What do Canadian travellers need to know about Morocco?

Canadians have a smooth entry experience in Morocco: holders of a Canadian passport can stay up to 90 days without a visa, as long as the passport is valid for six months beyond your arrival and has blank pages for the stamp. You'll complete an arrival card and pass through immigration with no fuss. As always, I tell Canadian guests to check the Government of Canada's official travel advice for Morocco before they book — it's the authoritative source and the one to trust over any blog or forum, including this one.

Flights take a little thought from Canada. The standout option is Royal Air Maroc's seasonal nonstop from Montreal-Trudeau to Casablanca, which is a treat if your dates line up. Outside that, most Canadians connect through a European hub — Paris, Lisbon, London, Frankfurt or Madrid — or occasionally through the Gulf. From the west coast it's a long day of travel whichever way you slice it, so I'd build in an overnight or a generous layover rather than a white-knuckle connection. Casablanca is the main international gateway, but flying onward into Marrakech or Fes from Europe can save you a domestic leg.

For money, the dirham is the only game in town and it's a closed currency, so plan to get it on the ground rather than from your Canadian bank. Land with some backup euros or US dollars, then withdraw dirhams from a bank ATM in the airport or city for the best rate. Canadian credit cards (Visa and Mastercard) are widely accepted in hotels, restaurants and shops in Marrakech, Fes and the bigger towns — bring one with no foreign-transaction fee — but the desert, the mountain routes and the souks run on cash. Keep a roll of small dirham notes for taxis, tips and stallholders.

On the cultural side, Canadians generally find Morocco's hospitality easy to love, and a few notes smooth the way. Tipping is customary but small — a handful of dirhams for good service. Bilingual Canadians have a real edge here, because French is widely spoken across Morocco alongside Arabic, so your high-school or Québécois French will genuinely help in shops, restaurants and with guides. Dress modestly outside the resorts, accept the mint tea when it's offered, and approach souk haggling as the friendly ritual it is. Patience and a smile go a very long way, and the warmth you get back is the part most of my Canadian travellers remember most.