Packing for Your Trip to Morocco

Morocco

Oct 10

Whenever we are planning to travel, one of the things we have to think about is packing. Are you someone who makes a packing list and diligently checks off every item well in advance of the night before? Or are you a last-minute scrambler, throwing everything in the bag and hoping you didn’t forget anything? I have traveled a great deal over the years, and have vacillated between those two extremes depending on the trip and season of life I was in. But with this post, I want to help you think about packing for your trip to Morocco with three things in mind: respect, weather, and activities.

1. There is no dress code for Morocco. However, you may want to think about your clothing choices in terms of being respectful.

First, there is no dress code for Morocco. Technically, you can wear whatever you want. However, as a cultural exchange that values respecting other cultures, we really don’t advise you to do that. Morocco is a Muslim country that is really open to the West, which means that some people will be dressed extremely conservatively, while others will be dressed in clothing that may surprise you in a Muslim country. There is a pretty big difference between what you can get away with wearing comfortably in the cities (Marrakech and Casablanca) and what you can/should wear in smaller towns and more rural areas. Cities have an almost “anything goes” mentality, where rural areas are more modest.

Do women need to cover their hair in Morocco? No, if you are not Muslim, then you really don’t need to think about covering. Moroccans will not expect visitors to dress how they do. But for women, the best way to be respectful is to dress modestly, which in this context means not showing much skin and skipping most tight-fitting clothes. In particular, you won’t want to show much skin of your shoulders, chest, or legs above the knees. In general, it is a good idea to wear tops that come down over the rear end in the back, or a longer sweater or kimono over a t-shirt. See Maroc Mama’s list of things to reconsider packing here.

For men, you may wear shorts, but they really should come down to your knees. The beach or pool is the only place you should be shirtless. Other than that, you have it easy and shouldn’t have to think to much about what you can and can’t wear in Morocco!

2. The weather varies greatly based on time of year and location in the country.

I know you probably think that Morocco is hot, but that is not necessarily true! Morocco has an arid climate, like California, and so you can actually expect big temperature variations from day to night. Coastal regions have very temperate climates

Winter: November through February are definitely the cooler season, and mountain regions and the desert can even get snow! The word for “winter” in the local Arabic is the same as the word for “rain” so definitely come prepared for it to rain. Layers are your friend in the cooler months, as the temperature variation can be 40+ degrees Fahrenheit from day to night! Something I was unprepared for about winter in Morocco is how cold it is INSIDE. Daytime in the sun is very comfortable, but in Fes, we had to put our winter coats back on when we went INSIDE.

Spring: March through May are my favorite months in Morocco. The weather finally warms up and the flowers are so beautiful it is ridiculous! However, there is usually an intense heat wave in May before spring ends completely and brings on the long, hot days of summer. Nights will still be cool in the spring, so again, layers are your friend. A lightweight rain jacket may also come in handy for the cooler evenings and potential rain shower or two. But it will likely be warm enough in the day for sandals and short sleeves.

Summer: June through September are the peak of summer. It is not unusual for people to travel to the coast or out of the country during August, when the heat is its most intense. I won’t sugarcoat it for you: summer will be hot, and most places do not use air conditioning or fans. Your lodging will probably have AC, but public spaces will likely not. This means you need to plan your schedule to include downtime in the most intense afternoon hours, and pack lightweight fabrics (cotton and linen for the win!) and clothing (for women, flowy clothes and midi and maxi dresses).

Fall: In my experience, fall gets the short end of the stick in Morocco as we seem to go from hot to cold very quickly. It can still feel like summer during the day until mid-November, but temperatures do get lower at night in October. Layers will be your friend again in the fall.

Maroc Mama is a great resource for all things weather and packing. This page will help you find general weather forecasts for the month when you plan to visit. For a more precise information, check out 10-day forecasts on your destination cities at www.weather.com.

