Is Morocco Safe For Women? What to Know Before Traveling

After two solo travel trips to Morocco, it’s needless to say that I love this country. But I want to set the record straight about how to travel to this country as a solo female traveler. Is Morocco safe for women?

This article will prepare you for your trip and provide with the tips for how to make the most of your time in Morocco and what you can expect while you’re here. So, let’s get into it!

Is Morocco safe for women?

I have traveled to Morocco as a solo female traveler twice and had an AMAZING time. In terms of visiting Morocco as a woman alone, there were a few challenges. However, in geneal, Morocco is safe for women. You just need to be vigilant, ignore when necessary, and don’t follow “guides” offering to show you authentic places… They want to take you to a shop and convince you to overspend on their products.

Anywho, I’m going to share all the best tips you need to know when traveling to Morocco as a woman.

Tips for Visiting Morocco as a Woman

Make the most of your time in Morocco by following these essential tips for female travelers.

what to wear in morocco

Dress appropriately

You’ve probably heard it before, but I’ll say it too. Dress culturally and religiously appropriate. Morocco is a predominately Islamic country, and as a result women don’t show a lot of skin. They wear long-sleeved robes called kaftans that go down to their ankles or feet. This is commonly accompanied with a headscarf or niqab, but not always. Other women might wear long sleeved Moroccan tops and long flowy pants.

When visiting Morocco as a woman, you certainly don’t have to wear a scarf or kaftan, but you should wear longer skirts that go to your knees or below. You shouldn’t wear shirts that are too low cut either. I only say all this because, if you’re wondering “Is Morocco safe for women?” what you wear, unfortunately, does play a small role.

Morocco is a hot country and the sun is strong. Thin scarves and modest linen tops and flowy pants will go a long way in keeping your body cool and protected. For more tips on protecting yourself from the sun, see my article here!

Don’t fret if you don’t have a lot of clothing that fits this criteria. Marrakech and other cities are full of fantastic souks with dresses, pants, shirts, and hats at great prices. They make for easy souvenirs while also supporting the locals. You’ll also, in the end, be practicing conscious travel by putting your money in the hands of the community instead of big businesses.

It’s okay to ignore

You don’t have to say “No, thank you” or even acknowledge every salesmen, henna lady, or promoter you encounter on the street. It’s perfectly fine to simply ignore them. If you’re not interested in whatever they’re selling, you have no obligation to interact. Besides, imagine how tiring would be that be.

When men notice you as a foreigner, they may try to talk to you. So, feel free to ignore the “flirters” as well. Keep your head up and continue walking.

Tip: My local friend advised to minimize smiling and openness when in the souks or busy areas. You won’t be bothered as much and salesmen will be less pushy.

This tip is important especially with men who might make you feel uncomfortable. A lot of older local men don’t understand friendliness and smiling the way we do. They receive it as an invitation and assume you’re attracted to them.

Also, you might want to check out my guide on solo travel in Marrakech. You’ll find more tips and travel recommendations to help you plan an amazing adventure in Morocco’s most inviting city.

Haggle the right way

Most of the shops in the souks don’t have set prices. The salesmen will initially overprice you. It’s your job to talk them down to a fair price. Think of the price you’re willing to pay, but don’t say that price yet. Go lower. Then, the salesmen will suggest a different price. Then, you say the final price you’re willing to pay, and if it’s fair, they’ll generally accept it.

For example, there’s a lamp you like. The man suggests 200 MAD (20 euros). You know you wouldn’t spend more than 150 MAD for it. So, you suggest 100 MAD. He changes his price to 175 MAD. Then you suggest 150 MAD and he accepts the offer.

The roads are madness

Pedestrians, mopeds, cars, and cats all share the city streets here in Morocco. Basically, it’s mayhem. Be aware of mopeds zooming effortlessly through crowds of people — even carrying a family of four sometimes! It’ll take some time to get used to, but you’ll typically want to move to the right when you hear them coming.

Pedestrian crosswalks are sort of just there to suggest the idea that “maybe this is a crosswalk”, but don’t assume that vehicles and bikes will stop for you as soon as you hit that crosswalk because 99% of the time they won’t. You have to cautiously walk through and sometimes you’ll have to stop in the middle of the street as you await an opening from the other side of the street. It’s complicated, but just be alert.

Don’t follow people

In Morocco, sometimes adults and children will try to point you in a direction or tell you somewhere you should go discover. Don’t listen to them and don’t interact with them. They typically want to take you to a less safe neighborhood and they expect money for guiding you.

Tip: Always have a map with you. Even if you don’t have data or WiFi, with Google Maps you can download city maps and use them without any connection. It’s a life-saver!

Prepare for the worst, but don’t assume everyone is bad

I realize Moroccan men tend to have a bad reputation, but I want to set the record straight. I agree that some men don’t have the best intentions, which is why you should always prepare for the worst. However, many more Moroccan men are kind, harmless, and just want to get to know you and teach you about their country. It’s just that you always hear more about than bad rather than the good.

Be prepared for the worst and keep your guard up until you’re certain, but don’t assume that every man you meet is evil.

So, have the tea

This brings me to my finale piece of advice. When you enter stores in the souks of Morocco, many salesmen will ask you to have tea with them in the shop. If the salesmen seems interesting and isn’t giving you the “oh hell no” vibe, then have the tea. Part of being a true traveler is getting to know the locals. Share with them and they’ll share with you. They’ll teach you how to make a proper Moroccan mint tea and tell you stories of their culture and life. This is what traveling is all about after all.

I spent 2 hours in a spice and beauty shop talking to locals, learning words in Arabic, making proper tea, and sharing stories about our lives. I ended up buying a couple of products that I already knew I wanted before even walking into the shop and they gave me an extra gift for free for a fair price. Though as cheesy as it is sounds, the best gift was the 2 hours I spent talking and drinking with them.


So, there we have it! What do you think? Is Morocco safe for women? Share in the comments below!
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My Top Travel Recommendations ♡

These are a few of my top travel tips that will save you time and money while setting up for an AMAZING trip.

Booking flights: I almost exclusively use Google Flights. They have a cool feature where you can type in your departure airport and discover where you could fly within a certain budget. Otherwise, you can also compare airports and see what day is best to fly in/out to help you save money and have the most efficient flight path.

Travel insurance: SafetyWing is my go-to choice for travel insurance. They have a global policy that covers 180+ countries. You can visit any doctor, cancel anytime, and you’re even covered for a few weeks after returning to your home country.

Anti-theft bag: To help protect against pickpockets, I like to carry my beloved Travelon bag. It’s slash-resistant, has locked zippers, and is very sleek and functional for traveling abroad.

Accommodation: I love using Booking.com to find places to stay when traveling. Booking has everything from hotels and hostels to b&bs and entire house/apartment rentals.

Travel Credit Card: I love-love-love my Capital One Venture One credit card. It has a $0 annual fee and no fees when using abroad or paying in a foreign currency. Plus you get 20,000 bonus miles when you spend $500 in your first three months when you get this card.

Car rentals: I use DiscoverCars.com when renting a car. Great deals, customer support, and range of comapnies. You can save up to 70% via the website instead of booking a car directly.

Tours: I don’t travel on complete tours as I like to travel on my own terms, but I do like to book experiences and walking tours on GetYourGuide. They have an amazing line-up of things to do in destinations around the globe. You can also access skip-the-line tickets.

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Hi, I’m Christa! Welcome to my sustainable solo travel blog dedicated to inspiring others to travel slowly, embracing a heart-forward and spirited approach to adventure. 

-The Spirited Explorer

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