Nearly everyone enters the country through Casablanca, and two small jobs are best done in the CMN arrivals hall before you step outside: pull a working float of dirhams from the cashpoints, and grab a local SIM at the counters by the exit. After that, consider the ground ahead. Morocco runs from cool Atlantic light to high mountain air to open Saharan sand, occasionally inside a single three-day loop, so the trick is to pack in layers rather than in outfits. Below is what we hand to guests through the year, sorted by where you are headed and when.
Which season are you arriving in?
Four clear seasons shape what you bring more than any other factor:
- Spring (March–May): the all-rounder, and hard to beat. Days run warm (20–28°C inland), evenings turn cool, and the Atlas fills with wildflower. Light layers plus a light jacket for any mountain day.
- Summer (June–August): the interior pushes toward 40°C, so live in breathable cloth — linen and cotton earn their place. Casablanca and the coast stay a forgiving 25°C, cooled by the Atlantic off the Corniche. Fine for High Atlas trekking; carry SPF 50+ and a wide brim.
- Autumn (September–November): a close second to spring. The crowds ease, the heat settles. Pack as you would for spring, then add a mid-layer fleece once October arrives.
- Winter (December–February): inland days stay agreeable (15–20°C) but nights bite (5–10°C), and snow reaches the Atlas from December. Think cool European autumn, with a warm layer set aside for evenings and the mountains.
Dressing for the city and the medinas
Casablanca leans smart-casual — this is a working business city, and downtown around the Art-Deco facades you will see plenty of tailored linen and good shoes. No law dictates what a visitor wears, but modest cloth quietly improves the whole experience. The rule of thumb in the medinas, the souks and anywhere near a mosque such as Hassan II: cover shoulders and knees, regardless of gender. A linen shirt thrown over a vest, or loose trousers in place of shorts, is the whole of it.
On footwear, stay with a comfortable, closed-toe walking shoe. Medina lanes are uneven, often damp from autumn through winter, and busy with passing mopeds. A slip-on or a grip-soled trainer handles all of it.
Kit for the High Atlas
At 4,167 m, Toubkal is North Africa's highest summit, and the right gear puts it within reach in any season. For a multi-day trek in the range, count on:
- A layering system — base layer, mid fleece, windproof shell
- Warm hat and gloves; above 2,500 m the nights are cold even in summer
- Trekking boots with ankle support and a sole you have already broken in
- Poles, which spare the knees on the descents
- High-SPF sunscreen and UV sunglasses — altitude sharpens the glare
- A 2-litre bladder or bottles, with purification tablets in reserve
- A compact first-aid kit, blister plasters and ibuprofen included
Kit for a night in the dunes
The Erg Chebbi sea of sand near Merzouga and the Erg Chigaga out past M'Hamid rank among the country's great nights, and both repay a little forethought:
- Layers: a warm fleece, and a down jacket for winter — the mercury can brush 0°C from November through February.
- A scarf or shemagh: shade by day, and a shield for your face against the sand on a breezy camel ride.
- Closed shoes for the evening fire, as the sand chills fast once the sun drops
- A headtorch with fresh batteries
- Sealed or zip-lock bags for phone, camera and passport
- Lip balm and a saline nasal spray — the desert air is parching
- A power bank, since camp electricity can be patchy
Buy it here, not at home
A few things are simply better picked up once you arrive — cheaper, finer, and a keepsake into the bargain. A cotton or silk djellaba makes a graceful evening layer and passes anywhere. Argan-based sunscreen sits on pharmacy shelves at a fraction of European prices. Soft leather babouches are kind to the feet on a long medina walk. And a SIM from Maroc Télécom or Orange — easily grabbed in the Habous quarter or back at the airport — gives strong data across the whole circuit for roughly US$5–8.
Papers, money and the tech that matters
- A passport with at least six months left beyond your travel dates
- Your travel insurance — print one copy and stash a PDF offline for the dead-signal moments
- A debit card light on foreign-transaction fees; Wise, Revolut and Charles Schwab all behave at Moroccan cashpoints
- A working float of MAD — aim to draw the equivalent of US$100–150 the moment you land
- A universal adapter, since Morocco runs European type C/E plugs at 220V
- A local SIM or an international data plan — on-foot navigation is worth its weight
- Offline maps loaded in advance (Maps.me or Google Maps offline), because GPS stutters in the tight medina lanes
For packing notes tied to a particular stop, or a pre-trip brief built around your own route, browse our Morocco travel guides or explore our private tour options.
Frequently asked
Are shorts and vest tops fine in Casablanca and beyond?
On the Atlantic beaches (Agadir, Essaouira, Taghazout) and at the poolside, of course. Step into a medina, walk past the Hassan II Mosque or head into the countryside, though, and covering shoulders and knees simply makes sense — no tourist is breaking a law by not doing so, but you attract less notice and it reads as respect. A thin linen layer weighs nothing in the bag.
What footwear copes with Casablanca's streets and the medinas?
A closed-toe walking shoe with a flat or modest heel handles everything from Art-Deco pavements downtown to worn medina stone, which turns slick the moment it rains. Flip-flops are a poor match for uneven paving. Trainers are ideal. Planning to enter a mosque or shrine where it's allowed? Slip-ons spare you the fuss at the threshold.
Cash or card in Morocco?
Carry both. The bigger hotels, restaurants and riads run Visa and Mastercard; the small shops, market stalls, guides, drivers and petits taxis deal in cash only. Cashpoints (GAB) sit on most city corners and pay out dirhams without drama — the airport hall at CMN included. Draw a working float as you land, around US$100–150 in MAD, to cover the opening days.
How big a bag should I bring?
Smaller than instinct says. Laundry is cheap and quick here — most riads turn a wash around by the next day for a handful of dirhams, and linen or cotton dries overnight. A mid-size carry-on or a soft duffel will see you through a fortnight. A heavy case becomes a genuine burden on medina lanes, twisting riad stairs and the last stretch into a desert camp.
What goes in the bag for a Sahara overnight?
Layers, above all. From October to March the desert can sit at 40°C in daylight and slide to 10°C past midnight. A warm fleece or down piece, a hat and closed shoes for the evening are non-negotiable. Pack a headtorch rather than leaning on your phone, plus lip balm, high-SPF sunscreen and a sealed bag for phone and camera — the sand finds its way into everything.
Is anything genuinely better left at home?
Alcohol in quantities that look like commercial import can be seized at customs, though a personal bottle or two passes without comment. Leave drones behind unless you hold a Moroccan civil-aviation permit — without paperwork they are confiscated on arrival. Prescription medicine is no problem; just keep it in the original box and bring a doctor's note for anything that might read as controlled.
Squared away before wheels-down
Every guest gets a pre-trip brief made for their route.
Inside: a packing list cut to your exact itinerary, a short playbook for clearing CMN and your first hours in Casablanca, the forecast across your travel window, and our latest notes from the ground. Ask and it's yours.
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