Driving in Morocco During Ramadan: Timing, Roads and Good Habits

During Ramadan, Morocco runs on a different clock: quiet mornings, slow afternoons, then busy streets once the fast is broken. Driving at this time is no problem if you fit your journeys around those hours and know where to find food on the road.

Photo: Ch.hajar — CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Published on 28 September 2026

When is Ramadan in Morocco?
The tricky part: the hour before the fast is broken
Eating and drinking on the road during Ramadan
Fuel, rental agencies and opening hours
Enjoying Ramadan evenings

When is Ramadan in Morocco?

Ramadan follows the lunar calendar, so it starts about ten days earlier each year by the Gregorian calendar. In Morocco, the start and end of the month depend on sighting the crescent moon, and the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs announces them the evening before.

So don't rely on a date you read months in advance: check the official calendar a few days before you travel. Another detail catches travellers out: during Ramadan, Morocco puts its clocks back one hour to GMT, as provided for by decree 2-18-855. Double-check your flight time and your pick-up time with the agency. The month ends with Eid al-Fitr, a family holiday when many Moroccans drive across the country to be with relatives.

The tricky part: the hour before the fast is broken

The fast ends at sunset, with the call to the maghreb prayer. In the hour before, everyone wants to be home for ftour, the meal that breaks the fast: city streets jam up, and drivers who have gone all day without food or water overtake fast or push through junctions.

If you can, stay off the road in that window, especially on a long drive. Right after the fast is broken, the streets empty for a while, and that is often the easiest time of day to drive.

Eating and drinking on the road during Ramadan

In big cities and tourist districts, a few restaurants and cafés stay open during the day, and supermarkets keep normal hours. In small towns and villages, most cafés keep their shutters down until evening.

Keep water and snacks in the car for drives between towns. Out in the street, avoid eating, drinking or smoking in full view during the day. Inside your car, you are in private.

Fuel, rental agencies and opening hours

Petrol stations on main roads and motorways stay open. Shops, government offices and some agencies shift their hours, though: later opening in the morning, earlier closing in the afternoon, and sometimes a second opening after ftour.

To collect or return the car, confirm the exact time with the agency as soon as you receive its contact details, especially if the appointment falls late in the afternoon, close to the time the fast is broken.

Enjoying Ramadan evenings

After ftour, towns stay lively late into the night: families out walking, queues at pastry shops selling chebakia and sellou, markets lit up. You see a more festive, family side of Morocco than during the day.

If you go out by car in the evening, expect streets full of pedestrians until late. Park in a guarded car park and carry on on foot through the busy neighbourhoods.

Frequently asked questions

Can you rent a car in Morocco during Ramadan?

Yes, with no restrictions. Agencies work as usual, sometimes with shifted hours, so confirm your pick-up and return times.

Do tourists have to fast during Ramadan?

No. People simply appreciate it if you stay discreet in public during the day when you eat, drink or smoke.

Are the roads more dangerous during Ramadan?

The risk goes up mainly in the hour before the fast is broken, when everyone is rushing home and tiredness sets in. The rest of the day, the roads are much as they are the rest of the year.

Are restaurants open during the day?

Yes in big cities and tourist spots, far fewer in small towns. Bring water and snacks for the road.

Sources

France Diplomatie — diplomatie.gouv.fr

Wikipedia — fr.wikipedia.org

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