Morocco: Casablanca and Marrakech

Entry requirements, the laws that differ from Canada's, and the current safety assessment for Morocco are published by the Government of Canada in its travel advice for Morocco, linked below. Read it before booking and again before you fly.

Bringing an animal into Morocco is governed by ONSSA, Morocco's food-safety and animal-health authority, and bringing one back into Canada by the CFIA. Both are the authorities to ask, and neither set of document requirements is repeated here. Rules on bringing dirhams into and out of the country are set by Morocco's Office des Changes and Bank Al-Maghrib; ask them before planning to arrive with or leave with dirhams.

Morocco's airports are run by ONDA, the national airports authority, and Casablanca Mohammed V (CMN) is a common arrival airport. Trains run between the airport and Casablanca, where Casa-Voyageurs has the onward long-distance connections and Casa-Port sits in the city centre. ONCF, the national rail operator, publishes the airport service, its stations, its timetable and its fare, so check there or at the station.

Casablanca has a tramway and sits on the ONCF network, which also links Casablanca with Marrakech; timetables and fares are ONCF's to publish. Marrakech's medina is largely closed to cars: taxis stop at the edge, and from there it is on foot, or with a porter and hand-cart for luggage. Whether ride-hailing apps operate, and on what footing, has changed over the years; ask your accommodation what people currently use rather than assuming an app will work as it does at home.

Moroccan cities run two kinds of taxi. Petit taxis are small cars licensed to work inside one city and are the ordinary way across town. Grand taxis are larger cars licensed for routes between towns and out to airports, often shared, with a fare per seat or for the whole car. Some airports post a fare for the ride into town; if there is a board at the rank, that is the figure to go by, and if there isn't, agree the total before you get in.

Petit taxis are painted a colour that varies from city to city, and the colour is how people tell a licensed one at a glance. Casablanca's are consistently reported as red. Marrakech's are described in different sources as beige, cream, ochre or yellow; no official listing was available to settle it, so this page asserts no colour for Marrakech. Whatever the colour, look for the taxi sign on the roof and the city registration on the car.

Petit taxis are meant to run a meter. Ask for it before the car moves; « Le compteur, s'il vous plaît » is understood wherever French is. If the driver declines, either agree the total fare before you get in, not on arrival, or let that taxi go and take the next licensed one. Fares, including any night rate, are set locally and vary; if you want to know what a trip should cost, ask your accommodation before you set out. Agree a porter's fee before setting off, for the same reason.

Money: the currency is the Moroccan dirham. Cards are accepted in hotels, larger restaurants and chain shops; cash is the norm in the souks, in taxis and at small cafés. ATMs are common in both cities, and your bank and the ATM operator set the fees. Small notes and coins make taxis and tips easier. Change money at banks and licensed exchange bureaux; the Office des Changes licenses them.

Bargaining is expected at independent stalls and shops in the souks where no price is displayed. It is not expected everywhere: supermarkets, pharmacies, chain shops and any shop that posts prices sell at the posted price, and fixed-price shops and cooperative outlets exist for people who would rather not negotiate. A cooperative label says something about how a shop is organised; it does not by itself mean the goods are handmade, local or fairly priced, so judge each shop as you would any other. Where you do bargain: greet first, ask the price, treat the first figure as an opening, and compare several shops before buying anything of value. On a higher-value purchase such as a rug, leather or jewellery, ask for a written receipt that names the shop and describes the item, and if the shop offers to ship, agree in writing what happens if it doesn't arrive. Morocco licenses tourist guides; someone offering to lead you to a special cooperative or tannery may be paid by the shop as well as by you, so ask for the licence, or book through your accommodation or the tourist office.

Dress, photography and religious observance vary by place and situation. Clothing that covers shoulders and knees tends to draw less attention outside hotel and beach settings. Ask before photographing people, and expect that some will say no or ask for money; photographing official or military buildings can be a legal matter, which the Government of Canada's advice covers. During Ramadan, eating, drinking and smoking in the street in daylight is done discreetly in many places; the dates move each year and are announced in Morocco shortly before the month begins. Many working mosques do not admit non-Muslims, so ask before entering; the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca publishes its own visiting arrangements.

A few words go a long way; none are expected. Moroccan Arabic, called Darija, is the everyday spoken language, and Tamazight (Berber) languages are spoken as well. French is widely used in both cities, on signs, in shops and in most dealings a visitor has; English is common in hotels and around the main sights in Marrakech, less so elsewhere.

