10 essential Morocco travel tips
Last updated on February 3rd, 2026.
There are two sides of a coin when visiting a country for the first time.
Like most travelers, I choose to see the good but sometimes it’s hard to miss the not so good things.
And after a 14-day trip to Morocco, I want to share the top 10 Morocco travel tips that we picked up along our journeys.
10 essential Morocco travel tips
1. Make sure you have a pen
This might seem like an odd tip to begin with, but it's one that you'll (hopefully) thank me later for.
When you arrive at Marrakech Menara airport you’ll need to fill out an immigration form as standard. What wasn't standard, is that there were no pens at the stands with immigration forms.
Long wait
Unknowingly, many people went straight to the immigration counter, only to be told that they needed to fill out a form first.
With no pens in sight, the situation turned a bit chaotic with travelers searching frantically in their bag for one. Bringing your own pen means enjoying a calm arrival, and with no delay in exiting the airport.
2. Many Moroccans are multilingual
The main languages they speak in Morocco are Arabic and French.
I also came across many Moroccans (mainly men) that spoke fluent Spanish and Italian — and better than English. There are many that speak (broken) English, but if you know any of the above, you’ll have a slight advantage in communicating better.
3. Negotiate prices for taxis in Marrakech
In Marrakech, the taxis are yellow and come in different forms.
When hailing a taxi we never once saw a meter. Instead, we negotiated a price before getting in.
On the one occasion when we didn’t do this, the driver cheekily asked for €20 for a 10-minute ride. Naturally we said no, as by this point, we already knew how the taxis worked in Marrakech.
Taxis also aren’t as cheap as you might think. If you do find Uber services available, be sure to check their prices first.
4. Taxi drivers in Fes are unhelpful
When visiting Fes, it's unfortunate to say but we encountered several unhelpful taxi drivers during our stay.
On one occasion, one driver refused to take us to the Old Medina from the new city (about 6 minutes' drive).
Another dropped us off at a random place nowhere near our requested destination. We ended up having to walk another 15 minutes before we arrived at the location.
In spite of telling the driver that we'd pay more for him to take us closer, he wasn’t willing. On the plus side, taxis in Fes do have meters so there's peace of mind that they won't (try to) scam you.
Map of Morocco
5. Driving in Morocco isn’t for the faint of heart
We spent the majority of our trip doing a road trip around Morocco.
As incredible as it was visiting other places, I’m grateful that my husband was the one behind the wheel. We came across plenty of unruly and chaotic drivers especially when in the cities.
If you also plan to hire a car, pay close attention to the vehicles, bicycles and horse and carts in Marrakech.
Another thing we noticed while in Morocco was that many people don't seem to look when crossing the streets. We saw at least 3 road accidents during our travels.
6. Keep eye contact to a minimum
Whenever I’m in a new city (and even at home), I always pretend I know where I’m going.
It makes no difference that inside I'm silently shaking and quietly freaking out. Pretending you know where you are, or where you're going, is a sign of confidence, and one I use often when traveling.
Whether walking in the Old Medina or driving in the car, I advise keeping eye contact to a minimum.
While on our way to our riad in Fes, 3 men acting as 'parking guides’ wouldn't leave us alone. The staff at our riad later told us that there was a secure parking for hotel guests.
Also in Fes, we were also sworn at by 2 young boys simply because we politely declined their help.
The exception
If you're prepared to pay for such 'tour guide' services, then clearly you need to make eye contact.
In our case, we didn't want anything and began feeling overwhelmed by the constant repetitive questions.
7. Don't open your window, or stop for anyone, when driving
This might sound like another odd tip, but it's based on an incident we had on the way to Merzouga.
We'd one occasion in the car where we came to stop at a junction. Out of the blue, a guy (not police) walked out in front of our car waving for us to stop.
Our mistake
We made the mistake of rolling down the window to talk to him. He began telling us that there were two ways to Merzouga though our GPS only showed us 1.
We didn't know how he knew where we were going, but he kept trying to convince us to take his route. Needless to say we didn't take him up on his offer.
After 5 minutes of trying he eventually revealed his true intentions. When he realized we weren’t buying his story, he asked if we could take his friend to Merzouga.
A random and strange request, we declined and continued on our journey.
8. Hitchhiking is common
The above point made perfect sense when we found out that hitchhiking was very common in Morocco.
