10 days in Morocco
Beautiful, Lively & Cultural
Morocco was a destination that was so high on my list for a very long time. The history, the desert, the culture, the colours and the food… Morocco has so much to offer. My trip there was amazing and exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend adding this country to your bucket list!
What To Know Before Visiting Morocco
Cash: The currency used is the Moroccan Dirham (MAD). You will need cash during your time in Morocco – even in Marrakech where there are lots of new restaurants and cafes, cash is a necessity.
Languages: While Arabic and French are the main languages, English is widely spoken in Morocco.
Dress code: Be mindful of what you wear to be respectful to the culture, I suggest to not wear anything too revealing.
Someone offering “help”: In some cases, if someone offers you “help”, you will need to give a few Dirham if you accept. We were advised by most hotels we stayed in.
Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen is referred to as the the famous “blue city”. The buildings, the alleys, the ground and the doors are all a beautiful shade of blue. You can find these cute little alleys everywhere and simply get lost in the blue pearl!
Upon arriving to Tangier, we took a taxi from the Tangier airport, to the Tangier bus station which is where you will find the “Grand Taxi”. There are lots of taxi’s waiting there. Basically, the Grand Taxi is a big van that will drive up to 7 people, kind of like a ride share. We took this to get ourselves to Chefchaouen which took approximately 2h30 minutes.
How Long Should You Visit?
We stayed one day and saw most of the city which was great. I would recommend maximum 2 days since the city is small.
Next, we took the CTM bus from the main bus station in Chefchaouen to Fes! This cost us approximately $13 CAD per person. The journey is 3h30 minutes and brings you to the bus station in Fes called Gare Routière.
Fes
Where To Go:
Walk through the Medina: Lots of shopping and bargaining for the best Moroccan finds!
Visit the famous Chouara tannery: There are multiple tanneries however, Chouara Tannery is the biggest, most famous one. You will be given mint to put under your nose due to the strong odour from the tannery. Nonetheless, you will most likely be seeing the tannery from a balcony where you will be overlooking the hard-working men who are working in harsh conditions. It was definitely an eye-opening experience.
A visit at the mosque of Al-Attarine Madrasa.
A visit to Café Clock is a must! Great food, great atmosphere and the views on the rooftop are stunning!
Where To Stay: Médina Social Club – this riad was perfectly located in Fes and had the best staff! The Riad was beautiful, clean and had a rooftop. The breakfast was also included. Highly recommend this accommodation.
Marrakesh
Oh Marrakesh… This was definitely one of the coolest places I have ever been to. The city is very busy and loud, but so magical and beautiful at the same time. My favourite part was walking through the madness of the Medina then walking into our quiet Riad where it was so quiet and peaceful.
Where to eat
Naranj Marrakesh - The most amazing food - could have eaten here everyday.
Nomad - This place had delicious food and also an incredible view of the medina on the rooftop.
Le Jardin - The most beautiful interior! Le Jardin is a more expensive however, I highly recommend for both the experience and the food.
Max & Jan - This cafe is on the rooftop of a store. Modern interior with a great rooftop overlooking the medina.
Bazaar Café Marrakech - This place has great food and is one of the places where you can have alcohol.
What to do
Walk through the huge Medina and do lots of shopping! This will keep you occupied for a good amount of your day, and there’s so much to see!
Yves Saint Laurent Museum
Le Jardin Secret
Le Jardin Majorelle
How long should you visit
In my opinion, a minimum of 4 days in Marrakech! Lots do to and you can even take time to relax at your riad!
Where To stay
There are endless places to stay in Marrakech. Many who are “Instafamous”, but you can find some hidden gems all over the city.
Riad Cherrata: This place was the most perfect place to stay in. Small and personal, the staff were the nicest group of women ever. The women always made sure we were safe, answered all of our questions and were so kind. It was perfectly located close to the medina and the place was spotless. Riad Cherrata is the coziest place I’ve ever stayed at! Couldn’t recommend this riad any more.
You can also Airbnb some accommodations in Marrakech. Morocco probably has the most beautiful spaces I’ve ever seen. I recommend staying in a “riad”. They are a traditional Moroccan interior garden or courtyard connected to a house.
This Airbnb is absolutely stunning.
An Airbnb located right in the centre of the Medina.
Sahara
We used a tour company called Get Your Guide which included an early pick up close to our hotel in Marrakesh, 3 days of driving, seeing the Atlas Mountains, 2 nights of accommodation (one in the Sahara), a tour with a Berber in Ouarazate and Aït Benhaddou, all breakfasts and all dinners included (excludes lunches), and a camel trek to your campsite. Our driver was so nice!
Recommendations:
Bring snacks for the ride! It takes two days to get to the Sahara Desert, so bring some food and water to make your ride a little better.
Feel free to tip your driver if you feel he or she has done a good job!
Bring cash - it’s a must!
