Morocco was the 20th country I’ve visited, and my first one in Africa. I spent 3 nights traveling between 3 different cities there – Marrakech, Casablanca, and Tangier. That’s certainly a bit short for a trip to Morocco, but it was enough to give me a good idea of what things cost and what you might expect to spend on a longer visit.
Prices seemed fairly similar in the three places I visited, and overall, Morocco was a very reasonable destination. So how much did I actually spend, and what should you expect to budget for a trip of your own?
One note: Morocco uses dirhams (MAD), but I’ll be converting to USD – the rate was about 9 MAD to $1 USD when I visited, though this can somewhat fluctuate. I even saw a few money changers offering rates as high as 10 MAD to $1 if you looked around enough!
Hotel Prices in Morocco
Marrakech: Dar Nourdha ($63 per night for a deluxe queen room)
While this was the most expensive place I stayed at in Morocco, it was also my favorite. I had a large room with a decent window view, as well as wonderful air conditioning. There were other things that the room offered such as a kettle and hair dryer, but I did not need them myself. I didn’t see anyone else there during my stay – I’m pretty sure I had the place to myself. After all, it was 110 degrees at the time, so it made sense! Free breakfast was provided and it was delicious – several types of bread, juice, and Moroccan mint tea. It was close to both Koutoubia Mosque and Jemaa el-Fnaa, two major landmarks of Marrakech, with several bus and taxi stops nearby as well. It definitely seemed more locally-owned – there wasn’t even a front desk. I did the paperwork and payment with the owner in one of the adjacent rooms. Just make sure you get cash before arriving, as he did not take card – though this is true throughout much of Morocco. Be aware that you will need to climb stairs to get in. Checkout was easy – just leaving the keys with the owner.
Casablanca: Ryad 91 ($40 per night for a standard single room with shower)
This room was much smaller, but I did not mind as it was a great price for a one-night stay. It featured a bed, desk, air conditioning, and attached bathroom – though what I found interesting is that there was no divider between the shower and the rest of the bathroom. Not a problem for me, but something to keep in mind! I paid in advance, though I did need to fill out a form upon arrival. Again, there were quite a few stairs to climb, which was a bit tiring since I had a suitcase. Ryad 91 also has an upper level above the rooms, featuring a terrace with a pretty good view of the city – this is also how you access a separate room for breakfast in the morning. Similar to Dar Nourdha, breakfast was mostly bread, juice, and tea – but was delicious all the same. It was only about a 10 minute walk from the Casa Port station from here, and a little less to the Medina Market. Checkout only involved leaving the keys at the front, and was a super easy process.
Tangier: Mamora Bay ($45 per night for a single room)
My single room here was a little less modest than in Casablanca, but definitely not as big as in Marrakech. There was a twin bed, small couch and table, air conditioning, and attached bathroom. Once again there was no lift, but a bellhop helped carry my luggage up – I tipped him 20 MAD, or $2.15. This is fairly common in Morocco, so save small bills. One of the best advantages of Mamora Bay was what it provided. After filling out a form I was given a biscuit and glass of tea, and inside the room there was a full 1.5 liter bottle of water as well as a fruit plate. It was also within the old city, with easy access to the Kasbah Museum, Tangier American Legation Museum, and Grand Socco. It’s also only 10 minutes from the Port de Tanger Ville ferry terminal. Do bear in mind it’s quite a hilly area, so it will be a bit of a trek if you have luggage. Breakfast is again provided, though here it was buffet-style so there is a wider variety of options to choose from. And the view from here is stunning! To check out, you can just leave your keys at the front. They also let me leave my bags for a few hours after I checked out, which was super helpful.
Overall, you can expect to pay around $50 per night for air conditioning and free breakfast, which is an excellent deal.
Food Prices in Morocco
Surprisingly, I did not spend much on food while in Morocco. Out of 7 meals I had, 4 were provided – dinner on my excursion from Marrakech as well as breakfast in each of my hotels – leaving me only 3 that I paid for. I also just ate less than I might have, as I was too busy exploring and did not have time to go out to eat. There were some places in which I could have eaten street food, but I was a little unsure about it so I decided against it.
