I traveled to Morocco to visit a friend in November 2023. They planned most of it, so I don’t have an in-depth breakdown. However, I will share some tips and things I learned along the way.

Trip Details

Trip Dates: November 21 – December 1, 2023

Main Places Visited:

• Casablanca
• Rabat
• Marrakesh
• A tour into the desert
• Tarifa, Spain
• Gibraltar

Total Cost: Unknown due to a lack of detailed notes. I do know my roundtrip flight was $737!

November 22

• Land in Casablanca at 8:15 a.m.
  • I spent the day touring Casablanca as I wait for my friend to be done with work. Here’s the tour I took.
  • Book it? Heck yes! I got picked up from the airport, transported around the city with my very own guide, tours were taken care of and it was an easier intro into a new country/culture. I was dropped off at the train station to head to my friend’s.

November 22-23

• Visiting my friend and celebrating Thanksgiving overseas.

November 24-25

• Marrakesh
  • Get a hammam. It’s a culture experience you need to do at least once. I did mine at Nobu Marrakesh which I recommend.
  • Stay in a riad. They are gorgeous and offer you a more authentic stay. Plus, you usually have the option for them to cook you a truly Moroccan meal. Here’s where I stayed and HIGHLY recommend it, as well as upgraded to the Emerald or Gold room.
  • Visit Jardin Majorelle. It’s gorgeous! Most people were there for photos though, so be patient.
  • Get henna. I recommend World Storytelling Cafe. It uses quality henna and was a great escape from the hustle and bustle.
  • Eat at Pepe Nero. So flippin good in a gorgeous setting

November 26-28

• Three-day excursion, including the Atlas Mountains, Ait Benhaddou and a trip into the desert for an overnight stay. We went through Desert Candles and did this tour.
  • Book it? It was worth every penny. Everything was booked for you and I saw so much of the country I wouldn’t have. We had a great guide as well. The desert camp was a bit more remote and rustic compared to a camp on the other side of the desert my friend had previously stayed at, but we had it entirely to ourselves. There’s nothing like being under the stars out there. And the camel ride was very humane vs. the camel rides you see offered in the city.

November 29-30

• While my friend went back to work, I headed to Tangier around 8 a.m. this morning, caught a train to Tarifa, Spain and then finally a bus to Gibraltar. It was about 4.5-hours of travel and I was in Gibraltar by 12:30 p.m.
  • I climbed the Rock of Gibraltar and explored whole Gibraltar Nature Reserve at the top (complete with Europe’s only wild monkey population — they will 100% still your food/anything to trade you for your food, I had one on my back unzipping my pack at one point), St. Michael’s Cave, Apes Den, The Great Siege Tunnels and I ate tapas.
    • Do it? Let me preface this with that this day was NOT for the faint of heart. But, if you’re up for multiple modes of transportation and running around for 4.5 hours, it was a stellar adventure.
    • Tip: I headed back to Tarifa around 5:30 p.m., had a a great meal at La Pescaderia and slept hard. I took the 8 a.m. ferry back the next day.

December 1

• Head back home! Except, I didn’t make it. Long story short, my flight got canceled and I was stranded in Morocco until December 4. Thankfully, I stayed with my friend those few extra days! And I eventually made it home. It’s how travel goes!