Before the itinerary, a few basics make the rest of the planning easier: where Morocco actually sits on the map, what is spoken there, what to pay with, and how the country breaks down into the regions you will see in every itinerary on this site.
Morocco occupies the north-western corner of Africa, part of the Maghreb region alongside Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. It borders Algeria to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north — at the Strait of Gibraltar, the coast of Spain is visible on a clear day, only about 14 km away at the narrowest point.
That position is why a Morocco trip can combine such different landscapes in one visit: Atlantic beaches, a Mediterranean-facing north, the High Atlas mountains, and the edge of the Sahara, all within a few hundred kilometres of each other.
Arabic and Tamazight (Berber) are Morocco's two official languages — Tamazight was given official status in the 2011 constitution, alongside the Darija (Moroccan Arabic) most people speak day to day. French remains widely used in government, business, higher education and signage, a legacy of the protectorate era, and Spanish is still common in parts of the north near the old Spanish zone.
English is spoken increasingly in tourism, especially by guides and in hotels and riads, but it is not assumed everywhere — a few basic French or Darija phrases go a long way outside the main tourist circuits.
Morocco is a constitutional monarchy. King Mohammed VI, who has reigned since 1999, is head of state; an elected parliament and prime minister handle day-to-day government under the 2011 constitution. The capital is Rabat — not Marrakech or Casablanca, which is the common guess. Casablanca is the largest city and the commercial and economic centre.
The currency is the Moroccan dirham (MAD). Cards are widely accepted in hotels, riads and city restaurants; cash is still the norm in medinas, souks, small cafés and rural areas, so carrying some dirhams is worth it everywhere outside the main tourist establishments.
Every itinerary on this site moves between a handful of recurring regions, and knowing them makes any trip easier to picture. The Imperial Cities (Marrakech, Fes, Meknès, Rabat) hold the historic medinas and palaces; the Sahara Desert region around Merzouga and Erg Chebbi is the dune country most people picture when they imagine Morocco; the Atlas Mountains (including Imlil and the Ourika Valley) rise just outside Marrakech; the oases and valleys of the south (Dades, Todra, the Draa Valley) connect the mountains to the desert; and Northern Morocco (Chefchaouen, Tangier, Tetouan) and the Atlantic coast (Essaouira, Agadir, Taghazout) offer a cooler, slower pace.
Most first-time visitors combine two or three of these — a city, the Atlas or a valley route, and the Sahara — rather than trying to cover every region in one trip.
Most travelers from the EU, UK, US, Canada and Australia can enter Morocco visa-free for stays of up to 90 days; many other nationalities are covered too. Requirements are set by passport nationality and do change, so we deliberately do not list every country here — confirm your own requirement with the Moroccan consulate or embassy for your nationality before booking flights.
A passport valid for at least the length of your stay (ideally longer, as many borders prefer extra validity) is the other basic to check early.
Erleben Sie das Beste Marokkos in sieben unvergesslichen Tagen. Überqueren Sie das spektakuläre Hohe-Atlas-Gebirge über den Tizi-n'Tichka-Pass, erkunden Sie die UNESCO-Kasbah von Aït Ben Haddou, schlängeln Sie sich durch das Dades-Tal und die imposante Todra-Schlucht und reiten Sie dann auf Kamelen über die goldenen Dünen von Erg Chebbi zu einem Luxus-Wüstencamp unter dem Sternenzelt. Reisen Sie nordwärts durch das Ziz-Tal und die Zedernwälder in die mittelalterliche Kaiserstadt Fes, bevor Sie über einige der eindrucksvollsten Landschaften des Landes nach Marrakech zurückkehren.
Eine private Dreitage-Reise von Marrakesch zu den Dünen von Merzouga – für Reisende, die ein echtes Sahara-Erlebnis wollen, ohne so zu tun, als wäre die Straße kurz. Überqueren Sie den Hohen Atlas, besichtigen Sie Aït Ben Haddou, fahren Sie durch das Dades-Tal und die Todra-Schlucht, erreichen Sie Merzouga und den Erg Chebbi für ein Kamelritt bei Sonnenuntergang und eine Nacht im Wüstencamp – und kehren Sie durch die wechselnden Landschaften des Südens Marokkos nach Marrakesch zurück. Drei Tage sind das kürzeste praktikable Format für diese Landroute; wenn Sie langsamer reisen oder mehr Zeit in der Wüste möchten, fragen Sie uns nach einer längeren Variante.
Die Rote Stadt — pulsierende Medinas, der Platz Jemaa el-Fnaa, luxuriöse Riads.
Das Tor zu Erg Chebbi — den eindrucksvollsten Dünen Marokkos.
Tor zum Toubkal — Ausgangspunkt für die Besteigung des höchsten Gipfels Marokkos.
Die Blaue Perle — die Instagram-berühmte blaue Medina im Rif-Gebirge.
Yes — Morocco is in the north-western corner of Africa, part of the Maghreb region. It is separated from Spain by the Strait of Gibraltar, as little as about 14 km at the narrowest point.
Rabat is the capital. Casablanca is Morocco's largest city and economic centre, and Marrakech is its most visited — both common guesses, but neither is the capital.
Arabic and Tamazight (Berber) are the official languages, with Darija (Moroccan Arabic) spoken day to day. French is widely used in business, government and education; Spanish is common in the north; English is growing in tourism.
The Moroccan dirham (MAD). Cards are accepted in hotels and city restaurants; cash is the norm in medinas, souks and rural areas.
Many nationalities — including the EU, UK, US, Canada and Australia — can enter visa-free for up to 90 days, but requirements depend on your passport and can change. Confirm with the Moroccan consulate or embassy for your nationality before booking.
Sprich mit einem lokalen Guide aus Merzouga und gestalte die Wüstennacht, die zu deiner Gruppe, deinem Tempo und deinem Budget passt. Meine Marokko-Reise planen · WhatsApp mit einem lokalen Experten.