTanger1.4 M passengers
Direct flights from Paris are to be checked on the airport’s or airline’s website.
On the road
- If you are planning to drive in Morocco, see information on driving abroad. You’ll need to have both the 1968 version of the international driving permit (IDP) and your UK driving licence with you in the car. You cannot buy an IDP outside the UK, so get one before you travel.
Destinations
The essentials.
Essaouira
The port with its blue boats and the ramparts facing the Atlantic.
Casablanca
The Hassan II Mosque, set facing the ocean.
Activities
What to do, sheet by sheet.
Starting point, season, tips and sources: each sheet says only what its sources say.
Morocco
A night in the Erg Chebbi desert
Near Merzouga, the dunes of Erg Chebbi rise up to 150 metres above the hamada and stretch for about 28 km from north to south.
Morocco
Climbing Toubkal from Imlil
At 4,167 m, Toubkal is the highest peak in North Africa, 63 km south of Marrakesh.
Morocco
The Jardin Majorelle
The painter Jacques Majorelle began planting this Marrakech garden with species from all over the world in 1922.
Morocco
The ksar of Aït-Ben-Haddou
In the province of Ouarzazate, this ksar packs its earthen houses behind walls reinforced by corner towers.
Morocco
The Fez medina and the Chouara tanneries
Founded between 789 and 808 as the Idrisid capital, Fes el Bali is a large car-free area of about 300 hectares, a World Heritage Site since 1981.
Morocco
The medina of Essaouira
Built in the mid-18th century on the principles of European military architecture, the former Mogador has been a World Heritage Site since 2001.
Morocco
Skiing at Oukaïmeden
The Oukaïmeden ski area lies between 2,600 and 3,200 m and has six ski lifts.
Morocco
Chefchaouen, the blue medina
Founded in 1471 as a small kasbah, Chefchaouen lies at about 600 m in the western Rif.
Morocco
The Ourika Valley and the Setti Fatma waterfalls
Around 30 km from Marrakesh, the Ourika Valley follows its river into the High Atlas.
Morocco
Jemaa el-Fna square at night
Proclaimed Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2001, Jemaa el-Fna is the heart of the Marrakesh medina.
Marrakech
Boris MacekMust-try food
Five dishes, and where to taste them.
Tajine
Steam-cooked slowly in an earthenware dish; the classics are lamb with prunes and almonds, and chicken with olives and lemon.
Everywhere in Morocco
Couscous
The other great classic, served with many dishes. Its knowledge and practices have been on UNESCO’s intangible heritage list since 2020, with Algeria, Mauritania and Tunisia.
A dish for sharing, across the country
Pastilla
A savoury meat pie in thin filo pastry: “food that is truly unique to Morocco”.
Across the country
Harira
The spicy bean and pasta soup, the classic starter of a Moroccan meal.
As a starter, everywhere
Thé à la menthe
The national drink, alongside a wide range of teas and herbal infusions.
Everywhere, and at the stalls of the Fez medina
Culture and etiquette
Customs, dress, useful words.
- Salamسلامhello, peace
- Choukranشكراthank you
- Min fadlakمن فضلكplease
- Entries checked on Wiktionary.
- Religions: Muslim 99%, other 1%.
- Languages: Arabic (official), Tamazight languages (Tamazight (official), Tachelhit, Tarifit), French (often the language of business, government, and diplomacy).
Festivals and events
The big dates.
- National holiday
Throne Day (accession of King MOHAMMED VI to the throne), 30 July (1999).
- Independence
2 March 1956 (from France).
Fixed dates and moveable events, each with its source; moveable dates change every year and are to be checked on an official calendar.
Did you know?
Three things to remember.
The knowledge and practices linked to couscous have been on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list since 2020, in the name of Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia.
The country’s highest point, Jbel Toubkal, reaches 4,167 m.
38,430,770 inhabitants in 2025 on 446,550 km², about 86 per km².
Gallery
See it before you go.
Real photographs: free images under a verified licence and Viafro images. Never a generated image. Credits in the footer.
Share your trip with #viafro: the best images will join this gallery, with your credit.
Live, work, invest
A few key figures.
Sourced data (World Bank) and the national investment promotion agencies. No investment advice.
GDP per capita (current US$)4.7World Bank · 2025GDP growth4.6 %World Bank · 2025Inflation (consumer prices)0.7 %World Bank · 2025Unemployment (ILO estimate)9 %World Bank · 2025International tourist arrivals2.8 ,000World Bank · 2020
World Bank data (World Development Indicators), consulted on 28 Oct 2026. Tourist arrivals are the latest year published.
Go
Ready to go?
Stays and activities around Marrakech. Best seasons: spring and autumn.
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The journey continues.
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Sources and verification dates · 34 sources, checked on 28 Oct 2026
Travel advice · GOV.UK (FCDO)Entry, visa, safety: the official page, kept up to date by the ministry. Travel health · US CDCVaccines and precautions from a reference medical source. World Heritage · UNESCOThe country’s inscribed sites and tentative list. WikidataCapital and currency, verified structured data.
- Rough Guides · Best time to visit Morocco
- Rough Guides · Morocco Travel Guide
- France Diplomatie · Maroc · Conseils aux voyageurs · Entrée / Séjour (page updated on 15 Sept 2026)
- France Diplomatie · Maroc · Conseils aux voyageurs · Santé (page updated on 15 Sept 2026)
- France Diplomatie · Maroc · Conseils aux voyageurs · Sécurité (page updated on 15 Sept 2026)
- France Diplomatie · Maroc · Conseils aux voyageurs · Informations utiles (page updated on 15 Sept 2026)
- UNESCO · Patrimoine culturel immatériel · Knowledge, know-how and practices pertaining to the production and consumption of couscous (2020)
- Wikidata · Maroc (Q1028)
- Banque mondiale · World Development Indicators
- IANA · Time Zone Database
- Wiktionary · سلام
- Wiktionary · شكرا
- Wiktionary · من فضلك
- AMDIE · Agence Marocaine de Développement des Investissements et des Exportations
- Wikidata · Morocco (Q1028)
- World Bank · World Development Indicators
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · Morocco · Foreign travel advice · Entry requirements (page updated on 19 Oct 2026)
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · Morocco · Foreign travel advice · Health (page updated on 19 Oct 2026)
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · Morocco · Foreign travel advice · Safety and security (page updated on 19 Oct 2026)
- Wiktionary · Checked entries (Arabic)
- Wikipedia · Couscous
- Wikipedia · Pastilla
- Wikipedia · Harira
- Wikipedia · Briouate
- Wikipedia · Baddaz
- Wikipedia · Rfissa
- Wikipedia · Marrakech
- Wikipedia · Essaouira
- Wikipedia · Casablanca
- Wikipedia · Fès
- CIA World Factbook · Morocco (public domain) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
- France Diplomatie · Maroc · Travel advice · Security (zones, in French) (page updated on 15 Sept 2026)
- Wikidata · Airports of the country (IATA code, traffic) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
- Wikipedia (climate normals) · Rabat · monthly normals (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
Information checked on 28 Oct 2026. Check the official source before you travel. Viafro gives no safety rating and publishes no price without a source.