Traveling in Morocco during Ramadan

You can travel around Morocco well during Ramadan. Hotels, riads, sights and most tourist restaurants stay open. What changes is the rhythm of the day: quiet during the daytime and busy after sunset. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, in which Muslims don't eat, drink or smoke from sunrise to sunset. In Morocco almost the whole country takes part.

When

The Islamic calendar follows the moon and is about eleven days shorter than the Gregorian calendar. So Ramadan starts about eleven days earlier every year. In 2027 the fasting month falls roughly from early February to early March. The exact start date is only set one or two days beforehand, once the new moon has been sighted. The end is celebrated with Eid al-Fitr. The country then largely comes to a standstill for two to three days.

During Ramadan Morocco temporarily sets the clock back one hour, so the fast ends earlier. Your phone usually adjusts automatically, but double-check for flights and appointments.

What changes

During the day the country is quieter than usual. Shops open later, many small eateries are closed and the cafés are empty. People who are fasting are tired in the late afternoon and sometimes short-tempered; it is not meant personally. Working hours are shorter and many offices and banks close early. About an hour before sunset the streets get busy. Everyone hurries home, traffic is chaotic and taxis are hard to get.

At the evening prayer everything goes completely silent, because everyone is at the table for iftar, the meal that breaks the fast. An hour later the streets fill up. Families go for a walk, the cafés are packed, the souks open again and the medina of Marrakesh keeps moving until after midnight. Just before sunrise comes suhoor, the last meal, and then it starts all over again.

What stays open

• Hotels and riads: open as usual, with breakfast and usually an adjusted evening program.
• Sights: palaces, gardens, museums and madrasas are open, sometimes with shorter hours.
• Restaurants in tourist areas: many stay open during the day, sometimes behind a curtain or with the door closed. In Gueliz, in riads and in hotels you can always eat.
• Supermarkets: open, often with adjusted hours.
• Transport: everything runs, but count on delays around sunset.
• Bars and alcohol: many bars close for the whole month; licensed hotels often still serve their guests.

Closed or different: many small local eateries during the day, and the hammam at certain hours. During the days of Eid al-Fitr almost the whole country is closed.

How to behave

As a non-Muslim you are not required to fast and nobody expects it of you. Discretion is appreciated, though:

1. Don't eat, drink or smoke conspicuously in public during the day. Everyone understands a sip of water from your bottle in the heat; a sandwich on a bench on Jemaa el-Fna is not a good idea.
2. Dress a little more covered than usual. The month is religiously charged and people pay more attention to appearance. See also what to wear.
3. Be patient. People who haven't eaten, had a drink or had coffee since sunrise are not at their best in the afternoon.
4. Plan sights in the morning, rest in the afternoon and go out into the streets after sunset.
5. Wish people "Ramadan mubarak" or "Ramadan kareem". You get a smile in return.

Iftar

Try to join an iftar at least once during Ramadan. The meal starts with dates and milk or water. Then comes harira (the tomato and lentil soup), followed by chebakia (honey cookies with sesame), msemen, eggs, bread and later a larger dish. Many restaurants have an iftar menu. If you are invited to someone's home, that is a great honor: bring pastries or dates and don't say no. Staying overnight with a family, which Saïd can arrange on our trips, is extra special in this month.

Why it can be a good time

It is quieter during Ramadan. There are fewer tourists, and outside school holidays flights and riads are cheaper. The atmosphere is different from any other month. At sunset it goes silent, cannon shots or sirens announce the end of the fast, and in the evening the streets are one big family celebration. You see a lot of daily life in Morocco then.

The weather in February and March is pleasant too: sunny, 18 to 24 °C (64 to 75 °F) in Marrakesh, with cool evenings. The guide on the best time to visit gives the weather per month.

Why it can be less convenient

If you want long lunches on terraces during the day, drinks at the bar and a tight schedule, Ramadan is not your month. On a desert trip you also need to keep in mind that the camp staff are fasting and need rest in the late afternoon. It can all be done, but the pace is different.

Traveling with Soukayna during Ramadan

Soukayna drives during the fasting month too. We plan the days differently then: an early start, a quiet afternoon and arriving at the destination on time, so that she and the people we visit along the way can make their iftar. Sometimes you are invited to join them.