Morocco Travel FAQ Last reviewed: September 2026
About Morocco Luxury Highlights
Morocco Luxury Highlights is a Moroccan travel agency based in Marrakech that designs private, tailor-made journeys across the country. The company was founded in 2018 and launched its luxury division in 2023. It is licensed by the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism under decision no. ODV-110/32 and is a member of ASTA (American Society of Travel Advisors) and ARAVM.
Yes. We hold a Moroccan travel agency licence issued by the Ministry of Tourism under decision no. ODV-110/32, and we carry the professional liability insurance that Moroccan law requires of licensed agencies. Our registered office is at Route de Safi, Résidence Arrayane, Marrakech 40000. Working with a licensed agency means your arrangements are covered by Moroccan travel law and your guides are legally permitted to work.
The founders, directly. Benoît Cordonnier coordinates the agency and its relationships with partner hotels. Aziz has guided in English for more than twenty years and designs the itineraries. Fayssal runs ground logistics across the country and guides in Spanish and French. The team is reachable 24 hours a day during your stay.
Yes. As an ASTA member we act as a ground operator for American advisors and agencies, and we handle incentives, corporate retreats and conferences. We work with parties from one traveller to groups of up to 200.
Cost
Our private journeys start at €500 per person per day, based on two travellers sharing. A seven-day trip for two therefore begins at €7,000. That figure covers accommodation, a private licensed guide, a private vehicle with driver, entrance fees and the experiences in your itinerary. International flights are not included, and rates rise over Christmas, New Year and Easter.
Accommodation, private transport with a professional driver, state-licensed guides, entrance fees to the sites on your itinerary, the experiences agreed in your proposal, and concierge support throughout your stay. Every quotation states a single all-inclusive figure with no supplements added later. International flights, personal purchases and tips are not included.
No. Your guide and your vehicle with driver are included in the daily rate, not billed as extras. You will not receive a quotation with the guide listed as an optional line.
Day-to-day costs in Morocco are considerably lower than in Europe or North America — meals, taxis and admissions are inexpensive. What sets the budget on a private journey is the standard of accommodation and the exclusivity of the access, not the country’s cost of living. A private trip to Morocco generally costs less than an equivalent standard of private travel in Italy or Japan.
Quotations and invoices are issued in euros. You may settle by credit card or by bank transfer. You do not need to obtain Moroccan dirhams before you travel, and you should not: the dirham is a closed currency and cannot legally be bought or sold outside Morocco.
Booking, payment and cancellation
Send us your travel dates, the number of travellers and anything you already know you want to see. You will receive a personalised proposal within 48 hours, at no cost and with no obligation. Once you are satisfied with the itinerary, a deposit confirms the booking.
For bookings made more than 30 days before departure, a deposit of 50% of the total is due on confirmation, and the remaining 50% no later than 30 days before your departure date. For bookings made within 30 days of departure, the full amount is due on confirmation.
All major credit cards and bank transfer. Payments are processed in euros.
All cancellation requests must be made in writing. If you cancel more than 30 days before departure, the 50% deposit is retained as a cancellation fee. If you cancel 30 days or less before departure, the full amount is retained and is non-refundable. Changes to a confirmed booking are subject to availability and may incur additional charges.
In the event of force majeure — circumstances beyond the reasonable control of either party — we issue a travel credit equal to the amount you have paid. The credit can be applied to a future journey with us, at the rates and conditions in force at the time of rebooking.
We strongly recommend it, and we ask every client to arrange comprehensive cover before departure: trip cancellation and interruption, medical expenses, emergency evacuation, and loss or damage to personal belongings. Our own professional liability insurance, held as a licensed Moroccan agency, covers our conduct as an operator — it does not cover your cancellation or your medical costs. The two are separate and you need both.
Three to six months for travel in spring or autumn, and for specific riads and desert camps, which are small and fill early. We can work at much shorter notice — 48 hours is possible when availability allows — but the choice of properties narrows considerably.
From one traveller to groups of up to 200. Solo travellers, couples, families and corporate groups are all arranged on the same private basis.
