Ramadan in Morocco changes the clock of daily life more than the list of things a visitor may do. Restaurants, hotels and sites still operate, but many adjust their hours, and the city's busiest moment moves from lunchtime to the sunset meal. The month also used to come with an official one-hour clock change. That practice looks set to end in 2027, and some foreign guidance still describes the old rule.
When is Ramadan 2027 in Morocco?
Canada's travel advice for Morocco says Ramadan is "expected to begin on or around February 7" in 2027. The UK FCDO gives only "February 2027". The start is fixed by the Islamic lunar calendar, so treat any date as an estimate until Morocco announces it.
A lunar month lasts 29 or 30 days. Starting on 7 February, the month would end on 7 or 8 March, and Eid al-Fitr, on 1 Shawwal, would fall on 8 or 9 March 2027. That is simple arithmetic from the expected start, not an announced date. Morocco's public-service working hours page lists Eid al-Fitr as two days off. If your trip ends in the second week of March 2027, leave slack for closed offices and busy transport.
Does Morocco still change its clocks for Ramadan?
Probably not in 2027. The one-hour Ramadan shift was a side effect of the 2018 decision to keep Morocco on GMT+1 all year. In 2026 the Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform announced the usual pattern. Clocks went back 60 minutes at 03:00 on Sunday 15 February 2026 and forward again at 02:00 on Sunday 22 March 2026.
Then the base rule changed. The state news agency MAP reported on 18 September 2026 that Morocco would return to GMT at 02:00 on Sunday 20 September 2026 under decree 2.26.530. According to MAP, the decree repeals the 2018 decree and reinstates the 1967 royal decree that made GMT the legal time. With the country already on GMT, there is no daylight-saving hour left to remove during Ramadan.
Can tourists eat and drink in public during Ramadan?
Visitors can eat and drink, but the setting matters. The US State Department's 2023 report on religious freedom in Morocco summarises the penal code. A person "known to be Muslim" who breaks the fast in public during Ramadan, without an exception from religious authorities, faces six months in prison and a fine of 200 to 500 dirhams. The same report says restaurant owners "have discretion" to stay open during Ramadan.
As the report summarises it, the law does not name visitors, but official advice to visitors is to hold back anyway. Canada tells travellers to refrain from drinking, eating and smoking in public between sunrise and sunset. The UK FCDO adds swearing and chewing gum in public in daytime to the list of things that "may cause offence". In practice, that means eating inside your riad or hotel, or in a restaurant that is open, rather than walking through the medina with a snack or a bottle of water.
The FCDO also warns that hotels and restaurants serving food in fasting hours may seat you apart from Muslim guests, for example behind screens. That describes an arrangement some places use, not a rule you need to ask for.
Alcohol during the month
The alcohol rules do not switch on for Ramadan; they apply all year. The UK FCDO says alcohol is available in licensed venues, and that drinking it in the street or anywhere other than a licensed restaurant or bar is illegal and can lead to arrest. Canada's advice limits drinking to licensed bars, hotels and restaurants. None of the government pages we read said whether individual licensed venues stop serving during Ramadan, so ask your hotel.
How the day changes in Marrakesh
The rhythm is what most visitors notice. The FCDO says fasting "can cause tiredness, particularly during the later afternoon and early evening", and asks visitors to be patient. It also advises checking the opening hours of shops and restaurants rather than assuming normal hours.
Public offices follow their own schedule. Morocco's normal public-administration hours are Monday to Friday, 08:30 to 16:30, and the ministry's page says those hours may be modified during Ramadan. The 2026 Ramadan announcement page could not be read when this guide was checked, so we cannot give a confirmed schedule for 2027.
Sunset is the turning point, when the fast ends and the main meal of the day begins. The Moroccan National Tourist Office's food guide describes harira, a soup of pulses, tomatoes, pasta and flour, as traditionally eaten during Ramadan and "served in most restaurants". It also names chebakia, a pastry traditionally prepared that month. Ordering harira at the evening meal is an easy way to eat what Marrakesh is eating.
Planning a trip that overlaps Ramadan
Two kinds of traveller are best placed for a Ramadan trip. The first is someone whose days centre on sites, walks and a riad with breakfast included. The second is someone curious about the evening atmosphere. Travellers relying on a tight schedule of offices or government services may find the month harder, and should aim to finish that business before the Eid holiday.
Run these checks before and during the trip:
- Confirm the announced start of Ramadan in the week before you fly, since the 7 February date is an estimate.
- Ask your accommodation whether breakfast and dinner times change, and where guests can eat during the day.
- Keep transfers, long drives and train connections away from the hour around sunset.
- Look up opening hours for any museum or shop on the day, not from a pre-trip list.
- Check the date of Eid al-Fitr once Morocco announces it, and move any bank or office errands earlier.
If your dates are flexible and you want ordinary lunch hours and full daytime street life, travel after the Eid holiday in March 2027. If the evening meal and the city's late nights appeal more, a Ramadan visit only needs slower afternoons and a little discretion in daylight.