One of the most common questions we get from clients in our travel agency in Herndon, Virginia is on transportation—as in, “how do we travel from one place to another?” or “is it safe to ride this or that?”

These are both amusing and expected for us at Morocco Travel and Tour. But whether it’s due to the image of Morocco as that country with camel rides and impressive sand dunes being too strong or due to some other reason, we figured the best way we can inform and reassure our clients is by enumerating the modes of transportation available in most major cities. Here’s a quick guide:

• Car Rentals

  Driving on your own through car rentals can be the best way to explore the country in your own terms. But you may have to reconsider if this is your first time in the country. Morocco has a reputation for aggressive drivers and high accident rates. If you’re bent on the adventure, then we advise you to have a companion, a stable data connection, a car rental insurance, and your game face on.

• Buses

  Public transportation comes in the form of public buses in most big cities. Thus, you’re likely to catch a public bus on big cities like Casablanca (a tourist area and our very own point for our travel and tour in Virginia packages) and Marrakesh (one of the most visited cities in Morocco) more than other smaller places. However, these buses tend to be overcrowded and have route changes without prior notice. In any case, these are the cheapest way and the most convenient to go around.

• Taxicabs

  There are two types of taxicabs in Morocco: petit taxes and grand taxis.

  Petit taxes are the most common in the whole country. It is color-coded according to the city it is licensed in. Operating in the inner cities, these can fit three people comfortably and are the ideal choice for point-to-point transport within city limits.

  Grand Taxis are shared taxis that operate beyond city limits. Ideal for regional transport, these can carry up to six passengers. However, because it has a larger seating capacity, you will have to wait until it’s full. You can also opt to pay for the whole vehicle if you’re in a hurry.

• Trains

  Trains are the most reliable mode of transportation in any trip to Morocco. They are usually on time, with minimal interruptions. The national rail network is operated by ONCF and covers the major cities of Rabat, Meknes, Fez, Marrakesh, and Casablanca, among others.

• Airlines

  Royal Air Maroc is the national carrier and the main domestic airline in Morocco. Getting around by air in the country is easy but can be relatively expensive. But they sometimes have good sales. Typically, a one-hour flight from Marrakesh to Casablanca can be at 520 MAD or USD 55, while a flight from Marrakesh to Essaouira can start at 850 MAD or USD 90.

Whether it’s your first trip to Morocco or your 25th time visiting this wonder of a country, we assure you that souks will be something to look back on and, dare we say, go back to.

So, what are souks?

Souks or souqs are basically open-air marketplaces or commercial centers selling all sorts of wares, ingredients, spices, foods, and virtually all kinds of goods.

The rest of the world knows of souks by different names—there’s the bedesten in the Balkans, monti or suq in Malta, and in the English-speaking parts of the world, bazaar.

In Morocco, souks sell everything from spices, meats, dried fruits, leatherwork, pottery, jewelry, Berber carpets, lamps, lanterns, preserves, artworks, woodworks, shisha pipes, balgha or Moroccan slippers, traditional musical instruments, and more. The largest souks in the country are found in the imperial city of Marrakech.

Here are some of the reasons why souks are a must-go for anyone visiting Morocco:

• Souks give you a piece of Moroccan culture
  It’s not an exaggeration to say that a large part of Moroccan culture is embedded and preserved in its souks. Rising out of necessity, souks also allow the Moroccans’ creativity, resourcefulness, warmth, and hospitality to be on full display.
• Souks are affordable
  Ninety-five percent of the wares sold in souks are made and grown locally or, at least, locally sourced which makes them cheap.
• Souks offer you just about everything
  Souks are a necessity in the daily lives of Moroccans, so it’s no surprise that they have everything you need and more. From the spices you need to make that tagine or couscous to the perfect souvenir to bring home, all you need to do is show up your local souk, and voila! instant everything!
• Souks will train your haggling skills
  Ask anyone their first time haggling and an overwhelming number of them will say that nothing really prepares you for all the craziness that comes with shopping in souks. So, if your haggling skills need affirming or you want to train them, souks are the place to go.
• Souks are an experience in and of itself
  As the leading travel agency in Herndon, Virginia, we at Morocco Travel and Tour have seen how souks have remained consistently atop the bucket list of our clients.

We’re honestly not surprised. Imagine being under the warm buzz of the sun, hearing the shouts of stallholders, seeing the stalls of bright colors piled high, and smelling the mix of spices and barbecued meats—it’s no wonder why wading through the crowd at souks is an experience in itself. You can even say it’s the most fun part and makes exploring souks worth it.

Ready for that unique souk experience? See our travel and tour in Virginia packages today!

