How to spend 48 hours in Morocco

Whether you decide to come on a Morocco tour to shop at the souks, sample the multicultural cuisine, or camp under the twinkling Sahara stars, there’s no shortage of exciting things to do in Morocco. If you just have a few days to experience the country, make the most of your time and follow this Morocco travel guide for the best tips on how to spend 48 hours in Morocco.

Get snap-happy in The Blue City

Our number one Morocco travel tip? Keep your camera ready at all times! Chaouen, with its blue city walls and laid-back medina, might be one of the most photogenic destinations on our Portugal, Spain, & Morocco tour.

Wander the meandering medina streets and snap Instagram-worthy shots at every turn. Keep your eyes peeled for the colorful and decorative doors scattered throughout the medina—they make great backdrops for photos.

Traveler Michael visited this top Morocco attraction and said the shades of blue were “a feast for the eyes!” Check out more of the beauty he captured on tour in Morocco.

Lose yourself in Fes

Succumb to the infinite twists and turns of the Fes medina (with a little help from your expert travel guides, of course!). Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site on our Highlights of Morocco tour and experience the largest car-free urban zone in the world.

As the heart of the city, the beyond-bustling souk is arguably one of the best places to visit in Morocco in 48 hours to test your bargaining skills and stock up on souvenirs. “Never feel like you have to buy a piece if the price is too high. Sometimes the act of saying no and walking away will get the shop owner to lower the price,” said staffer Amanda.

Check out more of Amanda’s helpful tips for traveling to Morocco.

Visit the Hassan II Mosque

With its oceanfront location and dominating minaret, the tallest in the world, the largest functioning mosque in Africa commands immediate attention. Intricately crafted with turquoise tiles and enhanced with a sliding roof and heated floor, the mosque was made as an elaborate tribute to the King of Morocco in 1993. The Hassan II Mosque is a fixture in Casablanca and is a top thing to see in Morocco on tour.

Morocco travel tip: One of staffer Amanda’s helpful tips for traveling to Morocco is to pack a conservative outfit for when you go inside places like the Hassan II Mosque. “(Most of the time) you’ll feel comfortable wearing your normal clothes, but know that you will need to cover your knees and shoulders to enter certain religious sites,” she said.

Eat at Rick’s Cafe

Inspired by the classic 1940s film, Casablanca, Rick’s Cafe revives the Hollywood-made bar and restaurant made famous by Humphrey Bogart’s character, Rick Blaine. Rick’s Cafe is more than a place to grab a bite, it’s a swanky establishment that provides an experience through music, food, atmosphere, and service.

Some favorite Moroccan menu items include goat cheese and fig salad (follow this recipe to make it at home!), couscous salad, and fresh seafood. If you’ve only got 48 hours in Morocco, make sure to save time for a meal at Rick’s.

Stay in a riad

Experience at least one night in an authentic riad when you travel to Morocco. We recommend adding some time at the beginning or end of your tour to stay in one. Riads are bed-and-breakfast style accommodations set up in restored Moroccan mansions, and typically consist of private rooms, shared courtyards, and rooftop decks.

If you just want to pop into a riad to see what all the buzz is about, one of our top travel tips for Morocco is to start or end your day on a riad terrace while you sip mint tea and take in the sights and sounds all around you.

Travel to Essaouira

If you only have 48 hours in Morocco, a trip to the coastal city of Essaouira hits many of the country’s highlights. Lucky for you, you can add the extension on our Highlights of Morocco tour to visit the city! Essaouira offers long sandy beaches, a working harbor with a deep-rooted fishing culture, delicious seafood, and a magical medina surrounded by old oceanfront ramparts. The city also has some of the most famous riads in Morocco!

Shop the souks

One of the best things to do in Morocco in 48 hours is shop ‘til you drop! Lively bazaars, known as souks, are found throughout Morocco and are an essential part of any trip to Morocco. Noisy with energetic shopkeepers and flush with traditional Moroccan souvenirs, it’s hard to leave a souk empty-handed.

The largest souk is in Marrakech and it starts at the edge of the lively Djemaa el Fna market and finishes far into the depths of the ancient medina.

