Visiting Morocco? 12 Things to Know Before You Go
Morocco has been on my bucketlist for as long as I can remember. With all the colorful photos I’d seen on social media, I was so excited to finally cross this beautiful country off of my list a couple of months ago. As much as I loved Morocco though, it can be overwhelming at times to first time visitors. This is why I put together this list of tips to know before you go to Morocco:
1. Cash is king.
Don’t expect your credit cards to work in many places. Most places, including restaurants, take only cash, so make sure to have cash handy at all times. You can bring cash from home and exchange at the airport or at a “bureau de change,” which is a money exchange place. I also found that ATM’s are also very accessible throughout Morocco. In my case, they gave me the best exchange rate and lesser fees anyway. You will especially want to have cash at hand when shopping at the souks. Also, even if the shop has a sign on their door stating they accept credit cards, don’t count on it. Many times the connection is bad, so their credit card machines won’t work. Some places also may charge you a small fee for paying in card. Point is, just have cash.
2. Many Moroccans do not speak English.
You may have noticed the bit of French in the previous paragraph, and that’s because of the French influence in Morocco. Having been conquered by France in the early 1900’s, Morocco still has a lot of French influence even today. You’ll find that brushing up on some French will be beneficial. Though the official languages are Arabic and Berber, a good amount of Moroccans also speak French.
Though Morocco is a popular tourist destination, many of the Moroccans I came across spoke little to no English, especially in smaller towns. Luckily, I was able to remember some basic French from all the years I studied the language. In souks though, you’ll come across more people that understand English, but it will help to at least have a translator app on your phone at times.
French is also not the only language spoken in Morocco. As we moved to other parts of the country, I was surprised to find that Spanish was more widely spoken than French. There has also been Spanish influence in the country, so in cities further north like Chefchaouen, you will find that Moroccans there also speak Spanish. Even the street names and restaurant menus were in Spanish.
3. Alcohol is hard to find but you will find weed everywhere.
As is in other Muslim countries, alcohol is prohibited and is rare to find even in hotels. Very little establishments serve alcohol, as getting a liquor license is difficult and expensive. Also, don’t expect the drinks that you do find to be the same as back home. I don’t really drink, but I love my piña coladas! I finally came across a restaurant that served alcohol, but the piña colada I got turned out to be basically pineapple flavored water with a squirt of rum. Such a disappointment!
*Even the establishments that serve alcohol have more “PG” names of popular cocktails. One menu had listed the drink known to all as “Sex on the Beach” as just “On the Beach.”
Ironically, alcohol is prohibited but it’s way more common to find weed. Morocco is actually one of one of the top producers of hashish. I was quite surprised at the amount of people that came up to us to see if we were interested in smoking weed with them.
4. Moroccan food is quite repetitive.
One of the biggest disappointments for me was Moroccan food. For a country that is known for their spices, I expected Moroccan dishes to be spicy and flavorful. This may be unpopular opinion, but ironically, I found Moroccan food to be extremely bland for the most part. I ordered a pizza at one restaurant and had to ask for hot sauce to add some flavor. The “hot sauce” was more like tomato sauce.
The dishes are also very repetitive. I’m not picky when it comes to food and I’m very open to trying new cuisines, but I expected there to be more dishes like shawarma, pita, etc. However, a tour guide explained that Morocco is the only country in that region to not have been conquered by Turks, which is why you won’t find dishes like these here. Makes sense, but after a few days, I was tired of Moroccan food. There is only so much couscous and tajine a person can take. I even got food poisoning towards the end of my trip which was horrible. That, on top of the fact that I could not even smell another tajine made my food choices very limited. I spent the last couple of days in Morocco eating basically french fries and ice cream just to put something in my stomach.
That being said, don’t get me wrong. Not everything in Morocco was bad. I did enjoy their grilled meats (kefta) and their bread. I had so much variety of delicious bread! It’s a mystery I didn’t gain 50 lbs from eating all that bread. I also loved a Moroccan pastry known as “briwat”. It’s a triangular puff pastry stuffed with veggies, meat or cheese and you can find them at many of the food stands in the Medina. The fruit juice in Morocco is also some of the freshest and the best I’ve had. My favorite was the juice served at Jemaa El Fna square, where you will find tons of juice vendors competing for customers passing by. I highly recommend joining a food tour in Marrakech to try more “appetizer” type foods you won’t find in some restaurants.
5. General standards of dress are fairly conservative.
As I mentioned already, Morocco is a Muslim country, so you must be respectful of local customs and standards. For women, this means you should expect to dress on the conservative side. Don’t show cleavage, wear longer skirts, etc. While you may feel more comfortable covering shoulders, it can get super hot, so I suggest carrying a summer scarf to cover up when needed i.e. visiting mosques. While most cities are on the conservative side, I was actually surprised at how liberal things were in Marrakech. I still opted to dress conservatively here, but I saw lots of women wearing quite revealing clothing. I felt a little bit more comfortable not having to cover my shoulders in Marrakech, but make sure you are staying respectful when you are venturing out of the city center.