The authentic Moroccan experience can come in a lot of ways. But there is probably nothing more authentic than touring the four kingdoms of the country—Rabat, Fez, Meknes, and Marrakesh.

As the leading travel agency in Herndon, Virginia for all trips to Morocco, we offer immersive and life-changing tour packages to reflect the colorful energy of the country.

One of our travel and tour in Virginia packages, our Morocco Imperial Cities Tour, is not only meant to let you discover the wonder of these cities but also to offer you a genuine experience like any other in the most convenient way possible.

Here is what you can expect on your trip to Morocco:

1. Rabat

   Rabat is Morocco’s capital as well as the seat of the government and the royal family’s official residence. Here are some sights to explore:

   • A smaller version of the blue city of Chefchaouen inside the Kasbah les Oudaias
   • Mosque el-Atiqa, the oldest mosque in the city
   • Hassan Tower
   • Kasbah of the Oudaias
   • The mausoleum of Mohammed V
2. Fez

   Fez is where many of the country’s intellectuals reside and is the largest car-free urban area in the world. Here are some sights to explore:

   • Tannerie Chouara, the largest tannery in Fez
   • Place des Alaouites, the Royal Palace
   • Fès el-Bali, the medina at Fez
   • The Jewish quarter of Rue des Mérinides
   • Mosaique et Poterie de Fez
3. Meknes

   Meknes is a little gem located in between Rabat and Fez. It was once home to the Moroccan sultanate and is perfect for a more laidback tour. Here are some sights to explore:

   • Place el-Hedim, the city’s main square
   • Agdal Basin, a historic site for the Sultan’s gardens and used as a pleasure lake
   • Bab el-Mansour, the huge gate guarding the city
   • The Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail
4. Marrakech

   Marrakech is a combination of the ancient and the modern—perhaps what best describes Morocco today. Here are some sights to explore:

   • Djemaa el-Fna, the city’s main square and a UNESCO declared ‘Masterpiece of World Heritage’
   • Bahia Palace and its gardens
   • Maison de la Photographie
   • Saadian Tombs
   • Jardin Majorelle

Ready for your trip? Here’s what we can cover at Morocco Travel and Tour:

• Hotel accommodation of your choosing
• Professional, English-speaking drivers
• Deluxe vehicles
• Local guides in each major city and assistance from our local office at Casablanca
• Entrance fees to monuments
• Tips for luggage handling at the airport and hotels only (Other tips such as the ones for guides, drivers, laundry, room service, and phone calls are excluded from this package and will be shouldered by the guest)
• Discounted airfares, available by request

Sure, there are a lot of quintessential Moroccan city activities to do, and we think they’re worth trying out at least once in your visits. But we also think going past the touristy things is one of the best things you can do to genuinely experience a place and understand its culture.

Don’t know where to start? Let us at Morocco Travel and Tour, the leading travel agency in Herndon, Virginia for Morocco provide you a list of some of the little-known things you can do in the country.

• Explore and Get Lost in the Medinas
  Exploring medinas is not exactly the main reason most people visit Morocco, especially since you will have to go there for food, supplies, and souvenirs, anyway. But we say no trip to Morocco is complete without getting lost in one of them. Precisely because a medina is a shopping district, food market, and residential area rolled into one and you will be a guaranteed sensory overload that we say is worth getting lost in.
• Go to the beaches in Essaouira
  Beaches may be far from the hot, sandy image of Morocco but it’s one that you won’t regret considering. And while there are many exhilarating beaches to visit in the country, we suggest the beaches at Essaouira where you can enjoy everything about a beach, just in a more relaxed way.
• Trek Todra Gorge
  Todra Gorge is a series of limestone river canyons perfect for hiking, rock climbing, or even for having a picnic. Unlike what the name suggests, it makes for a tranquil and surprisingly lush hike.
• Visit the Ancient City of Volubilis
  Is Meknes in your itinerary? Take 40 minutes off your schedule to immerse yourself in Volubilis, one of the most preserved but least visited ruins from Ancient Rome located just outside the city.
• See the magic of the blue city of Chefchaouen
  Itching for the perfect photos to top off your Morocco trip? We suggest the blue city of Chefchaouen or Chaouen. The city is literally painted blue—either to ward off mosquitos (the color blue does this) or to represent the heavens, a reminder for the Jews to lead a spiritual life after seeking refuge from Hitler during the WWII, no one exactly knows why; but it sure is a sight to behold.

This is the most touristy of all the places listed in the list. But as a provider of travel and tour in Virginia, we say this is worth going to at least once. It’s a city atop a mountain and is also one of the very few places in the country where you can drink the tap water directly.

Morocco is an exhilarating country with so much to offer. Ready for an adventure of a lifetime? Book our tour packages today!

