Orange blossom. A scent that catches you in every corner. The next moment the smell of oriental spices. You open your eyes and find yourself lost in the maze of the bustling Medina, people haggling around you, music playing closeby. While just the next moment the city gets filled with the sound of afternoon prayers. Picture your ten days in Morocco with this magical scene.
Table of contents
Sustainable travel in Morocco
Tips on how to travel sustainably during your 10 days in Morocco
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Take public transport. There is a great local bus connection from the airport straight to the center of Marrakesh. If you arrive during the day, you can easily catch a bus. If you can’t avoid taking a taxi, try sharing it with other travelers who also head towards the city center.
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Buy locally-made products. Morocco is full of beautiful markets where locals offer handmade crafts. Supporting the locals ensures that they can maintain old traditions and are not replaced by mass production.
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Stay in a Riad. Small, locally-owned accommodation is usually the more sustainable travel option. Local families own many of the beautiful Riads in Morocco. By staying with them during your 10 days in Morocco, you’ll support Moroccan families instead of hotel chains. And honestly, those Riads are simply incredibly beautiful, often affordable, and the owners are passionate about running them.
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Eat at independent restaurants. The same rule as with accommodation applies to food. Avoid any chain restaurant and try authentic Moroccan food. Finding vegetarian options may be a bit harder but usually, you can get either a vegetable tajine or couscous with vegetables anywhere.
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Safe water. In a desert country, it’s even more important to save water – and it becomes more relevant the closer you get to the desert on your Morocco itinerary. When you’re staying in a desert camp overnight, please do not take a shower, as it takes huge amounts of energy to bring water to the desert. That’s a no-go for sustainable travel in Morocco.
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Book a local guide. Morocco offers so much to see and has a rich history. So it’s well worth booking a guide. When doing so, join a local guide instead of a huge tour of an international organization. Yet, be aware, there are many scams. So rather take a look at ratings on platforms like Get your guide. In case you’re booking with a tour operator, do some research on their practices and on how eco-friendly they actually are, even if they’re claiming to be.
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Join a local crafts workshop. There are some workshops, such as pottery, where you can learn about local traditions and make your own souvenirs during your 10 days in Morocco.
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Avoid exploitation of animals and people. Make sure your travel activities are ethical. For example, there are many women’s cooperations across Morocco to ensure fair working conditions. Besides, a popular, yet widely discussed activity in Morocco is camel riding. If you don’t want to refrain from this experience, do some research and look for an ethical guide or company that treats the animals well.
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Take your waste. You may often find litter across the Moroccan landscape and almost nowhere there are any public trash bins. So if you produce waste, take it with you until you’ll find a proper opportunity to ditch your trash.
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Engage with locals. This way, you’ll get to know about Moroccan traditions, Berber culture, the best local place for tea, and other secret hot spots. Our wonderful host at Riad Luzia in Marrakesh told us so many interesting facts and helpful tips that really enriched our stay.
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Respect traditions and local customs. A fact, that’s often overseen is that respectful travel is also an important part of sustainable travel. As Morocco is a Muslim country, be aware that you should cover your legs and shoulders as part of a respectful visit.
Marrakesh | a must for your 10 days in Morocco itinerary
What you can’t miss in Marrakesh
The Medina
Djeema el Fna (the main square)
The souks
Bahia Palace
El Badii Palace
Koutoubia Mosque
Jardin Majorelle
Arsat Moulay Abdeslam (Cyber Park)
The Mellah (Jewish quarter)
Watch out for scams
Where to stay in Marrakesh
One thing is clear: For the most authentic experience, you have to stay in a Riad. Those beautiful, traditional Moroccan houses typically have a gorgeous courtyard and lovely, typical Moroccan decorations. Many of them are owned by local families and thus a great sustainable travel option. By staying with them during your 10 days in Morocco, you’ll support local families instead of hotel chains. And these Riads are incredibly beautiful, mostly affordable, and the owners are passionate about running them.
