Morocco for Backpackers

Introduction

Organized tour?

There is an (incorrect) assumption that Israelis can only travel in Morocco as part of an organized tour or group. There is no truth to this; you can travel independently and alone (more details under "Visa").

Hostility towards Israel?

Throughout the entire trip, whenever I was asked where I was from, I answered "Israel". Reactions ranged from indifference to enthusiasm. In none of the cases did I encounter hostile attitude or even unkindness.

Subjective recommendations

Everyone has different taste. What I liked, others might not necessarily like, and vice versa.

I personally enjoy nature and landscapes more. Pretty cities are nice, but that's about it, and shopping is really not interesting to me.

Usually I get enough of cities pretty quickly, so if you like to travel around a city slowly or go shopping, add another 50% to the times I wrote.

Visa

Israelis are required to issue a visa prior to arrival. Morocco has no diplomatic representation in Israel, and obtaining the visa is done through Israeli travel agents who work with travel agents in Morocco who will arrange the visa.

Most agents will require you to land in Casablanca due to visa considerations, although there are a few agents who say they can arrange a visa upon landing in other cities as well (I haven't tried).

Once everything has been handled, a few days before your flight you will receive an official invitation letter and a letter to the airline. You will show these letters to the airline so they will allow you to board the flight (since you don't have a visa in your passport yet).

Upon arrival at the airport with the letters, you will receive your visa there. There is a small room on the side where border control is (before border control). Do not wait in line (there is no point); instead, go to the small room and present your invitation letters. After a short wait, you will get your passport back with the visa inside.

Additional details:

Israelis can receive a visa for up to two weeks (maybe 15 days, I don't remember). There is a theoretical option to extend the visa once you are in Morocco at a police station, but from what I heard it won't necessarily succeed, so don't count on it.

The cost of the visa is between 65$ and 100$.

The application must be submitted at least 10 business days before travel.

Certain agents will tell you that you must fly as part of a group / arrive on the same flight as a specific group / other fabrications. None of these statements are true and they are usually simply motivated by saving the agent money.

What is true is that you cannot arrive on low-cost flights. Low-cost airlines are not familiar with the invitation letter procedure (without a visa in the passport) and therefore may not allow you to board the flight. Most agents will not take the risk and will not agree to issue a visa when the arrival flight is with a low-cost airline.

I personally used Smadar's services:

The ancient churches are still active.

Getting around inside Morocco

Flights

Domestic flights are operated by royal air maroc. All flights go through Casablanca, meaning if you want to fly from a place that is not Casablanca to another place that is not Casablanca, you will need to layover in Casablanca.

Train

The main means of transportation between cities. Trains are reasonable even if the carriages are old.

In the train there is one or two "first class" carriages. All this means is that you have a reserved seat with a number (as opposed to just finding an open spot or standing if there isn't one) and that they will turn on the air conditioning there.

The cost can be 40% more, but train prices are not expensive (43 ש"ח vs 69 ש"ח for first class for a ride over 4 hours).

It is advisable to buy first-class tickets a day in advance because they can definitely run out.

Taxis

A mix of taxis / cars with drivers for hire. Always agree on the price before getting in. It is recommended to ask where you are staying what the cost should be.

Cities and points of interest

My trip to Morocco was fairly short (a little over a week), so the number of destinations was not large either.

Rabat

The capital of Morocco. Located an hour by train from Casablanca.

Since I decided Casablanca was boring, upon landing I immediately took a train from the airport to Rabat (you take a train to Casablanca to the last station, casa port, and change trains there towards Rabat).

The old city of Rabat (the Medina) is relatively small and calm, and can serve as a gentle introduction to Morocco.

I spent one day there, and in my opinion that is enough (a day and a half if you like to take things slow).

Things to see in Rabat:

The Medina - shops and stalls, but it is much more interesting in the evening when it comes alive with crowds of people and stalls including street food. Most of the street food I saw was concentrated on one street in the eastern part of the Medina, maybe I missed others.

Kasbah of the Udayas - The ancient fortress, located right on the coastline. You can wander around the streets which are pleasant, and at the end of the main street (walk along it northeast or just follow everyone) you reach walls with a beautiful view of the sea. There is also a giant rock that local kids jump off into the water, and if you are brave, try it too :) Some pushy locals might try to offer their services to guide you, but there is no need at all; decline politely but firmly if they try to accompany you.

Andalusian Gardens - Located right next to the Kasbah. Cute gardens with a few cafes offering great sea views. You can sit and enjoy.

Hassan Tower and Mausoleum of Mohammed V - Adjacent to each other. Beautiful and magnificent design, and next to it the tower (you cannot climb it), with guards in ceremonial attire who don't mind taking photos with people at all (not that people ask them anyway).

Chellah - A bit further from the city center. Ruins, I didn't get a chance to reach it.

Marrakech

The tourist hub of Morocco.

About 4 hours by train from Rabat, highly recommended to buy first-class tickets a day before.

