Solo Travel Marrakech: How to Travel to Marrakech Alone

Solo travel in Marrakech is one of the most rewarding experiences. I’ve traveled to Morocco solo twice and both times I had the most amazing times. Morocco is easily one of my favorite travel destinations, even as a solo female traveler.

Bustling Marrakech is one of Morocco’s biggest cities, and it’s one full of life and character. Despite what you may think, it’s incredible destination for solo travelers. With its inviting atmosphere, surplus of visitors, and many things to do, don’t think twice about about doing a solo travel Marrakech trip. So, is Marrakech good for solo travel? Short answer, yes! Read along to help plan your Marrakech solo travel itinerary.

How to travel solo in Marrakech, Morocco

Follow this guide to make the most of your time in traveling solo in Marrakech while also staying safe.

Where to Stay in Marrakech

For Marrakech solo travel, I often recommend hostels. It acts like a headquarters for meeting other travelers — especially other solo travelers looking to explore the area together. They’re safe, fun, cheap, and in Marrakech most of them are beautiful riads.

However, as I’ve gotten older, I much prefer the privacy of a private room. That’s why I recommend this riad hotel to solo travelers to Marrakech. It’s centrally located in the medina and it’s been raved as “the best riad EVER for solo trips” as it has private rooms and dorms, so you get the best of both worlds.

Another option for accommodation is Couchsurfing. I’ve never couchsurfed in Morocco, but I’ve met other solo travelers who were staying with someone and had nothing but great things to say. The hosts were friendly, invited you for tea and dinner, and were all around polite.

Why stay in a riad? Riads are traditional Moroccan homes, often adorned with old-world tiling and stunning courtyards with pools or fountains. Staying in a riad in Marrakech will MAKE your trip. It makes every morning and every night a cultural experience.

Meeting people

Most solo travelers want to meet other travelers and locals. Sometimes people misunderstand solo travel as being completely alone, and as you know, this is not true. You’re only as alone as you want to be. The same applies for your solo travel Marrakech trip!

So, if you’re looking to meet people while traveling in Morocco, you’ll have no problems at all. Start by introducing yourself to the people in your hostel or riad. At breakfast or in the community rooms are great places to start conversation.

Another amazing way to meet other travelers (my personal favorite) is to use Couchsurfing. Couchsurfing now has a section on their app dedicated to meet ups. You don’t have to actually be a host or guest to use it. Just log into the app, go to the “hangouts” section and make yourself available to explore the area. You can join current hangouts, start your own, and message other travelers.

Tip: Keep in mind that you might encounter locals on the app, too. If it’s men seeking out foreign girls, I’m not sure I recommend meeting up with them alone. Plus, I would look through profiles and reviews before meeting anyone on Courchsurfing.

My last tip for meeting people while traveling solo in Marrakech, especially if you want to organically meet locals, is to talk to the salesmen in the souks and on the streets. If they strike up conversation, interact, engage, learn. 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. We became friends and met up several times throughout my second trip to Marrakech.

What to wear in Marrakech

When visiting Morocco, it’s polite to 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 questioning if Marrakech is safe for solo female travellers, keep modesty in mind. When locals spot a foreingn girl alone in their city, they may try to chat with you regardless. However, dressing with a conscious apporach to culture and customs will certainly help to deter some unwanted attention.

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. With Morocco’s hot sun, 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!

Read More: Things to Know Before Visiting Morocco as a Female

Things to Do in Marrakech Solo

There’s plenty of things to do in Marrakech for solo travelers. From wandering the souks to having a spa day, it’s easy to explore the city alone or with the new friends you meet alone the way.

Go for a hammam

Locals and visitors alike go mad for a hammam. It’s part of many Moroccan’s daily life. If you don’t know, a Moroccan hammam has two types: public and luxury. Public hammams are steam rooms where locals go to wash themselves. They enter and receive a bucket, mat, and exfoliating gloves. Men, women, and children all participate. They are divided for men and women to bathe separately. In Islamic culture women are typically fully covered in public, but at hammams they’re fully naked while spending hours chatting away with their friends.

Private hammams at a spa or hotel is a bit of a different experience. You change into a robe and paper underwear, have some tea, and then enter a steam room where you’ll get fully naked. A woman will rinse your body, rub you down with your soap of choice, and leave you to steam for a little bit. The woman returns with exfoliating gloves where she exfoliates your skin from the neck down. You’ll see your dead skin rolling up into little lines as the woman reveals your fresh layer of healthy skin.

Then, you’ll have your hair washed and then she’ll apply a black clay soap to your body and leave you again to steam. Finally, she’ll come back, rinse you off, and send you off to have more tea while you wait to either change clothes or proceed to a massage.

For some it may seem strange to get naked in front of stranger and have her scrub your body, but it’s a normal thing in Moroccan culture and absolutely worth it. Your skin will feel so soft and beautiful for weeks. Plus, it’s not very expensive. I paid 290 MAD for my hammam at Heritage Spa and I can’t speak highly enough about the professionalism and kindness of their staff.

Have tea and people watch

Sit at one of the restaurants or cafes in the big square Jemaa el-Fna and have a pot of fresh Moroccan mint tea and just enjoy the chaos before you. I do this regularly every time I come to Marrakech. It’s a great way to unwind and be a step away from the all the people who would be trying to get your attention.

Take a day trip

If you’re based in Marrakech for several days, take a day trip with one of many tour operators in Marrakech. You’ll easily find promoters on the streets selling tours to the Ouzoud Falls, Agafay Desert, Ourika Valley, Atlas Mountains, and my favoriet Ait Benhaddou to name a few. You’ll join a group of other travelers for these so it’s a great way to meet other travelers, too.

Bonus: these trips are so cheap. Usually you’ll pay less than 250 MAD. Don’t forget to haggle the price!

And if you don’t want to go searching for the tour promoters, you can book one of these tours below for a wonderful experience, still at buget-friendly prices.

Eat local food

The big square Jemaa el-Fna, comes alive at night with a vibrant atmosphere filled with the smells of mint tea, roasted veggies, and couscous. Walking through the stalls, you’ll be stopped by promoters convincing you to come eat at their stall. Each is essentially the same. #1 and #26 were great experiences for me, though.

The food is extremely cheap, delicious and filling. The stalls have tea, juice, couscous, tajine, and assortments of roasted veggies among other things.

There are also a lot of amazing rooftop restaurants in Marrakech that offer mesmerizing views and delicious local cuisine. Some will serve alcoholic drinks.

Visit the Bahia Palace

The Bahia Palace is a gorgeous palace in Marrakech boasting Moroccan tiles, beautiful architecture, and a stunning courtyard. The whole place is very minimalistic and a beautiful place to experience traditional Moroccan architecture.

Visit Le Jardin Majorelle

Located a little over 30 minutes walking from Jemaa el-Fna, Le Jardin Majorelle is a miraculous shady garden full of hundreds of plant species and hints of blue and yellow decor and traditional Moroccan architecture. You can spend hours wandering the different sections and scoping out all the types of cacti and other plants. It’s a peaceful escape for your solo travel Marrakech trip.

Wander around and shop

Part of the charm of a solo travel trip to Marrakech is wandering around the city. Explore the souks, scout out all the dreamy doors, and feed the cats on the streets. Spend hours shopping for natural cosmetics, tea pots, and whatever your Moroccan heart may desire. The beautiful thing about traveling in Morocco is that your money is almost always going into the hands of the locals instead of big business, so be a conscious traveler and support the locals by purchasing something during your trip.

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What’s your favorite part about solo travel? Let’s share in the comments below!

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