Hotel recommendations:
- Riad Luzia – What a wonderful place I always love thinking back to. Such a beautiful family-owned house with a lovely courtyard and a rooftop from where you have a spectacular view across Marrakesh. The owner was so lovely and told us so much about Berber culture and Moroccan traditions.
- Riad Vanilla Sma & Spa – The beautiful rooftop area with the whirlpool where you can relax is for sure the highlight of Riad Vanilla. It’s also super close to Marrakesh’s main square Jemaa El Fna. Probably the value for money you can get.
- Dar Andamaure – Located in a super central yet quiet location, Dar Andamaure and their lovely team welcome you with open arms.
Hostel recommendations:
- Earth Hostel – Created by a young Amazigh (Berber) man, who loves gathering people from all over the world where you can experience the wonders of Morocco, meet, share, create and enjoy the unique Moroccan vibe.
- The Central House Marrakech Medina – A more upscale hostel with a wonderful pool
- Equity Point – A Spa hostel (how cool is that?) where you can enjoy their Hammam, massages, pool and you’re in the heart of Marrakesh.
Where to eat in Marrakesh
Recommendations
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L’Mida – Moroccan fusion on a beautiful terrace with magical lamps under the night sky. Try the yummy Amlou cake!
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Café des épices – An affordable, down to earth place with a relaxed rooftop right above Place des épices
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Naranj – Extremely delicious Lebanese food with a stunning rooftop
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Henna art café – Run by a local Berber and an American artist this welcoming place combines an art gallery, a school for henna art, and a cute café serving vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free food inside Marrakesh’s center
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Broc the Kasbah – An awesome concept with a mixture of second-hand clothing and affordable, yummy vegetarian & vegan food. Try the vegan burger!
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Earth cafe – A place for organic vegetarian and vegan food, traditional Maroccan as well as international options
- Nomad – For high-class rooftop dining with a modern interpretation of some traditional dishes. Owned by a young Moroccan entrepreneur who is known for his effort in modernizing the Marakesh restaurant scene.
Other places that I haven’t visited myself but that have been recommended to me:
- Terrace des épices
- Un déjeneur a Marrakesh
- Le Jardin (high-class rooftop dining)
Where to shop
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Arganino – For high-quality Argan oil products, on the first floor of Souk Cherifa
- L’Art du Bain – A small soap stall at the market on place des épices
- Chabi chic – High-quality, modern Moorish ceramics – fairtrade and handmade in Morocco
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Max & Jan – A stylish store for ethical clothing and decor, all products designed and manufactured in Morocco
The Sahara desert | A unique experience on your 10 days in Morocco itinerary
How to reach the Sahara desert and plan your Morocco itinerary
What to see on the way from Marrakesh to the desert
Aït-Ben-Haddou
Tazekka National Park in the Atlas Mountains
Joining a Sahara desert tour
The controversial question of riding camels
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Plan ahead and join a tour operator with an animal welfare policy and that promotes sustainable travel in Morocco
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Ask questions: A tour operator should be happy to answer any questions about how they keep their animals
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Camels should only live in desert habitats and never in any humid climate
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Look closely: Do the animals look healthy and well-fed and are they relaxed and calm (e.g. chewing its cud is a good sign for a relaxed camel)
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Listen: Is the camel treated gently and not screamed at or forced to be ridden when it doesn’t want to
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Always follow the rule that only one person should ride on one camel
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If you witness someone mistreating an animal during your 10 days in Morocco, speak out to the tour operator, and spread the word with a bad review on platforms such as Tripadvisor and Get your guide. Additionally, report them to an animal welfare organization such as SPANA, or Animondial.
Staying at a desert camp
Desert Camp recommendations
- Luxurious Merzouga Desert Camps – We spent two wonderful days in this desert camp. It’s just a short ride from Merzouga, but even though you’re not that deep in the desert, you’re surrounded by sand as far as you can see. You can learn about Berber culture and spend the evenings sitting around the campfire with them and their drums.
