This Morocco travel guide brings together everything our team in Marrakech has learned from more than two decades of planning trips. It is written for travelers from the United States and the Caribbean, and it follows the order in which you will actually plan: entry rules, flights, timing, budget, then what to pack and how to behave once you land. Each section gives you the short answer and links to a detailed article when you want to go deeper.
Facts that change, such as visa rules, flight routes and festival dates, are stated as of October 2026. Always confirm them with the official source before you book.
Start here: the Morocco travel guide in 60 seconds
- Entry: US citizens, including Puerto Ricans, stay up to 90 days without a visa. Jamaicans and Trinidadians usually need a visa.
- Flights: Royal Air Maroc flies nonstop to Casablanca from New York, Washington, D.C., Miami and Los Angeles.
- Best time: spring (March to May) and fall (September to November).
- Length: 7 to 10 days lets you see the imperial cities and the Sahara without rushing.
- Money: the Moroccan dirham (MAD). As of October 2026, €1 is about 10.9 dirhams and about $1.12.
- Language: Arabic and Amazigh (Berber) are official; French is widely used. Our drivers speak English.
Planning your trip
Visas and entry rules
Entry rules depend on your passport, not on where you live. As of October 2026, US passport holders can visit Morocco visa-free for up to 90 days. Citizens of Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago generally need a consular visa, though you may be able to apply for Morocco’s e-Visa if you live in the US, Canada, the UK or the EU with a valid residence permit, or if you hold a valid visa from one of several countries, including the US. Your passport should be valid for well beyond your trip. Read our full guide to Morocco visa requirements by nationality and check the official portal before you book.
Getting there
Casablanca’s Mohammed V Airport (CMN) is Morocco’s main hub for flights from the Americas. Royal Air Maroc runs nonstops from New York JFK (about 7 hours), Washington Dulles (about 7.5 hours), Miami (about 8 hours) and, since June 2026, Los Angeles (about 12 hours, three times a week). There are no nonstop flights from the Americas to Marrakech, so plan a connection or a road transfer. From Kingston or Port of Spain, you will usually fly through Miami, New York or a European hub such as Madrid or Lisbon.
Our guide on how to get to Morocco compares routes, and your country travel guide covers connections from where you live. Landing in Casablanca? Our private tours from Casablanca start right at the airport.
When to go
Spring and fall are the sweet spots: warm days, cool nights and comfortable conditions in the desert. Summer is very hot inland but pleasant on the Atlantic coast in Essaouira. Winter brings sunny days in Marrakech and cold nights in the Sahara and the Atlas. Morocco is on UTC+1 most of the year, which puts it five hours ahead of Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago and six hours ahead of Jamaica.
Festivals can make a trip. In 2026 the Gnaoua World Music Festival in Essaouira ran June 25–27, and the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music ran June 4–7. Our guide to the best time to visit Morocco goes month by month, and our festival tours are built around these dates.
How many days you need
Morocco is bigger than it looks on the map. Marrakech to Merzouga, at the edge of the Sahara, is a full day’s drive each way, with spectacular stops along the way. Here is a rough guide:
| Trip length | What fits | Example tour |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days | Marrakech to the Sahara and back | 3-day Merzouga desert tour |
| 6 days | Casablanca, Fes, the Sahara and Marrakech | 6-day tour from Casablanca |
| 10 days | Imperial cities, Chefchaouen and the desert | 10-day tour from Marrakech |
| 15 days | The full loop, coast included | 15-day small-group grand tour |
See sample itineraries in our article on how many days you need in Morocco.
Budget
Morocco can suit almost any budget. Your biggest costs are flights, accommodation and transport inside the country. A small-group desert tour starts at €145 per person for three days, while private tours get cheaper per person as your group grows: a private day trip costs €95 per person for two and €47.50 per person for four. Lunches are often inexpensive, and entrance fees to most monuments are modest. Our breakdown of how much a trip to Morocco costs includes budget, mid-range and luxury tables.
