Eastern Morocco Travel Guide

Eastern Morocco’s headline acts are Oujda and Figuig. Oujda is the region’s capital — a genuine Moroccan city with a compact medina, excellent lamb mechoui restaurants and deep roots in Raï and Andalusian music. Figuig is the revelation: seven ancient fortified villages (ksour) surrounded by a palm grove of roughly 200,000 trees, sitting right on the Algerian border at an altitude of 900 metres. Between the two cities lies the Beni Snassen massif, with limestone gorges, fig orchards and fossil sites near Taforalt. It’s a region that rewards slow, curious travel.

Yes — if the journey itself is part of your plan. The 370 km road from Oujda to Figuig cuts through open hammada and steppe with almost nothing in between, which sounds daunting but is genuinely atmospheric. Figuig itself justifies the trip: the ksour of Zenaga, El Maiz and Laâbidate date to the 11th century, the irrigation system (seguias) still channels water between the palms, and the spring-fed pools inside the oasis are perfect for cooling off. Budget at least two nights so you can walk the ksour at dawn, when the light through the palms is extraordinary.

Oujda is the cultural capital of eastern Morocco and the country’s easternmost major city. It is best known for two things: its proximity to Algeria (the border crossing at Zouj Bghal was historically busy before the land border closed in 1994) and its Raï music scene — Oujda is the Moroccan heartland of this North African genre. The medina is compact and low-key, with the Place du 16 Août as its social hub. The city also has a strong university population, which gives it an energy quite different from the tourist-facing cities of the north.

The most comfortable option is the daily CTM bus (departs Oujda in the morning, around 6 hrs, indicative fare from 90 MAD). Shared grands-taxis also run the route but usually require changing at Bouarfa; expect the whole journey to take 6–8 hours that way. The most flexible option is a private transfer or rental car — the road (N17/N10) is well-paved and straightforward, though petrol is scarce between Bouarfa and Figuig so fill up in Bouarfa. A private guided day trip is possible but tight; two nights in Figuig is the comfortable minimum.

Eastern Morocco is generally safe for travellers. Oujda is a normal Moroccan city with standard urban precautions; petty theft exists but violent crime targeting tourists is rare. The Oujda–Figuig road passes through areas close to the Algeria border, and the land border itself remains closed — stay on the main roads and don’t approach the frontier zone. Figuig town is extremely quiet and welcoming. Check your government’s current travel advice before visiting, as the wider Sahel and Algeria border region can shift in status. Most travellers encounter no issues.

The ONCF train from Fes to Oujda is the easiest entry: direct services run daily in around 4.5 hours (2nd class from around 115 MAD, indicative), passing through Taza and the mountains. From Oujda you can spend a day or two in the city before taking the bus or a private vehicle south to Figuig. If you want to loop back west without retracing your steps, continue from Figuig southwest to Er Rachidia and then pick up the classic southern route through Merzouga and the Draa Valley — this makes eastern Morocco a satisfying add-on to a broader Morocco road trip.

March to May and September to November are the sweet spots. Spring brings green steppe and wildflowers around the Beni Snassen hills; autumn sees the date harvest in Figuig (late September–October), when the palm grove is at its most animated. Avoid July and August unless you handle heat well — Figuig sits in a high-desert basin and temperatures regularly exceed 40°C at midday. Winter (December–February) is cold at night in Figuig (altitude 900 m) but days are clear and pleasant for walking the ksour.