50 Fascinating Things to Know Before You Visit Morocco (That Completely Surprised Me)

Before I travelled to Morocco, I thought I knew what to expect: golden sand dunes, bustling souks and ancient medinas. While those iconic experiences absolutely delivered, what surprised me most was everything beyond the postcards.

From snow-capped mountains and lush green valleys to centuries-old traditions, incredible hospitality and even thriving wine regions, Morocco challenged every assumption I had. It was easier to travel than I'd imagined, richer in culture than I expected, and filled with moments that made me slow down and see the world differently.

In this episode of Tourist to Traveller, I'm sharing 50 fascinating things I learned while exploring Morocco. Whether you're actively planning a trip or simply dreaming about one, these quirky facts, practical travel tips and cultural insights will help you experience Morocco with more confidence, curiosity and appreciation.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why Morocco is so much more than deserts and camels
• The incredible diversity of Morocco's landscapes, from mountains to coastlines
• Cultural customs and traditions every traveller should know
• Food and drink experiences that might surprise you
• Practical travel tips for first-time visitors
• Local terminology that make navigating Morocco easier
• Small details that will help you travel more confidently and respectfully

Helpful Resources & Links

Ready to start planning your Moroccan adventure?

Explore my free 50 Fascinating Things to Know Before Visiting Morocco guide, featuring all 50 tips from this episode, plus a handy packing checklist, Moroccan travel terminology, tipping advice and destination highlights to help you prepare with confidence.

You might also enjoy these resources:

• The Ultimate Morocco Travel Guide
• 14-Day Morocco Itinerary
• How to Spend 24 Magical Hours in Marrakech
• Is Morocco Safe for Solo Female Travel?

Connect & Explore

Find destination guides, travel planning resources and more at touristtotraveller.com, and follow along on Instagram @_touristtotraveller for behind-the-scenes planning and future travel inspiration. 

