20 Vital Do’s and Don’ts to Help You Survive Morocco

Here are 20 vital tips to help you survive a trip to Morocco. Morocco can be overwhelming for a first-time traveler, but with these 20 dos and dont’s, you will travel like a pro.

These observations are solely my own, each traveler will have a different experience!

Woman standing in front of a brown doorway in Meknes Morocco

After spending ten days in this Northern African country, I came up with 20 do’s and don’ts to help you survive Morocco.

Morocco was absolutely an experience, both beautiful and challenging, but it was a journey of a lifetime. The people are so lively and the landscape takes you back to simpler times.

I will walk you through 20 steps that helped me to make our time in Morocco more comfortable.

As a frame of reference, I booked everything on my own and was not part of a tour group. The only part of the excursion that I experienced with a tour group was the Sahara Desert. I stayed in two hostels, one riad, and two hotels (Best Western and Sheraton Casablanca).

To get around I rented a car and used Yelp and other travel blogs to find restaurant recommendations.

Cities visited include:  Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes, Marrakech, and some smaller cities on the way to the Sahara Desert; including Ouarzazate.

Things to Do In Morocco

1. Do try a Hammam

We were told that a Hammam in Morocco was like a Turkish Bath.

Unfortunately, since we chose the budget hammam for €25 per person for a 30-minute massage and 30-minute hammam, we didn’t exactly get a hammam.

We were lightly rubbed down by two ladies blasting the songs Gasolina and Despacito, followed by them splashing some water on us; while giggling and smoking cigarettes.

We suggest paying a little more for a better hammam as not all hammans are what we experienced.

A lovely couple that we met from Georgia also suggested the Heritage Spa in Marrakesh for a luxury experience.

2. Do leave a tip

For restaurants, a tip of 5-10% of the bill is enough. There is no need to tip taxis, but you should round up to the nearest 5 dirhams on the bill for gas station attendants.

3. Do expect a merchant in the souk to place items on your head or body

Merchants are fearless and without asking first, they will place items on you such as a hat, a monkey, or possibly a snake; so be on the alert.

Giving them 1-2 dirhams (the equivalent of $0.10 – $0.20 in the US) is enough to get them to remove the item.

4. Do carry cash

It’s hit-and-miss finding establishments that take credit cards. Most gas stations did, but some did not. The same goes for the hostels and restaurants. If you rent a car, you will need cash for tolls.

5. Do be patient

In some areas of Morocco, business hours are not always what they say they are. You’ll be told souk merchants open at 9 am when they won’t open until 11 am.

You will be given a time of 20 minutes for your food to arrive, and it will not arrive for another hour. We found this to be true in hostels,  and in the city centers of Rabat and Meknes mostly.

Sahara Desert and Camels

6. Do book a Sahara Desert Tour

The fact that you get to sleep in the middle of one of the largest deserts in the world is incredible.  You feel so small and get amazing pictures.

Just make sure it has reviews and is not dirt cheap. Be wary of buying it when you get there. We had a rough experience, but that doesn’t mean all experiences will be like that. This tour here is one fellow blogger took and had an amazing experience.

If you leave from Marrakesh, it’s a 9-hour drive. Or you can fly into Ouarzazate and leave with a tour group from there, and take a 5-hour drive to the desert for most tours.

7. Do get used to hearing “No Problem” as a reoccurring response

We are not sure if it’s the language barrier or if it’s the relaxed attitude that the people seem to have, but it’s said A LOT.  We will give you two examples:

Us:  “Can we park at the hostel?”

Them: “Of course, no problem” (You arrive to find out that parking is not possible)

Us: “It’s 105 degrees in our room, do you have Air Conditioning per your website?

Them: “Of course, no problem”.  (You are given a fan and lay in sweat puddles for 3 days)

Rainbow Colored Toilet Paper

8. Do bring toilet paper or tissues everywhere you go

Most bathrooms will not have any toilet paper for two reasons.

The first is that the older generation does not use toilet paper but rather their left hand to clean themselves.

And second, it gives people a reason to make money as they will have somebody selling toilet paper at the entrance of each bathroom. 1-2 dirhams are enough to give them for a few squares.

9. Do be prepared to squat in the bathroom

You will come across a bathroom that has no toilet bowl, just a flat porcelain hole in the ground.

We suggest wearing closed-toe shoes when using these stalls to avoid backsplash.

Souk in Marrakesh Morocco

10. Do get lost in the souks

Google Maps is not your friend inside the souks, you will stress yourself out trying to use the map when it works about 50% of the time.

It’s more fun to get lost and just enjoy the craziness of the merchants bargaining and trying to get your attention to buy something.

11. Do eat a lot of tagine and couscous

Simply because you may have no other choice.

Tagine and Couscous are the main staples on Moroccan menus. When we asked if that is what Moroccans eat, they said: “Yes, of course, we eat tagine and couscous every day!”.

We had a tough time believing this, however. It’s not like in Thailand how Thai people eat Pad Thai every day!

But we went to six different areas of the country and searched high and low for other food besides Moroccan food and it was seriously a challenge.

The best Moroccan food we found was Nomad in Marrakesh.

