This is a departure-to-return checklist for a first Morocco trip. It points to detailed specialist guides instead of repeating their advice.
Four to eight weeks before departure
- Confirm entry rules: check your passport and nationality on the official Accès Maroc portal.
- Choose a realistic route: allow at least two nights for major cities and avoid changing hotels every day.
- Check travel insurance: confirm medical care, cancellation, and any hiking or desert activities you plan.
- Reserve limited-capacity experiences: book popular riads, licensed guides, and overnight desert stays directly with identifiable operators.
One week before departure
- Save official transport links: use ONCF for trains and verify bus journeys with the operator.
- Download offline maps: save accommodation addresses and station locations before travelling.
- Make document backups: keep encrypted digital copies separate from your passport.
- Check the weather by region: the coast, Atlas Mountains, and desert can require very different layers.
Arrival-day checklist
- Use an official transport point: follow airport or station signs and confirm the fare or meter before departure.
- Withdraw a modest amount: use a bank ATM and keep smaller notes for low-value purchases. Our cash guide explains cards and exchange.
- Verify your accommodation location: medina properties may arrange a meeting point because cars cannot reach every lane.
- Slow down: leave the first evening light rather than scheduling a long excursion after a flight.
During the trip
- Check tomorrow's transport tonight: schedules can change during holidays, Ramadan, or maintenance.
- Keep one flexible half-day: use it for weather changes, laundry, rest, or a place you discover locally.
- Separate money and cards: carry only what you need for the day.
- Ask before photographing people: see our separate etiquette guide.
- Record useful details: note what you paid and what worked; it improves the rest of your trip.
Before returning home
- Confirm airport terminal and transfer time.
- Keep receipts for significant purchases and follow customs rules for restricted goods.
- Exchange or spend remaining dirhams lawfully and keep enough for the final transfer.
Ten practical details first-time visitors often miss
- Carry small notes and coins: they are useful for cafés, public toilets, short taxi rides, and modest tips. Do not rely on a shopkeeper having change for a large banknote.
- Confirm taxi pricing before moving: ask for the meter in cities where one is used, or agree on the total fare before entering when a fixed fare applies.
- Buy a SIM only from an identifiable outlet: compare the current data package, keep the receipt, and ask the seller to confirm that mobile data works before you leave.
- Expect different weekend rhythms: Friday prayer time, public holidays, and Ramadan can affect small businesses and transport. Verify an important visit directly.
- Pack for temperature changes: even after a warm day, Atlantic evenings, mountain stops, and desert nights can feel cool. A light layer is useful in several seasons.
- Do not follow an unsolicited “guide”: use a licensed guide booked through your accommodation or a recognised operator when you want a guided medina visit.
- Ask before accepting a service: directions, photos, luggage help, or demonstrations may be offered for payment. Clarify whether there is a charge first.
- Keep medicine in original packaging: bring enough for the trip, carry a prescription for controlled medication, and check current customs guidance before departure.
- Choose drinking water according to local conditions: water quality and traveller tolerance vary. Ask your accommodation for current advice; sealed bottled water is a cautious option when uncertain.
- Leave a safety margin: return to your departure city the day before an early international flight when weather, road conditions, or long transfers could cause delays.
Official links to verify before departure
- Accès Maroc for entry and e-Visa eligibility.
- ONCF Voyages for current train schedules and fares.
- ONDA for Moroccan airport information.
- Your own government's Morocco travel advisory for current safety and health notices.
Use this page as a checklist, not a substitute for official information. Visa, safety, health, transport, and currency rules can change. Follow the linked specialist guides and primary sources for details.