TRAVEL GUIDES RECAP - MOROCCO | How Much Would It Cost to Travel Morocco Like A Travel Guide?

Day 1 – 5  | Marrakech – the Red City

 

ACCOMMODATION IN MARRAKECH, MOROCCO

 

The Travel Guides stumbled their way through the chaos of Marrakech traffic to find their accommodation: Riad Africa. 

Riads are traditional Moroccan mansions once owned by wealthy merchants, and their design is built around a gorgeous, ornate, Andalusian-style courtyard.

The Travel Guides were greeted with a mint tea – the national drink of Morocco, overlooking the city.

 

How much does it cost to stay per night in Riad Africa, Marrakech?

Riad Africa takes bookings in Pound Sterling (Great British Pounds – GBP).

Morocco Budget Travel: £65 GBP (around $127AUD) is the cheapest room in Riad Africa. Budget travellers might opt to stay in hostels instead, but we’d recommend staying in a riad at least once while you’re in Morocco!

Morocco Mid-Range Travel: £81 – £98 GBP (around $158- $192AUD)

Morocco Luxury Travel: £130 for a luxe room – £405 GBP for a private riad (around$254-$791AUD)

MARRAKECH PRO TIP: The porters run away with your luggage in a wheelbarrow-looking trolley, but it arrives in your hotel room. As the Snobs put it “If you can’t trust the system, you shouldn’t be in Marrakech” … although you might feel as panicked as the Frens did!

 

 

ACTIVITIES IN MARRAKECH, MOROCCO

 

Explore the Medina

Cost? However much Moroccan Dirhams (MAD) you spend in the markets!

The Medina is the ancient walled part of Marrakech city; a thousand-year-old maze of markets, mosques, and alleyways.

Jemaa El Fna is the main square in Marrakech, which was built 1000 years ago for public executions! Now, it’s the main hub for market sellers, fruit stalls, and performances… including Snake Charmers!

The Travel Guides got up close and personal with venomous cobras, which was full of excitement.

They also visited Souk Semmarine – the Medina’s largest market – which has some amazing entertainment (like the Boys dancing with the locals!) at night.

Make sure to have Moroccan Dirhams or your Currency Pass on hand, and brush up on your bartering skills!

 

Take a Traditional Moroccan Cooking Class
Cost? £65 GBP($90AUD) for two adults.

The Travel Guides also indulged in both making and feasting on traditional Moroccan cuisine, concocting a Moroccan Tajine (is a slow-cooked stew with spices, braised at low temperatures, in traditional ceramic cookware) at the Marrakesh Cooking Course held at Riad Africa.

In this Moroccan cuisine course, you’ll also learn how to make the famous Moroccan Couscous, and visit the markets to source all the ingredients.

Caution: Moroccan food can be spicy, as the Fren Family discovered!

 

Watch Moroccan Belly Dancing
Cost? ($33-S98+ AUD)

The Travel Guides also learned some traditional Moroccan Belly Dancing at Narwarma Palace Restaurant Lounge!

This dance used to be performed for the Moroccan Royal Family, but these days you’ll see it at weddings, birthdays, family celebrations, and also the cultural dining experience at Narwarma Palace – where you’ll be treated to a three-course Moroccan feast while authentic belly dancers twirl to live music.

Take your Currency Pass with you to pay, or have some Moroccan Dirham (MAD) on hand.

As for learning to dance, that was unique to the Travel Guides but have a look around, or ask around, for a Moroccan belly dance learning experience!

 

 

 

DAY TRIPS FROM MARRAKECH, MOROCCO

 

Ride a camel through the Agafay Desert
Cost? 200MAD ($30AUD) for 1 hour or 400MAD ($60AUD) for 2hrs with Nkhila Lodge Agafey Camel Ride. 

The Agafay Desert is a 45 minute drive outside of Marrakech city, and is definitely something you can’t miss while in Morocco.

Here, like the Travel Guides, you can ride a camel through the desert!

Camels have been used as the main mode of transport through deserts in North Africa for 3000 years, and it’s a surprisingly soothing experience!

The Snobs and the Husbands couldn’t rave about their camel experience enough.

 

Go Quad Biking through Agafay Desert
Cost? €90 EUR  ($150AUD) per person for 1 ½ Day or  €170 EUR  ($292 AUD) for a Full Day with Dunes and Desert Quad Bike Adventure.

If you’re looking for adventure travel in Morocco, you can’t beat quadbiking through the red desert landscapes against a mountain backdrop.

