Traveller Tips! Our two week itinerary through Morocco (Casablanca, Essaouria, Marrakesh, The Sahara, Merzouga, Fes, Tangier)

 

Our two week itinerary through Morocco (Casablanca, Essaouria, Marrakech, The Sahara, Merzouga, Fes, Tangier)

 

 

 

 

 

After a lot of research and planning online before our time in Morocco, we came up with our two week itinerary based on what we wanted to see, what we read online and how long we had in the country. We found it quite difficult to find specific details online, e.g. bus timetables and pricing etc... however when actually here it is very easy to book tickets and travel throughout the country.

As our flight flew into Casablanca – we obviously started here. We wanted to visit Portugal so decided that by finishing in Tangier, we could get a ferry to Spain and make our way to Portugal via a two day stop over in Seville. We understand that our itinerary may be quite rushed to some people, however we did have some time to relax (eg Marrakech, Merzouga and Fes) and found that the time we allowed in each city was more than enough for us.

We found it very easy to get between cities, and buses were quite regular. CTM and Supratours were the two companies we used to get around, and booked the tickets by visiting the offices a day or two in advance (allow as much time as possible to avoid your specific journey selling out).  All buses were modern and comfortable. 

The accommodation we stayed in were double rooms with our own private en suite and we set our budget at $50 per night. We chose highly rated hostels and also checked the reviews on trip advisor, to ensure we weren't staying in some dodgy bed bug ridden hostel!! Location was one of the big factors we kept in mind, and all of our hotels were within easy walking distance to everything we needed and we were able to make our way via public transport to our hotels or on foot from the airport or bus stop, in most cases. We were very happy with the quality of our accommodation throughout Morocco, and we ended up averaging $49 AUD per night in total.

 

Below is our detailed itinerary including the hotel, the mode of transport, the way in which we booked and got to and some tips or opinions on the city.

Day 1: Casablanca

Hotel: Hotel Central

We took a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul to Casablanca and it was great, however the suitcase took a while at the baggage reclaim (1.5 hours!). We made our way to the Aero Gare (train station at the airport – follow the signs) and purchased tickets to get us into Casa Voyeagurs (main central station). We paid 40 Dirhams ($5.30AUD) per person and the trip was supposed to be around 30 minutes, however we stopped at a station and asked a commuter if this was Casa Voyeagurs – they said yes so we got off... It turned out it was not our station. We took a taxi from here to our hotel for 60 Dirhams ($8AUD) for both of us and got to the hotel OK!

 

The hotel was in a central location (walk to bus station) and was clean and comfortable however WIFI did not work in rooms and was very patchy even in small communal area.  We found this to be the cheapest in the city - other hotels were a lot more expensive and we were only here for one night so it wasn't too bad.

We found Casablanca to be very quiet and non touristy and were happy we only booked one nights accommodation here, and planned to go to Essaouria the next day.

Days 2-3: Essaouria

Hotel: Riad Sidi Magdoul

We purchased our tickets from Casablanca to Essaouria the day before to ensure we had a seat and were organised. We went to the CTM Station (right behind the Sheraton Hotel, just off the main strip) and it was very easy. There were three buses daily (7am, 10.30am and 3.30pm) and the duration was 6 hours. It cost 140 Dirhams ($18.60AUD) per person. Keep in mind that with all bus companies in Morocco – you need to pay for your luggage (5 Dirhams per bag) and get a ticket for this before loading it onto the bus.

The bus was comfortable and made a few stops along the way, including a longer 30 minute stop where you could purchase food, snacks etc... The journey ended up being just over 7 hours, not the 6 we initially expected however it didn't feel like too much longer, and there was a lot to look at along the way.

We arrived into the CTM bus stop and it was pouring down with rain!! We ended up hailing a Petit Taxi (a smaller version of a taxi – similar to an old ford laser hatchback) and it cost us 10 Dirhams ($1.30AUD) for both of us and it dropped us off right outside of the Medina – Bab Sabaa (our hotel was inside the Medina).