So you’ve done your fair share of research on the culture of Morocco, packed your bags, and booked your ticket, accommodations, and other arrangements through our travel agency in Herndon, Virginia, and now all that’s left is boarding the plane.

We’ve been offering travel and tour in Virginia at our Morocco Travel and Tour agency for years, but we think nothing can really prepare you for this destination marvel. And while we love some spontaneous excursions ourselves, we say it’s always a good thing to have an idea of what to expect, especially since we’re talking about Morocco—the truest melting pot of cultures, if there ever was.

• Cumin is everywhere

  If there’s ever such a thing as a national spice, cumin would be it in Morocco. Cumin or ‘kamoun’ in the local language is a staple in just about every dish in the Moroccan cuisine. From tagines, stews, roasted meats, grilled foods, couscous, curries, salads, and even in seasoning eggs—it’s more uncommon to find any dish without it. Aside from being a culinary wonder, it’s also hailed for its therapeutic and medicinal properties. In fact, a teaspoon of cumin is all you need to settle an upset stomach.

• You need flip flops

  You’d think that for a country famous for its sand dunes and rocky mountain slopes, sneakers and closed-toe shoes will probably be all you need for your trip to Morocco, right? While having these will most likely be enough, bringing flip flops can make your hammam (public steam bath) visits complete. It’ll also come in handy for running around the riads and the campgrounds.

• You will be eating a lot of tagine and couscous

  Couscous is Morocco’s national dish, so expect it to be present in all places that serve food. As a national dish, it occupies a big part of the cultural and religious tradition. In fact, the hours-long, labor-intensive process is the highlight following Friday midday prayers at the mosque, much like the Western tradition of eating together after hearing the Sunday mass.

  Sharing the name with the earthenware it’s cooked in for hours, tagine is considered the one dish that signifies the heart of Moroccan cuisine. It’s not an exaggeration to say that when you’ve cooked a good tagine, you’re set off for life.

• You may get lost
  Talk to any tourist who has visited Morocco, and they’ll probably say they’ve been lost while walking around the beautiful medinas of the country. And who can blame them? The narrow, winding streets and the colorful alleys selling everything from Arabic lamps, Berber rugs, and fragrant spices can be almost magical, especially in the sundown.

Finished booking your trip with Morocco Travel and Tour? While we did make sure our full-service tour packages can accommodate all your needs as you go on a trip of a lifetime, you also need to make sure that you’re well-prepared. We don’t mean learning Arabic or French or going with an extra dose of open-mindedness—although these would help, too. We’re referring to the essentials you will need to face the challenges of the unpredictable Moroccan weather, and ensure your comfort while also being respectful of the Moroccan culture.

As the leading provider of travel and tour in Virginia, we know all too well how being underprepared can affect your enjoyment of your trip. Make sure you have everything covered by preparing three-way:

1. Preparing by season

   Depending on which areas you visit and the season you choose to travel, going on a trip to Morocco can mean sweating through your tunic the whole day and then bundling on warm clothing when the night comes.

   If you plan to visit the Atlantic and the Mediterranean coast, you can still bet on a mild climate even if you go in winter, so instead of bringing winter clothing as you would, bring autumn clothes instead. If you decide to go to mountain areas, bring warm clothes (slightly thicker if you’re sensitive to the cold). And, if you plan to tour the desert, bring loose, light clothing, and don’t forget a scarf to protect yourself from the harsh winds, sand, and dust.

   Include these other essentials for traveling on warm weather—sunblock, insect repellent, hats, water, and even electrolyte, chargers, outdoor gear, etc.

2. Preparing according to culture and religion

   Morocco is a predominantly Muslim country. And although it’s one of the more liberal Muslim countries, it’s important to dress according to tradition, that is, modestly. For men, this means covering your upper arms and your upper legs. For women, this means never exposing your midriff, shoulders, and having a plunging neckline. Women may sometimes need to cover their heads with a scarf when visiting certain places and rural areas.

   Make sure to also stay updated on the Muslim calendar, so you’re prepared when your visit falls on an Islamic holiday. However, seeing as you’re covered by our travel agency in Herndon, Virginia, rest assured your trip will be arranged around these holidays.

3. Preparing by comfort

   This part of the preparation focuses on your personal needs. Particularly sensitive to certain foods? Bring loperamide tablets. Allergies? Take antihistamines with you. Do you use contact lenses? Make sure to bring your contacts solution. Prescription sunglasses are also a good idea so you can be protected from the sun while not sacrificing your eyesight.

In a lot of ways, traveling can be what you make of it. So, while using the above list to prepare, don’t forget to also bring with you a positive attitude and an open mind.