Delivery on weekends and public holidays in Morocco, how to plan

Foreign visitors often learn about a Moroccan public holiday the moment they find their grocer's shutter down. Your bank is shut, the street is quiet, and you still want dinner. Our delivery service runs through every holiday, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, weekends included. The limit lies elsewhere: a courier can only collect from a place that is open. A little planning covers most of the gap, particularly around the religious feasts, whose dates are confirmed late.

Dates fixed in the national calendar

These fall on the same day every year, so you can check them against your travel plans now:

• January 1, New Year's Day
• January 11, Proclamation of Independence
• January 14, Yennayer, the Amazigh New Year
• May 1, Labour Day
• July 30, Throne Day
• August 14, Oued Ed-Dahab Day
• August 20, Revolution of the King and the People
• August 21, Youth Day
• November 6, Green March
• November 18, Independence Day

Notice the clusters in January, August and November. August 20 and 21 run back to back, and a holiday close to a Saturday or Sunday can turn into a long weekend. Government offices and bank branches close on these days. Neighbourhood shops and restaurants make their own choices, and a place that serves tourists in Marrakech may keep different hours from one in a residential part of Rabat.

Religious feasts move every year

Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, the first of Muharram and Eid al-Mawlid follow the lunar calendar, so they shift against the Gregorian one from year to year. Morocco confirms the official date as each feast approaches. A date printed in a guidebook or a phone calendar can be a day out, and it pays to watch for the official announcement if your trip overlaps.

The two Eids are family occasions. Many neighbourhood shops may close around them, sometimes for several days, and the morning of the feast tends to be among the quietest of the year on the streets. If you are staying in a riad or a rental flat, keep some food and water in the room for that morning, then ask on WhatsApp what can be collected later in the day. The month before Eid al-Fitr has its own rhythm too, covered in our notes on ordering during Ramadan.

Who decides what stays open

Livreur 24h works as a delivery intermediary. The courier picks up your order from the restaurant, pharmacy or grocery you choose, and that business sets its own hours, menu and preparation time. On a holiday you may meet a late opening, a shorter menu or a closed door.

So name the place you want and tell the team what you would accept instead. You receive the price and the estimated time before you confirm anything. If the answer does not suit you, change your order at that point. Fees depend on distance and address, so a second choice further away can cost a different amount. Ask about the delivery fee and the total for each option before confirming.

Ordinary weekends in Marrakech and Rabat

A normal weekend is less disruptive than a holiday, though habits still shift. On Saturday evening kitchens get busier and traffic builds around Guéliz, Hivernage and the edge of the Medina. In Rabat, office districts such as Hay Riad can be quiet on Sunday, with fewer lunch places trading than on a weekday.

Take a sushi platter as an example. It needs preparation that no courier can hurry. If you fancy a Saturday sushi platter in Marrakech or Sunday maki at your Rabat address, send the request well before you plan to eat. As a rough guide, most meals average 35 to 45 minutes, and our explainer on how preparation and traffic change estimates shows why the figure moves from one order to the next.

Medicine when pharmacies are shut

Regular pharmacies close on Sundays and public holidays, and the on-duty rota takes over. Send a photo of your prescription on WhatsApp, and the team locates the nearest active on-duty pharmacy, collects the items and brings them to you. The average is 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on whether the medicine is available. This applies to a holiday pharmacy run in Marrakech as well as in Rabat, and our page on how the Marrakech rota works explains the system.

A treatment that runs out over a long weekend is easier to handle ahead of time. Check your supply a few days early and ask your doctor or pharmacist about a renewal. A medicine from home may need a new prescription from a Moroccan doctor, and only a health professional can advise you on that.

Your checklist for the day before

1. Withdraw cash, since payment is mainly in cash on delivery and bank branches will be closed.
2. Pick two restaurants, ideally with different cuisines.
3. Agree a mealtime with your group and order ahead of it.
4. Save your full address and one landmark in a note, particularly for a riad or a residence with several blocks.

Your holiday message might look something like this:

Hello, delivery to Guéliz around 1 pm. I would like a dish from [restaurant]. If it is closed today, a pizza from somewhere nearby is fine. Please send the price and time before you start.

Plans change on holidays. You can cancel free of charge before the courier heads to the shop. After that, a travel fee may apply, as set out in our cancellation and service terms.