Your trip, planned from Virginia, USA
Travel to Morocco from Virginia
Flights, visa, the best season and a private trip designed end to end by a Marrakech atelier — so the only thing you plan is what to pack.
Visa
Visa-free · 90 days
Gateways
Marrakech (RAK) is the gateway airport
Currency
Dirham (MAD)
Best months
Mar–May · Sep–Nov
Why Morocco
Why travellers from Virginia love Morocco.
For Virginia travellers, Ouarzazate is the cinematic heart of southern Morocco — the "door of the desert": Aït Ben Haddou's UNESCO kasbah, the Atlas and CLA film studios where Gladiator and Game of Thrones were shot, the Taourirt and Tifoultoute kasbahs, the green Draa and Dadès valleys, and the gateway road on to the Sahara dunes. English is widely spoken in the trade, prices are in dirham (MAD) and the dollar goes a long way.
Getting there
Flights from Virginia
Fly to Marrakech (RAK), the gateway to Ouarzazate — Royal Air Maroc flies nonstop from New York (JFK), Washington (IAD), Boston and Miami to Casablanca (CMN) in around 7–8 hours, with a quick onward hop to Marrakech. From RAK it is a scenic ~4-hour drive over the Tizi n'Tichka pass of the High Atlas into Ouarzazate.
Best arrival airports: Marrakech (RAK) is the gateway airport, then a ~4-hour drive over Tizi n'Tichka; the small Ouarzazate airport (OZZ) also takes occasional domestic flights. We meet every guest in arrivals and drive you door to door — see airport transfers.
Do you need a visa?
United States passport holders do not need a visa for Morocco, and that covers a trip down to Ouarzazate. You may enter visa-free and stay for up to 90 days for tourism — just bring a passport valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date.
Time difference
Ouarzazate is about 6 hours ahead of Virginia, USA (Morocco stays on UTC+1 year-round), which makes for an easy, eastward adjustment.
When to go
The best time to visit.
March–May and September–November are ideal for Ouarzazate — warm, clear days, cool desert evenings, and the golden light that draws film crews to the kasbahs and Aït Ben Haddou. High summer (June–August) is very hot and dry; winters are mild by day with crisp, cold nights, and the High Atlas passes above town can hold snow into spring.
Where to start
Private trips travellers from Virginia book most.
Good to know
Morocco from Virginia — your questions.
Do Americans need a visa to visit Ouarzazate?
United States passport holders do not need a visa for Morocco, and that covers a trip down to Ouarzazate. You may enter visa-free and stay for up to 90 days for tourism — just bring a passport valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date.
How do I get to Ouarzazate from Virginia?
Fly to Marrakech (RAK), the gateway to Ouarzazate — Royal Air Maroc flies nonstop from New York (JFK), Washington (IAD), Boston and Miami to Casablanca (CMN) in around 7–8 hours, with a quick onward hop to Marrakech. From RAK it is a scenic ~4-hour drive over the Tizi n'Tichka pass of the High Atlas into Ouarzazate.
How far ahead should Virginia travellers book an Ouarzazate trip?
For the cooler high season (October–April) and any trip pushing on to the Sahara, book 8–12 weeks ahead to lock in kasbah hotels and desert camps. Shoulder-season and Ouarzazate-only stays can often be arranged inside two to three weeks.
Is Ouarzazate safe and easy for US travellers?
Yes. Ouarzazate is a calm, welcoming film town in one of the most stable regions of Morocco, well set up for tourism, with English spoken at hotels and by guides. A private driver-guide removes the only real friction — the mountain drive over Tizi n'Tichka and the desert pistes beyond — so you can relax into the trip.