Morocco travel tip: One thing to know about Morocco is the souks are usually located in the old medinas, which are famous for windy, sometimes disorienting streets, tight quarters, and lots of people.

Staffer Jess named the souks as one of the top three experiences in Morocco and was happy to have expert guides leading her group through the pathways. “Even for the adventurous traveler, the souks can easily become overwhelming as they’re filled with hundreds of pathways and people. When we were walking through the souks, we had a guide in the front and in the back to keep us together,” she said.

Drink mint tea

Mint tea symbolizes friendship and hospitality in Morocco. Whether you’re being welcomed into a Bedouin tent in the desert or relaxing in a restaurant after a meal, mint tea is served on many occasions throughout Morocco.

The presentation is just as important as the drink itself. Typically, the tea is poured from a pot into a small cup at a height of no less than 12 inches to create a frothy foam on the surface. Anytime is a good time to sip and enjoy the refreshing flavor and sweet taste.

Feast on local favorites

Morocco is best explored on foot and all that walking means you’ll always be ready to eat. For a satisfying meal, look no further than tagine. Tagine refers to both the slow-cooked savory stew and the vessel it’s cooked in. This Moroccan favorite is made from braised chicken and served in a characteristic clay pot with a pointed lid. While on tour you’ll take a cooking class to learn how to make tagine and several side dishes.

Morocco travel tip: Pick up a few tagine clay pots in the souks and use your new cooking knowledge to recreate this traditional Moroccan cuisine once you’re back home.

Find tranquility in Majorelle Garden

Leave the hustle and bustle of Marrakech behind and spend a few tranquil hours in one of Morocco’s top attractions, Majorelle Garden. French painter Jacques Majorelle started his exotic garden in 1923 on his private plot and didn’t finish until roughly 40 years later. After Majorelle’s death and years of neglect, fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent swooped in to restore the grounds in the 1980s.

Today, the garden is flush with bamboo groves, banana trees, exotic flowers, and marble pools, all accented by features painted in the unmistakably bold Majorelle Blue. Staffer Jess crowns the Majorelle Gardens as one of her top experiences in Morocco. “It’s a unique experience to one minute be in the heart of the city and the next to be in this relaxing oasis-like atmosphere,” she said.

Relax in a Moroccan hammam

Treat yourself and experience a true piece of Moroccan culture on tour with a visit to a local Moroccan hammam, or bathhouse. A hammam is a steam room, covered from floor to ceiling in tiled mosaics, where you can go to cleanse, unwind, and socialize. An authentic hammam experience is one of the best things to do in Morocco after a long day exploring the medinas and shopping at the souks.

Morocco travel tip: Spa services like body scrubs and massage are also available and we recommended enjoying one during your visit.

Explore Ait-Ben-Haddou

At first you might think this earthen clay village is a mirage. After all, you did just cross the High Atlas Mountains to stand on the doorstep of the Sahara Desert. From afar, Ait-Ben-Haddou looks like a towering clay castle. However, once you get closer you’ll see it’s really an entire village complete with a mosque, public square, and several cemeteries, all protected by fortified walls.

UNESCO crowned it a World Heritage Site in 1987 for its excellent example of southern Moroccan architecture. Go on tour to explore the maze-like paths of one of the top sights in Morocco while an expert guide explains its centuries-old history.

Ride a camel into the desert

It’s hard to pick the ultimate Moroccan experience, but traversing the Sahara Desert landscape by camel is definitely one of the best things to do in Morocco on our Highlights of Morocco Tour. The Sahara Desert sand dunes are otherworldly and the pitstop for mint tea in a Bedouin tent is the cherry on top of an amazing expedition.

“It looked like a screen saver and being out there at sunset made it even more beautiful,” said staffer Jess. Check out the other top experience to have on tour in Morocco.

Visit Hollywood movie sets

Did you know that Hollywood crews filmed dozens of movies and TV series in Morocco? The desert setting around Ouarzazate provided many backdrops for productions like Night of Arabia, Prison Break, Game of Thrones, and Gladiator. Visit these sites on tour and you may even get to meet a few movie extras if you’re extra lucky!

Have you ever been on a tour of Morocco? Did you have a favorite Morocco attraction? Let us know how you spent 48 hours in Morocco on our Facebook page!