Think dry heat, souks, tajine, Arabic music and more, Morocco is not for the faint-hearted. The currency is Moroccan Dirham’s and Australian dollars go a long way.
Boarded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, this North African country is distinguished by its Moroccan Berber, Arabian and European cultural influences.
Moroccan tajine is the national dish, a hearty stew in which the ingredients are cooked slowly in a shallow earthenware pot with a tall, conical lid. Served hot and normally with couscous, tajine can be found on every street in Morocco.
Flying to Marrakesh from Sydney takes 12 hours and from there you can organise a camel trek into the Sahara or organise a tour. From Tarifa in Southern Spain it costs around $40 and takes 1 hour to get the ferry to Tangier, Morocco. Some people visit Morocco as a day trip from Spain, but this country has so much to offer that 1 day does not do it justice.
Allow at least 7 days to see Tangier, Chefchaouen, Marrakesh, Fes and Rabat or longer if you have the time. Book a bespoke tour through Moroccan Journeys or Morocco Bespoke to make the most of your time in Morocco.
Tangier
A 1 hour ferry ride from Tarifa in the south of Spain, Tangier has been the gateway between Africa and Europe for centuries. The ‘rock of Gibraltar’ is visible from Tangier and the whitewashed walls of the media are welcoming to tourists and locals alike.
Moroccan tea is typically poured from a height to mix the ingredients and cool down the tea.
Follow the traditional Moroccan ritual and drink sweet mint tea in the Petit Socco and admire the busy marketplace where they sell dates, olives, persimmons, grapes, nuts and pomegranate.
Chefchaouen
Known as ‘The Blue City’ because all the buildings are painted blue, this city is spectacular year round. Explore the winding streets and admire the cats that aesthetically place themselves in picture perfect positions all around the town.
Marrakesh
A literal desert oasis, Marrakesh is the best known city in Morocco. French designer, Yves Saint Laurent had a love affair with Marrakesh, opening up the Musée Yves Saint Laurent. The Musée is dedicated to Yves’s couture legacy and has a permanent display of hundreds of garments spanning his 40-year career.
Madonna spent her 60th in Marrakesh, renting out a 28-room luxury riad near the Marrakech medina. Visit the mosques, palaces and gardens scattered throughout the bustling city.
Fes
Often referred to as the country’s capital, Fes is the second largest city in Morocco. Stay in the Fes El Bali walled medina and try the wide selection of breads and pastry the city has to offer.
Hold your nose at the Chouara Tannery where leather is prepared to be made into bags, coats, shoes, and slippers, prized for their high quality. The entire process is carried out entirely by hand, retaining methods used since medieval times.
Rabat
Rabat is the capital of Morocco and sports a modern tramway that runs through the city. Explore the media and barter for rugs at the local workshops where Berber women weave together.
Admire the tall containers of Moroccan spice mix which typically consists of more than a dozen spices including cardamom, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, allspice, dry ginger, chili peppers, coriander seed, peppercorn, sweet and hot paprika, fenugreek, and turmeric.
You will never run out of things to do in Morocco. Every city and town has something unique to offer and stories to tell.
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