- Pueblo Tuareg Luxury Camp – The brothers Salem and Moha have created a calm, remote haven in the Sahara desert with gorgeous luxury tents with everything you need and you can even get vegan food if you let them know.
For more tips on sustainable travel not only in Morocco but at any destination, check out my 12 easy tips on how to be a more sustainable traveler.
Suggested 10 days in Morocco itinerary
As mentioned before, we only had one week in Morocco which is why we concentrated on visiting Marrakesh and the Sahara desert. I’d recommend extending your trip to at least 10 days in Morocco and adding other destinations such as Fes or Agadir to your Morocco itinerary. I will be able to give recommendations about these places after my next trip to Morocco, which I hope will be soon.
A perfect Morocco itinerary for 10 days can be:
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Marrakesh: 2-3 days
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Sahara desert: 3-5 days (including the trip to and from the desert)
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Fes: 3 days
Hi, Jill! I enjoyed reading through your reflections and tips for traveling through Morocco. I’ve lived in Morocco for over two years now and a friend passed along this post to see if I’d been to some of the places you mention here. I’m curious as to what made you think that Morocco is not the most eco-friendly country or that living environmental-friendly is a luxury many simply cannot afford? I have actually found the opposite to be true — there are so many systems set up in Morocco that ingrain living environmentally friendly into a natural part of Moroccan life AND make it the most economical option. You’re correct in that there is a lot of litter throughout the country, and of course that can be unappealing to travelers to see, but the amount of trash isn’t necessarily any larger or different than that of other countries where it’s just hidden out of sight in landfills. Food is grown naturally and locally and often arrives at the souks the same day it was picked; a wide variety of public transport, such as shared big taxis, exist to take people places so that not everybody needs a personal car to get around; people go around the streets with carts and collect empty plastic bottles that they’ll clean and use to resell other items; products like glass jars or cardboard boxes aren’t made to be sold at stores as people will just reuse ones they already have, and so on. I totally get how the country may not seem sustainable at first glance and it took me some time living here to realize all of the ways in which sustainability is actually central to Moroccan life, just in different ways than we may view it in other parts of the world. I hope some of the examples I gave here work to shift that narrative and emphasize how, when done right, sustainable living doesn’t have to be luxurious or unaffordable for anyone.
Dear Laura,
thanks a lot for your remarks and for sharing your experiences. This is really valuable.
Of course, your experiences from living in Morocco for two years are way deeper than my experiences from a short holiday.
I’m always happy to learn more.
My impression in this post is based upon my very personal experiences and observations from my Morocco journey in 2019 (i.e. in terms of litter, little public transport, animal treatment, few meatless options, water shortage due to tourism etc). In my personal experiences, these factors made it harder to travel sustainably through Morocco compared to other countries. Still, as mentioned in the post, I totally agree that sustainable travel in Morocco is far from impossible. The tips in the beginning of the post should indicate this.
Happy travels & stay safe!
Www wonderful, a post full of important information for traveling in Morocco, thanks for sharing with us. 😉
Thanks for your lovely feedback! I’m happy to hear that you like my content about sustainable travel in Morocco!
Amazing information, your blog contain the most essential details for people who are looking to visit Morocco, Thank you
Thanks for your lovely comment! I’m glad you found all the essential information one should have when visiting Morocco.
the best and knowledgeable post about travelling to morocco, thans for the guidelines @Jill
Thanks, I’m glad you like my post and the information I gathered!
This is awsome! Thank you for sharing your beautiful experience.
Awsome blog! Thank you for detailing your experience.
Thanks Alex! I’m glad to hear that you like my post about sustainable travel in Morocco
This is a very nice article, Morocco is a magnificent place with its history and nature, you should definitely visit and discover it city by city.
hi thank you for sharing this article. i love it