The Dos and Don'ts Of Travelling Morocco

If you’re ever visited Morocco as a Western traveller, you’ll know that it’s one of the best places to get a culture shock, with the everyday ways of life being quite different than what we’d expect back at home.

From the exotic cuisine, intricate architecture, and labyrinth of souks, Morocco is an incredible place to immerse yourself in if you’re looking for something new, and is particularly alluring for the adventure traveller.

When we visited for a few weeks in 2019, we spent time in Marrakech, Essaouira on the coast, and headed south to experience the Sahara and Atlas Mountains in between. From this experience, we’ve put together a dozen things we’d recommend doing when you spend time in the country, and a few things we’d recommend thinking twice about.

DOS

Do - haggle for some amazing finds in the souks, you’re guaranteed to find some amazing things to take home with you.

Do: Stay in a Riad

Although there are some pretty lovely resorts all lined up in the likes of Marrakech’s new town and in the outskirts of some of Morocco’s more developed cities, we definitely recommend staying in a riad. A traditional dwelling with an interior courtyard or garden, these highly adorned accommodations will help you get the full experience of being in Morocco, with the bonus of supporting locals.

Do: Haggle in the Souks

Our riad owner gave us the lowdown on pricing, letting us know that there are three different prices in Morocco: Tourist Prices, Locals who are not Moroccan, and Local Moroccans.

We’ll say the same thing about haggling that we mention in some of our other posts where haggling is commonplace around the world (See: Getting Around Phuket). Definitely feel free to negotiate prices in places like souks or marketplaces, as they will give you the highest ‘tourist price’ first. However, learn how to haggle in a respectful way, and keep in mind that the business is a livelihood for your vendor, so although you don’t want to get overcharged, don’t be cheap about it. Remember that although haggling is the norm in souks, it’s not in restaurants or businesses with set prices listed.

We recommend doing a ‘no spend’ day at the souks if you have the time, being able to wander through and see what normal or average prices are for the things you’re hoping to purchase. Then, when you go to actually shop, you’ll have an idea of what the average is and be able to haggle a lower price in a respectful way.

Do: Dress Appropriately

On a whole, Moroccan culture tends to be conservative when it comes to dress, especially for the likes of women. This will typically look like covering your chest, shoulders and knees (shorts are usually accepted, but make sure they come down to a respectable length), and even include covered footwear at times. Stray away from anything too revealing, including sheer, see-through or tight-fitting clothes, and these rules are especially true when visiting a mosque or holy site.

If you’re like me and used to colder climates, look out for some loose and breathable linen clothing within the souks when you arrive, they’ll help you combat the hot climates while still honouring the cultural norms.

Do: Respect the Call to Prayer

Wherever you stay in Morocco, as long as it features a mosque, you’ll hear the Islamic calls to prayer, called in Arabic Adhan/ Azan, that ring through the city streets and local villages five times a day.

Although life continues to go on during these times, you’ll notice many Muslims will stop to acknowledge the call, and/or will participate and perform the full prayer. As a visitor, you don’t need to do anything special, but certainly respect it with silence and quiet observation.

Do: Learn a few key words of the local language

A little will go a long way here! As we’ll mention below, English isn’t one of the official or even unofficially recognised languages, and very few people will know it, with the exception of tourism and hospitality business owners that cater to many English speaking visitors.

We found that even if you try to say a few words in the local language (which is Arabic), hello/ how are you/ thank you, etc. that they appreciate the effort, and may tease and correct you if said improperly, although not in an unkind way.

Do: Head out of Marrakech

Our overnight stay in the Sahara was such a magical excursion from the capital - we definitely recommend it.

As awesome as the capital is, try to get out of Marrakech if you can. After the sensory overload of the city, we found the coast to be much more our style, with adventure sports and a laid back atmosphere. Although we stuck south for our last trip, wanting to do the Atlas Mountains and Sahara (both of which were incredible), we have quite a few friends who prefer Northern Morocco, with Tangier being a quick ferry ride over from Spain, and Chefchaouen, with it’s blue-washed buildings, being a highlight for many.

Whether you do head south, north or make your way along the coast, definitely try to mix up your stay in Morocco, with the country being so diverse in its own right.

Do: Travel by bus and public transport

Although things can seem a bit chaotic within the likes of the city centres, especially within the context of traffic, the public transport and bus systems were surprisingly efficient, very cost effective, and clean. We relied on buses to get around during our entire time in Morocco and had only good experiences using them.

We used Marrakech Tickets, and it was an incredible service. We gave them all the info of where we wanted to go, available dates, and someone responded with times, trips and even provided photos of the various transport options.

DON’TS

Don’t make the mistake of spending your entire time in the capital- Morocco is tapestry of incredible places and is well connected through public transport.

Don’t: Publicly Consume Alcohol

Avoid Morocco if you’re looking for a boozy holiday. Although it is not completely prohibited, it can be hard to come by, with only a few local restaurants and off-licences that offer it, and expect comparatively high prices due to the tax they carry. This isn’t to say that you can’t enjoy a wine with dinner, or a beer at a live music bar on the coast, but just keep in mind that the prevailing cultural norm is to drink indoors, and typically, most licensed bars you’ll see will have no windows for this very reason.

It’s worth noting in this space that harder drugs are illegal, and can result in a hefty fine or detainment if you’re caught doing them. Depending on where you are, you may get offers of hashish, which typically seems to be more tolerated, but we don’t recommend it as it’s still considered illegal. If finding yourself tempted, just remember to be careful who you buy it from, with some sellers or locals known to take advantage of tourists who don’t know the law.

