6 Essentials to Pack When Visiting Morocco
Morocco is a stunning country that has beautiful mountains in the interior of the country, large areas of desert in the south eastern part of the country and an extensive coastline on the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. Depending on the time of year and where you’re traveling while in Morocco, you’ll need the essentials on this list. You can experience all four seasons in Morocco but fall, winter and spring are the best times to visit. You have to see the desert when you come to Morocco and the temperatures are very pleasant during the day, but cool at night. It’s hot in the summer with July and August being the hottest months of the year, temperatures can reach 107F (41C) in Marrakech or higher in the desert. You can click any of the text in yellow to see more information on the products that I use.
Layers
Packing layers are a must if you come in any season other than summer. One of the things that surprised me about Morocco was the weather, the temperatures can sometimes reach near freezing in the winter with rain at the lower elevations and snow in the mountains. If you’re coming in the fall or spring, the temperatures are ideal during the day and cooler at night, especially in the desert. I always have several easily removable layers that include tanks tops, t-shirts, leggings, a light sweater, etc. that are thin enough to wear underneath dresses, shirts or pants (trousers) because the temps can be much cooler in the early morning or at night than during the day. In winter and early spring you may need heavier layers so be sure to check the weather.
During the summer layers are less important, except when visiting the desert or higher elevations where the temperatures can be a bit cooler at night/early morning than in the cities. Lightweight, breathable clothing in light colors will help you stay cool during the summer heat. Dresses, tops and pants made from cottons, linens and flowing fabrics are much more comfortable than jeans in the hot weather. Short skirts, shorts, low cut tops, spaghetti strapped tops are all inappropriate for Morocco. Maxi skirts/dresses, pants, shirts/blouses, etc. are more appropriate than short, revealing clothes (unless you’re at a beach resort or pool). It is not necessary to cover your hair, but it is necessary to dress more conservatively than you would in your own country.
Large scarf/Pashmina
If you plan to visit Hassan II mosque in Casablanca or Tinmel Mosque in the Atlas Mountains you’ll need this to cover up before going inside. It also comes in handy when you’re out in the desert, helps to keep the sun and sand at bay when you wrap it around your head nomad style.
The Right Footwear
You’ll be doing a lot of walking when you visit Morocco and the right footwear is a must. During the summer you’ll want to bring sandals and a pair of more sensible shoes, like sneakers. If you’re visiting in the winter you might experience rain so a pair of closed toed shoes is a must. As you’re walking around any of the medinas in Morocco you’ll notice that (on days that it’s not raining) the streets are wet. This is because all of the shops wet the streets in front of them to keep the dust down. You’re likely to be dodging puddles at some point during your stay so if you don’t like wet feet, you’ll want to bring closed toed shoes. My converse go everywhere with me.
Sunglasses
These come in handy all year round here in Morocco because even in the winter time the sun can be very bright on cloudless sunny days. They’re also very helpful for blocking unwanted attention from people trying to sell you everything under the sun in the medina or the souqs.
Packing cubes
I discovered these lifesavers when I was preparing for my first international volunteer trip. Don’t underestimate how useful these can be, they keep all of your clothes together neatly in one place. Having an organized suitcase makes me happy and I use them for all of my clothes. They come in small, medium and large sizes which works well for anything else that’s likely to be pushed into a corner of my suitcase or put into that mesh packet inside the front flap. I use the smaller ones for cords, cables, chargers and battery packs in my backpack.
The trick to making these cubes work is to make sure that the items you’re putting in them are rolled or folded as small as possible so that you maximize the amount you can fit inside. I hate having clothes just thrown everywhere in my luggage, so packing cubes like Ebags make my life so much easier.
Immune boosters
Anytime I travel I always start taking vitamin c packs a few days before I get on a plane. Some people swear by it, others may think it’s a waste of time…but I need it. It definitely helps me to ward off the germs. I rarely get sick when I’m at home in the US, but as soon as I get on a plane and head to another country I tend to get sick at some point during the trip. Here in Morocco I’ve gotten sick and I need that extra boost. EmergenC is one of my staples.