I don’t know if it’s legal, but we saw many people, including young children, trying to hitchhike. Again, I’d advise you not to pick up anyone.
9. Alcohol isn't easily available
Bad news if you enjoy a glass of wine with your dinner.
In Morocco, if a riad, hotel or restaurant is in view of a mosque, there’s a high chance they won't sell any alcohol.
We found this out the hard way during our trip to Essaouira. In one restaurant we asked for some wine and the manager gently shook his head.
It was another Western couple who explained about the mosque being nearby, so no-no to alcohol. However, that’s not to say you can’t buy your own.
We didn’t see any shops selling alcohol only chain supermarkets like Carrefour. If you want to drink alcohol in Morocco, make a stop and stock up while you can.
10. Allow enough time upon departure
If you depart Morocco from Marrakech Menara, allow yourself plenty of time to get to the airport.
I say this, because there’s a bag check before entering the terminal building and lines build up quickly.
This is on top of having to fill out another form for immigration plus the usual security checks. I counted at least 4 before arriving in the departure lounge.
Bonus Morocco travel tip
Dress accordingly. As a woman, I always ensure to respect the dress code and culture of any destination I visit. Knowing what to pack and making a packing list for Morocco can be helpful.
What do you think of these Morocco travel tips? Have you been here? Are there any others that you'd add to the list? Let me know in the comments below.
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what to do in and around Rabat?
Hi Sally, please read my standalone post on Rabat: https://www.followingtherivera.com/2017/12/05/visiting-rabat-morocco-in-1-day/ thank you.
thank you so much for your great blog I like it , this blog has great information about my country morocco.
Thank you!
Thee are excellent tips! I usually follow them when I travel. I am loving the lazy taxi drivers!
Lol it's not as great when you're there! Thanks for commenting
Wow! Nice tips there's always a danger in traveling to foreign places glad you shed some light by sharing your experience.
Thank you. I'm happy to share my experiences 🙂
That seems like such an amazing place! These tips are very helpful and ones I would not have considered. Like the chance of lazy taxi drivers!
Lol and we passed quite a few while there!
these are great tips for traveling to Morroco. i'v always wanted to go
Thank you, I hope you do one day!
Morocco seems like such a beautiful destination! I'd love to see it one day!
I'm certain you'll love it 😀
Ooooo so many helpful tips!!! I can only hope my travel ventures take me to Morocco one day!
Lol so do I Courtney! Thanks for your comments
What a detailed guide! All too often people share the good parts but don't talk about the bad parts and what you should do to avoid these so thank you for sharing these and advising people as such!
Thank you! I think it's so important to share even the not so good points of a destination, you find them everywhere!
Wow, such a detailed post that would be so helpful to plan a great trip to Morocco. Loving the pictures so much.
Thank you, I hope you visit one day
The pen tip is applicable to Thailand too, I had to fill in a form which I had no idea of. The part of eye contact and while driving reminds me of India, it's harsh but it's how it is, better to know than have a bad surprise.
Thanks for sharing your experience, good to know it's not just Morocco!
I would love to visit such a beautiful place, Morocco's colors have always stood out to me
It's an incredibly colorful country!
Great tips. I would love to visit Morocco one day. Beautiful photos too.
Thank you! I hope you get to visit one day too
Yes, travel
Avoiding the hardest holes
Without this, you fall into your fears
Kindly smoke-free with love
Softly travel
Slowing down and then accelerating!
I love your travel stories!
Thank you Cristina, I appreciate your comments!
These are great tips for first timers. Its quite helpful. I am amazed to find out the unavailability of pen at the immigration counter. Also, I was not even aware that hitchhiking is common in Morocco. Thanks for sharing these valuable tips.
Bringing a pen is something I highly recommend to first-time travellers!
Really hoping to go to Morocco some day soon! Some awesome tips here for newbies. A lot of these I would have never even thought to consider. Sad to hear about some of the negative aspects of traveling here though 🙁
It exists unfortunately, but you should go, it's an incredible country!
Super tips Lisa! As a rule, once I leave the USA I make no eye contact until in another Western nation LOL. Here in New Zealand, no worries. Eye contact and smiles. But in developing lands, especially in tourist areas, eye contact invites folks desperate for money to pitch you on getting the money. I've compassion for their plight but keep walking. Eventually, folks the world around will understand the best way to make money is by treating people like human beings, not walking ATMs hehehe.