6. Don’t accept help from just anyone.
I had heard stories from people about scammers they had encountered in Morocco. I fortunately did not run into any scammers, but you will come across men that are willing to “help” you when lost and expect a tip for helping you afterwards.
When I reached Marrakech, I found that the riads were a bit confusing to get to and a random man approached me and asked where I was going. Assuming he was looking for a tip, I rejected his help but he still followed me around to try and help. I gave up because I was in fact very lost and could not find my riad, so I let him lead the way. Of course, he requested I tip him at the end. I gave him a small tip, as I did not ask for his help and he didn’t even help with my bags. He was a little annoyed that I didn’t tip him even more.
I encountered a similar situation in Casablanca in the souk. I was souvenir shopping and a shop keeper approached me asking if I needed anything else. I was on the hunt for an outlet converter, so I simply asked if he knew where I could find one. He led me all over the souk until I found one and eventually took me to his shop. Even though he insisted it was just to “look,” he wanted some kind of tip. He was super friendly and actually did give me a little tour through parts of the souk I didn’t even know about, so in this case, I had no problem giving him a tip.
7. Don’t expect things to be on time.
I’m a very patient person, but I quickly realized that people in Morocco operate on their own time. A lot of the restaurants I visited, I had to wait quite some time to be served and even to pay. Don’t visit a restaurant for lunch or dinner if you’re in a rush to get somewhere right after. Even in the riads, I had ordered breakfast and they took almost an hour to serve me.
8. You will get lost at some point in the souks.
The souks in Morocco are like mazes. You’re bound to get turned around at least once. While I was able to navigate the souk in Marrakech, I 100% recommend you visit Fes with a tour guide. Fes is home to the oldest and largest medina in the country. The medina is a labyrinth, and with hundreds of tight alleyways and dead ends, you will not have a clue how to get back where you started. Have a tour guide with you, as they have familiarized themselves with all the entries and shortcuts in the souk. Worst case if you are exploring the souks alone, you can always ask a local for help finding your way out … if you’re willing to tip them 😉
9. Be ready to haggle!
This is not just the case in Morocco, but really in any country you visit. However, especially in Morocco, know that prices are not fixed. Of course, vendors will want to sell you something at highest price possible, but be prepared to bargain. Ask for half of the price they give you and work your way from there. I always think about how much I really want the item, and if I would be willing to pay that elsewhere.
Most of the time, my haggling works right away, especially when I am bundling items. Sometimes, vendors don’t budge right away. The trick: walk away. 9 times out of 10, they will chase you down and give in to your price.
Another tip I learned along the way — don’t tell vendors you’re from the U.S. Many assume that all Americans have tons of money, and will try to sell you something at a ridiculously higher price than tourists from other prices.
Also, expect pushy vendors. I can’t tell you how many times vendors and restaurant workers would get in my face to try to sell me their products or get me to have lunch at their establishment. It’s common here, so get used to it, no matter how annoying it is.
10. Trips to the Sahara require time.
If you’re planning a trip to Morocco, the Sahara desert has probably crossed your mind. I had 4 extra days in Marrakech, but after doing research, I found that you need at least 3 days to really see the Sahara. I had other sights to cross off my list in Marrakech and actually getting to the desert takes time, so I wasn’t able to visit the Sahara on this trip. If you are short on time though you can still get that desert experience. You can take a day trip out to the Agafay desert, as it’s only about an hour outside of Marrakech.
11. Settle on a price before you get into a taxi.
Getting around big cities like Casablanca and Marrakech is quite simple actually. Petit taxis are everywhere and they are very inexpensive. However, many times, drivers don’t turn on their meters or they don’t function. If they aren’t willing to turn on the meter, give them your destination before you get in and agree on a price. If it’s worth it, get in, if not wait for the next cab and bargain. Also, taxis in Morocco operate somewhat like Uber pool, where they may pick up passengers along the way. Don’t expect to have the cab all to yourself. *A lot of taxi drivers also do not speak English, so have your address already set to show them.
12. Morocco is safe.
As a women, I felt completely safe walking around Marrakech by myself. I didn’t have to deal with catcalling and I never felt uncomfortable. Of course, in any place you visit you must exercise basic precautions, but Moroccans are some of the friendliest people I have come across during my travels. They have such a willingness to make your experience as comfortable as possible. All they want is to show off the best of Morocco to visitors and knock off any negative opinions people have about Morocco due to the media.
I hope these “know before you go” tips can give you a better understanding of what to expect in Morocco. My experience in Morocco was amazing, and if you’re reading this and thinking about visiting, I hope you can have the same wonderful experience I had. It’s a beautiful country full of color, culture and amazing people and I cannot wait to return someday!
If you’re looking for help planning your trip to Morocco and need a guide, feel free to reach out to my amazing Moroccan tour guide, Lahcen! https://lahcenmoroccotours.com/?fbclid=IwAR3jrUdwmDkE13ghbFCTXNU25fhf2TklYGE5MOQUgPXqbNriybiH7Oc7j9M