Two Arabic expressions are shared across the Arabic-speaking world rather than specific to Morocco: « As-salamu alaykum » (peace be upon you) is a greeting, and its reply is « wa alaykum as-salam » (and upon you, peace); « Shukran » means thank you. People of every background use them, and a visitor using them is greeting, not making a religious statement. They are a courtesy, not an expectation. FlyingWith has no Arabic reviewer: the spellings here are common romanisations, not a standard, and no other Darija phrase is offered for that reason.

In French, the ones that carry a visitor furthest: « Bonjour » and « Bonsoir » before any request, « Merci », « Non merci » (a polite, firm no), « Le compteur, s'il vous plaît » in a taxi, and « C'est combien ? » before a purchase. Tipping is customary for services in many places, for restaurants, porters, guides and the attendant who watches a parked car; no rule fixes the amounts and they vary, so ask your accommodation what is usual rather than applying a percentage from home.

Casablanca is a working city more than a sightseeing one. The Hassan II Mosque on the seafront, the old medina beside the port, the Habous quarter (a planned, newer medina) and the art-deco downtown around Boulevard Mohammed V are the areas visitors head for; the corniche at Aïn Diab is the seaside strip.

Marrakech divides into the medina, the walled old city around Jemaa el-Fna square and the souks, and the newer districts outside the walls: Guéliz, the modern centre with cafés and shops that post their prices, and Hivernage, where many larger hotels are. Many riads are inside the medina, reached on foot through lanes that maps don't always follow. Save an offline map, and ask your riad for a meeting point at a gate.

Jemaa el-Fna fills in the evening with food stalls and performers. Photographing performers or animals is commonly treated as a paid service and the handler will ask for money; if you don't want that, don't raise the camera. Food-stall prices should be on a displayed menu. Ask before you sit if they aren't.

Getting into a taxi without asking for the meter or agreeing the fare. Following someone who offers directions to a shop, a tannery or a market that is "only on today", then paying for the escort. Treating a cooperative sign as a guarantee of anything. Changing money outside a bank or licensed bureau. Carrying only large notes. Expecting alcohol everywhere, when it is sold in licensed venues and some shops. Photographing people, or official buildings, without asking. Dressing for the beach in the medina. Underestimating the heat: check the forecast, because midsummer in Marrakech shapes what can be done in the middle of the day.

The Government of Canada's travel advice for Morocco, linked below, is the primary source for safety, laws and entry requirements. Beyond it, the precautions are the ordinary ones for a busy city: keep phones and bags on the side away from the street, use licensed taxis, keep a copy of your passport separately, and tell your accommodation where you are going if you head out of town.

Accessibility: medinas are uneven, stepped and narrow, and many riads have stairs and no lift; Guéliz, Casablanca's downtown and the larger hotels tend to be flatter. Ask any accommodation directly about steps, door widths and a ground-floor room before booking, with photos. Airport assistance is arranged through the airline; Morocco's airports are run by ONDA. The mobility and disability pages below cover what to request.

Family: children are welcomed in cafés and restaurants, and people will often engage with them. The medina lanes don't suit a stroller, so a carrier is easier, and the evening square is loud and crowded. Ask your accommodation about a cot. The baby and kids pages cover the flight; the consent-letter guide covers travelling with a child who isn't with both parents.

Pet: ONSSA sets the entry rules for Morocco and the CFIA the rules for the return to Canada, and the airline sets its own for the route; ask all three, because none of the document requirements is stated here. Many riads and restaurants don't admit animals, so ask before booking. The pet page lists what to confirm with the airline.

Morocco’s tourist office highlights couscous, tajine, harira, pastilla and mint tea. Recipes vary: ask what is in a dish before ordering, especially if you have allergies or dietary needs.

Leave time between meals and sightseeing. Compare stalls before buying slippers or sandals, confirm the size and final price, and ask before photographing a shop. The gallery includes the owner’s pastries, savoury tartlets and coconut-topped cake; the photographs alone do not establish a recipe or restaurant.

Morocco will co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Portugal and Spain. FIFA appointed the hosts on 11 December 2024; Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay will each stage one centenary match.

There is a memorable football story behind the trip: Walid Regragui led Morocco to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals, the first African team to reach that stage. CAF named him its men’s Coach of the Year in 2023. This is his historic achievement, not a statement about today’s coaching staff.

Planning to follow the tournament? Check FIFA’s official match schedule and ticket announcements before committing to flights or accommodation. Match locations, ticket availability and border requirements need their own checks; a co-hosting announcement does not confirm a particular itinerary.