The Medina of Marrakech is huge compared to Rabat. It is filled with endless amounts of shops and stalls selling everything. In addition to the main shop streets, as soon as you turn right or left you will find yourself in a maze of unmapped alleyways full of shops selling everything. Personally, I enjoyed wandering around there; eventually you will find your way out.

The biggest hassle I encountered in Marrakech was all kinds of "nice" locals, mostly young guys who want to tell you about the tanneries or a "color festival" over there, etc. They will try all kinds of tricks like telling you they work there and are walking in that direction, start by telling you turn there, then suddenly walk with you a bit, etc. They will always claim they don't want money, but in the end they will want money for "the families" (the tanneries are run as a collective), etc., and won't give up easily.

I recommend simply saying no (and being firm) to any such offer, no matter what story they sell around it and no matter how many times they say they don't want money.

Personally, two days in Marrakech were enough for me; if you take cities slower, take 3-4 days.

Things to see in Marrakech:

Jemaa el-Fna - The main square. During the day it's busy with vendors and people, but it truly comes alive in the evening when dozens of food stalls, fruit juices, snails are set up, alongside people lecturing/singing/playing music surrounded by circles of people, and more.

Medersa Ben Youssef - A madrasa (religious school) no longer active (in the past, those who wanted to become imams at the nearby Ibn Yusuf mosque studied there) and currently open to tourists. In my opinion, perhaps the most impressive building in Marrakech. The courtyard as well as the inner rooms. Entrance fee is 20 dirhams.

Saadian Tombs - An impressive and beautiful mausoleum. There is sometimes a long line to enter and see the tombs. The line moves pretty fast, so it's still worth standing in it.

El Badii Palace - A nice palace/ruins. Large courtyard, interesting mosaic floors. A terrace with a nice view over everything from above, nice but skippable too.

Bahia Palace - A newer palace, unlike the palace above, it mainly consists of beautiful rooms and buildings.

Photography Museum of Marrakech - A museum with photos from the early 20th century of Marrakech back then. On the roof, there's a cafe where you can sit. Nice but not a must.

The Mellah - The former Jewish quarter. Today not much trace remains except an alley named Talmud Torah and the synagogue which is closed (from the outside you can't see anything interesting). Definitely skippable. What is nice is that around the area there are many spice/mineral/scent shops etc. for those who like it, which is quite nice.

The tanneries - Huge courtyards where leather is processed. The smell is nauseating (which is why they are located a bit outside the central part of the Medina), and they will give you mint to smell during the visit. If you want to enter one, you will have to pay something; the amount depends on whether you just want to wander around by yourself or have them explain the processes to you. In any case, agree on the price in advance; if they tell you that you don't need to pay, don't believe them, in the end they will present it as a donation for the family or something. In the end, they will take you to the shop of that specific tannery that sells leather products. The prices there will be quite inflated.

Excursions - There are plenty of day trips / activities you can do from Marrakech. You will also see quite a few such shops/stalls while walking around. Personally, I didn't do them because I went for a longer 4-day trip (see below).

Fez

In Fez, I spent only one day, fortunately.

Fez is a city with garbage in the streets, not pretty, not very interesting after Marrakech (a matter of personal experience), and in every street (not just in alleyways) you will get lost at some point.

My personal recommendation is to skip it unless it's a stop on the way to another place, and even then, don't stay too long in Fez.

Outside the cities

The most popular trip is from Marrakech/Fez to Merzouga.

Merzouga is a village at the western edge of the Sahara, next to an area entirely covered in beautiful sand dunes.

Usually, people do this as a 3 or 4-day trip starting in Marrakech/Fez and ending in the other city, but you can leave from and return to the same city if you want.

There is no difference between the 3 and 4-day versions; you reach the exact same places, you just have more time.

This trip was the part I enjoyed most in Morocco, and I recommend the 4-day version, where you also have a choice between doing days 3 and 4 on the road making them easier, or doing 2 nights in the desert and then the last day is all driving (I chose the second option).

A few points on the trip:

From Marrakech, you drive on the snake road, the tichka, which passes through the Atlas Mountains. There are beautiful views of valleys, villages, rocks in various colors (reds, yellows, etc.).

ait benhaddou - One of the most famous kasbahs. Very picturesque, dozens of movies were filmed here including Gladiator.

Dadès Gorges - A series of valleys. Some are known for massive rose cultivation (you can see them in season; when I was there it wasn't the season so you only saw the bushes)' the monkey fingers are there (rocks with interesting shapes).

Merzouga and Erg Chebbi - An area filled with stunning sand dunes (only sand and sand in every direction, no rocks or anything else in the field of view). Recommended to stay at least one night in the desert itself (not in a hotel in Merzouga). There are several camps run by different companies. I recommend making sure that at least one night you stay in one of the camps further away from Merzouga (there are several camps located just one or two dunes away from Merzouga).

I did the trip with http://www.exploresaharatours.com, but there is certainly no shortage of options. Hassan (his phone is on the site) was very available on WhatsApp to answer any question.