Planning a trip to Morocco
No. US passport holders may enter Morocco for tourism for up to 90 days without a visa. Your passport must be valid for at least six months at the time of entry and contain at least one blank page for the entry stamp. (Source: US Department of State, verified September 2026. Entry rules can change; confirm before you travel.)
No vaccinations are required for entry to Morocco from the United States or Europe. Check the CDC’s Morocco page for current health recommendations, which are advisory rather than mandatory.
The US Department of State places Morocco at Level 2, “exercise increased caution”, the same level as France, Italy and Spain. Violent crime against visitors is rare. Tourist police patrol the main medinas, and petty theft and persistent street selling are the practical concerns rather than serious crime. Travelling with a private guide and driver removes most exposure to both.
Yes, with the usual awareness. Unwanted attention in busy souks and public squares is the most common complaint, and it is persistent rather than threatening. Many of our solo travellers are women. A private female guide can be arranged on request, and a private driver means you are never navigating transport alone at night.
Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the most comfortable nationwide: warm cities, walkable medinas, and a desert that is pleasant by day. Winter suits the Sahara and the south, with clear skies and cold nights, and snow can close the high Atlas passes. In summer, Marrakech and Fès exceed 40°C, so the Atlantic coast — Essaouira, Taghazout — is the better choice.
Morocco is a Muslim country with a relaxed dress code in tourist areas. Covering shoulders and knees is appreciated in medinas, souks and rural areas, and is expected in religious sites. Women are not required to cover their hair. Resorts, riads and beach towns are more relaxed. Bring comfortable closed shoes: medina streets are uneven.
The currency is the Moroccan dirham (MAD). It is a closed currency: it cannot be obtained outside Morocco, and exporting dirhams is prohibited. Change money on arrival at the airport or in a bank, and spend or reconvert what you have before leaving. Cards are accepted in hotels, restaurants and larger shops, and most ATMs take US and European cards, but souks, taxis and tips are cash. Amounts above 100,000 MAD or the equivalent of $10,000 must be declared on entry.
Tap water is treated and safe in the major cities, but visitors commonly react to the difference in mineral content. Bottled water is inexpensive and universally available, and it is what we provide in your vehicle throughout the trip. Avoid tap water in rural areas and the desert.
Tipping is customary and not included in your package. As a guide: 10 to 15% in restaurants where service is not included, 100 to 200 MAD per day for a private guide, 50 to 100 MAD per day for a driver, and 20 to 50 MAD for hotel porters. We give every client a written guide before departure so the question never has to be improvised.
Royal Air Maroc operates direct flights from the east coast of the United States to Casablanca, taking roughly seven to eight hours. From other US cities, most routes connect through Europe. Marrakech and Casablanca are the two main points of entry, and we meet every client on arrival.
Yes. Morocco uses 220 volts at 50 Hz, with European two-round-pin sockets (types C and E). American devices need a plug adapter, and anything not rated for 220 volts also needs a converter. Most phone and laptop chargers are dual-voltage and need only the adapter.
On the ground in Morocco
Arabic and Amazigh are the official languages, and French is widely used in business and hospitality. English is common in hotels and tourist areas but less so elsewhere. All our guides work in English, and our team also covers French and Spanish.
Most mosques in Morocco are closed to non-Muslims. The main exception is the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, which admits visitors on guided tours outside prayer times and is one of the largest mosques in the world. Madrasas, former religious schools such as the Ben Youssef Medersa in Marrakech and the Bou Inania in Fès, are open to everyone.
Yes, in licensed hotels, riads, restaurants and bars, and in dedicated shops. Morocco produces its own wine and beer. Alcohol is not sold in most medina cafés or ordinary grocery shops, and drinking in public is not acceptable. Availability is reduced during Ramadan.
Yes, and it is a remarkable time to visit, but it changes the rhythm of a trip: many restaurants close during daylight, monuments keep shorter hours, and the evenings are lively long after dark. Hotels and riads operate normally and serve guests throughout the day. Ramadan moves about eleven days earlier each year — ask us for the exact dates covering your travel period.