Travel guides
Plan a better Morocco trip.
Honest, practical guides from a Tangier atelier — the questions every traveller asks, answered with real numbers and local knowledge.
57 guides available
Itineraries
Itineraries guides
Day-by-day routes our concierge builds, from first-timers to slow travellers.
ItinerariesItineraries · One week
Northern Morocco Itinerary: 7 Days from Tangier
A week based in Tangier is enough to combine the city itself with the blue lanes of Chefchaouen, the artist's town of Asilah and the Andalusian streets of Tetouan — with the option to push on south by high-speed train. Here are two proven routes and how to choose.
ItinerariesItineraries · Ten days
Northern Morocco Itinerary: 10 Days from Tangier
Ten days from Tangier is the sweet spot — long enough to soak up the gateway city and the Rif, then ride the high-speed train south to Fes and the imperial heart before circling back to the Strait.
ItinerariesItineraries · Two weeks
Morocco Itinerary: 14 Days from Tangier — The Grand North-to-South Route
Two weeks beginning in Tangier is enough to cover Morocco's full sweep: the northern gateway and the Rif, the imperial cities, the High Atlas, the kasbah road and a night in the Sahara — all at a genuinely unhurried pace, ending in Marrakech.
ItinerariesItineraries · Family
Morocco Family Itinerary: 10 Days with Children
A 10-day Morocco family itinerary — Marrakech, the Sahara and the Atlantic coast — designed around children's energy, attention spans and the practical realities of family travel: private riads with pools, manageable drives and the camel ride that every child remembers. Families flying or sailing into Tangier can pick it up by riding the Al Boraq high-speed train south to Marrakech first.
ItinerariesItineraries · Trip length
How Many Days Do You Need in Morocco?
The ideal Morocco trip is 7–14 days. Five days is a workable minimum for one arc — say Tangier and the Rif, or Marrakech and the desert; ten days is the sweet spot that covers the northern gateway, the imperial cities, the Atlas and the Sahara without rushing.
ItinerariesItineraries · Road trip
Morocco Road Trip Guide: Routes, Tips & What to Expect
A Morocco road trip is one of the great drives of the world — whether you start in the north at Tangier and follow the Rif and the imperial cities, or run the High Atlas passes, the kasbah road, the Drâa Valley palm oases and the Saharan pre-desert in sequence. Here is how to plan it, what the roads are actually like and which routes reward a self-driver.
ItinerariesItineraries · Desert tour
Morocco Desert Tour from Marrakech: The Complete Route Guide
The desert tour from Marrakech — over the Tizi n'Tichka pass, through the kasbahs and gorges, and out to the Sahara at Merzouga — is one of the world's great overland journeys, and an easy add-on for travellers who arrive in Tangier and ride the Al Boraq high-speed train down to Marrakech first. This guide covers every stage, from day-trip to five-day circuit, with real timings and practical advice.
Planning
Planning guides
When to come, what it costs and how to shape the trip before you fly.
PlanningPlanning · When to go
The Best Time to Visit Tangier & Northern Morocco
Late spring (April–June) and early autumn (September–October) are the best all-round times for Tangier — warm but not heavy, the Strait breeze still gentle, and ideal conditions for the kasbah, the beaches and day trips to Chefchaouen, Asilah and Tetouan.
PlanningPlanning · Safety
Is Tangier Safe to Visit?
Yes — Tangier is a safe, easy-going gateway city, well used to travellers arriving by ferry from Spain and by air. The old reputation of the 1980s and 90s is long gone; the realistic concerns today are petty scams and a little medina hustle, both easily managed.
PlanningPlanning · Visa & entry
Morocco Visa & Entry Requirements
Most travellers — including US, Canadian, UK, EU/Schengen, Australian, New Zealand and Japanese passport holders — enter Morocco visa-free for up to 90 days, whether you arrive by air at Tangier or by ferry from Spain. You need a passport valid for at least six months beyond arrival.
PlanningPlanning · Money
Tangier Travel Costs & Budget
Tangier can be done on almost any budget, and a day-trip from Spain barely dents the wallet. Mid-range travellers spend roughly US$70–130 per person per day; private, guided days with a driver typically run US$180–350+ depending on season and style.