We followed the instructions to get to our hotel (walk through the medina, take the first big right (you will see three arches) and then take the first left (a small alley just before the pharmacy – look for the Riad Sidi Magdoul sign up a height) and you walk a couple of metres down the alley and you are there. The hotel was very traditional with the open roof and beautiful tiles, and the room was comfortable, well equipped and clean. A breakfast of a pancake, bread, butter, jam and coffee/tea was included and very nice.

We found Essaouria to be very beautiful, relaxed and very nice to wander around – especially the small streets in the Medina. The Medina is quite touristy however still nice just to wander. The port and seaside was beautiful and made for some lovely pictures. We had 1.5 days here and found this was enough for us, however if you have more time in Morocco and are here in the summer months – you could spend a lot of time at the beach and wandering the Medina.

 

Essaouria

Days 4–6: Marrakesh

Hotel: Riad Eva

We purchased our tickets to Marrakesh the day before our departure and were very happy we did! We booked through Supratours (5 minutes walk from the Bab Sabaa Medina entrance – follow the wall around, passed the discoteque and you will see the office on your right). We originally wanted the 9.30am bus (duration of three hours) however when booking the day before our departure, that bus and the 11.30am bus had sold out – we only had the option of the 6.00am or 3.30pm bus.

We purchased the 6.00am bus tickets for 70 Dirhams ($9.30AUD) and the trip was very comfortable and only took 2.5 hours, more than likely due to the limited traffic on the roads at this time of day. We were dropped off at the Supratours office and caught a petit taxi to the main square (Jemaa El Fna) for 30 Dirhams ($4AUD) for both of us.

We walked to our hotel from the main square (only about a 5 minute walk) which was a typical Riad and very beautiful and small. Our room was comfortable and clean, and decorated with beautiful stained glass windows and typical furnishings. The staff were not around to ask information etc, but we managed to book a 3 day, 2 night tour to Merzouga desert with someone.

 

The Medina and Souks in Marrakesh are full of interesting things to look at and buy. From teapots to spices, chameleons to shoes – you can buy anything and everything you need! The Medina is full of vibrancy and friendly people and you can easily get lost – keep your bearings and try to activate GPS on your phone if you can!

 

Many locals will try and tell you there is nothing where you are going, or that something in particular is closed - if you know where you are going and what you are going to see - keep on going - they are more than likely just saying that to get you to go to a friends shop or so you get lost!

We tried and would definitely recommend the traditional breakfast of a round bread/pancake which is split in half and filled with your choice of toppings, eg cheese, honey, nutella etc... We chose nutella and had this with some sweet tea for 10 Dirhams for both of us ($1.30AUD).  Many people offer these throughout the Medina.

 

The world famous out door pop up restaurants in the main square are fully set up and ready to go at around 7pm and the vibe here is great! You can get tagines, cous cous, grilled meats, vegetables, rice, fries and drinks here and the prices are quite reasonable (30 Dirhams ($4AUD) per tagine or cous cous for example. Try not to wear your best outfit here, you will be stinking of smoke by the end of your meal! Make sure you do not eat whatever is put in front of you (olives, bread etc...) if you don't want it – they are not free! Politely say no thank you. Also keep tally of what you have eaten and make sure it matches the bill – we had an extra 40 Dirhams added to our bill...

After being in the city for three full days and reading various guide books etc. we found that there are not too many sightseeing opportunities in the city. There are a few monuments etc. and you could spend hours walking through the Medina, however if we had our knowledge for next time, we would only stay here for 1-2 days and maybe try and squeeze in another city.

