Marrakech takes more arrivals than any other Moroccan city and is where most Asian itineraries begin. There is no direct service from anywhere in Asia, so almost everyone connects through Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi or Istanbul - typically sixteen to twenty hours in total depending on your departure point.
For Muslim travellers from Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and elsewhere, Morocco is among the simplest destinations there is. Food is halal by default across the entire country, so nothing needs checking or arranging. Mosques are everywhere. Prayer times are called publicly. Alcohol exists in some tourist venues but is never presumed, and no restaurant will assume you want it.
What still needs planning is the medina, which is a sealed grid of one-way lanes admitting no vehicle at all, and parking near Jemaa el-Fna, which is settled with an informal attendant rather than paid at a machine. Every booking is private, at a rate agreed before you travel covering fuel, tolls and the driver.
Why hire a driver here
- Food is halal by default across Morocco - nothing to verify or arrange
- Drivers build prayer stops into the route without being asked twice
- The medina admits no vehicles; your driver stops at the gate with the bags
- Some 30 km of switchbacks cross 2,260 m on the way down to Ouarzazate
- Family groups travel large here, and vans are priced per vehicle
Included in every booking
- Fuel, tolls and the driver's fee for the agreed route
- Airport, riad, hotel or railway station pickup
- English-speaking drivers as standard on the Asia site
- Prayer stops and halal meal stops planned into every route
- Child seats and extra luggage space on request, at no charge
