Morocco

I haven't been to Morocco at all recently, so I cannot help with hotels, restaurants or transportation. However, I feel comfortable recommending Fes and Marrakech. If you have extra time, there are many other interesting destinations. Depending on the logistics for your trip, you can consider Ouarzazate, Taroudant, Rabat or Meknes. I haven't been to the coast.

Skip Tangier if possible. Casablanca is now a modern city of little tourist interest. You may need to fly in or out of Casa, but minimize the time spent there since there are so many better options.

I was in Morocco earlier this year and can recommend Marrakech and Fes. Marrakech was my favourite city in all the places that we visited.
We stayed at this hotel: https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/rakmd-le-meridien-nfis/overview/
and the location was convenient for walking or a quick taxi ride to various places of interest.

The Sofitel in Marrakech was lovely, interesting city to spend time in. . Avoid spending time in Casablanca

erika,

Prior to your trip, you may want to have a look at the US government travel website on Morocco, especially the "Safety & Security" and "Health" sections.....

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Morocco.html#/

That way you'll at least be informed of any potential risks.

Loved Essaouira, nice beach town, amazing cats.

We did a tour with Intepid that began in Casa, had nice dinner and tour of mosque then got out of there; that was good by us. The other towns were more beautiful and easier to navigate.

Agree with skipping Tangier.

I thought about going to Tangier from Tarifa, Spain. I see several posts recommending to skip Tangier. Has anyone been to Tangier?

Hi Erika, hope your recent trip to Morocco went well! Do you have any updates on which regions were closed due to the September 8, 2023 earthquake in Morocco? I'm looking to visit soon and want to know if certain areas are inaccessible after the quake. Please let me know if you have any insight based on your time there. Thanks!

I checked this Great Desert Tours and they confirmed that Tinmel Mosque was badly damaged in the earthquake so we can't visit that place until it is reconstructed. Other than that many areas are opened to visit. They've also posted about this in their site's article https://greatdeserttours.com/tinmel-mosque-ijoukak/

Good advice above. The old cities are amazing.

I'd suggest you consider opting to stay in a traditional riad (inn) rather than a western chain hotel. Plenty to choose from.

One other consideration: they had a major earthquake earlier this year (just in September, so not so long ago) that absolutely devastated parts of the country (primarily the old towns in and south of the Atlas Mountains, but damage was quite widespread, and a lot of things in Morocco are – or were – made from simple, un-reinforced mud brick construction that basically turns to rubble instantly in an earthquake...google "Morocco earthquake 2023" to see; Marrakech was hit pretty hard).

You'll want to check to ensure going to the places you choose will benefit the locals more than getting in the way of recovery/rebuilding efforts, which will continue for years to come. I'm sure most tourist areas will be very hungry for your business, just choose wisely knowing that some places are still only beginning to recover.

Hi Team,

I need recommendation, should I fly into Casablanca and go south to Marrakech or other way around. I have 10 days. How do you go from one destination to next, via train or car?

Thanks Taz

erikaeblakely,
Re Tangier....Most everyone is down on it, but five of us, while on a vacation in Spain and Portugal, visited it by ferry from Tarifa and were very pleased with our short time there. We hired a guide at the port who did a great job showing us the nearby sights and all around the old town, and took us to a restaurant for lunch that served delicious Moroccan food and WAS NOT a rip-off. The other diners there seemed to be all locals. We had an informative and fun day in Tangier, and hope people realize that it is not the Tijuana of Morocco. If you only have a day, Tangier can be a good introduction to a Muslim-dominant country. (Re Tijuana, I was a long-time resident of San Diego and know Tijuana well. Hence the reference.) Of course, a longer visit provides a better picture of Morocco, but if all one has is a day, Tangier is definitely worth it!

David’s recommendation is excellent - we stayed in a riad both in Marrakech and in Fes. They were magnificent old buildings, with amazing tile work in the center spaces, dating ceilings, and located right in the ancient parts of the cities’ old town. Each one was able to arrange for a guide and tours within the cities.

We also took an affordable and immersive desert tour over several days with Desert Majesty. It was fabulous for the 2 of us, although I’m not certain what options there would be for a single female.

Yep, spectacular old palaces, like something out of “Tales from 1001 Arabian Nights” or some other fairy tale.

I recall when we checked into our Riad deep in the old city of Fes, and were showed to our room, my wife turned to me, and excitedly whispered: “It’s like we get to sleep in the Alhambra!”