Ramadan

Every country in the Islamic world observes the fast of Ramadan, held between dawn and dusk for one month of the Islamic year.

Dates for Ramadan:

Based on the lunar calendar, the dates lose 11 days a year (12 in a leap year)

• 2027 from 8 February - 9 March.

Activity during Ramadan

During this time Muslims will fast during daylight hours. The fast is broken after sunset with a meal of sweets and dates. Non-tourist eating places tend to be closed until dusk.

Tourists who are not Muslims are not expected to observe the fast, but should respect local customs - be discreet if consuming food or water during the day and avoid smoking in public places.

It is possible to visit Morocco during Ramadan, but we ask clients to understand that service may not be as good when people are hungry and thirsty. In our experience it is an interesting time to visit, but it should be noted that:

• Museums and sights may close early to allow people to return to their homes to break the fast at dusk;
• Non-tourist eating places tend to be closed until dusk;
• Shops tend to open later in the mornings - at about 9.30am - and might close earlier than normal;
• There may be extra restrictions on the sale of alcohol in restaurants and hotels. Our staff they say prefer to work during the fast to keep their minds off food and drink. Please understand that they will need a good 20 minutes off work to have their breakfast at dusk, but that your dinner will be served before they traditionally have a large meal later on; and

The end of Ramadan is celebrated by the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast - Eid al-Fitr; for 2027 it is expected to be 9-10 March. The celebrations, which last three days see homes are decorated, people dress in their finest clothes and families meet and enjoy visits from friends. There can be some disruptions during this time where some cafe's/restaurants/tourists sites/banks may shorten their open hours, reduction in rail timetables, travel is best considered early afternoon (the main celebrations take part in the morning) so the celebrations can take place. 

It is a 3 day festival, with many shops closing just for the day, but others will be closed for the full 3 days; banks and offices close for 2 days, and many people travel to be with their families for the week. If you are travelling during the Eid Festival there are likely to be some disruptions in services and for shopping activities, we advise doing this before the celebrations begin.