In this post we highlight some observations from travelling in Morocco during Ramadan. We spent 10 weeks travelling in Morocco in our camper van in 2025.  You can see our full itinerary in this post. 

The first couple of weeks of our 10-week trip we were travelling in Morocco during Ramadan, the holiest month of the year for Muslims. It is a time of fasting, prayer, reflection and community.  From dawn to sunset Muslims will fast – no food, no drink (not even water), no smoking, or no sexual activity.  The fast is broken each evening with a meal called Iftar.

The dates for Ramadan change every year depending on the lunar calendar, and in 2025 it was from 1-31 March.  The month ends with a celebration called Eid-al-Fitr, a festival of breaking the fast, a day of prayer, feasting and giving gifts, often to charity.

The Ferry Crossing during Ramadan

Our first observation that it was Ramadan was on the ferry crossing from Algeciras to Tanger Med.  The ferry had been delayed for more than four hours, and we were getting hungry.  As part of the compensation for the delay food bags were being given out, but of course the majority of the travellers on the ferry were Muslim and observing Ramadan, therefore not eating or drinking.  We did not want to eat in front of them out of respect so we hid away in a corner with our snacks!

There was a cafe on board the ferry (cash only), but with very limited supplies, whether that was due to it being Ramadan or not, we don’t know.  But for future reference we would recommend you take your own snacks on board, and if it is during Ramadan, be as discreet as possible when eating.

Mornings during Ramadan

Travelling in Morocco during Ramadan we noticed the mornings very slow and quiet.  Once you get past the pre-dawn call to prayer which can be anything from singing and chanting to sirens going off, or even a canon firing, things quieten way down.  Nothing much seems to happen before 11am.  We walked through plenty of empty medinas in the mornings.

Afternoons during Ramadan

By mid-afternoon you’ll notice things start picking up.  By around 3pm more and more people start appearing in the street.  The streets come alive late afternoon with street traders in full swing selling bread, fruit and veg, clothes, etc.

It can get a bit manic by about 5pm, and we regularly saw groups of men shouting and arguing, and in some instances even ending up in fisty cuffs! We were assuming it was nothing more than ‘hangry’ feelings, and we can certainly relate to that! 

Evenings during Ramadan

Once the signal goes at sunset for the end of the fast each evening, everyone disappears off the streets to return home to break the fast and for a while the streets become deserted again.

People return to the mosques after their “iftar”, the meal that breaks the fast.  After the final call to prayer of the day (there are five calls to prayer per day) the souks come alive again with shoppers of all ages spilling onto the streets until long into the night.  Many are dressed in traditional dress.

Closures during Ramadan

If you’re travelling in Morocco during Ramadan be prepared for closures during the day.  We were in the north of the country during Ramadan and  most cafes and restaurants we saw in smaller towns and villages were closed during the day.  The exceptions were in the more tourist areas of cities like Chefchaouen and Fez.

Some museums, architectural sites and buildings were also closed during Ramadan, for example the Royal Artisan School in Tetouan.  We’d recommend checking any opening hours before you plan a visit to sites and attractions during Ramadan.

After Ramadan

Once Ramadan ended we noticed how less and less people were in traditional dress, particularly younger girls and women, who returned to wearing more fashion clothing.

Trying local foods when we travel is one of our delights so we were relieved when Ramadan finished so we could enjoy the experience of eating out in Morocco.  We had no problem making up for lost time!

After Ramadan the coffee shops were full from morning to night, mostly with men sitting in pairs smoking and drinking.  They too were making up for lost time!  There were also an amazing number of mobile coffee carts and vans on every road junction.

Travelling in Morocco during Ramadan or not?

We were glad to have the experience of travelling in Morocco during Ramadan.  It gave us more of an insight to the culture and customs of the country and its people.  And since we were there during and after Ramadan, it was nice to see the contrast of how life is lived at different times.  

We realise of course that our experiences may well have been different if we’d been in a different part of the country during Ramadan, the coast for example, as compared to where we were in the mountains in the north.  But that is the joy of travelling, you’ll never know, unless you go!

---