PlanningPlanning · Ramadan
Travelling in Morocco During Ramadan
Ramadan transforms the rhythm of Tangier in ways that can be unexpectedly wonderful — the Petit Socco buzzing after dark, spectacular breaking-fast meals, a real sense of community on the Strait. The key is knowing what changes and planning around it.
PlanningPlanning · Solo & Women
Tangier for Women Travellers
Tangier draws many women travelling solo, often as a first taste of Morocco on a short hop from Spain. The city is safe and cosmopolitan, but street attention is real — knowing what to expect and how to handle it makes the difference between a frustrating and a thoroughly rewarding trip.
PlanningPlanning · Family travel
Tangier with Kids: A Family Travel Guide
Tangier works beautifully with children — sandy beaches in the city itself, the cave-and-cliff adventure of Cap Spartel, a short ferry hop from Spain, and a culture genuinely warm towards families. Pacing and planning are everything.
PlanningPlanning · Honeymoon
Tangier Honeymoon Guide
Tangier is one of the most romantic and underrated honeymoon destinations in Morocco: clifftop café terraces over the Strait, intimate kasbah riads, sunsets at Cap Spartel where two seas meet, and the storybook blue of Chefchaouen a short drive away. Here is how to plan an unforgettable romantic trip.
PlanningPlanning · Sahara
Sahara Desert Tour Guide: Merzouga, Chigaga & Zagora
The Sahara is the long-haul reward at the far end of a trip that begins in Tangier on the Strait of Gibraltar. Three Saharan gateways compete for Morocco's desert travellers: Erg Chebbi at Merzouga for accessibility and grandeur, Erg Chigaga near M'Hamid for remoteness, and Zagora for a shorter excursion. Here is how to choose, what the camps are like, and when to go.
PlanningPlanning · Trekking
Trekking the Atlas Mountains: Toubkal, Imlil & Beyond
The High Atlas rises to 4,167 metres at Jbel Toubkal, North Africa's highest peak — the southern bookend to a Morocco trip that many travellers now begin in Tangier on the Strait of Gibraltar. Whether you want a single-day walk from Imlil, a multi-day village traverse or a summit attempt, the Atlas rewards it — with the right season, guide and preparation.
PlanningPlanning · Surf
Surfing in Morocco: Taghazout, Agadir & Imsouane
Morocco's Atlantic surf belt runs the length of the country — and it starts right outside Tangier, where the beaches of Cap Spartel and the Atlantic strands west of the city catch the first swells. The most consistent surf, from September to April, is far to the south around Taghazout, with long right-hand points at Imsouane and gentle town beaches at Agadir; warm winters, cheap living and a relaxed culture make the trip worthwhile.
PlanningPlanning · Marrakech
Things to Do in Marrakech: The Essential Guide
Marrakech is sensory overload in the best possible way — a medieval medina, world-class gardens, hammam rituals, rooftop dinners and a square that transforms nightly into one of the world's great open-air spectacles. From Tangier it is the southern anchor of a north-to-south trip, reached in a single ride on the Al Boraq high-speed train. Here is where to spend your time.
PlanningPlanning · Fes
Things to Do in Fes: The Essential Guide
Fes el-Bali is the world's largest inhabited medieval city — a UNESCO World Heritage medina of 9,400 lanes, 14th-century madrasas, the planet's oldest university and the Chouara tanneries. From Tangier it is the obvious first imperial city, an easy run south on the Al Boraq high-speed train. It demands a good guide, unhurried time and genuine curiosity.
PlanningPlanning · Chefchaouen
Things to Do in Chefchaouen: The Essential Guide
Chefchaouen — Morocco's famous blue city tucked into the Rif Mountains — is the classic day trip or overnight from Tangier, just two and a half to three hours south through the mountains. Its medina is small, walkable and genuinely beautiful; its mountains reward hikers; its food is distinctively Rifian; and its pace is the slowest in the country.
PlanningPlanning · Essaouira
Things to Do in Essaouira: The Essential Guide
Essaouira is Morocco's Atlantic counterpoint to Marrakech — a fortified white-and-blue port city with ramparts, a working fishing harbour, outstanding grilled seafood, world-class windsurfing and a medina that is genuinely liveable and calm. For travellers working their way down from Tangier and the north, it is the easiest Atlantic add-on once you reach Marrakech, three hours west and entirely different in character.
