MOROCCO: RESOURCES GUIDE
About Morocco:
Morocco is a land of contrasts, where ancient traditions meet modern sensibilities in a unique fusion of old and new. From the bustling streets of Marrakech to the stunning beaches of Essaouira, there's something here for every kind of traveler.
History buffs will love exploring Morocco's many historic sites, including the ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis and the stunning mosques and palaces of Marrakech. And for those interested in the country's vibrant cultural heritage, there's no shortage of colorful souks and bustling markets to explore, where you can sample the sights, sounds, and flavors of this amazing country.
Art lovers will also find plenty to enjoy in Morocco, with its rich tradition of architecture, ceramics, and textiles. Whether you're admiring the intricate details of a hand-crafted Berber rug, or marveling at the stunning tilework of a mosque or palace, there's no shortage of stunning artwork to behold.
Of course, no visit to Morocco would be complete without sampling its delicious cuisine, which blends influences from North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. From the savory tajines and couscous dishes of Marrakech to the sweet pastries of Fes, there's no shortage of mouth-watering treats to try.
For outdoor enthusiasts, Morocco offers a wide range of activities, from hiking in the Atlas Mountains to surfing and windsurfing along its stunning coastline. And if you're looking for a truly unforgettable experience, why not take a camel ride through the Sahara Desert, where you can sleep under the stars in a traditional Berber tent?
With its stunning natural beauty, rich history, and vibrant culture, Morocco is an amazing destination that should be on every traveler's bucket list. So what are you waiting for? Book your trip today and discover all the wonders that this incredible country has to offer!
Welcome to Adventure Fares' Resources and Information Guide. These guides are compiled to provide a great "starting place" for planning. Here, we try to help you with the 4 big planning goals for any destination: Where to Stay / Where to Eat / What to See and Do / How to Budget. We even try to include some great itinerary links. Have fun planning your travel adventure! These resource pages are always being updated. If you would like to see a country / city / place not already in our resource guides, please email your requests or suggestions to: [email protected]
BUDGET RESOURCES:
We typically go to Budget Your Trip to research budgeting! We highly recommend their website. They do a fantastic job of compiling data from thousands of travelers around the world! This data is so useful for anyone who’s wanting to make the most of their travel budget. If you sign up and enter your own expenses - you contribute to the data and also get to access their fantastic planning tools - with charts, maps, graphs, and tables of your trip finances. Bookmark their site, and go there for a lot more in-depth budgeting research: BudgetYourTrip.com
With this chart, we just wanted to give you an idea of how your budget might look compared to a few familiar places here in the U.S
Rentals / Hotels / B&B Lists
Finding the perfect accommodation can make or break a trip. That's why we compile so many lodging lists - to help you find reliable and affordable recommendations for AirBNBs, VRBOs, boutique hotels, and B&Bs. These lists should give you a great starting place, and hopefully make that trip even better!
VRBO LISTS
(coming soon)
BED AND BREAKFASTS
BOUTIQUE HOTELS
AIRBNB Resources:
airbnb.com - It has become a very popular resource for travelers. We try to limit our lists to rentals in great locations, with good pricing, and great views when we find them. We use AirBNB a lot. ALWAYS double-check reviews and avoid "new" listings most of the time. Be sure to double check for air conditioning in the summer, and feel free to reach out to the owner for tips / questions!
VRBO Resources:
vrbo.com - VRBO is another great one to use. Sometimes you find rentals here you won't see on AirBNB - its always great to have more options, especially during peak seasons when rentals book up fast. Always double-check reviews and avoid "new" listings when possible. The VRBO system won't let us filter neighborhoods as well as some others, so always double check location after finding a good property.
Bed and Breakfast Resources:
Booking.com - this is often our “go-to” for this category. We find their customer reviews to be very reliable!
bedandbreakfast.guide (B&B Guide) - this one screens out the worst-reviewed places, so their lists are pretty reliable.
bnbfinder.com - this one is promising, but they don’t have near as many listings as the others here. We hope they grow!
Boutique Hotels Resources:
BoutiqueHotel.me - this one is usually our favorite. However, their list will only provide you with hotels who allow booking through booking.com - so some great hotels won’t be on their lists.
MrandMrsSmith.com - This is fantastic and inspirational resource for finding places to stay around the world. Much of their focus is on premiere hotels (and not what we would call “budget” finds), but it can be a fantastic place to search. It’s fun to just click on their “Inspiration” tab and find some new places around the world.
TheHotelGuru.com - This site also links to booking.com, and can be a complimentary resource.
