Tips for traveling in Morocco

Morocco is such a beautiful country! From the Sahara Desert to the Atlas mountains, you can experience deserts, seaside villages, and mountains. Just like every country has its ups and downs, Morocco is no different.

The thing in this post is NOT to change your mind about traveling to Morocco. I am just letting you know what to be aware of in Morocco, to make your travels more enjoyable. I believe it’s better to know what to expect than to be caught off guard by the things that may appear throughout your travels.

Everything that I talk about I have been through personally and have been given advice from locals. I have talked about my experience with locals who know the rules of Morocco and they have given me great advice for future encounters in different scenarios.

Some of these tips are similar to (Tips for the Medina) but that post has more information directed to Morocco as a whole. As a black female traveling in Morocco alone at times, I have felt safe and comfortable traveling the country. Speaking English in this country does create some difficulties if you don’t know basic French, or Darija (Moroccan Arabic.)

Download Google Maps.

This is extremely helpful in big cities. I like to download the maps before I arrive in the city so I know how to get to my destination without having to stop and ask for directions. This can be an issue because if you ask for help or direction they may want to follow you and request that you pay them for their service in assisting you. Some people can get aggressive if you refuse to pay.

Google translate

Having google translate if you aren’t able to read French or Darija is very helpful. Almost all the menus will be in French. A few are in French and Darija. Medinas are the only place I have to see the menu in multiple languages including English. If you have Google translate you can use your phone to translate signs. Personally, I can read and understand French on menus. The hardest thing for me is going to places like the train station and trying to find my way. On my trip to Casa Voyageur, I needed to find my way to purchase the ticket. Translate came in handy because there was 3 different kind of lines. All with different signs and a computer a lot of people were going to and getting a slip. Everything was only in French or Darija.

Moroccan bathrooms!

Just in case I always Carry some kind of toilet paper/ tissue with me. It’s not always a guarantee that they have toilet paper in there. Also, don’t be surprised if you walk into a restroom and there’s no toilet—just a hole in the floor, a bucket, and a water spout. Traveling throughout the country for months I had to get comfortable with this. Sometimes for hours, there will be no real restrooms.

Don't get caught in a situation where there's no toilet and no toilet paper

Fresh juices (smoothies)

All of the fresh juice throughout the country. Especially in the Medina! Within almost every city you’ll be able to find some fresh juice, especially orange juice or Lemon (French for orange.) The consistency of the juice is not always like the juice you may find at a juice bar in The States. If it’s a mix of fruits especially if it includes avocado it will be like a smoothie texture just not as cold. Things to consider with the juices. If you are picking different fruits you have to choose Milk or orange juice. Avocado and orange or the most popular. I personally Love Avocado and orange with occasionally adding in mango

Mint tea

More than likely you will have and be offered mint tea often! I was on a hike one time and we met a man in the mountain/ fields who tried to get us to come to have tea with him. When you are shopping especially in touristy areas they may offer you tea. A lot of time the shop is just friendly, but you do want to be aware that some shops may be a little more aggressive once you take the tea to buy something.

The Sugar!

If you are someone watching sugar. Moroccan put it in everything. They may add it to your juice if you get fresh squeezed. Remember to ask for it without sugar. The Mint tea as well. They had a whole block for a small little teapot. When you order the tea it will usually already come with sugar. On the other hand, if you have a sweet tooth there are numerous places where you can purchase pastries, sweets, and nougats!

Bargain! Bargain! Bargain!

This rule applies all over Morocco! Even locals bargain at their local stores Almost every place you ask will bring down the price a little. This rule applies all over Morocco! Even locals bargain at their local shops and weekly at the local markets in each village. This is one thing that can get tiresome after having a few discussions and making a few purchases.

Directions when walking

Don’t listen if they are telling you that road is closed or you are going the wrong way (Most of the time). There have been multiple times when solo traveling and staying in the Medina the men would tell me I’m going the wrong way or there was nothing down that road. When I know my hotel or destination is just a few more steps down the way. I don’t know why they do this, maybe for the reason above. To give you directions and get money.

Taxis

This is where sometimes the advice can be tricky. To keep traveling in the taxi, get a shared taxi. It is very common and will be one of the main taxis you see. In all of the taxis I have been in, I have only seen a meter in one when traveling in Casablanca. People normally advise you to watch the meter but if there isn’t one available that becomes, well not an option. If you are able to get a taxi with a meter remember to watch it when getting in. This is very important in a shared taxi because there will be more than one going. There are red and blue taxis in the cities. I’ll do a whole post on taxis in Morocco because there’s a lot of information and different scams they may try

If you need more tips or help with planning your Moroccan vacations- Check out our other blogs or browse our Moroccan page or Moroccan Tours. You can also Contact us!

✨Wishing you Peace, Love & Blessings ✨

-Sierra, Your bestie blogger.