Morocco is a gorgeous country located in Northern Africa but is also extremely close to Spain, separated only by the Strait of Gibraltar. Because of its location, it has influences coming from Berber, Arabian, and European cultures, making it a diverse and exciting place to explore. On top of this rich culture, Morocco is home to some gorgeous natural wonders that cannot be missed. Here are the best must-have cultural experiences you can have in Morocco.
Visiting Moulay Idriss
Moulay Idriss is Morocco’s most sacred town, being the final resting place of Moulay Idriss I, the nation’s religious and secular founder. This town will bring you closer to the spiritual side of Morocco and will show you some beautiful Moroccan architecture and landscapes.
Seeing Roman ruins in Volubilis
These incredibly well-preserved ruins will give you insight into Morocco’s history with the Roman Empire, with a substantial amount of artistic material, including mosaics, marble and bronze statuary, and hundreds of inscriptions. This site was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.
Seeing Barbary apes in the cedar forest
See some cheeky monkeys playing in their natural habitat of beautiful cedar forests. Cedar trees typically only grow above 1600m, so these are often found in the Middle Atlas, Rif, and High Atlas regions of Morocco. The monkeys you’ll find here are the Barbary Ape (or the macaque silvanus), which are actually monkeys, even though they’re called apes.
Crossing the High Atlas Mountains
Get your hiking boots on and challenge yourself to take on Morocco’s 4167m tall summit, Toubkal. Or, there’s still the rest of this amazing mountain range to discover! Located in central Morocco, any level of hiker is sure to find a fantastic challenge in this stunning mountainous landscape.
Experiencing the Oasis of Tafilalet and Ziz Gorges
The Oasis of Tafilalet includes several towns and is famous for its dates. It is the birthplace of many Moroccan royal dynasties and displays some fantastic architectural feats. The Ziz Gorges are located on the final 80km stretch of the Middle Atlas Mountains and were formed by the River Ziz, which left lush landscapes in its wake.
Hiking through the Erg Chebbi dunes
Finally, get right into some gorgeous orange sands by hiking through the Erg Chebbi dunes, which are formed by wind-blown sand and rise up to 150 metres. It spans an area of 28km from north to south and demonstrates one of the most unique, sandy landscapes on Earth!
Visiting a Berber family for tea
Whilst you can find a vast number of merchants selling famous Berber mint tea – also called Berber whiskey – at any of Morocco’s markets, there’s nothing better than having it lovingly homemade. Rather than whacking on a kettle for a few minutes, the tea is usually made over a much longer period while talking amongst friends, so get to know the culture and drink some delicious tea.
Camp in the Sahara Desert
Everyone’s heard of the majestic Sahara Desert, but it’s a whole other experience being up close and personal with the land. Take in the stunning landscape from the comfort of a gorgeous tent hosted by lovely local people.
Having a night of Berber music and dancing
What’s an adventure without some celebration? Morocco has many traditional Berber song and dance styles for different kids of celebration, such as weddings or large community events. The music can feature a variety of instruments, such as drumming, clapping, singing, flutes, and fiddles.
Well, there you have it, a great list of the ultimate must-have experiences in Morocco. Wondering how to plan all of this in one trip? Don’t stress, we’ve got you covered with our TSA adventure to Morocco, where we take a group of adventurers to experience all of these fabulous experiences Morocco has to offer. Check out our website to download our Morocco brochure and find out more information about this epic journey, and we’ll see you on the sand dunes!