While this is a bit embarrassing, 2 of my 3 paid meals were eaten at McDonald’s locations. I have a travel tradition of eating at McDonald’s in different countries and trying unique items. In Morocco I first did this at a wonderful beachside location in Casablanca, from where I could see the sunset. Here I spent $13.94 since I had quite a large meal. But upon my arrival in Tangier after my high-speed rail the next day, I wanted somewhere with reliable Wi-Fi to make sure I was going to the right place, and there happened to be a McDonald’s in the station. I got a smaller lunch, only spending $6.94.
The only other meal I paid for was on my final night in Morocco. I found a nice local restaurant in Tangier and basically just decided to try a Moroccan food I hadn’t eaten before. Without knowing what it was, I ordered a chicken pastilla. Turns out it was like a sweet and savory flaky chicken pie, with chopped almonds inside and topped with powdered sugar and cinnamon. It sounds a little weird, but it was actually really tasty. And the meal was only $10.51.
What I mostly bought for refreshments in Morocco was water. This is especially important – not just due to the heat in certain parts of the country and humidity in others, but also because tap water is generally not potable there. There may be some places in which it’s fine, but I was not going to take that risk. In total I bought five different 1.5 liter water bottles, only spending $4.08 in total – which is honestly a phenomenal price.
In total, I only spent $35.47 on food and drinks while in Morocco – only $11.82 a day. Of course, this is unusually low because I ate very few restaurant meals and had four meals included with my accommodations or tours. This will probably be higher if you visit! And be careful around produce, as it may have been washed with unclean water. The same is true with ice from street vendors.
Transportation Prices in Morocco
Morocco has a surprisingly accessible public transportation system involving trains and buses, as well as swarms of taxis. Bear in mind you will need cash for the buses and taxis, though you can book trains well in advance online. Do NOT use third-party vendors, as you may end up spending double or triple the cost! Use one of these two websites: https://www.oncf-voyages.ma/ or https://www.supratours.ma/. The latter is exclusively in French, but I used it with some effort and everything worked out fine.
I took two different train rides, one from Marrakech to Casablanca and then from Casablanca to Tangier. The first was a more traditional train, with individual compartments (6 seats each) and took about 3 hours for $19.31. The second was high-speed rail, but for a 2-hour ride was still only $32.18. I would also recommend buying first class as it was rather cheap and surprisingly comfortable. With the high-speed rail tickets you even get access to a lounge with water, coffee, and charging ports.
As for buses, it is important to know that the city buses do not allow luggage, at least they did not in Marrakech. I was planning to take the bus to the train station, but had to catch a taxi instead, as the driver did not let me on. It also seemed like the bus route was inconsistent, with Google Maps not being as reliable as I would have liked.
Because of this, I only ended up taking the bus twice in Morocco – this was while I was in Casablanca. This was when I went to the McDonald’s for dinner. It was only 5 MAD paid in cash to the driver each way, so I only spent $1.07 total. It was extra crowded on the way back, including a rowdy group of teens who actually just jumped on and didn’t pay at all – certainly a unique experience for me.
To get to my hotel, I had a shuttle service that cost €20 ($23.17) – rather than just being a taxi, the driver met with the owner, who walked with me and got me into the building before checking me in. However, typical taxis are much cheaper – or at least they’re supposed to be.
Morocco has two main types of taxis: petit taxis, which generally operate within cities, and grand taxis, which are used for longer journeys and certain airport/intercity routes. The latter can be more expensive, but you should never pay above 40 MAD (~$4.29) for a petit taxi. Taxis themselves are supposed to have a meter (compteur), so you need to make sure that the driver has it set – otherwise settle on a fixed price. I only learned this after getting to my hotel in Casablanca. Realistically it should be 10-30 MAD, but it might be hard to find someone who will turn on their meter or drive you for that price if they know you are a tourist.
