Morocco sits at approximately the same latitude as Florida to North Carolina in the US, so the weather in November tends to be similar - still pleasantly warm and sunny during the day but with dropping temperatures at night.

Be prepared for beginning the day in the low 60s, with it warming up to mid 70s, At night, it will drop as low as the low 50s to upper 40s. It’s always good to plan for layers for the changing temperatures throughout the day.

Morocco is a very safe country. While no location is perfectly safe, the rate of physical violence in Morocco is much lower than in the US, with violence against travelers being even lower. Simply exercise basic caution as you would in any city.

The bigger threat in Morocco is robbery or theft, either directly or through a scam. Do not carry valuables in a way that is easy to access by pick pockets or to be snatched on the go by someone on a motorcycle. Do not leave valuables out in your hotel rooms, always utilize the safes. When you are out and about, do not take up anyone on their offer to act as your guide, to show you something, or help you find a shop, even if it is someone you have seen at your hotel. That will result in you facing a high pressured sales pitch where you will at minimum be overcharged, if not outright scammed for a fraudulent product.

In addition, be sure to carefully review your bill upon checkout at the hotel to avoid incorrect charges.

Morocco uses the Moroccan dirham (MAD or dh), which is roughly 9 dh to $1. However, for ease of mental calculation, you can think of it as 10dh to $1. It is a closed currency, meaning it is not allowed to be bought or sold outside of the country, so you are only supposed to be able to exchange it within Morocco.

So do you need to get cash? Yes, you will need some cash. While credit cards are becoming more widely accepted in the larger cities at restaurants, hotels, and for larger purchases, cash is still necessary for smaller purchases and tipping.

Tipping is common in Morocco for most services. Locals should be tipped in MAD, but Euros can make a good second option in a pinch.

Fine dining may include a service charge, so always check your bill for that. If they did not, 10% is common. For cafes or casual dining, 5 - 10 dh per person is fine.

In hotels, 20 - 50 dh is standard, whether for the luggage, daily housekeeping, room service, or concierge.

For additional guides or activities, the usual amount is between 50 - 100 dh per person.

While the minimum tipping for your drivers and group assistants has been included, you are always welcome to tip on top of that for anyone who has gone above and beyond during the journey, and that can be done in MAD, USD, or EUR.

Marrakech is a shopping heaven, offering everything from handcrafted jewelry to bespoke furniture to stunning kaftans to hand-tanned leathers of all hides, and so much more. And whether you are looking for a hand-woven rug or a custom light fixture, be prepared to bargain. In the souks and most shops, you will not see any displayed prices, and shop keepers do not like to give individual prices. Rather, they want to know what all you would like, then they will give you a price for everything together. This is the opening offer and you should be prepared to counter it with a lower offer, with the goal of meeting somewhere in the middle. Don’t be afraid to use walking away as a tactic! Also, if it is a higher priced item that you have already established they will take a credit card for, you can use an offer to pay in cash as a bargaining tactic as well.

Another thing to be aware of is that there are many people in the souks that are looking to scam unsuspecting travelers, whether by overcharging them or giving them an inferior product to what they think they are paying for. For example a shop that has both genuine leather and faux leather poufs, and when you think you are purchasing a genuine leather one, rather than wrapping up the one on display, he will grab one that is faux leather to wrap up. In order to help you avoid these common traps, we do offer guides who can help you locate reputable shops. These guides are paid up front, and are not working for the shops the way the “free” guides you will find in the medina are.

While our guides will do their best to steer you towards reputable shops, ultimately the decision whether to purchase and the price is up to you. Neither the guide nor Wanderlust Voyages is responsible for the results of your purchase.

While the places you will be visiting will not require you to know any Darija (the Moroccan dialect of Arabic), it’s always nice to have a common word or two!

• “Marhaba” - “Welcome”

• “Salam” - “Hello”

• “Aafak” - “Please”

• “Shokran” - “Thank you”

• “Saha” or “La shokran ala wajib” - “You’re welcome”

• “La” - “No” (“La, shokran” is very useful in the souks!)

• “Ah” - “Yes”

• “Shwiya” - “A little bit”

• “Zwina” - “Delicious”

• "Safi” - “Enough”, such as when someone is offering to refill your tea glass once again

• “Baraka” - “I’m full”, because by Moroccan hospitality standards, if there is not more than enough food, they have not been hospitable enough

• Morocco is GMT +1, putting it five hours ahead of EST.

• Alcohol is largely available in Morocco in higher end locations, but not in more casual locations. Also, be aware that while high end hotels a a few select bars may have a good mixologist, many other locations are not well versed in cocktails, so it is best to stick with beer, wine, or straight drinks.

• While Moroccan Arabic (a dialect called “Darija”) is the common language in Morocco, you will many people who work with travelers speak at least a smattering of English, French, and/or Spanish.

• Moroccan tea is a standard form of welcome - you will be offered it everywhere, including in many shops if you are there long enough. If it is asked if you want some, you are free to decline it if you would like, but if it is brought out and offered to you, it is most polite to accept it, whether you drink it or not. The same goes with accepting milk and date, which is a highest form of welcome rather than just offering tea.

• The tea in Morocco is delicious, but when sweetened, it rivals southern sweet tea. Also, be aware that it packs a caffeine hit similar to coffee, so if you are sensitive, you may want to be careful with tea at night!