PlanningPlanning · Agadir
Things to Do in Agadir: The Essential Guide
Agadir is Morocco's beach resort capital — rebuilt from scratch after a 1960 earthquake and shaped primarily around its 10 km of Atlantic sand, year-round sunshine and package-holiday infrastructure. It sits at the far southern end of the Atlantic coast that begins, far to the north, at Tangier's own beaches on the Strait, and is the gateway to the Souss Valley, the argan forests and the surf coastline of Taghazout.
PlanningPlanning · Rabat
Things to Do in Rabat: The Essential Guide
Rabat, Morocco's understated capital, is the first major city south of Tangier on the Al Boraq high-speed line — under two hours away — and rewards visitors with UNESCO-listed monuments, a royal kasbah, Roman ruins and a genuine daily-life rhythm entirely free from the tourist pressure of Marrakech or Fes.
PlanningPlanning · Tangier
Things to Do in Tangier: The Essential Guide
Tangier has transformed from the faded, slightly edgy gateway it was for decades into one of Morocco's most interesting cities — its kasbah restored, its seafront rebuilt, and its literary history as a city of expatriate writers and artists consciously reclaimed.
PlanningPlanning · Casablanca
Things to Do in Casablanca: The Essential Guide
Casablanca is Morocco's economic capital and largest city — a modern, cosmopolitan metropolis built on Atlantic commerce rather than imperial history, around two hours south of Tangier on the Al Boraq high-speed train. Its centrepiece, the Hassan II Mosque, is among the most extraordinary buildings in the world, and the city's restaurants, Corniche and Art Deco architecture reward those who linger beyond the airport transfer.
PlanningPlanning · Ouarzazate
Things to Do in Ouarzazate: The Essential Guide
Ouarzazate — 'the door of the desert' — sits at the junction of the High Atlas and the Saharan south, the far end of a journey that for many travellers now begins in Tangier on the Strait of Gibraltar. It is the gateway to Aït Ben Haddou, Africa's most famous film set, and the Drâa Valley; its Atlas Studios produce more major films than almost anywhere outside Hollywood.
PlanningPlanning · Meknes
Things to Do in Meknes: The Essential Guide
Meknes — the fourth of Morocco's imperial cities and the least visited — is an easy stop on the way down from Tangier and the Rif towards Fes, and rewards the traveller who lingers: a UNESCO medina, the monumental gates and granaries of Sultan Moulay Ismail's 17th-century capital, and the Roman city of Volubilis 33 km to the north.
PlanningPlanning · Winter travel
Morocco in Winter: What to Expect & Where to Go
Winter (December–February) is an underrated season for Morocco — and a fine time to arrive in Tangier, where the crisp winter air often gives the clearest views across the Strait to Spain. The cities and Sahara are at their most comfortable, crowds thin out, and the High Atlas turns dramatically white. Knowing where to go, what to expect and what to pack makes a winter trip one of the most rewarding.
PlanningPlanning · Summer travel
Morocco in Summer: Heat, Coast & What Still Works
Summer in Morocco (June–August) means extreme heat inland, but the north — Tangier and the breezy Strait coast, the Rif Mountains and Chefchaouen — stays markedly more comfortable. Know where the heat is manageable, where to go instead and how to travel smart in the hottest months.
PlanningPlanning · Solo travel
Morocco Solo Travel: An Honest Guide
Solo travel in Morocco is rewarding, affordable and genuinely feasible — millions of people do it every year, and many now arrive solo on the fast ferry into Tangier from Spain. It demands a little more awareness than group travel, but the freedom, the encounters and the depth of experience it offers are not available any other way.
PlanningPlanning · Marrakech season
Best Time to Visit Marrakech
March to May and September to November are the best months to visit Marrakech — comfortable warmth, long days and pleasant evenings. Summer is hot but workable; winter is mild and crowd-free. From Tangier the city is a single Al Boraq high-speed train ride south, so its season pairs neatly with a northern-gateway trip.
PlanningPlanning · Sahara season
Best Time to Visit the Sahara in Morocco
October to April is the Moroccan Sahara's golden window — comfortable days, cold clear nights and dunes lit by low golden light. July and August are brutal and best avoided. For travellers starting in Tangier, the desert is the long-haul finale of a north-to-south trip, so timing the Sahara well shapes the whole itinerary.