 

Jemaa El Fna, Marrakech

Days 7-10: 3 day 2 night tour & Merzouga

Hotel: La Gazelle, Camping in the Sahara, Auberge Akbar

We left Marrakech with a tour to the Merzouga desert for 3 days/2 nights. We had planned to visit Merzouga anyway but were initially going to catch a day bus from Marrakech to Merzouga, stay two nights in a hotel there and then do a camel safari on our final night, however we found that it worked out cheaper and more interesting to take part in the tour. We paid 700 dihrams ($93AUD) per person which included two breakfasts, two dinners, all transport, two nights accommodation and the camel safari.

Our time in the Sahara was the highlight of our time in Morocco and words cannot describe how impressive the dunes were.  We were absolutely gobsmacked when we first drove through the dunes and witnessed them first hand.  They are an absolute must - even if you just go to Morocco for the Sahara - DO IT!

We were happy we did it this way, as we saw many sights along the way, eg Todra Gorge, Dades Valley, Ait Ben Haddou, Rose Valley and the Tizi-N-Tichka Atlas pass – whereas on the day bus we would have seen nothing. We were impressed with the tour all up and round it good value, however there were a couple of things we weren't too happy about.

• We were told our tour guide would speak English – We didn't have a tour guide – only a driver who had very poor English so we really just went with the flow and drove in silence.
• We made many stops along the way at various Cooperatives – fossils, carpets, Argan oil and rose products where you are treated to the hard sale tactics.
• Due to stopping at all of these places, we were rushed at places we actually wanted to spend time and take photos. On our camel safari, we even missed the sunset and arrived while nearly dark and had only 20 minutes instead of 1.5 hours on the camels.
• There was no campfire as advertised when booking the tour – this isn't a major drama however on all other tour reviews – they all mentioned this.
• We requested a private tent when booking and even paid extra for this, and also mentioned this to our driver to advise the safari people of – however when mentioning this upon arrival to the tents, they said they were full and we could not have a private tent. Normal tents sleep 6 people.

 

We spent a final night in Merzouga in a hotel which backed onto the Saharan Dunes. It was extremely peaceful and relaxing and we are happy we had a couple of days to relax – however there really isn't much to do besides walk the dunes (you don't want to do this during the day as the heat is extreme!) or take part in more tours – we found to be very overpriced (500 Dirhams ($67AUD) per person for a 2.5 hour 4WD tour through Berber villages and the same price for a one hour quad tour through the dunes. There aren't many places to eat – just at the hotels which are very overpriced and small stores which sell biscuits, chips, bread etc...

 

The beautiful Dunes after the sun had risen, Sahara Desert

 

Days 11-13: Fes

Hotel: Bab Al Madina

We purchased our tickets for our overnight bus to Fes from the Rissani CTM office on our way to Merzouga a few days before. We paid 155 Dirhams ($20.60AUD) per person. The bus left at 8pm and arrived into Fes at 5.30am. We found this was a great way to travel as we saved one nights accommodation and meant we had a whole day in Fes the next day (even if we were a little tired from near to no sleep on the bus...) We later found out that a Supratours bus departs direct from Merzouga – which means we could have avoided having to have the hotel arrange a grand taxi and charge 100 Dirhams ($13AUD) to get us to Rissani, for us to board the CTM bus. The bus however was comfortable and new but the ride was quite rocky with the windy roads.

We got a taxi to our hotel, with us arriving so early and paid 50 Dirhams ($6.50AUD) – we understand this is high and it shouldn't have been high but there were very few people/taxis around at this time and we just wanted to get to our hotel. Unfortunately, even though we emailed the hotel 3 days before our arrival asking for a possibility of checking in early and being told this is fine – we arrived and were told we had to sit and wait until the person in the room checked out... Lucky this was not 12pm and was only 9am.

We were in the non touristy area of the Medina and found the streets around us to be very traditional and where a lot of people were in the wood industry, e.g. carving, cutting and manufacturing wooden goods. We were also only a five minute walk from the tannery which was a great experience – staff from our hotel walked us there and we tried to tip him however he declined! We were taken up to the terrace to look over the operations of the tannery and then asked to look at the leather goods – we politely declined and did not feel pressured at all.

