Packing list for Morocco

You don't need special gear for Morocco. Bring layers, closed shoes, a large scarf and a small travel pharmacy, and keep your suitcase light. The climate changes by region and by the hour, you walk a lot and some things are hard to find once you are there.

Documents and money

• Passport, valid for at least six months on arrival
• A copy or photo of your passport, kept separately and in the cloud
• Travel insurance, with the policy number and the emergency number saved in your phone
• Flight and hotel confirmations, downloaded so you can open them without Wi-Fi
• A debit card that is enabled for use in Morocco, plus a credit card as a backup
• Some euros in cash for emergencies
• The European Health Insurance Card is not valid in Morocco; your travel insurance covers medical costs

There is more on this in travel documents and insurance.

Clothes

The basic rule is shoulders and knees covered, loose fabrics and layers. The guide on what to wear explains it per situation. This is what you bring:

• Two or three pairs of wide pants or long skirts in linen or cotton
• Four to six T-shirts or blouses, at least one with long sleeves
• A long dress or tunic for the evening
• A large scarf, or two. Against sun, dust and cold, and for religious sites
• A cardigan or fleece for the evenings
• A light rain jacket or windbreaker, especially from November to March
• Underwear for a week; almost every riad can do your laundry
• Pajamas; riads are colder at night than you think
• A bikini or swimsuit for the pool and the beach
• One outfit that can get dirty, for the desert and the mountains

Shoes

• Closed shoes or sneakers you can walk in for hours
• Sandals or flip-flops for the beach, the hammam and the riad
• Hiking boots only if you are going to do serious hiking in the Atlas Mountains

Toiletries and personal care

• High-factor sunscreen, in winter too
• Lip balm with sun protection; the desert wind dries you out
• After-sun or aloe vera
• Hand sanitizer and a pack of tissues; toilet paper is not available everywhere
• Wet wipes
• Tampons or a menstrual cup; your own brand is hard to find there
• Deodorant, toothbrush, the usual things
• A small microfiber towel for the hammam and the beach

Travel pharmacy

• Something for diarrhea and sachets of oral rehydration salts
• Acetaminophen (paracetamol) or ibuprofen
• Band-aids and a disinfectant
• Motion sickness tablets if you get carsick on mountain roads
• Mosquito spray for evenings on the coast and in oases
• Your own medication, in the original packaging, with a doctor's note for larger quantities
• Contraception and the morning-after pill are available at pharmacies in Morocco, but bring what you use yourself

There are pharmacies (pharmacie) in every city. They are well stocked and the pharmacists speak French.

Electronics

• Phone, charger and a power bank; there is little electricity in the desert
• A plug adapter if you come from outside continental Europe; Morocco uses the round two-pin plugs (type C and E) on 220 volts
• Earbuds for long drives
• A paper map or an offline map of the medina on your phone
• A camera if you use one; a phone is usually enough
• An eSIM from a Moroccan provider or a local SIM card, sold at the airport and in the shops of Maroc Telecom, Orange and Inwi. It is cheap, and you have coverage everywhere except deep in the mountains and the desert

Handy to have

• Sunglasses, also against unwanted eye contact in the souk
• A hat or cap
• A small zippered bag you carry in front of you
• A reusable water bottle; you can often refill it in riads and hotels
• A small padlock for your suitcase
• Earplugs: the call to prayer starts before sunrise and riads have thin walls
• A foldable bag for what you buy in the souk
• A small notebook for addresses and words of Darija

Extras for the desert

For a desert trip to Merzouga or a night in the Agafay:

• A warm sweater, long pants and thick socks for the night; in winter a warm hat and gloves
• A scarf to protect your head and face from the sand
• A headlamp or flashlight
• A power bank
• Wet wipes and dry shampoo; you can't always shower
• A sleeping bag liner if you would rather not sleep under blankets that have been used before
• A small backpack for the camel ride; your big suitcase stays in the car

Extras for the hammam

• Flip-flops
• Your own black soap and kessa glove if you already have them; otherwise you buy them on the spot for a few dirham
• A clean set of clothes and a comb
• A small towel

What to leave at home

• Heels
• Expensive jewelry
• Drones; they are not allowed in Morocco without a permit
• A suitcase that is too big. You carry it through the alleys of the medina yourself, and not everything fits in the trunk of a taxi

If you travel with Soukayna, your luggage goes in the car. At the places where you stop, you only need a day bag. More practical answers are in the frequently asked questions.