How to plan a Morocco trip from China?

Chinese travellers have become some of my favourite guests to plan for, partly because Morocco is so different from anywhere in China and partly because the trip rewards a generous timeframe. From Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou you're roughly 16 to 20 hours away with a single connection, and there's a 7 to 8 hour time difference. That distance is precisely why I push back gently on anyone wanting to 'see Morocco in five days' — I'd rather sell you nothing than sell you a frantic week. Ten days is my floor and fourteen is where the country really opens up.

Routing-wise, the Gulf carriers dominate: Emirates via Dubai, Qatar Airways via Doha and Etihad via Abu Dhabi all link the big Chinese cities to Casablanca with reliable, comfortable connections. Turkish Airlines via Istanbul is excellent and frequent, Ethiopian via Addis Ababa is a solid value option, and EgyptAir via Cairo works too. Casablanca (CMN) is your gateway; from there I usually build a loop — Marrakech, the Sahara, the Atlas, Fes and back — so you never retrace your steps. If a fare into Marrakech appears, it's a lovely place to begin.

On the visa, this is one of Morocco's nicest surprises for Chinese travellers: under a long-standing mutual exemption, Chinese passport holders can enter Morocco visa-free for short tourist stays of up to 90 days. It removes a huge planning headache compared with many destinations. Because government entry policies are updated from time to time, I always ask guests to confirm the current requirement with the Moroccan embassy or consulate in China — and check the latest rules a few weeks before departure — rather than rely on what was true last year.

A couple of on-the-ground tips that matter specifically for guests from China: payment and connectivity. Cards are accepted in upscale hotels and restaurants, but Morocco still runs heavily on cash (dirham), so I have guests plan for ATM withdrawals, and I arrange a local eSIM in advance because WeChat and the apps you rely on need solid data to work well on the move. I also love pairing first-time Chinese guests with our culturally-fluent designers who can build in tea ceremonies, artisan workshops and the kind of slow, sensory moments that translate beautifully across cultures.