Discover Morocco
Think of Morocco as you might its famous dish, the tagine where you lift the lid and an aromatic melange of Moroccan tours hit you. At the top of the delicious heap is Mount Toubkal, North Africa’s highest peak (4,167m), the most sought after summit for those trekking in the High Atlas Mountains. Just like the tagine, however, it takes experts to mix up the ingredients and then proudly share them with avid adventurers. Which is why all our Morocco hiking holidays are led by local guides. They know exactly how to combine, for example, a Sahara trek with an Atlas Mountain one, or how to fuse the riads and souks of Marrakech with remote Berber kasbahs and still get the recipe just right. This makes for a sizzling and fulfilling adventure but, unlike the tagine, it will often leave you craving more.
Popular tours in Morocco
Adventure types
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Morocco: where to go
High Atlas Mountains
They are like the icing on Morocco’s colossal cake, spread for 2,000km across the top of the country and into Tunisia. They are also home to the welcoming indigenous Berber or Amazigh people. Morocco hiking holidays in the High Atlas take you up winding, steep and sometimes icy slopes, past ochre Berber villages that merge with the rock faces of the same hue, following in the steps of shepherds or goat herders and their trusty pack mules.
The Sahara Desert
For two extremes of sand and summit, we offer a Morocco hiking holiday that takes in Toubkal, the olive, argan and walnut tree-covered lower slopes and some Sahara camping. The special ingredient in the middle of this sandwich of adventures is Todra Gorge, a hiking haven with pink and orange limestone cliff walls, sublime on a sunrise hike. At sunset, go camel trekking in the Sahara, then collapse under the desert night sky in a traditional Berber camp, share stories, become an astronomy aficionado and generally be transported to another world. You can also dive into the dunes in more depth on a ten day Sahara walking holiday.
Mount Toubkal
The local name is Jebel Toubkal and its towering summit is just 60km from Marrakech. Toubkal is a strenuous hike with a fair amount of scrambling involved, and takes two days to ascend and descend. The first day involves a hike up from Imlil through Mizane Valley to Mouflons Toubkal Refuge (3,207m), where the snowline begins, depending on the time of year. You start your ascent before dawn, clambering over rocks and scree to the pinnacle at 4,167m, with views across the Atlas to the Atlantic.
Marrakech
If you think that Marrakech is going to be a culture shock, it is, but even more so when you explore it at the end of a hiking holiday in Morocco. The two worlds of mountains and metropolis couldn’t be further apart, and yet only an hour away. It’s a raucous rather than rude awakening in Marrakech’s medina, however, and giving yourself over to the charm and chaos is the only way to go.
Morocco: things to do
- For people new to trekking at high altitude, the best time to climb Mount Toubkal is during the spring or autumn, when it’s not too hot or cold. However, unlike many European high peaks, you can climb Toubkal in winter without a lot of technical know-how, but you do need an expert mountain guide. You will be guided, geared up with crampons and ice picks and grow a whole new layer of thick skin as you take on this African apex with determination and pride. And rest assured, the tagine will be ready and waiting when you’re done. For more details, see our blog, Climbing Mount Toubkal.
- You will never go hungry on Moroccan tours, with food playing a central role in the country’s culture and innate sense of hospitality. The aforementioned tagine is omnipresent, usually made with chicken, lamb and vegetables all slowly cooked together in an earthenware pot. Locally grown nuts such as almonds or walnuts, as well as dried apricots and dates are regulars on the table, and harira soup, made with tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas, lamb and spices is a Ramadan regular at the end of a day of fasting. And mint tea is flowing at every turn.
- Step off the hills into a hammam, even if it means also stepping out of your comfort zone. These traditional steam rooms are where Moroccan, and especially Berber people living in the mountains, bathe. They host men and women separately, then they scrub you, strip off every last toxin as well as every last worry, then plaster you with local rhasshoul clay. The hammam is a rite of passage for anyone on truly responsible Morocco tours. See our bespoke blog, Top tips on visiting a Moroccan hammam.
Responsible travel tips
- Beware of cultural faux pas by dressing in culturally appropriate ways, avoid big public displays of affection, and don’t reveal too much skin. Just read the room, and be respectful.
- During Ramadan and Eid festival times, remember that restaurants and shops may close but also take into account that your guides may be fasting. For more details, see our blog, Travelling during Ramadan.
- Although Morocco tours are popular with the LGBTQ+ travellers, many are aware of the fact that homosexuality is still illegal here. We are all for you campaigning against this with organisations like Human Rights Watch, but please never take risks while holidaying there.
