Preparing your trip
Practical information for visiting Dakhla
Flights, entry requirements, money, phone, health, packing: the essentials to know before departure, verified and to the point.
✈️ Getting to Dakhla
Dakhla Airport (DAD) is only a few minutes from the city centre. It is connected daily to Casablanca (about a 2-hour flight), with connections worldwide, and seasonal direct routes exist from Europe, notably from Paris — check which routes are open when you book.
By road, count on more than 1,000 km from Agadir: a very long drive across the Sahara, reserved for road-trippers. Most visitors arrive by plane.
On arrival, almost all the hotels and lagoon camps offer a transfer: request it at booking, it is the simplest option. Otherwise, taxis meet the flights at the airport — agree on the price before getting in.
🛂 Entry requirements
Dakhla is in Morocco: nationals of the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Canada and the United States, among others, are exempt from a visa for tourist stays of up to 90 days. A passport valid for the duration of the stay is required.
As the rules can change and differ by nationality, check them before departure with a Moroccan consulate or on your foreign ministry's official website.
💵 Money and payments
The currency is the Moroccan dirham (MAD) — as a guide, count on around 10 to 11 dirhams per euro depending on the rate. You get dirhams on the spot: ATMs in the city centre and exchange offices.
Cash remains king: most restaurants, taxis and small shops do not take cards. Hotels, camps and agencies, on the other hand, often accept card payment or bank transfer.
Get cash before excursions (White Dune, Asmaa spring…): there is obviously no ATM in the desert.
📱 Phone and internet
Three operators cover Dakhla: Maroc Telecom, Orange and inwi. A prepaid SIM with data takes minutes to buy in town (passport required) for a modest price, and Morocco eSIMs activate from the apps of the main international providers.
4G is good in town and in most lagoon camps; hotel Wi-Fi can be temperamental on busy evenings. On desert excursions, do not count on the network.
Good to know: in Morocco, many bookings and exchanges with establishments happen over WhatsApp.
🗣️ Language
Arabic (and Hassaniya, the Sahrawi dialect) is the everyday language. French is very widely spoken in shops, restaurants and hotels; English is progressing fast in the kite schools and camps, and Spanish remains present.
A few words of Arabic (salam, choukran…) always please and open up smiles.
🏥 Health and safety
Dakhla is a peaceful city where you can move around comfortably, day and evening. As everywhere, keep an eye on your belongings on the spots and in busy places.
No specific vaccine is required for Morocco. The city has pharmacies, medical practices and clinics — find them in our health directory. Drink bottled water, which is widely available.
The real local "dangers" are the sun and the wind, which masks the heat: high-SPF sunscreen, a rash guard for watersports, a hat and hydration are your best allies.
🔌 Electricity and time difference
The current is 220 V with type C/E sockets, identical to French sockets: no adapter needed for European travellers.
Morocco lives on UTC+1 all year round: the same time as France in winter, one hour behind in summer. During Ramadan, the country temporarily returns to UTC+0 — check whether your stay falls within that period.
🎒 What to pack?
The climate is desert but oceanic: mild all year round (rarely below 17 °C or above 30 °C), sunny, and windy — which is what built the lagoon's kitesurfing reputation.
The essentials: a light windbreaker, a fleece for the evenings, swimwear, a UV rash guard, sunscreen, sunglasses, a cap that stays on in the wind, and a comfortable outfit for excursions. Kitesurfers add a 3/2 wetsuit for a good part of the year.