PlanningPlanning · Beaches
Best Beaches in Morocco
Morocco has over 3,000 km of Atlantic and Mediterranean coastline — and Tangier sits at the hinge of the two, where the Atlantic beaches below Cap Spartel give way to the calmer Mediterranean coves east of the city. From the windswept ramparts of Essaouira to the calm family beaches of Agadir, the surf breaks of Taghazout and the sheltered coves of the north, here is where to go, and when.
PlanningPlanning · Accommodation
Where to Stay in Morocco: Riads, Hotels & Desert Camps
Morocco offers one of the world's great accommodation experiences — and it begins the night you arrive in Tangier, in a kasbah riad with a roof terrace looking out over the Strait of Gibraltar. From intimate medina riads with plunge pools and private chefs to luxury Sahara tented camps and Atlantic coast boutique hotels, knowing which type suits your trip, and what to look for in each, makes a significant difference.
PlanningPlanning · Baby & toddler travel
Morocco with a Baby or Toddler: A Practical Guide
Travelling to Morocco with a baby or toddler is entirely possible and often surprisingly smooth — Moroccan culture is genuinely warm towards small children, riads can be made to work, and the practical logistics are manageable with the right preparation.
PlanningPlanning · When to go
Best Time to Visit Fes: Weather, Crowds & What to Expect
Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) are the best times to visit Fes — mild weather, manageable crowds and ideal conditions for walking the labyrinthine medina. As the first imperial city most travellers reach coming south from Tangier, its season is worth timing carefully. This guide breaks down what every season brings to Morocco's spiritual capital.
PlanningPlanning · Desert activities
Morocco Camel Trekking: How to Plan the Perfect Sahara Ride
A camel trek in the Moroccan Sahara is one of the most iconic travel experiences in North Africa — the deep-south reward at the far end of a trip that, for many, begins in Tangier on the Strait of Gibraltar. This guide covers the best locations, what to expect physically, how long to book and what a night in a desert camp really feels like.
PlanningPlanning · When to go
Best Time to Visit Chefchaouen: Season, Weather & Practical Tips
Chefchaouen is beautiful year-round, but spring (March–May) and autumn (September–October) deliver the best combination of mild weather, manageable crowds and perfect light for the city's famous blue-washed medina. As the classic two-to-three-hour run south from Tangier, its season pairs naturally with a northern-gateway trip. Here is what each season brings.
Practical
Practical guides
Safety, visas, money, packing and the ground-truth that makes a trip seamless.
PracticalPractical · Packing
What to Pack for Tangier
Pack light, modest and windproof. Tangier's coastal weather swings with the Strait — warm sunny afternoons, breezy evenings and the odd Atlantic shower — so breathable layers, comfortable walking shoes and a windproof top cover almost everything.
PracticalPractical · Transport
Getting Around Tangier & Northern Morocco
Tangier is Morocco's northern gateway — the ferry terminals from Spain, Ibn Battouta Airport and the high-speed train all meet here. Within the city you'll walk and use petit taxis; for the Rif day trips you'll want a private driver or an intercity bus.
PracticalPractical · Connectivity
SIM Cards & Internet in Morocco
Staying connected in Tangier is cheap and easy. A local SIM or eSIM from Maroc Telecom, Orange or Inwi gives you fast 4G across the city for a few dollars; free Wi-Fi is common in hotels and the literary cafés.
PracticalPractical · Getting there
Marrakech to Merzouga: Routes, Times & Transport Options
Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi dunes are roughly 550 km from Marrakech — the desert leg at the far end of a trip that many travellers now begin up north in Tangier, riding the Al Boraq high-speed train down to Marrakech first. It is a long journey whichever way you go, but one of the most rewarding drives in North Africa. Here are all the options, the route differences, realistic timings and how to choose.
PracticalPractical · Pre-trip checklist
Morocco Travel Checklist: Everything to Do Before You Go
A complete pre-departure checklist for Morocco: documents, bookings, money, health, connectivity and packing — everything to confirm before you board so nothing is left to chance.
PracticalPractical · Airport transfers
Getting from Casablanca Airport (CMN) to Your Destination
Casablanca Mohammed V Airport (CMN) is Morocco's busiest international gateway. The Al Boraq high-speed train connects it to the city in 20 minutes; private transfers take you door-to-door across Morocco without hassle.