Ryan
Thanks Ryan for your comments! Haha, yes, it's not a tip I'm happy to endorse, but unfortunately after spending some time in Morocco, I just preferred not to receive any hassle 😀
These are very helpful tips for the first timers in Morocco. Driving in Morocco sounds like quite a scary experience. And yes, not making the eye contact and pretending to be confident is a great tip. We have applied it in Bangkok to avoid a lot of scammers acting as guides. The lazy behaviour of the taxi drivers is not something new. You may find such drivers in other countries as well. Morocco is on my bucket list and your tips would really help when I'll plan my visit.
I'm so happy to read that! Yes, lazy taxi drivers do exist around the world, but I felt it was my duty as a blogger to call the Moroccan ones out 😀
These are great tips for visiting Morocco. It might sound silly, but the tip about the pen is super helpful to avoid standing in long lines and wasting time at the airport. I also agree with avoiding eye contact and acting like you know where you are going with confidence. It's aggressive out there!
A pen is something most people forget to think about! And confidence is so important when going anywhere foreign; I've almost mastered it!
Excellent guide and tips for first-timers into Morocco. Berber is actually one of the main languages there as well. It's the native language of the local Berbers which are a pretty large population. I would also recommend that women wear clothing that covers the body and not as revealing as we might in other countries. A pair of shades helps with the eye contact issue. And the bus systems are a lot more honest than the cabs. Cabs are also sold by the seat, so unless you're willing to pay more, you will usually end up in one holding about six sometimes 7 people. Oh, and no license needed for alcohol. I could go on, LOL. We spent 3 months there! It's an amazing country!
Thanks Heidi, I can tell you loved it there! And thanks for the heads up on the Berber language; I forgot to include it.
What an important list to read before heading to Morocco or, really, to any other country for the first time! Your advice to look/act confident is so necessary- it's amazing what a strong walk and a straight gaze ahead can signal! Though I certainly lack the language skills to comfortably travel to Morocco, I'd still love to experience it. One day!
I promise you'd still have a good experience there, but being confident really works wonders!
This was very helpful and real post. I have noticed a lot of airports do not provide for pens to fill immigration forms. . think I will avoid driving. And yes, thanks for letting us know that its not a great idea to make eye contacts or keep the windows of cars open.
You're welcome! I just want other first-time travellers to be aware of what to expect in Morocco.
Yeah, I think you offer some solid tips here. It's funny, I was travelling as a male with my girlfriend so a lot of this I didn't experience, but I have heard so many stories from female travellers, and I think your article would have been seriously useful for them before heading off, so thanks for putting this together!
Thanks Chris, that's so encouraging to read! Yes, us females have it harder travelling than you guys. These tips are designed to help other first-timers 😀
Wow, wonderful tips I would have never know - have a pen for the airport forms, negotiate the taxi rate before the ride, and avoid eye contact. Thank you for this well-detailed article.
You're welcome Jamie! I wanted to share these as others going may not realise the small basics if visiting for the same time.
That’s very useful information. It’s weird that the taxi drivers refused to go. But then I have suffered some myself in other countries. Another surprise t me is that it’s hard to find alcohol!
It was very hard to find alcohol! I'm not a huge drinker, but a nice glass of Moroccan wine wouldn't have gone amiss!
Wow how daring your partner was for driving! I don't think I could handle the driving in Morocco...and even most of the Middle East. Interesting that you met a number of people who spoke fluent Spanish! I knew French and Arabic were predominant languages, but totally interesting that some speak better Spanish than English. I hope to one day make my way to Morocco - it's so high on my bucket list!
I'm so happy he wanted to, as I would have had a complete meltdown, and probably ended up in a Moroccan jail haha. Yes, their grip on languages is very impressive. I'd still urge people to visit, just read these tips first!
Morocco has long been in my bucket list. Your blogpost just made it easier for me to frame my travel plans. It is a good read, thanks for writing.
You're welcome! I hope my tips help with your first trip there.
