18 Things You Must Know Before Visiting Morocco // Travel Tips
General Tips
1. Dress conservatively
This is an Arab nation after all (99% of Moroccans are Muslim), so the culturally appropriate thing to do is to dress conservatively, always covering shoulders and knees. The best thing for women (especially in the heat) is a light, flowing dress that reaches at least mid-calf. If you’re going in the dead of summer, at least bring a scarf to cover your shoulders for the holy sites.
2. Cash is king
This is a cash-driven economy, so make sure you have some on hand. Very few places we went took credit card, so we made frequent trips to ATMs. The ATMs can run out of money, though, so try to not withdraw it absolutely last minute. And carry change with you for various things like the bathroom, taxis, etc.
3. Tipping is semi-expected
While tipping isn’t mandatory, rounding up the bill and leaving tips at restaurants and cafes is standard practice. Whenever we did it, though, the servers seemed surprised and grateful, so I wouldn’t say this is very standard.
For services, though, it seems to be a tipping economy, where anytime anyone does anything for you, they expect a tip (maybe with the exception of nice hotels/restaurants). If you take photos of them, they will expect a tip (see below in scams). If they help you take a photo, they will expect a tip. Even our tour guide for 45 minutes whom we had already paid expected one.
Bathrooms are also frequently attended to (cleaned, restocked, etc) by someone who will stand at the entrance and collect 2 DH+ for bathroom use.
4. Learn to haggle
You should (and are expected to) bargain for basically everything in Morocco. The only exceptions to this (I think) are at restaurants, and local, convenience stores where you’re buying snacks or water. There, prices are fixed. Everywhere else, even at nice boutiques, taxi rides, and tours, you can and should bargain.
Eg. In an upscale boutique I bought a dress in, some Spanish women came in and bought 2 dresses and asked for a discount and got one. I then asked for one (only buying 1 dress), and was told there was a discount for cash — information the clerk did not volunteer.
Of course, if you are shopping in the Souk, you must bargain. For some reference, a scarf should be 40 - 100 DH, depending on how nice it is, a sheep’s wool rug of 3ft x 6ft should be ~1500 DH, and spices should be 30 - 60 DH per kilo. General advice would be to start at 25 - 30% and go up from there. They state a really high price to anchor you. Do not give in.
5. Beware of scams
There are scams everywhere in this country. Everyone and their mother wants to help you find or do something. If you’re ever standing on a street deciding where to go, you will have plenty of Moroccans pointing you to the nearest tourist attraction, having decided that you are lost. And if you’re not lost, good luck explaining that to them.
A few common scams:
Are you lost? Let me take you there.
Every man on the street seemed to be a guide looking to help lost tourists. But if you let him take you, expect for him to demand 100 - 200 DH. If you’ve followed him, pay him 20 - 50 DH and walk away.
A specific version of this in Marrakech is the “Berber Festival,” which goes something like: “The Berbers are in town today. They only come one day a week. Should I take you there?” Say no. They will lead you to the tanneries by some roundabout way and ask you to pay them once you’ve arrived. And it’s not real anyway — the tanneries are always there and there is no special day for Berbers.
I know a good place for X. Follow me.
While we were taking a photo of a Mausoleum, a man said there was a good photo spot “up just a little way.” Individuals can either pose as tour guides who offer to show you around or take you to specific sites, or they might just suggest a place they think you want to go. They seem friendly and knowledgeable, but they will always want money after they’ve taken you there.
Take a picture, it’s free.
It’s never free. If you take a photo of someone’s shop claiming this, they will likely hound you for money after you’ve finished. This applies to snake charmers and monkeys in Marrakech’s Jemaa el-Fnaa as well. If you really want a photo, agree on the price before you take one.
Alternatively they’ll really pressure you to enter their shop and buy something.
Taking money and saying you didn’t pay
While we were at the bus station, we ran into two girls we had met the other day and they said they had just been scammed. The guy at the counter had asked for 10 DH for her bag (which was also a scam but everyone was complying), so she put a 10 DH coin on the counter then looked down at her fanny pack for something. He took the coin while she was distracted and demanded she pay again, claiming she hadn’t. She argued with him but had to pay another 10 DH. Always beware.
Of course, the more touristy the place, the more people trying to scam you and the wider the variety of scam. In Jemaa el-Fnaa, for example, snake charmers will try to throw their snakes on you, then have you pay to take a photo. Always be on alert.
