Travelling in Morocco during Ramadan 2027: expected dates, daily rhythm and luggage

You found a cheap flight for February 2027, then someone told you: "careful, that's Ramadan". Should you change your dates? No. Travelling in Morocco during Ramadan works very well, as long as you understand that the country does not close: it changes its inner clock. Here are the expected dates, what changes day to day, good habits for visitors, and how to organise your luggage that month.

When does Ramadan 2027 start in Morocco?

Ramadan is the ninth month of the lunar calendar. It begins when the new crescent is seen after sunset, and Morocco sets its date through its own sighting, announced by the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs. So Morocco sometimes starts a day after other countries.

For 2027 (year 1448 of the Hijri calendar), projections by the International Astronomical Center (IAC), reported by Gulf News, indicate that the crescent will not be visible on Saturday 6 February. It should be visible on the evening of Sunday 7, which puts the first day of fasting around Monday 8 February 2027. Countries that rely on their own sighting, such as Morocco, may start on Tuesday 9. Eid al-Fitr would fall around 9 or 10 March 2027, depending on whether the month has 29 or 30 days. These are estimates: only the ministry's announcement is official.

If your trip falls at the very start or very end of the month, keep a day of flexibility. And if you travel around Eid, book trains and coaches early: the days before the holiday are among the busiest of the year. Our article what is closed, and on which day, in Morocco also covers what closes during Eid.

What about the clock change?

Until 2026, Morocco lived on GMT+1 and temporarily switched back to GMT during Ramadan. The country returned to GMT permanently on 20 September 2026, so the Ramadan clock change should no longer happen in 2027. To be safe, still check the times on your plane and ferry tickets.

The rhythm of a Ramadan day

• Mornings start later. Many shops open in late morning, after short nights.
• Public offices switch to continuous hours. In previous years this was usually 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, announced each year by the ministry.
• The hour before iftar is the busiest. The fast is broken at sunset, around 6pm to 6:45pm depending on the city and the date between February and March. Just before, everyone heads home: heavy traffic, taxis hard to find, shops closing.
• Then the streets empty, before filling up again. During the meal, streets are surprisingly quiet. Afterwards, medinas, cafés and squares come alive late into the evening, and many shops reopen.

Eating, getting around, sightseeing

Restaurants. Many neighbourhood cafés and snack bars close during the day. Hotels, tourist restaurants and some places in the modern districts keep serving. Supermarkets stay open. In the evening, many restaurants offer an iftar menu with harira, dates and pastries: a wonderful experience not to miss.

Trains and coaches. ONCF trains, the Al Boraq high-speed train and coaches run all month. ONCF often adjusts its timetable during Ramadan: check times on oncf-voyages.ma when you book, rather than relying on a timetable noted weeks earlier.

Monuments and mosques. Sites may change their opening hours. The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, for example, publishes specific Ramadan visiting slots on its official website (fmh2.ma).

Etiquette for visitors

• Nobody will ask you to fast. Out of respect, simply avoid eating, drinking or smoking in the street during the day; do it inside a restaurant, at your hotel or out of sight.
• Dress fairly modestly, especially in the medinas and near mosques.
• Be patient in the late afternoon: people have been fasting since dawn.
• If you are invited to share iftar, accept: it is one of the finest memories a trip to Morocco can leave you with.

Your luggage during Ramadan

BoxSpot points are neighbourhood businesses: their hours may change during Ramadan, just like their neighbours'. We do not publish special Ramadan hours in advance, because they depend on each partner. The rule is simple: rely on the hours shown on the point's booking page, day by day, before you pay.

1. Book online and check the hours for both your drop-off day and your pick-up day.
2. Avoid planning your pick-up in the hour before iftar: that is when taxis are scarce and some shops close.
3. Leave a margin before an evening train.
4. At drop-off, the partner scans your QR code and takes a timestamped photo of your bags; you collect them with the same QR code.

Price examples

The price does not change during Ramadan: 9 MAD per hour per bag, with a 4-hour minimum. You leave your riad at 11am and catch a train at 8:30pm, after iftar: drop-off at 11:30am, pick-up at 7:30pm, so 8 hours. From 7 hours, an hourly booking is capped at the day price: 59 MAD for one suitcase. For a shorter outing, 4 hours cost 36 MAD. And if you leave a big suitcase for two days during an excursion: 59 + 39 = 98 MAD. All the details are on our page how much luggage storage costs in Morocco.