I actually had problems in Tangier trying to find someone to drive me for a cheap price – there were a couple guys (probably looking for side cash) trying to help me find a taxi driver, and when I said “compteur” they kept driving off! They may also not have known where my hotel was, to be fair – but eventually a policeman came over and helped find someone who would take me there.
For my first two taxis, I spent $23.60 in total. After I learned how much I overspent, I beat myself up a bit. Make sure to not get overcharged – for reference on my other three taxis I only spent $10.73 in total!
Overall I spent $51.49 on trains, $1.07 on buses, and $57.50 on taxis/car rides. This comes out to $110.06, or ~$36.67 per day. This could definitely have been lower if I had avoided overpaying for those first two taxis, but considering I traveled between three different cities in just three nights, I still don’t think that’s bad at all.
Prices for Activities in Morocco
I did quite a few activities in Morocco, between excursions, tours, and museums.
The first of these was also the one with the best value. I landed in Marrakech around noon local time, got to my hotel at 2:00, and left at 4:30 for my excursion! It was quite the turnaround, and I was super jetlagged especially by the end of the day, but it was so worth it. This was the Agafay Desert Dinner Show with Quad Bike and Sunset Camel Ride, and it only cost me $24.
The first stop was about a 40 minute drive from Marrakech, where we had delicious tea alongside homemade bread with 3 types of dips or spreads: argan oil, honey, and amlou aux cacahuètes (my favorite, a mix of the first two alongside roasted peanuts). Of course, they also tried to sell us perfumes made with argan oil (made from a local Moroccan tree) by putting some on our arms. It did smell good, but there was no way I was going to pay for it!
After this stop, we continued on about 30 minutes to the Agafay Desert. The road getting out there was pretty rough for a solid 15 minutes! But we started to pass camels and ATVs, getting a glimpse at what our excursion would consist of. There were a ton of other groups out there, and we had to wait a while for our turn.
Eventually, it was time for the camel ride. I had done one before in the Negev Desert in Israel, so it was nothing new for me. In fact this one was much shorter, only being about 15 minutes long. But it was still fun! I loved the terrain out in the desert, with lots of rolling hills and small valleys. I also started talking with a couple girls who were visiting from London, and we ended up eating together at dinner later.
After getting through with our camel ride, we had to wait about 20 minutes, and then it was time for my favorite part: the ATV ride! These were for 2 people each, so I was partnered with a girl named Miriam who was solo traveling from Spain. Each of us had 20 minutes, with a break in the middle to get some pictures – it worked out perfectly as the sun was setting while we were out there. It was honestly such a fun experience! Millie, Ella, and I were talking afterwards and all of us were saying “I can’t believe we just did that!”
From there, it was time for a traditional Moroccan dinner. We had bread, harira soup, couscous, and tagine, all of which were delicious. One of the most surprising parts to me was a type of bread called harcha, which we had alongside a traditional Moroccan mint tea (a must-try when you visit). It tasted almost exactly the same as American cornbread! Of course, my British friends had never tried that before so they couldn’t properly compare.
That excursion ended off with a fire dancing show, with performers having elaborate routines while twirling staffs and sticks which were aflame. All in all, the excursion lasted over 6 hours, and was a phenomenal deal. I would highly recommend doing it if you visit Marrakech!
I did one more activity in Marrakech, that being Bahia Palace. It was built in the 1800s, and features a series of rooms with elaborately painted wooden roofs, carved stucco, and tiles lining many floors. I spent $10.73 for a ticket, and I would say it was worth it – it was a very beautiful complex.
In Casablanca, I only had one activity, that being the Hassan II Mosque tour for $17.71. You should go here if you visit – this is the second largest mosque in Africa, including the second tallest minaret in the world. The tour lasted just under an hour, and the guide talked about or showed three different major aspects: the construction of the mosque, the tenets of Islam and how they worship, and the area where Muslims perform ablutions (ritual cleansing) below the mosque. It was an insanely beautiful building, especially in the interior – taking inspiration from not only other mosques but also synagogues and cathedrals.