- The water sellers in the souks look amazing, and you may want to offer them a few dirhams to have a photograph of them, but don’t rush to drink their water. Try not to buy too much bottled water either as waste disposal is an issue in Morocco. For our walking holidays in Morocco, we highly recommend bringing a purifying refillable water bottle.
- Haggling is part of the culture here and generally you should never accept the seller’s first offer. But remember also that tourism income sustains many families in Morocco, so a good tip is to half the price they are offering and then chill out. It may be fun to haggle over a quid, but these coins might be fundamental to someone else.
Do I need a visa for Morocco?
You do not need a visa for Morocco if you are visiting as a tourist for less than 90 days from the following countries.
- EU/EEA/Schengen countries
- USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand
- China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, UAE
- Russia
- Some Latin American countries including Brazil, Argentina and Mexico
- Some African countries including including Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gabon, Senegal, Togo, and neighbouring Algeria or Tunisia
- Some Middle East countries including Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Turkey
Citizens from the following regions generally require a visa to enter Morocco for short stays (up to 90 days):
- Most African countries (except those with visa-free agreements such as Cape Verde, Algeria or Tunisia, as mentioned above)
- Many Asian countries, including India, Pakistan and Thailand
- Belarus
- Some Middle Eastern countries, including Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon
- Many Caribbean and Pacific nations
To double check whether you need a visa, see here, or use the visa tool below.
FAQs
We offer cycling and trekking tours in Morocco all year round, so you have plenty of seasons to choose from. And each season offers something special. It has two big climate influencers, with the Mediterranean along the northern coastal regions, and more extreme desert conditions in the southern interior, on the edge of the Sahara. In the middle, there’s a whole other microclimate of the Atlas Mountains, which can get snow in winter or soar up to 30C in summer at lower elevations. If you are aiming for the highest point at Mount Toubkal, we recommend the spring or autumn, when it’s cooler. But we’ve a lot more details in our blog, Best time to go to Morocco.
Ramadan takes place for 30 days during the ninth month of the Islamic, or Hijri lunar calendar, and it’s observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community. For non-Muslim travellers, if they find themselves travelling during Ramadan, it can come as a surprise. If you choose to travel during Ramadan, it’s important to be patient and respectful. It’s an interesting experience travelling to Morocco during this time, but it’s also not for everyone. One of our top tips is to remember that your guides may be fasting and also that you may have to alter plans because restaurants may be closed. For more details, see our blog, Travelling during Ramadan.
Yes you can get to Morocco from Spain travelling by train and ferry, quite easily. Although it takes time. The nearest ferry ports in Europe are in either Algeciras or nearby Tarifa in Spain, with the fastest ferry operating from the latter. They both take you to Tangier, with the fastest service of just one hour taking you between Tarifa and Tangier city, and the services from Algeciras taking you to Tangier Med Port, which is further out from the city centre. With bus connections to Tangier city centre.
You can travel to Algeciras in Spain easily by train but, as there is no train station in Tarifa, there is a shuttle bus service to its port from Algeciras. For more information, see the green guru when it comes to worldwide train travel, The Man in Seat 61. Most of our adventures start in Marrakech, which is accessible by train from Tangier, taking around 5h 30mins. There are also night trains, but only with limited couchettes that are bookable locally.
Although we don’t have any family-specific tours in Morocco, it’s worth checking out our easy/moderate level walking holidays to see if they appeal to all family members, especially if you have older teenages. We also have lots of adventurous add-ons, such as seeing the waterfalls and wildlife of the Ourika Valley or a day trip to the traditional port and top surf town of Essaioura. Our adventure specialists are here to cater for your needs, and we can often adapt a day’s itinerary if you think it’s going to be too hard or too easy.
All of our Moroccan walking holidays are open to solo travellers and, as you have a private guide on all tours, you won’t feel like you’re going it totally alone. Some people aren’t sure if they can take on Mount Toubkal on their own. However, climbing Toubkal is actually very suitable for solo adventurers, as they have the support of an expert high mountain guide and a support team throughout. In the mountain lodge at Toubkal Base Camp, the dormitories are divided per gender and not mixed. You can find all of our solo trips in Morocco here, but please remember that a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared.
In 2018, the Moroccan government stated that drinking water in Morocco is safe for human consumption. However, the harmless bacteria in the water can cause stomach upset in visitors. We do recommend, therefore, that you drink sealed bottled water, or use a filtered water bottle. Especially if you want to drink from streams on your hikes, where there can be a risk of harmful runoff. Your guides will ensure that you have plenty of bottled or filtered water on your treks too, of course. Also don’t be tempted to drink the water from the water sellers in the souks.
