Time Zone

GMT +1 hour

Language

Arabic is the official language, Berber (another dialect) and French are widely spoken while English is understood in most Moroccan cities.

ENGLISH	FRENCH	MOROCCAN DIALECT
Good Morning	Bonjour	Sbah El Khir
Good Evening	Bonsoir	Masaa El Khir
Goodbye	Au Revoir	Beslama
Please	S'il Vous Plait	Afak
Thank You	Merci	Choukran
Yes	Oui	Na'am
No	Non	La
Water	L'eau	L'ma
Good	Bien	Mzyan
Money	L'argent	Flous
How Much?	Combien?	Bechhal?
Where Is?	Ou Se Trouve?	Fayn?
Ok	D'accord	Wakha

 

Religion

Morocco is mainly a Muslim country with a minority of Jewish and Christian living peacefully and coexisting together all over the country.

Ramadan (Fasting Month) is observed once a year. In 2017, this fell between 15^th May and 14^th of June. During Ramadan, locals may not eat in public and will not be served in restaurants and cafes. Tourists may eat in public, although it is recommended that eating inside is more appropriate to show respect to the local culture.

Currency

The Moroccan currency is the Moroccan Dirham (MAD), the Code is DH. Minor unit is Centime  = 1/100  :

Coins Frequently Used: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50

Banknotes Frequently Used: 20, 50, 100, 200

Money Matters

ATMs & Credit Cards: Major international credit cards are accepted in larger shops, hotels & restaurants. Be sure to get the 4 digit numerical PIN to use ATMs outside of US. We recommend you to keep a small amount of change in Moroccan Dirham for use as tips & for small purchases.

Tipping

Tipping is not compulsory in Morocco. You are travelling on an independent itinerary and the cost of your program does not include gratuities. Tipping is a very personal matter and should only be considered when the staff have gone above and beyond for you. Should you feel you would like to acknowledge their service, please consider the following as a rough guide, per person per day.

 

Type of Service	Group Size (Number of People)
	1	2	3	4	5-9	10+
Guide	30	25	20	15	12	10
Driver	20	15	13	10	10	10
Hotel Porters	5	5	5	5	5	5

Please note: Currency is in USD

The above tipping guidelines are recommendations only and are not compulsory. Please use your own discretion in tipping, based on quality of service.

Taxi drivers do not expect tips but it is polite to round up the figure.

Service charge is sometimes added to restaurant bills. If it is not, a typical gratuity would be 10%.

Tips for airport and hotel porters are sometimes included in our airport transfers.

Weather

Best time to go to Morocco

Morocco is a country influenced by many different climates due to its land contrasts. Usually it’s a warm country.

Morocco is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north where the climate is more European. The landscape is more pronounced in the Rif Mountains and in the north generally where the views are spectacular. By the waves of the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the coastal regions are sunny throughout the year and warmer than the north.

The south of Morocco is open to the enormous dunes of sands of the Sahara, the temperature here reaches some extreme levels.

Coastal Morocco is cooled by breezes from the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. The rainy season generally extends from October to April. Inland, winters can be quite cold while summers are very hot. The mountain peaks of the Atlas Mountains are snow-capped especially at the beginning of the year (from January to March).

The best times to visit Morocco are from mid-February to June and from October to November.

Clothing

Morocco is a Muslim country, Women should avoid revealing articles of clothing like miniskirts and tank tops out of respect to the local people especially in the rural areas

You should bring a sunscreen and good shoes, also jackets will be needed even in the evenings of warmer days.

Health

Although it is safe to do so in most big cities, it is always advisable not to drink tap water or eat raw vegetables, especially in Desert areas. Bottled mineral water is available throughout the country.

Many hotels claim to have a no-smoking policy, please be aware that this policy is not always enforced and you will almost always still find an ashtray in the room.

Pharmacies are open Monday to Friday, and Saturday morning but closed on Sundays.

In case of emergency, contact the reception of your hotel or our emergency number: +212 (0) 661998138.

While there is a limited risk of Malaria in some parts of rural Morocco (remote areas of the sub-Saharan desert), it is not recommended to take anti-malarial drugs for travellers following standard city-based itineraries. No vaccinations are officially required for entry to Morocco. It is recommended that Tetanus and Hepatitis A vaccines are up-to-date.

For up to date information on latest health and vaccination recommendations, please contact your doctor.

Electricity

in Morocco,  you will find two associated plug type, types C and E. : 

• Plug type C is the plug which has two round pins
• plug type E is the plug which has two round pins and a hole for the socket’s male earthing pin.

Morocco operates French style on a 220V supply voltage and 50Hz.

Photography

As in all foreign countries, it is considered polite to adhere to and show respect for local customs.

Urban culture is greatly influenced by Western culture, but in rural areas traditional values and customs survive.

You should always ask permission before taking photographs of local people as offence could easily be taken. Some locals may ask for a few Dirhams when being photographed.

Arrival and Departure Formalities

Travel Documents in Order to Enter Morocco :

• Your passport should be valid for six months following date of entry.
• No visa is required for stays up to three months for North Americans and Europeans.
• Tickets and documents for return or onward travel.
• On your first arrival in Morocco, you will be given an entry number on your passport. Please keep it handy as it will be required in the hotels.
• Vaccination: International Certificate of Vaccination for Yellow Fever required if arriving from an infected area within five days.
• We advise you to make a photocopy of your passport, carried separately, in case of an emergency.

Visa requirements :

• A Moroccan visa is required by all except Citizens of the following Countries: :  Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Brazil, Chile, Congo (Rep), Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Guinea (Conakry), Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Korea (Rep), Kuwait, Libya, Liechtenstein, Mali, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand Niger, Norway, Oman, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela for stays of up to three months.

Local Food

You can find a variety of Moroccan traditional dishes which change depending on where you are in the country. The most common and popular Moroccan dishes are Tagines (vegetables and meat or chicken slow cooked in a clay of ceramic vessel); Couscous (a salty and sweet mixture made from steamed semolina and wheat flour, vegetables and meats); Moroccan Mechoui (roasted or grilled meat).

The authentic Moroccan minted tea is also an essential part of Moroccan gastronomy. Made from fresh mint, loose Chinese gunpowder green tea, some even add aromatic jasmine water to give it another touch. You can find it wherever you go!

Local Handicrafts

You can purchase all kinds of souvenirs and Moroccan handicraft items such as candles; accessories  and bags made from leather; wooden items such as small boxes, chests and tables; chessboards made from wood from trees such as cedar, pine, beech and olive; Moroccan artisan carpets; ceramic items such as vases, jars, pots, plates and trays.

You may find beautiful jewelry made from gold or silver with carved motifs decorated with valuable stones such as diamonds or emeralds.

What is also captivating is the vibration of colors, the variety of textures and the fabrics.

Other Notes

As you will have a driver at your disposal for most of your stay you will not need local taxis very frequently.

If you do need to use one during your leisure time, petits taxis are the most common: carrying up to 3 people, they are ideal for short journeys. Bear in mind that these taxis are usually shared, unless you specify and agree on a price at the beginning of your journey. At night there is a compulsory surcharge of 50%. You would normally not pay more than 20 Dirham for a 10 minute ride during the day.

Larger minicabs and Mercedes are used for travel between towns and these vehicles can hold up to 6 passengers.