Transcript

Speaker 0:00

Welcome to the Tourist to Traveller Podcast, the show that helps you go beyond the guidebook and turn your bucket list dreams into real adventures. I'm Tahnee, a travel blogger, podcaster, and everyday explorer who's been ticking off epic destinations for over 20 years while balancing a 9 to 5. Each week I'll bring you inspiring stories, destination deep dives, and practical tips to help you plan smarter, travel deeper, and capture those unforgettable moments along the way. So, grab your passport, hack your curiosity, and let's get started. If you'd asked me what I expected Morocco to be like before I visited, I probably would have said deserts, camels, and busy markets. And while all of those things absolutely exist, Morocco surprised me in so many ways. It's one of those destinations that constantly challenges what you think you know. One moment you're driving through snow-capped mountains. The next you're walking through ancient mudbrick villages, or sipping sweet mint tea in a bustling medina. Every day felt completely different. So in today's episode, I'm sharing 50 fascinating things I discovered while traveling through Morocco. Some are practical tips, some are quirky cultural observations, and others completely changed the way I experienced the country. If Morocco is on your bucket list or you're simply curious about this incredible destination, this episode is going to get you even more excited to visit. On day one of my group trip in Morocco, whilst meeting the other people in our group, our guide asked us all to share why we chose Morocco. And for me, it was absolutely the Sahara Desert. I imagine Morocco would be very much desert landscapes and food and culture and history. And this this destination is one that really surprised me. I think one thing that surprised me more than anything else is just how diverse the landscape is. There were so many times where I would look out the window of our bus and think, no one would believe that this is Morocco. And I'm talking about I'm talking green, rolling hills, rugged landscapes, snow-capped mountains, and yes, of course, desert. There were so many other things that surprised me about Morocco and a lot of little things that I picked up along the way. So I thought I would share those with you today. And if you're planning a trip to Morocco, I hope this also inspires you to see a little bit more of the country. Whilst many people go into Marrakesh and explore just Marrakesh, maybe the Sahara Desert, there is so much more to explore in this country. So let's dive straight into geography and landscape surprises. With number one, you can ski and ride camels in the same day. Yes, that is correct. I visited in shoulder season and still experienced snow capped mountains while we were there. And we went from landscapes that included snow and desert literally within the same day. And as you can probably expect, the temperature changed that dramatically as well. So we really did need to pack for everything in Morocco, even in the shoulder season. Number two, Morocco isn't just desert. As I've already mentioned, you can also expect green rolling hills and snow-capped mountains. There's stunning beaches and waterfalls and lakes, and it is a very diverse landscape. Number three, the northern part of Morocco is surprisingly green, especially around Meknez and Chefshawen. Those green rolling hills that I was talking about, um, they were jaw-droppingly beautiful. And once again, you just wouldn't imagine that they were actually in Morocco. Number four, you will drive past olive groves, date palms, citrus trees, apple plantations. You will go past these kinds of things on the daily, and every region has their specialty, whether it's a fruit, whether it's produce, they all have the thing that they are known for. Number five, the traditional mud brick villages still thrive. People still actually live in them, and they very much do blend into the landscape. It was really interesting to see how people still live in these villages, but also a lot that had been abandoned over time and where the mud is just breaking down and they're very much in ruins. It also surprised me how frequently they need to patch up their mud brick homes. Number six, Eight Ben Hadoo is a real life movie set, and it's also UNESCO listed. A lot of people think that this is actually only a movie set. And whilst many films have been shot here, it is actually part of history and it's somewhere where people lived and do still currently live. There are so many films that have been shot here, but most recently it was The Odyssey. Number seven, the oases are real and they're absolutely beautiful. So you can just imagine driving through Morocco where it's very dry and rugged in a lot of places, and then out of nowhere, there is this oasis. And what they call an oasis, essentially, it's usually around a water source, and it's it's just it's green, it's lush, you'll see loads of date palms, there's lots of things that are growing there, and usually there is a settlement there. So it is called an oasis, and uh they're they're they're all the way throughout Morocco, and they really are beautiful. Number eight, expect sudden weather changes, and this is throughout the country. Now I've already talked about snow capped mountains and of course the heat of the desert, but we were in many other alpine and mountainous destinations throughout Morocco that were really, really cold. And I'm talking about, I think it was like four degrees in some of these locations that we went to, whereas others were stinking hot. So you really do need to prepare for everything. Let's move now into culture, customs, and local life with number nine, and that is that Morocco is a blend of Arab, Berber, French, and Spanish influence. Yes, there is a lot going on in this culture, and most locals know many languages. I'm not talking one or two, I'm talking many. Whilst we did learn a few local Berber words, uh, I'm really sorry, I cannot remember any of them to share them with you today. Number 10, French is widely spoken, and it is more well known than English in a lot of areas throughout Morocco because of the heavy French influence on this country. So don't worry if you don't speak the local Berber language, French and English will get you by. Number 11 is that rural villages still practice a lot of the traditional ways of life, such as farming, herding, weaving. There are a lot of traditional practices that still happen across the country, but especially in rural villages. And whilst you are visiting rural villages, of course it's important to be very respectful of the locals, the local culture, and also dress more modestly in rural areas. Number 12 is the call to prayer. This is something that can be heard anywhere where you've got villages or cities, and you'll hear it five times a day echoing across the cities. 