There are a few health and safety issues to be aware of, not least rabies, which does exist in Morocco and there was a recent case of a UK visitor catching rabies from a local dog. So do take care when out and about and avoid petting animals, especially dogs which are the main carriers. WHO recommends routine vaccines for travelling such as tetanus, measles, mumps and rubella before travelling anywhere, as well as Hepatitis A and Typhoid which are linked to food and water safety in Morocco.
Use private healthcare organisations while travelling if you are in need of attention, and always make sure that you have suitable health insurance to suit your adventure travel. As with all international travels, do check up to date information at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for UK travellers or similar foreign office advice in your home country.
As Morocco is in northern Africa, it falls outside of Europe in the eyes of most travel insurance providers. But there are exceptions, so always check the wording of your travel insurance policy and for more information, see here. If you are EU/British residents, your EHIC/GHIC health insurance card isn’t valid in Morocco.
Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is most common when above altitudes of 2,500m, which will happen in the Atlas Mountains on our higher trekking holidays. As all our trips are with private guides, one of the most important things is to trust the experts if you start to feel unwell. AMS affects everyone differently, irrespective of age, gender or fitness level so there is no shame in not being able to continue, or taking a long break. Mountain leaders recognise the signs quickly and it’s vital that you let them know if you have headaches, dizziness or a shortening of breath so that they can assess the situation and act accordingly.
Of course, this depends on the region that you are visiting, but as with most of our adventures, you will be exploring remote terrain where weather conditions may be unpredictable. For that reason, we have some detailed blogs on packing, which may be of help: What to pack for a cycling trip and What to pack for a hiking trip. As well as that, don’t forget to pack your sense of adventure, plenty of sunscreen and a phrase book. Moroccans love it if you try to say a few words in Moroccan Arabic (or Darija) and, even better, in Berber (or Amazigh).
We will send you a detailed packing list but here are some must-haves, starting with sturdy and well worn-in hiking boots for the dry, rocky and scree covered trails, as well as walking poles. If you don’t have walking poles, we can provide them, free of charge. You will need plenty of layers of moisture-wicking clothing, a fleece, down jacket and wind/waterproof shell, as well as hiking trousers. We recommend both summer and winter hats if travelling outside winter months, a neck warmer, waterproof gloves and thermals of course.
Other practical gear includes a sleeping bag and liner, ear plugs for the shared accommodation, a head torch for pre-dawn rude awakenings, sun cream, good quality sunglasses for hiking at elevations, and a refillable water bottle, all packed in a backpack weighing no more than 20kg. For more information on Mount Toubkal, see our YouTube video and also our bespoke blog.
The beach resort of Agadir gets busy in peak season, but we don’t have natural adventures there. Marrakech does get busy during international and national holiday seasons, however our hiking holidays in the Atlas Mountains, or into the Sahara, always take you off the beaten path, where overtourism is not an issue.
We don’t have any winter sports holidays in Morocco, mainly because snow is less prevalent there now with the climate crisis, and so winter walking or ski touring holidays through snow are no longer dependable. What we do have is no shortage of winter sun walking and cycling holidays of course, all of which you can see here. And, the chances are that if you are heading to the summit of Mount Toubkal in winter, there will be snow. When there is snow, we provide crampons, ice picks and ropes and winter training is given on the spot.
Food in Morocco is amazing, and local people and businesses are increasingly accommodating to travellers with special dietary needs, especially in larger cities and popular tourist destinations. Vegetarians are well catered for, with tagines omnipresent.
We will always endeavour to advise accommodations and guides in advance of any dietary needs and, as all of our Morocco tours are privately-guided, you have someone looking out for you at picnics, restaurants and so on.
It’s the Moroccan dirham (Dh), and it’s worth noting that you can’t buy it outside the country, only at exchanges or ATMs in Morocco.
Tipping is very much part of the culture, so it’s worth getting some small amounts of dirhams when you do your first currency exchange, so that you can tip easily. On our hiking and cycling tours, all of which are privately-guided, it’s common to tip your guide, muleteer and cooks at the end of the week in a lump sum. This ranges from 50-300Dh per day. In restaurants, tipping is not part of the local culture, but in more touristy areas, they sometimes add 10% to the bill, which is a good amount. Even if it’s not done all the time, rounding up to the nearest zero is always a cool thing to do.