Tangier was the place in which I did the most amount of activities. I went to two different museums, with the first being the Tangier American Legation Museum for $5.28. This is the only U.S. National Historic Site outside of any American territory, as it was a former embassy before the capital of Morocco moved to Rabat. I learned a lot about the alliance between the USA and Morocco, and it was genuinely fascinating. For example, did you know that Morocco was the first country to recognize the independence of the United States? If you are an American like me, you will find this place especially interesting!
The other museum was the Kasbah Museum, which I got in for $3.17. This was in a former palace built in the 18th century, but featured artifacts from throughout the history of Tangier. This ranged from Neolithic and Roman to Portuguese and Muslim times, and plenty more. I was actually really surprised by how many Roman artifacts there were – even a complete mosaic. There was also a modern art section but I was pretty bored by that so I skipped most of it. Regardless, it was a great deal especially if you like history and ancient artifacts.
Finally, I had an excursion there: Cap Spartel and Hercules Cave with Camel Ride for $31. We started off with about a 30 minute drive to the western coast of Tangier looking towards the Atlantic, where we had about a 20 minute camel ride. It was actually pretty fun going along the water as I saw a lot of families enjoying their time at the beach.
After that we drove to the Hercules Cave, where Hercules supposedly rested after one of his labors. It’s lit up with a variety of colors inside, but is rather small. The coolest part is the cave entrance out to the sea, which is known for being sort of shaped like Africa from the outside. Unfortunately we did have to pay an $8.44 entrance fee which was rather steep in my opinion. There was a nice spot to buy some souvenirs outside as well so I bought a keychain for $2.11.
Our last stop was Cap Spartel, the northwesternmost point of Africa. There is a lighthouse there with some great views of the coast, though it did cost $5.28 to get in. But technically this is the western limit of the Mediterranean Sea, and I thought it was worth seeing. I could also see Spain from there, as it was a fairly clear day. Just keep in mind it’s quite a climb up some thin stairs to get to the top of the lighthouse!
Overall, I spent $105.61 on excursions and activities.
How Much Did I Spend to Go to Morocco?
International Transportation (Flight & Ferry Costs)
Before considering costs within Morocco, it is also important to think about international transportation. There are generally only two options for getting in or out – flight or ferry. (The only third option is crossing the southern border with Mauritania by car or bus.)
My flight from the U.S. cost $532 one-way. This was 3 different flights from SFO (San Francisco) to JFK (New York) to MAD (Madrid) to RAK (Marrakech) – about 15 hours of flight time.
Getting out, I crossed the Strait of Gibraltar from Tangier to Tarifa, Spain for $50.20 by ferry. You can cross by car as well, but it is significantly more expensive.
Overall Costs
With all these costs together, I spent $399.14 for a little over 3 full days in Morocco, which comes out to around $133.05 per day – not a bad price at all! When including international travel, that obviously jumps much higher – $981.34 in total, or $327.11 per day.
So, is it worth it to visit Morocco?
I would say yes. Morocco is a relatively cheap destination with a ton to see, and I was surprised by how much I was able to experience without spending a fortune. However, I would recommend staying for at least a few more days than I did if you have the time. Three nights was enough for me to get a taste of the country, but there is obviously much more to see beyond Marrakech, Casablanca, and Tangier, such as Fez and Chefchaouen.
You should also be aware of your surroundings, especially in the more touristy areas. You will probably encounter some hustlers and/or scammers who will try to make money off of visitors who don’t know what things are supposed to cost.
The travel time and flight costs could be a detriment to some, but if you are already planning to visit Europe, Morocco becomes an especially appealing destination. You can add a few days on a separate continent for only a few hundred extra dollars, and even cross the Strait of Gibraltar by ferry into Spain afterward like I did.
For me, Morocco was a great introduction to Africa and a country that packed a lot of experiences into a very short trip. I definitely wish I had more time there, but for the amount I spent, I can’t complain!