13. The local guides are full of charm and they often know each other. And for us, that was part of the fun was watching our local guide interact with other guides where he would explain how he knows them, some of them he was related to. They would have so much banter and fun. Um, we would sometimes merge to have, you know, dinner. The other guides will come to our group or our guide would go to their group. It was just a lot of fun. And every single one of them was lovely. 14. Tipping is part of life. So it is important to keep small change handy at all times. 15, I love this one. Fridays. Fridays in Morocco is couscous day. I'm not talking about the packaged couscous that you get in the supermarket where you pop water in there and it's ready in a couple of minutes. Couscous here is made from scratch on Friday. So if you were there and you were going to order couscous, make sure it's on Friday because you will get the real stuff, the traditional stuff on their traditional day. It is it's very sacred to them and it is delicious. Highly recommended. 16 is bartering. Bartering is very much expected in Morocco. So when you are in the markets or you're purchasing things from locals, they do expect you to barter. For them, they have fun with it. It's a game. So even if it doesn't come naturally to you, give it a go because they actually expect it. The only exception that we found here is locations where there is an advertised price. Often they refuse to budge off the advertised price. But if there was no price advertised, bartering was expected. 17. This one might surprise you, and that is chocolate. Now, I'm not talking about the chocolate that you are probably thinking of at the moment. Interestingly enough, we found that in Morocco, especially around the Chef Showen area, uh, that chocolate is a code word for cannabis. Yes, uh, it is illegal to uh consume, partake over in Morocco. And if you are offered chocolate, always keep that in mind. But there are actually quite a few cannabis plantations, especially around the Chef Show and area. And 18 hospitality is everything in Morocco. People are so kind, uh, especially when it comes to sharing mint tea. And you are gonna get used to having mint tea everywhere. Speaking of mint tea, we're now gonna move into food and drink quirks. Number 19. Most meals start with bread and olives. There were very few exceptions to this. Bread and olives absolutely everywhere. Now, as a non-uh olive eater, I love everything olive flavored, I love olive oil. I just don't love olives. Um, I did eat some because it felt like the kind thing to do, but you will expect bread and olives as a starter for everything. Number 20, mint tea is the drink that you will have absolutely everywhere. The locals have it really sweet with a whole bunch of sugar. You can have it without sugar, or I would recommend having just a little at least. But I will say Moroccans love their sugar. Number 21, dinner is late. And when I say late, think 9 p.m., 10 p.m. And I know this is very similar to what you would expect in a lot of European countries, but we found, especially with the locals and with our guide, they didn't really want to eat until 10 p.m. each day. 22, sugar. Sugar is everywhere. Sugar is in their mint tea. Sugar is uh there is a lot of it in their breakfast. Yes, they do often eat cake for breakfast, and sugar is even added to most of the salads. It just seems to be an ingredient in everything there. 23, cake for breakfast. Seems felt very strange, but it was everywhere. Everywhere we went, we were served cake for breakfast. 24 is orange juice. There are oranges all through Morocco, and fresh orange juice is served everywhere, and it is incredible. 25 is raw salad. I would highly recommend avoiding raw salad unless you really trust the kitchen. It's not always fresh. Often it is prepared and sits overnight, and you just don't know what it's been washed in. So we were warned many times not to eat raw salad because of the fear of getting sick. 26. Alcohol. There are a lot of places in Morocco that are dry, and I'm talking bars, restaurants, villages where alcohol is not served and not available. However, it is absolutely in Morocco. In fact, there are even wineries in Morocco. So whilst alcohol is a bit more discreet, the locals do still drink it, and you can you can order it in some restaurants and bars and also get hold of it in supermarkets. 27. Bring a bottle opener for the wine because it is all corked. And I think this is um probably just me being Australian. Most of the wines served in Australia in this day and age are screw top. However, across Europe and in Morocco, most wine is corked wine. 28. Speaking of wine, Morocco has wine regions, especially around Meknez, and the wine is actually better than I had expected for a country that doesn't drink much alcohol. 29. Tajines. You'll get very used to eating tagine. You will eat it a lot. Uh they are. They're kind of the staple dish in Morocco. They're delicious and they're everywhere. Number 30, dates. Dates are a very common snack and they're also shared frequently across locals. And something that we found quite common as a, I don't know, like a gesture of kindness or goodwill was a guide offering another guide the best date in their pack of dates. It was very common for them to share. 31. I'm gonna try my best to pronounce this one, but I'm terrible at pronunciations. Svenj? Okay, I'm gonna have to spell this one out for you. S-F-E-N-J. Essentially, these are Moroccan donuts. They were made for breakfast. We had them in multiple locations, and they were surprisingly delicious. So I would definitely recommend trying. Moving on now to Animals, Nature, and Everyday Wonders with number 32. Stray cats are everywhere. A lot of the locals say that no one really owns them, but they respect them and they care for them. So it was very rare that we saw a stray cat that had gone hungry or that wasn't cared for, which is kind of beautiful to see. 33. 33 donkeys. Donkeys are still used in everyday life, and you'll see them quite frequently in the rural areas and in the medinas. 34. Camels. Camels are really the biggest part of desert culture. Probably not too surprising with this one. Um, they're not just tourist attractions, they actually have uses. And speaking of camels as a tourist attraction, I'm very much against animal tourism. So um I love the camels, respect the camels, but do not ride the camels whilst in Morocco. 35. You will become obsessed with taking photos of doors in Morocco. Oh, the doorways. They are so incredibly stunning. They're so delicate. There are big ones, small ones. I just never get sort of I could never get sick of taking photos of doors. 36. Mosaics. Mosaics you'll also find everywhere. They're really beautiful, and often they are close to said doors. Um, they're more than just art, and what we learned is that the colors all have symbolism and all mean something. 