GreatSmallHotels.com - Another resource the books through booking.com, this one tends to go a little more upscale, especially in large European cities.
Some More Interesting Lodging Guides:
gounusual.com - Great Resource for those trying to find unique places to stay: Castles, igloos, boats, more!
eruoglamping.com - Just what it sounds like - a resource of upscale camping places in Europe:
goglamping.net - GoGlamping / More upscale camping experiences - UK and Europe
NOTE: No matter what form of lodging you book, we recommend you always confirm your booking one last time a week to 10 days ahead of your travel.
Restaurants / Dining Lists
Choosing dining options can be confusing and intimidating. We've compiled these lists to help you start planning some memorable meals. Lists are organized by city and include some of the best and most affordable dining destinations in each city/area. Every adventure deserves some great meals!
TripAdvisor Dining Lists:
TripAdvisor.com - We recommend using TripAdvisor’s dining directories whenever you find yourself needing good food in a place with which you’re unfamiliar. They have a huge volume of reviews, great genre help, and mapping.
Michelin Guide - Dining Lists:
Michelin Guide - For respected and relevant reviews of restaurants around the world, Michelin has been the Iconic dining guide since the 1800s. If you find a 1 star near you, book it. If you find a 2 star, you’re in for a treat. If you find a 3 star - make a travel detour if you need to and get there!
Wanderlog Dining Lists:
Wanderlog.com - Wanderlog is an interesting site - compiling lots of travel planning possibilities. Their trip-planning features are worth checking out, but we’ve come to really like their restaurant lists. They’re just a little pickier than TripAdvisor, but not as exclusive as Michelin. They’re worth checking out in most towns.
When trying to get a nicer restaurant into your travel plans, we recommend making reservations at least a couple of weeks ahead of time. Some of the Michelin star restaurants might even require more advance (varies).
Things to See and Do Lists
Finding what to see and do is always a travel priority. We've compiled lists/links from the world's most credible sources to help you find the best adventures for your destination. These lists will help you find the most popular attractions (and some hidden gems) for your travel adventures.
ATLAS OBSCURA
Things to See and Do Resources:
These are a few resources we trust. They will give you some great places to start. Rank your priorities (and your travel friends' priorities), see what works for your schedule, and plan an amazing travel adventure. *Don't try to cram too much in - it's those "unplanned" moments that often product the best adventures.
FodorsTravel.com - In our experience, Fodor’s is the best overall place to start when planning a trip. Once you search and find their guide to a city - they break the guide down into Sights, Nightlife, Shopping, Performing Arts, and Sports and Acitivities. There’s not tons of inspiration here, but good, reliable information. There are ads, but they do a good job of keeping the content credible. They also have a great “Map View” feature for the different sections so you can always check to see what’s close. Their Hotels and Restaurants guides are also pretty good.
RickSteves.com - Rick Steves has been an awesome resource for budget travelers for decades, and his content just keeps getting better. His reviews are reliable, his itineraries are fantastic, and his reputation for credibility is great. We check out his information on any destination we're thinking about visiting.
AtlasObscura.com - This is our favorite guide source! We don’t know how the team at Atlas Obscura finds so many cool, interesting, and odd things to see around the world - but they do it. It’s easy to find those top few things to do in any location, but these guys go beyond - and get you some off-the-beaten path adventures.
TripAdvisor - Trip Advisor is pretty commercial in nature, but they have really high traffic - so it's easy to see what's popular pretty much anywhere in the world. That can be helpful for planning what to see, and sometimes what to avoid. It's one of our go-to resources for seeing what might be in the town ahead on a road trip.
Wanderlog.com - Wanderlog is an interesting site - compiling lots of travel planning possibilities. Their trip-planning features are worth checking out, and we really like their “THINGS TO DO” lists. They’re pretty much ranked from most popular to least - so its a great place to figure out a priority list of things to see.
GetYourGuide.com - We really like this one! Get your guide is becoming a great source for planning as well as inspiration for travel adventures. Even if you aren’t looking for things to do on your trip, it’s a good place to get new trip ideas and browse exciting things to do. They have some "decent" pricing on local activities - worth considering for booking.
Nomadicmatt.com - Matt travels as much as any blogger / content creator we follow. He's a good writer, a good planner, and delivers entertaining content. We certainly recommend you check out his travel guides. If he's been somewhere, he shares great stuff!
OTHERS WORTH CHECKING OUT:
The Crazy Tourist - This is a travel resource that covers destinations all over the world. Just type the name of a country or city in their search section, and they have good
CultureTrip.com - This one is pretty commercial (lots of ads), but its also pretty reliable. They’ve been a travel industry leader for a long time, so there are enough reviews on things to know if you’re making good decisions. We always check out the Culture Trip guide for any location we’re planning on visiting.