Don’t: Take Photos without Permission

Although many people will be absolutely fine with you taking photos of them or their products, just make sure you ask permission first. Don’t take it personally if they say no, and respect their decision either way. Our young server this night was more than happy for us to take a few pictures of him showing off his incredible tea-pouring skills!

Unlike other places in the world, where taking photos of goods, services and people is commonplace, always ask permission first in Morocco. This doesn’t extend to things like landscapes or buildings of course, but it is customary to ask if you can take a picture of a local vendor's shop, or to ask consent before taking a photo of someone. It is considered rude if you don’t adhere to it, and it’s not uncommon for people to get frustrated or even call you out if you’re taking unsolicited snaps.

This shouldn’t deter you from asking though, with many people happily posing for photos, and even happier that you were respectful enough to ask (much like our server above!).

Don’t: Follow ‘guides’ who pick you up in the souks

You may encounter people within the souks who offer to act as a ‘guide’ to help you find what you’re looking for. As great as it can be to connect with locals and heed their advice, avoid these particular ‘guides’. Some have a reputation for bringing tourists to places that they have already struck a deal with, and it can potentially result in an uncomfortable situation of being pressured into purchasing something. The other thing to consider is that the ‘guide’ may ask for payment once they have brought you to a location, and since a ‘service’ has already been given, it can be challenging to navigate.

If you need or want help navigating the souks, speak to your riad owner or consider a guided tour using an English speaking business with good reviews.

Don’t: Expect everyone to know and understand English

Keep in mind that unlike other non-English speaking countries, you’ll be unlikely to find English as a second language anywhere, even in locations that attract a lot of tourists.

Although English is a widely spoken language around the world, English is not the second or even the third language spoken here. Most locals will not know how to speak it, and some may get frustrated with English speakers who seem unwilling to even attempt to speak their language on their home turf (very understandable).

If you’re having a hard time picking up Arabic, dust off that grade school French and try that. Although it’s not an officially recognised language anymore (with its colonial ties etc.), many French immigrants still live here and some shopkeepers will be able to understand and communicate in French. As we mention above, picking up a few local words will go a long way.

Don’t: Engage with the animal vendors at the markets and souks

You’ll notice at some of the souks and especially at the Jemaa el-Fna a few animal vendors like monkey handlers and snake tamers. Apart from the animal exploitation and inherent cruelty that goes along with some of these practices, know that if you engage in any way with them, that you’ll later be charged for it. This can get to be a pretty tricky situation as not agreeing to a price beforehand can lead to one being set by the sole discretion of the salesperson.

This also goes without saying, but be wary about interacting with any wildlife, wild or tamed, that you encounter in Morocco. Rabies is endemic in most provinces, so if you don’t have your shots (or even if you do), it can lead to a less than ideal travel story.

Don’t: Rent your own vehicle (depending on where you’re headed)

If you can believe it, this photo was taken on our journey into the Atlas Mountains in Southern Morocco. Although you won’t get this snow all year round, it gives a good idea of what the roads can be like. Tread lightly if you are planning on self-driving here and know before you go.

Take this recommendation under your own discretion depending on your comfort level, experience, and where you’re headed. Know that some of the roads leading into more remote parts of the country are far from your standard highways and can be quite perilous. If you are heading out into more mountainous or remote terrain, consider booking a tour company that offers round trip transport, or use public transport to your advantage- as we mentioned above it is very affordable and efficient.

This being said, if you’ll feel more comfortable renting your own vehicle and it’s part of the experience you want, go for it. If you do choose this option, we’d definitely advise getting a good idea of where you’re headed and to be prepared for whichever roads you’re about to drive on. There will be a huge difference between driving to the coast from Marrakech or Fez (which is fairly straightforward and has multiple places to stop off) than journeying into the Atlas Mountains (see above), where our driver navigated some pretty narrow roads on cliff sides that competed for space with similar traffic to that within the city.

Don’t: Forget to bring required medication

If you find yourself needing it on the road *touch wood*, navigating emergency services, written prescriptions, and/or understanding doctors can be challenging in any non-English speaking country. Although this is not completely unique to Morocco, we found it to be one of the places where it was even more true, with translators hard to come by in comparison with European and some Asian countries, and written Arabic difficult to decipher if you do not know the language.

This tip is one of our biggest pieces of advice for preventing travel mishaps (a post all about them is coming out next month), and because of my misadventure in Marrakech, I thought it relevant to put here in particular. The combination of a shift in air from the Highlands to the city streets, along with my severe allergy to cats (and no idea how many strays there would be), I found myself in the emergency room, with an IV and oxygen mask and later being given a prescription for some gnarly steroids and inhalers to use for the rest of my trip (ah, the glamours of travel). Now, I never travel without antihistamines, antihistamine ointment, and an inhaler, and it’s saved me in a few instances.

Know your tendencies toward travel ailments and bring the right stuff!

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Travelling Morocco was one of the most significant culture shocks we’ve experienced, but in a largely positive way. For us, it’s definitely one of those places where we’ll return in shorter increments rather than longer term stints, each time getting a better lay of the land. All in all, it was one of the most unique trips we were able to take, and we definitely recommend it for those looking to immerse themselves in a different culture.

If you’ve travelled Morocco, did you agree or disagree with our list? Anything you would add or take away?

Happy Adventuring,
Sam

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