Ramadan 2027 on the road to Chefchaouen

When does Ramadan 2027 start in Morocco?

Around 8 or 9 February 2027. The Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs announces the first day after the crescent watch the evening before.

The calculated calendar used in Saudi Arabia puts the first day of Ramadan 1448 on 8 February 2027 and the last on 8 March 2027 (Wikipedia's table of Ramadan dates). Morocco does not follow that calendar. It goes by its own moon sighting, which put the start a day later in 2026.

That is what happened in 2026. The same table gave 18 February, and Morocco's ministry announced on the evening of the 18th that Ramadan 1447 would begin on Thursday 19 February 2026 (Hespress). Expect a firm date only the night before again. Book with that in mind if your trip sits at either end of the month.

Do Marrakech to Chefchaouen tours run during Ramadan?

Yes. None of the eight listings on this site has a Ramadan pause. Ask the operator about meals and timings. Daytime is quieter, evenings are lively.

None of the eight listings has a Ramadan break. Your driver and guides may be fasting. A bit of patience in the afternoon is fair.

What changes is the rhythm. The fast breaks at sunset with the ftour, so evening meals tend to follow it. 22places describes the alleys of Marrakech and Fes as "hectic" just before sunset, as people rush home to eat. Plan to be at your riad, not crossing the medina, at that hour.

Two riad nights, two breakfasts, two dinners and a guided Fes morning in the price.

★ 4.8 · 3 days · from $309

Explore the 3-day small-group tour → Tour details

What are the Hassan II Mosque hours during Ramadan?

Fewer tours: Saturday to Thursday at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 and 14:15, and Friday at 9:00 and 14:00. The ticket stays at 140 dirhams for foreign adults.

The Hassan II Mosque Foundation publishes a separate Ramadan schedule. Compared with a normal winter day you lose the noon slot, and the afternoon tour moves from 15:00 to 14:15. Friday is the tight one, with two slots in total.

The 3-day tour reaches Casablanca on day one and lists about 4 hours there, but the mosque ticket is not in the price. Ask the driver on the way in which slot the group is aiming for. Miss 11:00 and the next tour is 14:15. Dress rules and prices are in our Hassan II Mosque guide.

Will I find lunch on the road during Ramadan?

In the cities, yes: tourist restaurants stay open by day. In small towns and roadside cafes, often not. Bring snacks and water for the long drive.

Lunch is not included on any of the multi-day tours, and the stops are wherever the driver usually pulls in. 22places puts it plainly: "Many local restaurants are closed during the day, but plenty of tourist-friendly restaurants stay open throughout." The places that serve tour groups are the second kind. The village cafe on the mountain road may be shut until sunset.

Our advice: pack bread, fruit and water in Marrakech before day one, and again in Chefchaouen before the drive back. 22places says alcohol sales are heavily restricted during the month, with licensed hotels, restaurants and bars as the exceptions for tourists.

What else changes for visitors: the clock, trains and etiquette?

In 2026 Morocco switched to GMT for Ramadan, so clocks went back an hour. Trains ran on a special timetable. Eat and drink discreetly in public by day.

The clock. Morocco normally runs on GMT+1 and drops to GMT for Ramadan. In 2026 the switch came at 3 a.m. on Sunday 15 February and the return at 2 a.m. on Sunday 22 March (Hespress). The 2027 dates were not announced when we wrote this. Check your pickup time twice in the days around the switch. A 7:00 AM pickup is 7:00 on the clock in Morocco that day, whatever your phone did overnight.

Sunset. In Chefchaouen the sun sets at about 17:55 on GMT clocks in early February and about 18:20 by early March (our calculation from Open-Meteo sun data). That is roughly when dinner happens.

Trains. ONCF ran a Ramadan timetable in 2026 with 22 Al Atlas trains a day on the Fes, Casablanca and Marrakech line, from 4:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Hespress). Travelling by rail? Read our post on the Marrakech to Fes train too.

Etiquette. Article 222 of the penal code punishes a person "commonly known to be Muslim" who breaks the fast in public (Morocco World News). The wording is about Muslims, and the article does not discuss visitors. As a courtesy, eat in restaurants rather than walking through the Fes souk with a sandwich, and sip water out of sight.

Is Ramadan a good time for the Marrakech to Chefchaouen trip?

For many people, yes, if you plan around the shorter days. Check the Eid date before you fix the last day.

Government offices were set to work 9:00 to 15:00, Monday to Friday, during Ramadan 2026 (Yabiladi), and plenty of shops follow a shorter day. Some attractions may close for an hour or two during the day (22places). None of that touches a tour that moves you between riads.

Eid al-Fitr is different: it is the big family celebration at the end of the month, and its date is only fixed the evening before. If your trip would land on it, ask the operator whether pickups change, or shift by a day. The 4-day private tour gives you the most room to slow down if you want to stay out late after the ftour; the 3-day itinerary shows how tight the shorter loop is.

A slower pace for Ramadan evenings: just your group, two nights in Fes and a night in Chefchaouen.

★ 4.6 · 4 days · from $664

Explore the 4-day private tour → Tour details

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