Practical tips for your trip
Safety
Morocco is a welcoming country, and most visits go smoothly. The common issues are small: pickpockets in crowded souks, fake guides offering to show you the way, and taxi drivers who forget to switch on the meter. Walk with confidence, agree on prices in advance and keep your phone out of your back pocket. Women traveling solo will find our tips especially useful. Read is Morocco safe? for a full, honest picture.
What to wear and pack
Morocco is a Muslim country, and modest clothing makes daily life easier. Light, loose layers that cover your shoulders and knees work for everyone, and a scarf is handy for mosques and dusty roads. In the desert, bring sunglasses, sunscreen and a warm layer for the night. Our guide on what to wear in Morocco includes a desert packing list.
Money, cards and tipping
The dirham is a closed currency, so you get it in Morocco. ATMs are common in cities and airports, and cards are accepted in many hotels, but cash rules in the souks, at small cafés and in the countryside. Tipping is customary for guides, drivers and restaurant staff. Learn the details in our article on money in Morocco.
Phones, internet and plugs
A local SIM card is cheap and easy to buy at the airport, and coverage is good along most tour routes, even near the desert. Morocco uses 220 V and European two-pin plugs, so bring an adapter for US devices. Our guide to SIM cards, internet, plugs and useful apps has everything you need.
Health
Drink bottled or filtered water, eat at busy places and wash your hands before meals, and most travelers have no trouble. Make sure routine vaccines are up to date, ask your doctor about any others and buy travel insurance that covers medical care. See our Morocco health guide for vaccines, water and insurance.
Culture and food
Customs and etiquette
A few small habits earn you a lot of goodwill. Greet people before asking a question, use your right hand to eat and pass things, and always ask before photographing someone. Public displays of affection are best kept low-key. Non-Muslims cannot enter most mosques, with the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca as the famous exception. Our guide to Moroccan customs and what not to do covers the rest.
Haggling in the souks
Bargaining is part of shopping in the souks, and it should be friendly, not a fight. Decide what an item is worth to you, start well below the first price and be ready to walk away with a smile. Learn the tactics in how to haggle in the souks.
Food
Moroccan food alone is worth the trip: slow-cooked tagines, Friday couscous, harira soup, pastilla and endless glasses of mint tea. Street food in Marrakech’s Jemaa el-Fna square is an experience in itself. Our guide to Moroccan dishes you must try tells you what to order.
Ramadan
During Ramadan, many Moroccans fast from dawn to sunset. Tourist sites, hotels and our tours keep running, but some restaurants close during the day and the evenings turn lively after the fast breaks. Ramadan 2027 is expected around February 8 to March 9, depending on the moon. Read traveling to Morocco during Ramadan before you pick your dates.
The Sahara desert
For most visitors, a night in the Sahara is the highlight of the trip. You have three main options:
- Merzouga (Erg Chebbi): tall golden dunes, classic camel treks and the widest choice of camps. Best if you have at least three days.
- Zagora (Draa Valley): closer to Marrakech, with smaller dunes and palm-filled valleys.
- Agafay: a stony desert 40 minutes from Marrakech. No sand dunes, but a great sunset dinner if you only have an evening.
Compare them in Merzouga vs Zagora vs Agafay. Then choose a Sahara desert tour: go private from Marrakech or Fes, start at the dunes with our tours from Merzouga, or save with a fixed-price group desert tour. The Agafay desert sunset dinner is the easiest taste of the desert from Marrakech.
Choose how you want to travel
Once you know where you want to go, decide how. Private tours give you your own vehicle and English-speaking driver and a flexible pace; the price per person drops as your group grows. Small-group tours have a fixed price per person, a shared minibus and a maximum of 17 travelers. Want the whole country in one go? Our grand tours of Morocco run for 8, 10 or 15 days. Celebrating? Look at our honeymoon tours.
Still have questions? Our FAQ covers bookings and payments, and the Morocco travel blog has every article in this guide. When you are ready, send us your dates and we will help you plan the trip.
Ready to see Morocco your way?
Tell us your dates and who you are traveling with. We will reply with a clear plan and price, usually within one working day.