We visited the touristy side of the medina and passed through the souks and fruit and veg markets which were nice and traditional. Dates, olives, preserved lemons, snails and live chickens were ready for sale and the market was bustling! We walked all the way through the medina and past a few sites back to our end of the medina and thoroughly enjoyed this. Use your GPS on your smart phone if you have one – this was really handy and meant we didn't have to worry about getting lost!

Fes was less touristy compared to Marrakech however still had prices to match. Souvenirs and nick nacks seemed to be slightly higher priced in comparison and the souks were not as big, there were more fruit, veg, meat and local businesses here. We had three full days here, and would have been happy with one or two and seen another city on our way to Tangier instead.

 

The Tanneries, Fes

Day 14: Tangier

Hotel: Dar Rif

We purchased our tickets to get us from Fes to Tangier the day before our departure from the same bus stop we arrived in (CTM in the new city). We paid 140 Dirhams ($18.60AUD) per person. The bus departed at 10.30am (first available bus) and we arrived into Tangier at around 5pm. We were under the impression that the CTM bus would drop us off at the port, however it dropped us off a little out of the way – we had to get a taxi to our hotel which was 20 Dirhams ($2.60AUD) for both of us. 

The hotel was easy to locate (opposite the ferry terminal – right next to hotel continental) and through some windy streets (there are signs for Dar Rif Hotel) The hotel was in a Riad style and nice and modern throughout. We were offered mint tea on the terrace and had a comfortable stay here.

Tangier would be a lovely place to have spent a couple of days, however we only stayed the afternoon, ready to depart the next morning to Seville (Spain). The beach looked nice and the promenade had many nice restaurants and disco's.

 

The view to the medina, Tangier

 

Day 15: Depart Morocco

We purchased our ferry tickets the night before, just in case the ferry somehow sold out – however you probably don't need to do this – there was loads of space on the ferry and there are ticket booths at the terminal also. We paid 300 Dirhams ($40AUD) per person for the ticket from the RFS company (red coloured logo) just down the main road from the ferry terminal. The ferry was scheduled to leave at 9am however did not depart until 9.45am. The ferry was very comfortable, furnished very nicely and only took 35 minutes!! We thought the ferry took 2 hours after reading on the RFS website, however were nicely surprised!

The ferry pulled into Tarifa (the port in Spain) and we were impressed with the beautiful port city. Many restaurants, hotels and shops surrounded the port and we made our way to the bus terminal, for our bus to Seville. We did not see any directions for the bus station, so asked a friendly staff member at a travel store and he kindly gave us a map and showed us the way. It was about a ten minute walk away.

Overall, we really enjoyed our time in Morocco and found all cities to be very different and unique for various things. The time we spent in the Sahara was definitely a highlight of our whole trip and we would definitely reccommend visiting the Sahara, even if it just for 1-2 nights on the tour.

 

Unfortunately, we were expecting a lot of the food in Morocco and we were disappointed in not only the taste and quality of the meals but also the price. Coming to Morocco from Turkey we found that an average meal cost around $10AUD in Morocco, whereas in Turkey, it was around $5AUD. The food was bland and had little to no spice or flavour. Cous cous and tagines were the main two dishes you could choose from in most restaurants and we found that in these dishes, meat was sparing and the vegetables were the same everywhere – turnip, carrots and zucchini. Cafe's were also extremely over priced – we are not sure if prices are even between locals and tourists but on one particular occasion at a cafe in Fes (nothing special – just a standard cafe with locals drinking tea etc) we paid 35 Dirhams ($5AUD) for a mint tea and a small bottle of diet coke. 

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Morocco and were happy with the itinerary we created, however as stated within the individual sections for each city, we would have liked a day less in Marrakech and Fez and maybe visited Chefchaouen instead, as we heard this is a beautiful city