How do I plan a Morocco trip from the USA?

I plan Morocco trips for Americans almost every week, and the single biggest mistake I see is people treating it like a European city break. Morocco is bigger and slower than it looks on a map — Marrakech to the Sahara is a full driving day, not an afternoon. So the first thing I do with US clients is nail down two numbers: how many nights you actually have on the ground (not counting the two travel days), and how far you're willing to drive in a day. Everything else flows from that.

For getting here, you have two real options. Royal Air Maroc flies non-stop from New York JFK to Casablanca in about seven hours, which is the cleanest routing if you're on the East Coast. Otherwise, almost everyone connects through Europe — Paris, Madrid, Lisbon, London — and lands in either Casablanca (CMN) or Marrakech (RAK). I usually steer first-timers toward flying into Marrakech and out of a different city like Fes or Casablanca, so you're not backtracking. Most American passport holders can stay 90 days visa-free; you just need a passport valid for the length of your stay.

On structure: with 7 days you can do Marrakech, a night or two in the desert, and the Atlas Mountains comfortably. With 10 days you add the imperial cities — Fes is the one people fall hardest for. I almost always book clients a private driver rather than self-drive or trains. It's not a luxury upcharge so much as the thing that makes the whole trip work: Moroccan road signage, mountain switchbacks and city traffic are genuinely tough, and a good driver doubles as a fixer who knows which roadside stop has the good tagine.

Two practical things Americans consistently underestimate. First, the time difference (Morocco runs roughly 4–5 hours ahead of New York) plus the overnight flight means you'll lose your first afternoon to jet lag — plan a soft landing in your first riad, not a packed day. Second, bring some cash. Morocco is a cash-friendly economy, the dirham is a closed currency you get on arrival, and a lot of the best little experiences — a hammam, a guide in the medina, a tip for the camp staff — run on small bills.