After spending eleven days in Morocco, we came up with 20 vital 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.
We will walk you through 20 steps that helped us to make our time in Morocco more comfortable.
As a frame of reference, we booked everything on our own and were not part of a tour group. The only part of the excursion that we experienced with a tour group was the Sahara Desert. We stayed in two hostels, one riad, and two hotels (Best Western and Sheraton Casablanca).
In order to get around we rented a car, and used Yelp and other travel blogs to find restaurant recommendations.
Cities visited include: Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes, Marrakesh and some smaller cities on the way to the Sahara Desert; including Ouarzazate.
1. 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, 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 Marrakesh, as it’s a tourist city.
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 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 Heritage Hamman in Marrakesh for a luxury experience.
4. 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 is 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.
5. Do carry cash
It’s hit and miss finding establishments that take credit cards. Most gas stations did, but some did not. Same goes for the hostels and restaurants. If you rent a car, you will need cash for tolls.
6. 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.
7. Don’t eat from the food stalls
Unless you are OK with eating food that has flies on it.
Only recently did Morocco implement a rule that food vendors had to wash their hands before handling the food.
We have sensitive stomachs so we stayed away to air on the side of caution.
8. Do book a Sahara Desert Tour
Just make sure it has reviews and is not dirt cheap.
The fact that you get to sleep in the middle of one of the largest desserts in the world is incredible. You feel so small and get amazing pictures.
However, 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.
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.
9. Don’t text while driving
If you rent a car, be aware that people dart out into the streets and do not use the cross walks, so pay attention when driving.
10. 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)
11. 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 is enough to give them for a few squares.
12. 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 back splash.
13. Don’t expect to find air conditioning
Most hostels, riads, and restaurants do not have western air conditioning. Their idea of AC is a fan.
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 literally 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.
14. 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 to $0.10 – $0.20 in the US) is enough to get them to remove the item.
15. 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.
16. 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.
17. 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.
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 and L’Etoile Centrale in Casablanca.
18. 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!
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 on Day 5 and bought a pool day pass for €40 each.
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. Do accept the fact that you will be scammed at some point
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 as 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 do you say… no problem!