3. Keep your activities in mind when you pack.

Obviously, you will pack differently for a beach vacation than for a ski trip (and there is skiing in Morocco!) So when you are thinking about what you need to pack, take a minute to think about the activities you’ll be doing during your trip. Will you go swimming? Ride dune buggies in the desert? Go hiking? There may be some specific things you need to bring based on those activities.

The Ultimate Guide to Travel in Morocco

For everyone, on every trip

Shoes - Whatever else you plan to do, you will need to bring a good pair of shoes for walking.

Documents - Don’t forget your important travel documents, including an extra photocopy of your passport and proof of COVID vaccination and/or negative PCR test. Your passport needs to have at least 6 months of validity, as well as space for your stamps. Current requirements for travel can be seen here.
Electronics - Be aware that outlets in Morocco are 220V with types C and E plugs, which means you may need electronic adapters and not all of your electronics may work (like a hairdryer). Check the label on your electronic device to see the usable voltage range; many devices now-a-days are designed to work between 100-240V, but there are exceptions. If your device needs a voltage converter, either A) plan to bring one from home, as voltage converters are very hard to find in Morocco, or B) buy the device when you arrive in country.

Bathrooms - Not all bathrooms will come equipped with toilet paper and soap, so travel size toilet paper or tissues and hand sanitizer is a wise idea. While most places will have Western toilets, you will probably encounter some squat toilets.

Water Bottles - It would probably be helpful to have a refillable water bottle. You can buy bottled water everywhere, but it is cheaper to buy the one or five liter bottle and refill your own water bottle. A five liter bottle costs about 12 Dh.
Sunscreen - You also need to bring sunscreen, as the sun is quite strong in Morocco, and the sunscreen available here is probably more expensive than getting your preferred brand back home.
Toiletries - Don’t count on your lodging providing toiletries, as what they offer is extremely basic. You can find most things in Morocco; the exception in makeup, which is less available without going to a specific store, and is almost sure to be more expensive. Colgate toothpaste is also more expensive here than in the US.
Laundry - For a longer trip, it may be possible to do laundry at your hotel, riad, or Airbnb.

For the beach

For women, if you want to wear a two-piece bathing suit (especially a bikini) you will probably get a lot of stares. However, Moroccan beach communities tend to be pretty open-minded and laid back, so less modesty is okay. For more details about packing for the beach, visit this site.

For the desert

The situations for staying in the desert can be different—camping, glamping, or just staying in a auberge (hotel). Keep your lodging situation in mind when you are planning your packing. However, it is a good idea to pack light for the desert portion of your trip; no one wants to take a 50 lb. suitcase on a camel! Also, bear in mind that just because it is the Sahara doesn’t mean it will automatically be hot. The time of year matters here, as in the winter months it can be warm during the day, but quite cold at night. You may want to consider layering your clothing to be ready for the temperature variations during the day. For more details on packing for the desert, see this site

Here is a sample packing list you may want to use.

If you have more questions about packing for your Moroccan adventure, please do not hesitate to comment below or contact us!

Girl with backpack walking toward old medina wall and doorway — Are you visiting Morocco soon? Start your travels with us to learn some Moroccan Arabic phrases and cultural dos and don’t and to have the best trip available to you.

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Morocco is a very unique country for several reasons. The first is its strategic location in the northwest of the continent of Africa, just 14 kilometers south of Europe. This beautiful country is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea in the North, the Atlantic Ocean in the West, Algeria to the East, and Mauritania to the South. For this reason, Morocco is a crossroads where cultures, civilizations, and ethnicities meet.

Visitors to Morocco may take a tour that includes the four “Imperial Cities of Morocco,” a phrase that may be heard frequently but rarely explained. Fez, Marrakesh, Meknes, and Rabat have all been capital cities of Morocco at some point in history, which is why they are considered the Imperial Cities of Morocco. In this article, you will learn more about their history and why they might be worth a visit.

A Homestay Experience in the Old Medina of Fes

After almost a half year in Morocco learning Darija, I felt ready to take the plunge. Wanting to stay at a place for multiple months, I was advised to try out a couple of different homes. So I decided to dip my toes in for just a week at first.