I've been wanting to visit Morocco for a long time now, thank you for the amazing tips! I can't believe they don't have extra pens lying around- I can only imagine how hectic it gets in there. I don't speak Spanish, French, Italian, or Arabic... guess I'm all out of luck haha! Good to know that making eye contact can bring you unwanted trouble
You're so welcome! It's an amazing country, but I wanted to share what I learned with others who've never been before. Lol they do speak English, but knowing some of the others can help too 😀
Morocco is indeed beautiful. I've been wanting to visit here. Since its in Africa, last time when I thought of booking my ticket, I realized I need a separate visa to head here. Hope I'll manage to go in 2018. Great tips indeed. I'll keep in mind when I venture.
I hope you get to visit, it's so worthwhile. Just make sure to read my tips before you go!
YES on the pen tip! Having to go through customs and fill out forms without one is such a pain. Don't think I would be able to drive in Morocco, haha. Would still love to visit one day!
You're welcome! It was quite annoying having to walk all the way back to the end of the hall to fill out the form and find there were no pens!
These are all great tips, cause I had no idea about some of these!
The people stopping in the middle of the street to get your attention, is scary!! I would probably freak out haha.
Looking back I did feel quite nervous, especially when you don't speak the language and are in a foreign place.
Great tip about the pen, I would probably be caught out without one. I have always been interested in visiting Morocco and my friend goes annually, has warned me about the roads and says she has not been brave enough to drive there yet.
Your friend's right! It's not for the faint-hearted so she's right to be weary.
Morocco is among the countries that we want to visit if we get the chance to travel abroad. Morocco has amazing mountainous landscapes what we like to trek and explore.
Yes, there are many places to trek and hike, it feels almost endless! Hope my tips help you if you ever get there.
I had to laugh at the mentality of the guy who stopped your car by standing in the middle of the road before carrying on with his set of directions and wanting you to give a lift. I'm sure it was annoying at the time but it just appealed to my sense of humor. Some of the stories you hear about the roads and the driving that occurs in some places makes you wonder how people survive!
I know right! I understand it's our nature and nurture where we learn our customs, values etc, but this incident was just too much!
Countries of Middle East intrigue me. I have only been to Jordan in Middle East. Morocco seems very interesting. I am surprised to learn that locals can speak French, Italian and Spanish.
Well Morocco is in Africa, not the Middle East. It was a French colony and is still a protectorate of France so everyone speaks French. Many also learn Spanish and Italian in school.
You have a good list of tips here and I wished I had read something like this before I went to Morocco years ago. That is bad about the cab drivers in Fes, I dislike lazy people and I can't believe they refused to take you. I never knew about the alcohol not been available until we arrived as well and it was my birthday, so I was looking everywhere for a drink.
Oh no, I really feel for you! Morocco is such a beautiful country, and for your birthday, it would have been nice to have had a drink! Thank you for your great comment, I just wanted to share my tips in the hope that it helps others travelling there for the first time.
You have listed very useful tips on Morocco. As I always wanted to visit Morocco because it is so colorful and vibrant, so your guide is very helpful regarding safety and not mingling much with local guys. Pretending to be confident and not making an eye contact is the best way to tour around in an unknown territory. Thanks for sharing useful information.
You're welcome. I hope you remember it when you do make it to Morocco!
This is such an interesting perspective on the country. I have a friend who lives in Morocco so if I go I plan to take her along as my guide. But good to know these things in advance.
Thanks Sherrie, I hope you get to visit for yourself one day!
This is one of the most helpful posts about Morocco I've seen! I mean, from your first tip about bringing a pen for those immigration forms! I hadn't thought about eye contact when traveling, but now I'll be sure to act like I know where I'm going. I'm not a fan of pushy people.
Thanks Marcie, I really appreciate your feedback. Bringing a pen is something I usually do, but not on this occasion and we were so delayed! That said, they may start providing some if enough people say something!
These are amazing tips Lisa! I also pretend or try to look like I know where I am when I am travelling in a new country, especially alone. i think scamsters do look for signs of nervousness. Your photos are great and good to know about that pen in the airport and the taxi info!!
Aww you're really welcome Bee! You're so right about scamsters looking out for the nervous ones. Even if you really stick out in the crowd, always pretend you know where you're going 😀
Great tips! I have not been to Morocco, but it is on my travel wish list. I would definitely brush up on my French before a visit. I am still torn on dealing with the crap taxis or car hire, both sound frustrating.
Thank you! Yes, it's not a great choice unfortunately. You can also try researching for a driver; but again this can be hit or miss!
