Morocco: Important Travel Tips

Mary Kate gKing
Jan 22
6 min read

Updated: Apr 16

I want to preface these travel tips with how much we enjoyed Morocco. We met some incredible people and had an amazing time exploring this beautiful country. These travel tips are mostly to make you aware of some of the sales tactics I have read about and personally experienced in Morocco. Doing your research ahead of time will help you enjoy what the country has to offer even more. Some of the moments we shared with locals and those working at our accommodations were the highlight of our trip. There truly are some amazing people in Morocco.

General Tips:

Learn the language! While I think you should learn basic communication phrases in the language of every country you visit, it is really important to learn a small amount of Arabic before traveling to Morocco, especially learning how to say “no thank you”. It is likely you'll come across some very intense salesman in the markets or people who are offering to give you tours or directions without you asking. Being able to communicate a few phrases would be helpful in these situations, especially being able to say "no", phonetically “Lah” in Arabic.
Women need to dress appropriately. Men typically do not wear shorts. No tight clothes, no v-necks, and women should at least be covered from their shoulders to below the knees. (preferably below elbows to ankles). From late summer through to late spring pack layers and a warm jacket; in summer a light-weight fleece or similar.
Be aware of your surroundings and avoid accepting help with directions. It’s likely someone will come up and offer to give you directions. Especially in the medina where it can feel like you are walking in a maze. For some reason, they will intentionally give the wrong directions. They can make you more lost than demand money. If you are lucky and they do show you the right way, they will still demand money. I had read about this before visiting. When walking through the medina, I kept track of where we were walking and the direction of where our Riad was. Someone came up to us and told us we were going the wrong way. For a second I questioned my direction. We continued in the direction we were going, and he followed us, continuing to say we were walking in the wrong direction. We kept saying “no thank you” when he was offering to show us the way. It wasn’t until I said “Lah” that he walked away. Shortly after, we ended up in the center where I expected us to be. Just be mindful of where you are walking and say no when someone offers to show you the way.
Haggling for a price in Morocco is expected. "If the price is under 200DH, give half; if it is over 200DH, divide by 4. If they don’t accept your offer, leave and go away – you’ll find your stuff in another store"
Good to be with a local, fewer people come up to you. Just make sure your tour guides and other locals you are with are also trustworthy.
Not a ton of alcohol. People in Morocco don’t really drink alcohol and it’s not sold in many places. Typically you need to go out of your way to purchase and it is up-charged. You will find expensive alcoholic drinks at specific touristy restaurants but it is not uncommon to have no alcohol available at your accommodation. Be mindful of this, consider it not being a heavy drinking trip.
Don't drink the tap water. Sealed water bottles only (or if you are really fancy, one of the purifying water bottles). Unfortunately, you can't drink the water in Morocco. I always recommend visiting the CDC website for the most up-to-date information on health concerns for specific countries prior to visiting. When reviewing the CDC website, make sure your vaccinations are up to date and there isn't anything recommended that you might not have like Typhoid.
Avoid the soup. This was advice that was given to us by a friend before we headed to Morocco. I tried a spoonful of the soup in the desert each night and had no issues. My husband who chose to ignore our friend's advice, regretted his decision when he was battling moderate food poisoning after finishing two bowls of soup the night before.
Money: It is extremely difficult to obtain Dirhams outside Morocco. There is an ATM and a Bureau de Change at Marrakech airport. Taxi drivers accept euros from the airport - €15 but have €20 handy. ATMs are readily accessible in Morocco.

City Tips: Marrakech & Fes

“No monkey business” - avoid the monkeys, snakes, or whatever other animals people try to throw at you. They will literally put them on your shoulder or insist on taking a photo and then demand you to pay. While you are distracted by the monkey, you can get pickpocketed. Be super mindful of your surroundings when in the city.
Fes: The infamous Chouara Tannery, a leather dying facility that you enter through a leather shop to see. Most shops, even when on a tour, expect you to purchase something if you visit or at least tip them. This was discussed on so many travel sites but we were lucky enough to have an awesome guide organized by our awesome staff at our Riad in Fes. Click HERE for more information about our accommodations.
Pay attention to landmarks when in the city / Medinas. Most streets don’t have signs and if you look lost, you will be approached by someone who will insist on giving you directions. They’ll lead you through the Medina to make you more lost, then demand $ and have a backup if you refuse. Our hosts in our Riad showed us the signs of a dead end to avoid being lost. They also always offered to walk us places if we needed. In Marrakech, I saw how you could get lost but felt like I was able to keep my bearings for where we were. Fes is SO much bigger and I see how easy it is to get lost, it doesn’t matter if you are using maps or not. Be aware of the hexagon shape for a dead end and the rectangle or squares as open.

Sahara Desert Tips: Merzouga

Find the accommodation you would like to stay at in the desert FIRST, then have them arrange the transportation or tour. If you book a tour first, it’s harder to guarantee where you will be staying.
Consider the time of year when planning to visit the desert. You’ll want to take into consideration the temperatures and the wind when choosing which months to visit. We went during a shoulder season that risked many windstorms. Because we were there during the shoulder season, we basically had the desert to ourselves to enjoy the airbrushed sand dunes. We only experienced one sandstorm at night. Alternatively, when there is no wind, the dunes keep all the footprints from all the visitors, having you miss the airbrushed iconic dunes. See my DEEP DIVE article for more information about the weather.
Pack layers and be mindful of the weather before booking. Depending on the time of year you visit, it can be super hot during the day but can get super cold at night.
LONG car rides to get to and from the Sahara. The Sahara desert is not super close to any of the big cities in Morocco. Depending on which cities you come from it can take 2 days of driving one way, or a long 9-hour drive. Plan accordingly for the long drive, and pack snacks and motion sickness medications if you are sensitive to this.
Bring pashminas to help with sand. If it is not windy, you do not need a pashmina. It’s really only helpful if it is windy. If you want one for the “look” you can always bring one or purchase one in the cities. There are many options to buy pashminas, especially in Fes. If not planning on wearing a pashmina, consider bringing a hat to protect you from the sun.
Pack tons of sunscreen, sunglasses, and a large hat to protect from the sun.
Avoid bug bites. Specifically avoiding bites from sand flies. According to the CDC, the bites from the sand flies can put you at risk for Leishmaniasis. We pretreated our clothes before traveling so we weren't having to spend too much time worrying about bug spray. (Always apply bug spray AFTER sunscreen).
Long pants are recommended for riding camels. Long pants and likely something that will not cause chafing.
If bringing your camera to Morocco, be careful about how you store it. Sand gets everywhere! While Morocco is a great place to take beautiful photos, you’ll want to protect your camera, especially on a windy day.
NO cell service and nowhere near a hospital in the Sahara desert so keep that in mind before booking.
Alcohol is not included in many of the accommodations in the Sahara. Most offer a stop for wine / whatever else you are drinking along the way. If you want to drink in the desert, bring your own alcohol with you.