“What have we gotten ourselves into?” I asked myself as our car scraped the rocks beneath us. We were traversing a dried river bed in search of our lodging for the night, and my mind was racing to the reaction of the rental car company when we returned the car in a few days. “How much is it going to cost if we total the vehicle?” I continued wondering.

Taking the suggestion of our friend to visit the “super cool” ruins, my wife and I decided to visit. On a recent trip from Azrou to Casablanca, Cailyn and I drove to Volubilis to check out the ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis. The centuries-old site is located about 30 minutes north of the city of Meknes. Volubilis is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is definitely worth a visit.

The small city of Azrou is the Capital of Amazigh Culture. With a population of around 80,000 people, this city tucked into the Northern end of the Atlas Mountains is a peaceful escape from the larger cities of Fes and Meknes. Azrou is known for its distinctive rock located in the middle of town (from which it gets its name), and for the Cèdre Gouraud Forest, home to a nearly 800-year-old cedar tree and to the Barbary macaque monkey. The town itself is unique in Morocco because it is built in the European style with red-tiled roofs that allow the buildings to withstand large amounts of snow in the winter.

Three Reasons Morocco is a Great Place to Study Language

A week of my life in Morocco rarely goes by without a Moroccan asking me about how I have learned Moroccan Arabic. People are always surprised and awed that I have learned the local language here. In other countries, local people would perhaps not be as impressed that foreigners have learned the language, but in Morocco, people are always amazed and excited by this.

Marrakech (or Marrakesh) is the fourth largest city in Morocco, with a population of around 1 million people. Marrakech is one of the four Imperial Cities of Morocco but is the most popular city for tourists. The medina quarter is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the entire city is distinctive because of its red sandstone walls—which date back to the 1100s—earning it the nickname, “The Red City.”

A herd of sheep encroached upon the side of the road. My senses heightened, I slowed down as I eyed the ewe bouncing toward the white stripe. “Stay away,” I thought to myself. Past the sheep was a rolling forest. Where was I? Not in some far-off rural mountain setting in Morocco. No, I was on the interstate highway just past Rabat.

Laughter. That is something that I fondly remember during our three months of homestay with a Moroccan family. Whether it be our search for the TV remote, or our karaoke singing to Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On,” we laughed together. There were also times of difficulty as we tried to communicate cross-culturally and cross-linguistically. Even though there were some challenging experiences, both my wife and I learned a tremendous amount about Moroccan culture by living with a local family.

Moroccans tend to speak and understand a variety of languages. Moroccan Arabic (Darija) is the most prevalent spoken language in Morocco, which is technically a dialect of the Arabic language. Modern Standard Arabic, or Fossha, is literary Arabic that is used in writing and in official communication. Hassaniya Arabic is the dialect spoken in the southern part of the county.

When most people picture Morocco, they think of the desert with beautiful golden sand dunes. Morocco does have those quintessential dunes, but you do have to go pretty far out of your way to get to them. Namely, you can have a wonderful desert experience by traveling to Merzouga, which is a small village (around 400 people) in southeastern Morocco, only about 50 km (31 miles) to the Algerian border.

In general, the food in Morocco is very flavorful, and it may not be a surprise to you as Moroccan food is growing in its popularity. In fact, it is not uncommon in the United States to find at least one Moroccan restaurant in any city of considerable size. It was at one of these restaurants in Oklahoma City that first gave my wife the idea of moving to Morocco one day.

In one sense, you can engage Morocco in the same way that you would visit a large city in your passport country. Keep your senses active, and be mindful of your surroundings. Here are some other tips to help you stay safe while traveling within Morocco.

There are cultural stereotypes that we encounter while traveling, but most of us would rather not reinforce the negative ones, and want to avoid being like the “Ugly Americans” other countries may think of. When visiting another culture, here are some things to keep in mind to be respectful and culturally appropriate.