6. Be prepared for Moroccan (men) to get angry
It seems to be a script Moroccan men play where they’re all nice and friendly, and then the moment you refuse them, they turn really angry until you pay them. This applies to random people giving you advice on the street, shopkeepers calling you to come look at their wares, or sellers you’re bargaining with.
For example, when you state a price after they’ve stated their price, be prepared for them to get absurdly mad and say things like, “This wasn’t made in China. How insulting.” This is part of their script, so don’t get flustered. Just apologize and walk away. If they don’t get mad, consider yourself lucky.
I was surprised how many people we seemed to have offended in our short time there even though we were just trying to mind our own business. I would say this behavior is worst in Marrakech, though we also experienced it in Fes.
7. Drink tea, not coffee
In our 14 days in the country we didn’t have a single coffee I would deem exceptional, and we drank multiple every day. Their Moroccan tea, on the other hand, is very good. This is a tea culture, not a coffee one, so if you’re not particular, I would choose their tea > their coffee.
8. Beware of food poisoning
My stomach was not happy with me about 40% of the evenings we were in the country. Between one bout of mild food poisoning, the intense spices, and the lack of vegetables, my stomach was not pleased. Take activated charcoal or Imodium with you, and watch out for street food that could make you really sick. We also avoided uncooked vegetables and fruits that were served at sketchier places.
9. Avoid drinking tap water
To stay safe, drink bottled water. We only used bottled water to brush our teeth the first two nights and we were okay, but we never drank the tap. We also generally avoided ice when we were out.
10. Fridays are holy days
The first Friday we spent in Morocco, we wondered why things were so quiet — fewer shops were open, fewer people were walking in the streets, etc. And then we learned that Friday is their holy day, and many shops and attractions will close on Friday.
11. Mosques are for Muslims only
Most Islamic countries I’ve been to allow entry into their mosques, but not Morocco. Most mosques are off-limits to non-Muslims, with the exception of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. Mausoleums and Madrasas are open, though, and they have similar tile work to mosques, and the outsides are always still beautiful to take photos from.
If you’re looking for beautiful architecture, visit Medersa Ben Youssef or Bahia Palace.
12. Carry hand sanitizer and toilet paper
Many bathrooms in Morocco do not have toilet paper, or you have to pay for some at the entrance unless you have your own. A lot of public restrooms also have a 2 DH+ fee to use, and an attendant will be there to collect your money before you enter.
We also carried hand sanitizer to make sure we cleaned our hands before every meal, especially because every meal came with bread and olives, which requires clean hands to eat.
13. Be prepared to see strays everywhere
Stray cats litter every corner of Morocco, and while adorable, can also be very sad to see. They are often somewhat taken care of (boxes and scraps are put out for them), but some look quite mangy and we saw many that were half blind. :(
There are also some stray dogs, but far fewer. If you’re highly allergic, take some allergy meds with you.
14. Choose the place you most want photos of and go there when it opens
In Marrakech, if you want photos of places empty, you need to go early. When we got to Mederesa Ben Youssef 15 min after it had opened, there were already 20 or so people inside. About an hour after opening it was very, very crowded, and I could tell it wasn’t going to get better that day. We went to Bahia Palace later in the day, and there were close to 200 hundred people at around 11am.
Of course, you can get shots of smaller areas, but if you want wide shots, go early.
Taxi Tips
1. Make sure you know the price before you get into the car
Although it is illegal to not use a meter, no taxi will use one. So make sure you ask the driver how much he wants before you get in the car, or you might be in for a nasty surprise when you get dropped off.
2. Haggle the quoted price
As mentioned before, haggle everything. If the driver quotes you an absurd amount, ask for what you want to pay and be prepared to walk away. You should spend no more than 30 - 50 DH per ride in the city.
3. Make sure you have correct change
Taxi drivers are unlikely to give you change if you don’t have the right amount, so make sure you know what you can pay before you hop into the car.
4. Taxis are more expensive at night
If you’re taking a taxi to or from dinner, you might be charged different rates depending on the time you go. Just know that nighttime fares are slightly higher.
5. Taxi alternatives
There are taxi alternatives, but we used Careem and found that the quoted price wasn’t what we paid (we paid more than double). We assume it ran the meter, but who knows? The driver showed us the price at the end of the ride and we paid him that amount. But it was reasonable and it was in the app.
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Hope this helps! If you need an itinerary, check out my 14-day itinerary that will help you hit the highlights of Morocco.