Oh lord, I can't even imagine renting a car in Morocco! Sounds so stressful. We stuck with buses and taxis lol, plus one tour in the Sahara Desert. We have wonderful, vivid memories of Morocco, but it was definitely one of the more tiring trips we have taken!
I'm glad you said that Kate, because we felt the same way! It's a great country to explore but you really need to be prepared.
I've always wanted to go to Morocco but just haven't managed to make it yet! Thanks for the great tips, it actually makes me feel better about planning a trip on my own. I wasn't sure if I should put it off! I speak some Spanish so I would hope I would be able to get along ok. It sounds like you had a great experience there!
It's a great place Sonja, and you'll enjoy it. Do take care when travelling alone as a female. It's safe, but some of the men can behave differently around western females. Other than that, your Spanish will help you. And yes, I really enjoyed it!
A great detailed list of what to do and what not to do in Morocco. Going to any new place can be a little unnerving when you are unsure about the culture and traditions and this certainly helps. Coming from India i'm used to some crazy driving so whenever I do go to Morocco it would be interesting to see how they drive. Nevertheless, it is a really colorful part of the world I hope to visit some day.
Thanks Raghav, it means a lot especially as you're more familiar with some crazy driving conditions! It's a colourful and vibrant place and I still recommend it to anyone thinking of going!
It sounds like you had some real experiences in Morocco! I speak very bad French and no Arabic so was happy when I could speak with someone in at least Spanish. It makes learning another language worthwhile! For the taxis I found there were share taxis which sounds dangerous but is custom there. When the taxi driver was just doing his job and picking up anyone waving him to stop I believe they are less likely to over charge etc.. although if I was a single female I may not want to take a taxi with 3 men in it already!
Ha, I wouldn't either James! We did have one experience where our taxi in Marrakech tried to pick other tourists, but they said no. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
I've always wanted to go to Morocco and so I was curious to read this post. It's good that you shared about your experiences there too, not just about the highlights and beautiful sights. I was most surprised at that bit you shared that people would try and stop you in the middle of the road. That is scary!! It really is one of the challenges to traveling because you don't know the culture yet.
It was scary, and I'm glad I wasn't alone. The people for the most part are friendly, but some aren't aware how their behaviour comes across. I hope I haven't put you off as Morocco is wonderful.
First of all, I LOVE the layout of this post! Secondly, I wonder if you need an alcohol license to buy alcohol? My cousin and his wife had to purchase a license when they moved to Qatar to buy alcohol to have at home, and I've heard it's quite common in many Muslim-majority countries. Not that alcohol would stop me from going to Morocco- I'm definitely saving your tips for when I finally get to go! Thanks for wrapping it all up in one spot!
Thanks Deni! I'm so glad you like the layout, it takes me a while, but it's worth it. That's a very good question about the licence. I didn't hear anyone mention it, but will do some research and find out.
Boy, am I glad we spent just a day in Tangier. We were on a day cruise from Malaga, Spain. We had a guide. Thanks for these very useful tips for when we go back for a longer trip.
No problem Carol, happy to share. We didn't make it to Tangier, but I've heard good things about it.
I took Morocco off my bucket list because of safety fears but reading has been a little more at ease. This is a great list. Thanks for including out of the norm things that can be crucial to successfully traveling to this region.
Thanks Shannon. Honestly, it's very safe, we travelled around the whole country. It's just the small tips I wanted to share!
I’ve heard similar reviews from many other people about driving around in Morocco, and it’s not advisable because the local people drive like maniacs. As for taxi people being lazy or conning, I’m not surprised because we faced a similar situation in Turkey, drivers didn’t want to leave us to our final destination for some reason and just dropped us far away! These are some fantastic tips here, thanks for sharing !
You're so welcome! Sorry to hear you had the same taxi driver experience in Turkey; I'll remember that for when I go!
We plan to take a trip to Morocco early next year. this was very informative post in terms of dos and dont. have bookmarked it. thanks so much for sharing
You're so welcome Ritika, I hope you manage to use my tips when you're in Morocco!
Yup definitely not renting a car in Morocco haha. I'm already easily stressed out when I drive, so I think i'd completely freak out! But as of people not looking in the streets, or trying to act as guide ect, I've experienced this in many countries unfortunately. It can get super annoying especially if you just want to peacefully enjoy the city.
I'm like you, I couldn't have handled driving there, it was nuts! Yes, it happens everywhere, just something I noticed more regularly in Morocco!