This is for adrenaline junkies as the machines fly over sandy dunes and through old abandoned towns.

As the Outback Siblings found out, “Yalla!” means “Send it!” in Arabic - and you’ll be saying that a lot!

 

Okay, so you’ve figured out your dream Morocco itinerary.
Now, for the important info!

 

 

THE BASICS – WHAT CURRENCY DO I NEED TO TRAVEL MOROCCO?

Morocco is an interesting place to visit in that there are a few currencies accepted.

The official currency is the Moroccan Dirham (MAD), which you will need for markets, shopping, food, etc.

Then, being so close to Europe and the UK, the Euro (EUR) and Great British Pound (GBP) are often accepted or preferred forms of payment – especially for high-end accommodation and activities.

Lastly, because Africa widely accepts the United States Dollar (USD), this currency is also accepted in many places!

 

MOROCCO TRAVEL MONEY TIPS – HOW TO GET THE RIGHT CURRENCY AT THE BEST RATES

Morrocan Dirham (MAD) – We recommend getting your Moroccan Dirham in Morocco from official exchange offices, however, you’ll get the best rate if you exchange US Dollars (USD), Euros (EUR), and Pounds (GBP)!

So, depending on wherever else is on your travel itinerary, exchange your USD/EUR/GBP with us first, and then trade that for Moroccan Dirham (MAD) when you arrive.

US Dollars, Euros and Pounds (USD, EUR, GBP) – Come and see us to grab this before you go!

We have zero fees and zero commission – because we’re travellers too and wouldn’t want that either.

Don’t forget to take advantage of our Best Price Guarantee*, Rate Move Guarantee*, and Cash Commitment* so you get the most bang for your buck.

 

Travel Money Oz Currency Pass – as featured on Travel Guides!

Of course, you can’t travel Morocco like a Travel Guide without using our Currency Pass – the official currency card used by the Travel Guides!

You can load up to 10x currencies, and there are 0x conversion fees, plus you can manage your money on-the-go via the app, and lock in your exchange rate!

There’s a reason this card is trusted by the Travel Guides – it makes managing foreign currency a breeze.

For your Morocco trip, load up on Great British Pounds (GBP), Euros (EUR), and United States Dollars (USD), as well as Australian Dollars (AUD) for when you want to pay for something using Moroccan Dirhams – just make sure to select “LOCAL CURRENCY” when paying to avoid hefty dynamic conversion fees.

 

MOROCCO TRAVEL MONEY TIPS | CARDS, TIPPING, AND ATM ACCESS

CASH OR CARD?
Credit, debit, and travel cards are accepted in most large shops, hotels, and restaurants in major cities. Smaller market stalls and vendors, especially in smaller towns and villages, often only accept cash.

TIPPING
Tipping isn’t mandatory but it is customary in Morocco.
At restaurants, round up the bill and leave spare change,
For porters, taxi drivers, and other services, 10 Dirham ($5 bucks AUD) should usually suffice.

ATM ACCESS
It’s easy to find ATMs in larger cities and airports (though airports usually have steeper prices and fees), and ATMs are less common in rural and remote areas. Be prepared by always having some cash on you as ATMs aren’t always an option.

 

SO… HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST TO TRAVEL MOROCCO LIKE A TRAVEL GUIDE?

 

If you were to do all the activities we saw the Travel Guides do in the Morocco episode, it would look a little something like this:

Riad Africa Accommodation: £81 ($158AUD) per night for 4x nights.
Marrakesh Markets: Up to you! Set aside a budget for shopping – Morocco is famous for its tea sets, silver jewellery, and handcrafted leather.
Traditional Moroccan Cooking Class: £65 ($90AUD) for two adults.
Moroccan Belly Dancing: ($98+ AUD) for the 3-course meal.
Quad Bike Ride: €90 EUR  ($150AUD) per person for 1 ½ Day
Camel Ride: 400MAD ($60AUD) for 2hrs
Kasbah Africa Accommodation (Sky Dome): £139 GBP (around $326AUD) per night for 3x nights.

In total, that comes to $2334 Australian Dollars.

Of course, that doesn’t cover food, tipping, shopping, flights, or insurance, so factor that into your Morocco travel budget too!

It's good to keep in mind that the average Australian traveller spends about $5000AUD while holidaying overseas - not including flights and accommodation, but pure spending money for food, activities, souvenirs, etc!