Itineraries to Get You Started
Building an itinerary for your travel adventure can be a daunting task. Here are a few resources to help you get started without all the "noise" associated with online research. These are sample itineraries from travel pros who are credible, reliable, and know the places they're writing about. Itineraries are made to be broken, but hopefully these will start you out on the right path.
If you're planning a trip to Morocco, there's so much to see and do that it can be overwhelming to know where to start. To help you plan your itinerary, here's a comprehensive checklist of must-see destinations and off-the-beaten-path gems to explore. Below our checklist, you'll find several sample itineraries we recommend.
DON’T MISS:
- Explore the vibrant city of Marrakech, and visit its bustling markets, gardens, and historic landmarks, such as the Koutoubia Mosque, the Bahia Palace, and the Saadian Tombs.
- Visit the famous blue city of Chefchaouen, located in the Rif Mountains, and enjoy its picturesque streets, blue-painted buildings, and local crafts.
- Take a camel ride and spend a night under the stars in the Sahara Desert, and enjoy the unique landscape and local traditions of the Berber nomads.
- Discover the imperial city of Fez, and explore its ancient medina, the Bou Inania Madrasa, and the Al-Attarine Madrasa.
- Visit the port city of Essaouira, and enjoy its lively beach, charming medina, and seafood restaurants.
IF YOU HAVE MORE TIME:
- Explore the stunning Atlas Mountains, and hike through its valleys, waterfalls, and traditional Berber villages.
- Visit the seaside town of Asilah, and discover its Portuguese and Moroccan architecture, its vibrant art scene, and its beautiful beaches.
- Take a trip to the ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis, and explore its well-preserved mosaics, temples, and public buildings.
- Visit the blue-painted city of Asilah, and discover its Portuguese and Moroccan architecture, its vibrant art scene, and its beautiful beaches.
- Relax in the charming town of Chefchaouen, and enjoy its laid-back atmosphere, scenic walks, and local cuisine.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
- Take a cooking class, and learn how to prepare traditional Moroccan dishes, such as tagine, couscous, and harira soup.
- Visit the Ait Ben Haddou kasbah, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and discover the historic mud-brick fortress, which has been featured in many movies and TV shows.
- Discover the unique architecture of the Hassan II Mosque, located in Casablanca, which combines traditional Moroccan and modern influences.
- Explore the Jewish Quarter of the city of Essaouira, and visit its synagogues, cemeteries, and historic landmarks.
- Visit the coastal city of Rabat, and discover its historic medina, the Kasbah of the Udayas, and the Hassan Tower.
ITINERARIES FOR MOROCCO:
Itineraries can be tough to build, but the process can also be really fun to research. We read hundreds of these a month - and are always looking for better ones for our resource guides. Here are a few we found that might be helpful to get you started. Some of these are from favorite sources, and few we just found for this country. Start planning that adventure!
The Perfect Two-Week Morocco Itinerary / Travel Addicts
The Perfect 10-Day Morocco Itinerary / Savored Journeys
10 Days in Morocco - 6 Unique Itinerary Ideas / Kimkim
144 Morocco Itineraries / 4 - 15 Days / Kimkim
One Week: Marrakes and Essaouira / Frommers
The Perfect Weekend in Marrakesh / Rough Guides
MORE RESOURCES:
Best Trails and Hikes in Morocco / AllTrails
Trekking in Morocco: A Guide to the Basics / Much Better Adventures
Toubkal Circuit: Independent Hikers Guide / The Hiking Life
20 Things Morocco is Knowns and Famous For / Nomads Unveiled
10 of the Best Annual Festivals and Events in Morocco
Glamping in Morocco: 8 Best Luxury Camps / Charlie's Wanderings
*photos from pixabay.com, pexels.com, unsplash.com and Darrell Potts
EMAIL Us - We Want to Hear From You!
We believe that the best travel advice comes from those who have experienced it firsthand. That's why we're inviting our members to share their travel tips, and recommendations with us. Whether it's a hidden gem of a restaurant, a must-see attraction, or an off-the-beaten-path adventure, we want to hear about it. Your contributions are helping us build a new database of "Member Suggestions." Email us when you get a chance - links, maps, and reviews all help! Email us at [email protected]
These resource pages have been fun to work on! We hope they keep getting better. Are we missing something? Are we missing one of your favorite travel resources? Please email me - I'd love to learn anything that can help make travel adventures even better! Darrell Potts.
