Morocco Travel Guide for First-Timers: Visa, Money & a 10-Day Route

Morocco is a country of contrasts — centuries-old medinas next to modern cities, desert dunes a few hours from the Atlantic coast. This is the practical side of planning that trip: what you need before you go, how to get around once you’re there, and a real route if you have 10 days to work with.

Entry requirements

Check your passport’s validity (most visitors need at least 6 months remaining) and whether your nationality requires a visa in advance or gets one on arrival — this varies by country, so confirm with Morocco’s official entry requirements before booking. Keep a digital and paper copy of your passport and any confirmations, and travel insurance is strongly recommended, especially for a trip that includes a desert excursion.

Currency and payments

The Moroccan Dirham (MAD) is a closed currency — you generally can’t buy it before arriving and shouldn’t leave with large amounts. ATMs are widely available in cities; carry cash for the souks and smaller restaurants, where cards often aren’t accepted, and use cards at larger hotels and restaurants where you can.

Getting around

Morocco’s train network (ONCF) connects the major cities efficiently and comfortably. Buses (CTM and Supratours) reach smaller towns trains don’t. Petit taxis work well for short trips within a city; grand taxis or a private transfer make more sense between cities or to specific sites. If your route includes the Sahara, a private tour transfer is usually far more comfortable than public transport for that leg — see our desert tours for options.

Customs and etiquette

Modest dress is appreciated, especially outside beach areas and inside religious or historic sites. Ask before photographing people directly. A simple greeting in Arabic or French goes further than you’d expect. Shoes come off when entering certain homes or mosque-adjacent spaces if asked.

When to go

Short version: spring (March-May) and autumn (September-November) have the best weather across the country. See our full month-by-month guide for the detail, including how Ramadan timing affects a trip.

What to eat

Tagine and couscous are the famous dishes, but don’t stop there: pastilla (a savory-sweet pigeon or chicken pie), harira soup, msemen flatbread, mechoui (slow-roasted lamb), and mint tea everywhere. Ask what a restaurant is actually known for rather than defaulting to the tourist-menu tagine every night.

Where to go

Marrakech, Fes, Chefchaouen, the Sahara, Essaouira, and the Atlas Mountains each offer something different — see our full guide to the best places to visit in Morocco for what each one is actually like and how they fit together.

Shopping

Rugs, leather, lanterns, ceramics, argan oil, and jewelry are the classic souvenirs, with bargaining expected almost everywhere. See our souks shopping guide and craft traditions guide for what to buy, roughly what to pay, and where each craft is actually made.

Safety

Morocco is one of the more visited, tourism-experienced countries in the region, and the vast majority of visits are entirely uneventful. Normal precautions apply: keep valuables secure and out of sight in busy markets, use licensed taxis or arranged transfers rather than unmarked cars, stick to bottled or filtered water, and download offline maps for the Medina before you go — it’s genuinely easy to lose your bearings there.

A real 10-day route

• Days 1-3, Marrakech — see our 3-day Marrakech itinerary for the full day-by-day plan
• Days 4-5, Atlas Mountains & Aït Benhaddou — the route most Sahara-bound tours already pass through
• Days 6-7, Sahara Desert — see our Sahara desert guide
• Day 8, Fes
• Day 9, Chefchaouen — Morocco’s actual Blue City, a common add-on from Fes
• Day 10, Casablanca or Rabat before flying home

Want this exact route built and booked for you, with the transfers and desert camp already arranged? Design a custom tour around this itinerary or your own dates.