The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, hosted by Morocco, is gradually coming to an end, and the tournament has provided once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for many of the up to one million people expected to visit the country during the competition to experience the true essence of Moroccan heritage.

Ahead of the final set of matches in the last eight days of the tournament, Peoples Gazette reviewed the reception of AFCON tourists by locals, popular Moroccan dishes foreigners are trying in Morocco, and popular places many tourists have visited or can still visit in the North African country.

Moroccan people

Moroccans are generally lovely people. They have opened their doors to welcome thousands of visitors entering the country for the AFCON. Although relatively quiet, they beam with excitement once they notice you are in the country for the tournament.

They are eager to engage in conversation with tourists, particularly about the countries the visitors are from, while wanting to learn more about them and their culture. However, language is primarily an obstacle, as a vast majority of Moroccans speak only Arabic and French, especially the latter. 

So, it is very important for individuals planning to visit the North African country to brush up on their Arabic and French to fully enjoy the Moroccan experience, especially when dealing with locals. 

Religion-wise, Morocco is a conservative society due to being an Islamic nation, which is evident in their manner of public appearances — cafes and public gatherings are mostly filled with men only, as opposed to secular countries where seeing men and women together in the same setting is a norm. 

Food 

Coffee and tea 

With alcohol consumption highly restricted in Morocco, Moroccan tea (sarcastically called ‘whiskey’ by locals) and coffee are the go-to drinks for Moroccans during social bonding. 

So, tea is what a Moroccan will offer you as a foreigner as a symbol of hospitality and cultural tradition. 

It was also gathered from locals that tea is popular in Morocco because it helps with digestion and, surprisingly, enhances the body’s ability to cope with heat. 

Moroccan bread (khobz) with egg

Unlike Nigerian bread, Moroccan bread comes in different shapes and is mostly low in sugar. The long version is the most popular among locals and can be served alongside almost every meal, including eggs made with olive oil, surprisingly rice, meats, and others. 

Khobz with egg soaked in olive oil, alongside Moroccan tea, is a breakfast delicacy in the country.

Tagine

This is considered one of Morocco’s national dishes. It is a meat-based meal that can come in three forms: chicken tagine with preserved lemon and olives, lamb tagine with prunes or apricots, or Kefta (meatball) tagine with tomato and eggs.

The staple is prepared in a conical clay pot, with the meat — either chicken, lamb, or meatball — slowly cooked to tenderness with vegetables, fruits, nuts, and aromatic spices until it turns into a soup. 

It can be consumed with khobz or on its own.

Couscous

Couscous is a popular dish in Morocco made from tiny steamed granules of durum wheat semolina, acting like pasta or rice. It has the ability to absorb flavours from soup and proteins added to it. 

It is a communal symbol of hospitality in the North African country, and it is particularly served on Fridays. The dry semolina is rehydrated with hot water before the soup is added.

Places to visit

Old Medina (Fes el Bali) 

As a first-time visitor to Morocco, there are many historic sites one must see before leaving the North African country. Most of the sites are located in Fes, one of Morocco’s oldest cities and considered the country’s cultural and spiritual capital. 

Places in Fes include Fes el Bali, which is a town of its own where tourists can enjoy medieval-era architecture and views. 

The town is between 1,200 and 1,230 years old — it has become a popular tourist destination, like a marketplace where everyday and cultural items are sold for visitors to purchase and take back to their home countries. 

Fes el Bali is one of Morocco’s nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

World’s oldest tannery 

Apart from visiting the Old Medina for shopping, tourists can also see the iconic Chouara Tannery, which a tour guide, Mohammed, told our correspondent that it is the oldest leather factory in the world, a claim that has been independently verified. 

Mr Mohammed said that the tannery was established in the 11th century and has been used continuously to produce handmade “original and natural” leathers since then. 

Our correspondent observed several containers with animal skins that were already undergoing the leather-making process. 

Inside the building housing the tannery, there is also a showroom displaying different products — from bags to belts to clothes made from the factory’s natural leathers.

World’s oldest university 

The University of al-Qarawiyyin (or al-Quaraouiyine), which is recognised as the oldest university in the world, is also a place to visit in Morocco. Like the tannery, al-Quaraouiyine is also located in Fes. 

Fatima al-Fihriya (859 AD) established it as a mosque and religious study centre during the Islamic Golden Age. Morocco incorporated the centre into its state university system in 1963.

However, the compound is only open to people of the Islamic faith.

Ifrane

It is a town in Morocco’s Middle Atlas Mountains, which is known for its alpine-style architecture. 

Ifrane is a famous destination for tourists in Morocco because the town is one of the few places in the country where visitors can enjoy snowfall, especially during the late December-February period. 

The duration coincides with the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and has made it a hotspot for tourists in Morocco, with tournament troopers flocking there to enjoy the snow-filled town. 

Oukaïmeden (High Atlas, near Marrakesh), Azilal & Beni Mellal (High Atlas foothills), and Jbel Tidghine (Rif Mountains) are other places to enjoy snowfall in Morocco. 

Chefchaouen, Morocco

Known as the ‘Blue Pearl’, Chefchaouen is a picturesque city located in the Rif Mountains and a tourist attraction due to its blue-coloured architecture, its paved alleys, and its calm serenity.

Coupled with the unique cultural experience offered alongside its Medina, Kasbah, Ethnographic Museum, and opportunities for hiking in the surrounding mountains, Chefchaouen has become one of the most popular places for tourists to visit.

Other sites

Meanwhile, other places to visit while in Morocco include Merzouga (Erg Chebbi dunes), Zagora, M’Hamid El Ghizlane for desert exploration and Essaouira, Agadir, El Jadida, Asilah and Dakhla for coastal and beach experiences.

Other UNESCO sites to explore in Morocco aside from Fes el Bali are the historic city of Meknes, the archaeological site of Volubilis, Medina of Tétouan (formerly Titawin), Medina of Marrakesh, Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou, Medina of Essaouira (formerly Mogador), Portuguese City of Mazagan (El Jadida) and Rabat, the modern capital and historic city.