No vaccinations required, no malaria, and a good private system in the cities. Do not drink the tap water, and take travel insurance seriously because there is no reciprocal health agreement.
- No vaccinations are required and there is no malaria, though hepatitis A and typhoid are commonly recommended for a trip involving street food.
- There is no reciprocal healthcare agreement - no EHIC, no GHIC. You pay, so take insurance that covers repatriation from the Atlas or the desert.
- Private clinics in Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech and Tangier are good and expect payment up front. Public hospitals are cheap and stretched, and facilities outside the cities are basic.
- Do not drink the tap water. Bottled water is cheap everywhere, and the busy stalls in Jemaa el-Fna are fine - turnover is the safety mechanism, so pick the queue.
- Marrakech and the south reach 45 °C in July and August, the desert is cold at night, and Toubkal at 4,167 m makes altitude sickness a real risk on the trek.
Before you go
- No vaccinations are required to enter Morocco.
- Routine ones should be up to date, and hepatitis A and typhoid are commonly recommended for a trip involving street food.
- There is no malaria in Morocco.
- Rabies exists. Street dogs and cats are everywhere, and any bite or scratch needs immediate medical attention.
- There is no reciprocal healthcare agreement with anywhere. No EHIC, no GHIC. You pay.
- Get insurance that covers repatriation. A serious problem in the Atlas or the desert means a long journey to a hospital.
Getting treated
- Private clinics in Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech and Tangier are good and staffed by French-trained doctors.
- They expect payment up front, often in cash or by card before treatment. Keep receipts for your insurer.
- Public hospitals are free or cheap and stretched. Fine for an emergency, not what you want for anything complicated.
- Outside the cities, medical facilities are basic. In the mountains and the desert, evacuation is the plan.
- Pharmacies ("pharmacie") are well stocked and pharmacists are qualified to advise. Many medicines that need a prescription elsewhere are sold over the counter.
- A duty pharmacy rota covers nights and holidays, posted on the door.
Water and food
- Do not drink the tap water. It is chlorinated and locals drink it, but it will upset a visiting stomach.
- Bottled water is cheap and everywhere. Sidi Ali and Oulmès are the common brands.
- Avoid ice in small places and unpeeled salads for the first few days.
- Street food in Jemaa el-Fna is fine at the busy stalls. Turnover is the safety mechanism: pick the queue.
- Fresh orange juice is a Moroccan institution and safe at the marked stalls. Watch it being squeezed.
- Travellers' diarrhoea is the most likely thing to happen to you. Rehydration salts from any pharmacy, and rest.
Heat and altitude
- Marrakech and the south reach 45 °C in July and August. Plan the day around a long afternoon indoors, as everyone local does.
- The desert is cold at night, even after a 40 °C day.
- Toubkal is 4,167 m and altitude sickness on the trek is common. Ascend slowly and turn back if it worsens.
- Sun in the mountains and the desert is severe. Cover up rather than rely on sunscreen alone.
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