37 Mirages. Mirages can be seen in Morocco. They are very much real, and you'll especially see them in the desert regions. Number 38 is the date palms. Now, palm groves line the oasis towns, as I mentioned earlier. Uh, but not only that, you'll find them quite frequently throughout the country. So it does seem quite strange to be driving through to the desert and see a palm tree, but it is not strange in Morocco. Number 39 uh is actually a bird, that is a stork. There were storks that seemed to be resting on many of the ruins, the rooftops, the historic sites. We just seemed to see them everywhere. They kind of felt like the pigeons of Morocco. And I don't know if Moroccans think of them in that way, but there were storks everywhere. And number 40, you'll see sheep in some very unexpected places. Moving on now to travel tips and the local know-how. 41 ATMs are everywhere, but currency exchanges were really challenging to use. Now, what I mean by this is that you could exchange US dollars, euro, or um British pounds. You could exchange those at any currency exchange, but that was really the only currency that they would accept. So I had uh on me a lot of Australian dollars. I had some euro, and I think I had some, yes, I did have some US dollars on me as well. And it was just so difficult to change things over there. So we ended up using ATMs for most of the time we were on the ground in Morocco. 42. Do not drink the tap water, stick to bottled water when you can. Uh, we we deliberately chose to travel with a group that is quite environmentally friendly. So, what our tour guide would do was buy really big, um, I don't know how big they were, but multiple liter kegs essentially of water and pop them on our minibus so that throughout the trip, as long as we had a reusable water bottle, we could just go and fill it up from there at any time. Uh, anytime we were staying in accommodation, he would leave one at reception for us so that we didn't have to keep buying more water bottles and going through plastic, which was a really lovely touch. 43 is public toilets. You need to pay for public toilets everywhere. Now, this also includes paying for toilets in cafes, restaurants, and bars where you are already a paying customer. That was surprising to me. So, yes, you need small change for tipping, but you also need small change for the toilets. 44 is Wi-Fi. We were able to get Wi-Fi in the most remote of towns, which was really surprising. And the Wi-Fi was actually pretty good through most places in Morocco. 45 is that alcohol is consumed discreetly by locals. I've already touched on alcohol here, but it's not often talked about by locals. It's a bit of a no-no, but trust me, they still drink it. 46. If you're heading to Fez and you're going to the Medina, getting a local guide is an absolute must. The Medina is basically the size of a small city and it is just uh it is a full-on labyrinth. You will get lost there. Uh, whilst getting lost in Medinas is, I guess, almost like a rite of passage in Morocco, the Fez Medina is no joke. Trust me, get a local guide. 47. While we're speaking of Medinas, the Marrakesh Medina stays open well after midnight. And staying out late is part of the fun. We were in the Medina on one day, the moment well, before the Medina had even. Opened. We were some of the first people there wandering the streets with beautiful light first thing in the morning. But we were also there very late at night. Yes, I'm talking after midnight, after we'd had a couple of drinks, we'd had a really fun day, a really fun night. Um, and I don't know why, but that is when we decided to do some shopping. Number 48, getting lost in the Medina is all part of the experience. So, with the exception of the Fez Medina, just embrace it, accept it, it is going to happen. 49, know your lingo. A couple of local phrases will help you quite a bit. Uh, whilst I don't remember most of the local phrases, knowing a thing or two about um focal points there is also going to help. So, for example, understanding that a riyad is a guest house, Medina is essentially an old town, a souk is a market, a kasbar is a fortress, madrasa is an Islamic school, and a hamam is a traditional bathhouse. Speaking of, I highly recommend experiencing a hamam whilst you're in Morocco. It is an experience in itself. Number 50, every guide has a cousin with a rug shop. Enough said, you have been warned. And there we have it. That was 50 fascinating things to know before visiting Morocco. Now, I hope some of those things sparked your curiosity, and I want to encourage you if you do visit Morocco to visit with an open mind, with a curious mind, be prepared with these 50 little gold nuggets of information. But uh, I'm sure you will learn plenty of little hidden gems uh and little little quirks about Morocco all on your own. And from this, you can probably understand that I really fell in love with this country whilst I was on the ground there. If you're already thinking Morocco needs to be added to your bucket list, I've written a full guide to planning a trip to Morocco. I'll link it in the show notes so you can dive into even more detail after listening. And if you're heading into Marrakesh, I've also written a guide for spending 24 magical hours in Marrakesh. So if that's a stop on your itinerary, I've popped a link to that in the show notes as well. Morocco reminded me that the best travel experiences often come from letting go of our expectations and staying curious. I arrived expecting deserts and ancient cities, but I left with a much deeper appreciation for the country's people, traditions, landscapes, and culture. It's a destination that rewards travelers who slow down, ask questions, and embrace the unexpected. If you're planning a trip, check out my full guide on 50 Fascinating Things to Know Before Visiting Morocco. It brings together everything we've talked about in one handy place so that you can take it with you while you're planning. I've linked that in the show notes. And if you'd like even more inspiration, I've written detailed guides on planning a Morocco itinerary, exploring Marrakesh, and traveling Morocco as a solo female traveller. You'll find all those linked in the show notes. Thank you for joining me on this adventure. I'll see you in the next episode. Thanks for tuning in to the Tourist to Traveller Podcast. I hope today's episode has inspired you to travel more authentically and plan your next adventure with confidence. Don't forget to head to touristtotraveller.com for today's show notes, resources, and free guides to help you plan like a pro. And if you love this episode, please hit subscribe and leave a review. It helps more travelers like you discover the show. Until our next adventure.