Fes is the second largest city in Morocco with a population of around 1.15 million people. It is located inland off the coast, and is known to some as the religious capital of the country. The city of Fes is rich in history, having been founded in the late 8th Century. Due to its geographic location, the city tends to experiences extreme temperatures in the winter and summer.

Morocco’s largest city, Casablanca, sits on the Atlantic Ocean. Straight across the Atlantic Ocean is Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Casablanca is Morocco’s largest city by population, with over 4.2 million inhabitants. It is the country’s economic and business capital, and primary industrial zone.

The sister cities of Rabat and Salé sit along the Atlantic coast, separated from each other by the Bou Regreg River. Straight across the Atlantic Ocean is Wilmington, North Carolina. Rabat is the political capital of Morocco and is home to many embassies and consulates. The populations of Rabat and Salé are approximately 580,000 and 890,000, respectively.

If you plan to visit or live in Morocco, it is helpful to know some of the customs related to money. This is a country where flowers are not a luxury, but where some of the customs related to money may be different from your home civilization. Here are some pointers to help you during your visit.

In my experience, little is more frustrating than when money situations don’t meet expectations. This article is written to help you understand how to obtain local currency in Morocco, the Moroccan Dirham. Morocco is primarily a cash-based country, so while you can use a credit/debit card in certain places, you will need cash for many transactions.

There are only two places in Morocco that contain a metro system, with Rabat-Sale being the other. In comparison to Paris, the Casablanca metro (tram) network is basic…but at least it exists! Having grown up in the Seattle area lacking a metro system, I will take what I can get!

The train network can get you to most major cities on the coastal side of the Atlas Mountains, from Marrakech in the South, all the way to Tangier in the North, and Oujda and Nador in the East. If you ever visit the country of Morocco, perhaps you will have the opportunity to experience the train. If you do visit, here are some tips to keep in mind.

I have heard it stated that “taxi” is the one word recognized throughout the world. Perhaps the name recognition gives some indication of the wide-spread use of this form of transportation. If you spend anytime in Morocco you will most likely use taxis as a means to get around. This article will describe some of the basics of taxis in Morocco.

Why We Started a Cultural Exchange in Morocco

I first became interested in Morocco when I was at university and loved to spend time at a Moroccan restaurant. Let’s be honest, my taste buds first captivated me, but I also felt like Morocco had a rich culture, and I wanted to know more. My friend and I spent countless hours at the restaurant, partaking in the delicious foods and dialoging with the Moroccan owners.

When most people picture Morocco, they have one image in mind.

Desert.

But Morocco is much more than just the desert. My wife Cailyn and I have lived in Morocco for over two years, and while we have had the opportunity to travel some, we know there is much more to this incredible country.

When visiting a new place, it is always a good idea to see if there are any special events or celebrations going on. Morocco is a country with numerous festivals and cultural events, some of which are traditional and some of which are more modern, and both Moroccans and tourists alike can enjoy the festivities.

A great way to get to know a culture is to get to know its celebrations. Michael and I have been living in Morocco for two years now, and we are starting to know the celebrations that come around each year. Ramadan is almost over for this year, which means that the second most important holiday in Islam is coming, which will commemorate the end of Ramadan.

Applying for Residency in Morocco: Submission

For people moving to Morocco desiring to stay for a long period of time, they will need to apply for a carte de sejour (residency card). Gathering the documents is a process in itself, and submitting the paperwork is another experience altogether. For myself, I asked some of my friends about their experiences when they submitted their applications, and this gave me an idea of what to expect. The purpose of this article is to hopefully give you a reasonable expectation if you ever need to apply.

Ramadan is a month-long religious observance, vitally important because fasting during Ramadan in one of the Five Pillars of Islam. You may have heard of Ramadan and have some idea about what it means and how it is practiced, but there is always more to learn. We want to give you a brief overview of what Ramadan is, as well as some examples of how it is observed based on our experiences in Morocco.

Cailyn Wheatley

Packing for Your Trip to Morocco

1. There is no dress code for Morocco. However, you may want to think about your clothing choices in terms of being respectful.

2. The weather varies greatly based on time of year and location in the country.