PracticalPractical · Insurance
Morocco Travel Insurance: What You Need & Why
Travel insurance for Morocco is not optional if you plan to trek the Atlas, ride a camel in the Sahara or simply want coverage for cancelled flights and lost luggage. Here is what to look for, what it costs and which activities require specialist cover.
PracticalPractical · Connectivity
eSIMs for Morocco: The Traveller's Guide to Staying Connected
An eSIM lets you activate a Moroccan data plan before you land, skip the airport SIM queue and keep your home number available on the same device. Here is how eSIMs work in Morocco, which providers to use and where coverage is reliable.
PracticalPractical · Health
Is Tap Water Safe to Drink in Morocco?
Tap water in Morocco is treated and technically meets national standards in the major cities, but travellers — particularly on short visits — are strongly advised to drink bottled or filtered water. Stomach upsets from the change in local bacteria are common even when the water is not technically contaminated.
PracticalPractical · Dress code
What to Wear in Morocco: Dress Code for Travellers
Morocco does not have a legal dress code for tourists, but dressing modestly — covering shoulders and knees in medinas, markets and villages — is respectful, practically effective and makes travel smoother. Here is exactly what to wear, where, and why.
Culture
Culture guides
Food, etiquette, craft and the customs worth knowing before you arrive.
CultureCulture · Food
Moroccan Food & Drink
Tangier eats like a port that has always faced two seas. Fresh-landed fish and prawns, Andalusian-tinged dishes brought by Moriscos centuries ago, slow-cooked tagines, couscous Fridays, and the famous mint tea sipped above the Strait at Café Hafa.
CultureCulture · Etiquette
Tangier Etiquette & Customs
A little cultural awareness goes a long way in Tangier. The city is cosmopolitan and used to visitors off the Spanish ferries, but it is still Moroccan: dress modestly in the medina, greet warmly, ask before photographing people, and embrace the unhurried pace of mint tea on a café terrace.
CultureCulture · Photography
Tangier Photography Guide
Tangier is a photographer's city — the light that drew Matisse and Delacroix, whitewashed walls against a deep-blue Strait, the kasbah's tangle of lanes, and day trips to the bluest town in Morocco. Knowing where to go, when, and how to engage respectfully makes all the difference.
CultureCulture · Language
Moroccan Arabic & French Phrases for Travellers
Tangier runs on Darija (Moroccan Arabic) in daily life, French in business and signage — and, more than anywhere else in Morocco, Spanish, a legacy of the international era and the nearby coast. A handful of phrases in any of them opens doors that money alone cannot.
CultureCulture · Shopping
Shopping in the Souks: What to Buy, Fair Prices & Tips
Morocco's souks are among the world's great shopping experiences — and the trade starts the moment you step off the ferry, in Tangier's own medina and Petit Socco lanes. Knowing what to look for in rugs, leather, ceramics, lanterns and argan products, what fair prices look like, and how to bargain and ship makes the difference between a satisfying haul and buyer's regret, whether you are buying in Tangier or further south in Fes and Marrakech.
CultureCulture · Festivals & events
Morocco Public Holidays & Festivals
Morocco's calendar blends Islamic holy days that shift annually with the moon, fixed national holidays and a rich programme of regional festivals — from the Gnaoua World Music Festival in Essaouira to the rose festival of Kelaât M'Gouna. Knowing the calendar helps you plan around closures and unlock the country's most vivid cultural events.
CultureCulture · Souvenirs
Moroccan Souvenirs: What to Buy & Where
The best souvenirs from Morocco are things made there, by Moroccan hands, that you will actually use at home — not plastic camels. The hunt can start in Tangier's own medina and Petit Socco shops the day you arrive. From hand-knotted Berber rugs and Fes leather to argan oil, hand-painted ceramics and thuya wood, here is what to buy and where to find the real thing.
CultureCulture · Culinary
Moroccan Cooking Classes: What to Expect & Where to Book
A Moroccan cooking class is one of the most immersive ways to connect with the country's culture — shopping in a souk for saffron and preserved lemons, then slow-cooking a tagine over charcoal. In Tangier the northern kitchen leans on the catch of the Strait and Andalusian-influenced dishes, a distinctive starting point before classes further south. This guide covers what you will learn, how to choose the right class and what the experience actually involves.