Arriving at Marrakech Airport

Marrakech Menara Airport is a fantastic terminal to begin your adventure in Morocco. The beautiful airport, designed by E2A Architecture, is full of light and air and gives a great first impression for visitors to the city. The airport is well designed to make exiting a lot easier and quicker. Though, navigating your way through an airport and into a new city is always tricky – so we’ve included our top tips for arriving in Marrakech Menara Airport.

There is a Marrakech airport fast-track service that we can book in advance for our clients. This gives them priority access and skips the queues at security check and baggage inspection.

Design your ultimate Morocco trip with the help of our Morocco travel experts.

Arriving at Marrakech Airport

  • Passengers arriving (and departing) at Marrakech airport no longer need to fill out a landing card. Currently, passengers need only present a valid passport, preferably with at least 6 months of validity beyond their arrival.
  • Passing through customs is now electronic. Keep your hotel name and address handy in case the immigrations officer asks for it.
  • Don’t waste time getting off the plane. Sometimes three or four flights will arrive at the same time, so it is a good idea to get as far forward in the queue as possible.

Luggage reclaim at Marrakech Airport

  • Once you have passed through the passport control desk into the baggage area, your flight will be clearly marked.
  • If your baggage hasn’t arrived, don’t despair, you need to report it to the baggage reclaim office and they will let you know when to collect it.
  • Note that drones are not permitted in Morocco and will be confiscated by customs. Passengers can retrieve their drone upon departure from Morocco, after paying the accrued storage fees.
  • You should declare any valuables, especially watches, to avoid complications too.

Exchanging or withdrawing cash at Marrakech Airport

  • If you have cash to exchange, there is a Global Exchange counter located in the departure hall or near the baggage claim area upon arrival. The rates here can be better than in town, though withdrawing Moroccan Dirham cash directly from an ATM is usually the best rate (taking into account your bank’s charges for withdrawing foreign currency).

Free SIM card & other airport tips

  • Pick up a free Moroccan SIM card (if your phone is unlocked). There are always people offering them in arrivals. Inwi, Maroc Telecom and Meditel all offer pay-as-you-go options, with top-ups available everywhere. This could potentially save you quite a lot of money – particularly on data.
  • If you want to buy alcohol for your stay in Morocco, or any other duty-free items, there is a last-chance shop in the baggage claim area.
  • If you are being met, your travel company, hotel or riad representative will be waiting outside the entrance to the terminal.

Read next… 17 Places You Have to Visit in Morocco

Taking a bus or taxi to and from Marrakech Airport

  • There is an airport bus, which is very good value, and goes to Jemaa El-Fnaa and also to Gueliz neighbourhood. It stops just outside the terminal.
  • Taxis operate at fixed prices, which fluctuate slightly depending on the time of day. The National Airports Office (ONDA) has implemented a dedicated counter outside the terminal for purchasing taxi tickets. This operates 24/7 and is aligned with flight schedules. The fare depends on the destination and time of travel – passengers pay at the counter, not inside the taxi.
  • The airport is around a 15 to 20 minute drive from downtown Marrakech.

Read next… The Epic Hot List: The Must-Do Experiences in Morocco in 2024

For more information on how to begin an epic designed trip, contact us at info@epic.travel or get in touch with our team and we’ll design and curate your dream Morocco trip.

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