Vegetables in a Tagine Bowl

12. Do brush your teeth with bottled water

This may not be an issue for everyone, but air on the side of caution when using tap water. Keep your mouth shut in the shower as well- no singing in the shower!

What Not To Do In Morocco

13. Don’t show your shoulders

You will see female tourists in short shorts and tank tops but don’t follow suit. Be respectful and cover up your shoulders and legs.

Men should dress conservatively as well, with no tank tops. It is acceptable for a man to wear shorts, but it is considered disrespectful for a woman to show her shoulders and below her knees.

Wear shirts with a sleeve, skirts or Harem Pants. The only city where we found it to be OK to show your shoulders was Marrakech, as it’s a tourist city.

Colorful Pottery in Morocco

14. Don’t be turned off by the bargaining

Moroccans sell by bargaining or what they like to call “push push”.

They bargain for merchandise and taxi ride prices. Do it with a smile and assume whatever price they start with, it will be less than half of the original price.

The only challenge we had was with taxis. They will drive away with the doors locked and not let you leave until the bargaining is over, so it can be intimidating; but just remember that this is just how they sell.

If you feel that you are in a situation where you are getting ripped off say just “I will call the police”.

This scares them off immediately.

15. Don’t expect to find air conditioning

Most hostels, riads, and restaurants do not have Western air conditioning, just fans.

If you visit in the summer it can be brutal. We stayed in a hostel when it was 105 degrees. It was so hot that we slept on the terrace with other guests just to try to stay cool. If you absolutely need AC, book a hotel to be safe.

We found this across the board when speaking to other budget travelers. The hostel will say they have it online, but they really mean they will provide a fan that blows warm air at your face.

16. Don’t eat from the food stalls

Only recently did Morocco implement a rule that food vendors had to wash their hands before handling the food. You will also see a lot of flies on the food.

We have sensitive stomachs so we stayed away from air on the side of caution.

Stell wire bridge in Morocco

17. Don’t text while driving 

If you rent a car be aware that people dart out into the streets and do not use the crosswalks, so pay attention when driving. Rent from a reputable company, like Avis.

18. Don’t drink the tap water

If you have a stomach of steel you may be in the clear. But if not, it’s a also good idea to avoid raw vegetables, lettuce, and ice just to be safe.

The Pool at the Sofitel Hotel in Morocco

19. Don’t be afraid to escape the crowds

If you are a budget traveler like us, you will stay in hostels.

But as noted earlier, no air conditioning in 105-degree heat, with the same choice of tagine and couscous for food options, and people constantly begging for money or bargaining with you, can get exhausting.

We treated ourselves and went to the Sofitel Marrakech Lounge & Hotel Spa on Day 5 and bought a pool day pass for €40 each. There were a lot of tourists from Portugal and Spain visiting.

The staff were kind, the hotel was impeccably clean and they had sandwiches and other non-Moroccan items on the pool bar menu to enjoy.

20. Don’t assume you are immune to being scammed

It happens to the best of us.

The scams come in different forms. Usually, they are an obvious scam with someone trying to show you the way and then not allowing you to pass them until you pay up (1-10 dirhams depending on the situation).

However, it may be a slicker scam than we encountered so be on the lookout.

Scams and bargaining seem like a way of life in Morocco but it also didn’t seem malicious, it’s just how the culture makes a living.

It’s how you say… no problem!

Hallway with Pink walls in Morocco

After meeting travelers and locals with different financial backgrounds and travel experiences, we found that you can experience Morocco in 3 very different ways:

The Budget Traveler

  • Stay in hostels, and riads, and purchase budget excursions.
  • Fully immerse yourself in the culture, food, and people while missing some Western luxuries.

The Mr. Money Bags Traveler

  • Stay in plush hotels, order car services to get you around, party in tourist nightclubs, and chill by the pool all day
  • Experience the Moroccan culture by visiting the souks or heading to the desert on a Sahara Desert Tour.

The Tour Group Traveler

  • Your schedule, hotel accommodations, and transportation are planned for you.
  • You are with the same people all week with little choice on where you are taken, but if you need Western luxuries, this is a better option.

We hope that this list gives you a start in helping you plan your Morocco excursion.

20 Tips for Morocco Travel

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13 thoughts on “20 Vital Do’s and Don’ts to Help You Survive Morocco”

  1. These are great tips! The tagine and couscous were definitely two of our favorites during the trip- and they were served everywhere! Thank you for the restaurant recommendation as well (via Instagram)- we didn’t have a chance to get there, but we’re saving it for our next trip!

    Reply
    • Literally served everywhere! You are very welcome for the recommendation and hopefully next time you can check it out. Loved your pics from your trip as well! Funny that we just missed each other.

      Reply
  2. So good! It’s amazing how much you don’t think about things like not having air con or covering your shoulders.
    Morocco is definitely on my list- even more so now 🙂

    Reply
  3. Great tips. Be careful also of the henna ladies in the Médina. They can grab your arm and say they will do a small sample and you can pay what you like. Before you know it they have done an elaborate design and are demanding 3 or 4 times the going rate.
    Do go in the spice souk. The sights and smells are amazing.

    Reply
  4. I really liked reading your article.
    I found your blog from a friend .
    Keep writing, you are doing a great job.
    hop to see you in Morocco

    Reply
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