In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Morocco
Alnif
Stop for a few hours to buy fossils or join a trilobite dig; one night if you want to prospect the beds. Not a base.
Alnif is a small desert town on the N12 between Rissani and Zagora, known for its trilobite fossils. Most travellers pass through to buy fossils or arrange a short tour of the fossil beds. The town itself has a couple of cafés and basic hotels, but no major sights beyond the fossil trade.
- Country
- Morocco
- Best months
- Oct–Apr
- Avoid
- Jun–Aug (extreme heat)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- MAD
- Money
- Currency is the Moroccan dirham (MAD). Hotels, larger restaurants and chain shops take cards; souks, taxis, small cafés, guides and tips are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget MAD 200–400 excl. bed · Mid MAD 400–700 excl. bed · High MAD 700+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Maroc Telecom, Orange and inwi sell tourist SIMs at airports and shops with a passport; 20–50 GB costs about MAD 100–200.
- Emergency
- Police 19 · Gendarmerie 177 · Ambulance and fire 15 · From mobiles 112
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 220 V · 50 Hz · European round-pin plugs; bring an adapter for UK or US devices.
- Tipping
- Café: Round up or leave MAD 2–5.; Restaurant: 5–10%.; Porter or bag carrier: MAD 10–20.; Guide, full day: MAD 100–200.; Desert camp staff and driver: MAD 100–200 per day shared.
- Water
- Tap water is treated in cities but most visitors drink bottled; carry water in the south.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels and restaurants; squat toilets in older cafés and on the road. Carry tissue and MAD 2–5 for attendants.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Local bus Rissani–Alnif | MAD 20 |
| Grand taxi Rissani–Alnif | MAD 25 |
| Café tea or coffee | MAD 5–10 |
| Simple meal (tagine or couscous) | MAD 30–60 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ERH · Moulay Ali Cherif Airport (Errachidia)
- About 90 km (56 mi) north; taxi or grand taxi to Alnif, about 1.5 hAbout 56 mi (90 km) north; taxi or grand taxi to Alnif, about 1.5 h
Typical fares
- Local bus Rissani–Alnif
- MAD 20, about 2 h (check)
- Grand taxi Rissani–Alnif
- MAD 25, about 2 h (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The town is walkable; it stretches along the highway.
See and do
Known for
- Trilobite fossils
- Fossil prospecting tours
- Ihmadi Fossils (fixed prices)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Rissani | Local bus or grand taxi, about 2 h | About 2 h |
| Zagora | Local bus or grand taxi, about 2 h | About 2 h |
| Tinghir | Local bus or grand taxi north on the R113, about 1.5 h | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Along the N12 highway
- 2–3 basic hotels; fine for one night after a day of prospecting.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | السلام عليكمas-salamu alaykum |
| Thank you | شكراًshukran |
| How much? | بقداش؟bqaddash? |
| Too expensive | غالي بزافghali bzaf |
| Where is the toilet? | فين الطواليط؟fin al-twaleet? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: 'Salam alaykum' and a handshake; hand on heart after; avoid: Offering a hand to a woman first unless she does
- Eating: Right hand, bread as your spoon; avoid: Refusing all food at a home
- Bargaining: Smile, take your time, walk away kindly; avoid: Naming a price you will not pay
- Dress: Shoulders and knees covered in medinas and villages; avoid: Beachwear away from the beach
- Photos: Ask and accept no; avoid: Photographing women or children without consent
- Ramadan: Eat discreetly indoors in daytime; avoid: Snacking on the street
Scams and watch-outs
- Heat: carry water and a hat even in cooler months.
- Fossil prices vary; Ihmadi Fossils has fixed, labelled prices if you prefer not to haggle.
- Buses are infrequent; check departure times in advance.
Alnif is safe for tourists; the main risks are heat and the occasional aggressive fossil seller. Haggle calmly or go to Ihmadi Fossils for fixed prices.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Alnif yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Trilobite fossils
- Fossil prospecting tours
- Ihmadi Fossils (fixed prices)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Alnif, revision 5323276 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5323276
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Alnif
لهذا العنوان، من فضلك
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most embassies are in Rabat; the US has a consulate in Casablanca. In an emergency, contact your embassy in Rabat.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/alnif). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.