Morocco solo female travel: is Morocco safe for female travelers in 2023?

Morocco solo female travel: As a woman living in Morocco, I often get asked if Morocco is safe for female travelers. This is a complicated question to answer. I’ve written about being a female expat in Morocco, but traveling is slightly different.

Part of me wants to say, “yes, of course, Morocco is safe; anyone who doesn’t think so is just being dramatic.” There’s another part of me that knows this is not true. Morocco has an infamous reputation, along with Egypt, of being two of the most unreasonably aggressive countries towards female travelers worldwide. It would not be very reasonable of me not to acknowledge this fact because it’s a reality I deal with every day living here.

Let’s discuss the reality of Moroccan solo female travel, if it’s safe to travel to morocco alone as a woman, whether it’s worth it, and how to stay safe if you choose to make the journey as a single female traveler to Morocco.

Morocco solo female travel: is Morocco safe?

First things first, let’s talk statistics. Is Morocco safe? Morocco ranks 74th on the 2022 Global Peace Index, which determines the safety and peacefulness of all the world’s countries. This means that Morocco is safer than 90 or so global countries. Morocco doesn’t have guns and is an Islamic country, meaning alcohol and illicit drugs are quite rare.

That being said, overall safety statistics don’t mean much for the average woman, as many of us know, because general safety doesn’t account for how women feel, how safe we feel, or if crimes against women go unreported unaddressed by the government.

If you go into any foreigner or international travel group and search, “Morocco solo female travel,” you’ll find some unfortunate and harrowing stories from other female travelers who experienced the main problem that Morocco has when it comes to women: harassment. Harassment is a huge problem for all women in Morocco, from the time they’re young to the time they’re elders.

Sometimes this harassment is simply catcalling, whistling, or making annoying clicking sounds at women as they walk by, and sometimes it’s a lot more extreme, like groping, following, touching, and other unwanted sexual advances. I have personally been grabbed, followed, yelled at, spit on, and had trash thrown at me, and other awful experiences as well living here in Morocco.

While I don’t think that Morocco is particularly unsafe, even compared to western culture, it’s definitely significantly more uncomfortable than the majority of travel destinations, in my opinion. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t visit morocco. There are a lot of amazing cultures and experiences and beautiful nature to see and tons of awesome things to do, but women do have to take extra precautions when engaging in solo female travel in Morocco.

How to stay safe on your solo female travel to Morocco trip

Morocco solo female travelers should be RUDE

I know this sounds weird, but we as women are socialized to be “nice.” Polite. Don’t make waves, don’t cause problems.

Morocco is not a place for that.

Before you go anywhere, make sure you know your boundaries.

This may sound like a no-brainer, but it’s important to remember that if something doesn’t feel right with the situation or someone, say no and leave. There’s nothing wrong with being assertive and standing up for yourself—you can always leave a place if you don’t want to do something or are uncomfortable. If anyone makes you feel uncomfortable, call out their behavior or walk away; this isn’t an invitation for them to follow along!

Morrocan culture is not western culture. People can be nosy, watch you relentlessly, demand money or your number or sex, or otherwise cross boundaries with practically no consequences. When you’re engaging in Morocco solo female travel, you have to protect yourself and your boundaries by not giving into politeness.

Someone wants you to follow them? A firm “no!” is better than doing what they want out of politeness and getting mugged in an alley or worse. People are persistent and will try and embarrass you or get loud to get you to buy from them or follow them: don’t be polite.

This will likely take practice and may seem very weird or uncomfortable for a lot of Western travelers. But just remember, your safety is more important than other people’s feelings. Especially as a single woman in a largely patriarchal, male-dominated society. Especially when you don’t know the language and the culture. Many women have been put in terrible, potentially life-threatening situations because they didn’t want to appear rude.

Forget that. Be rude.

Ignore people harassing or bothering you

As someone who lives here, I wear noise-canceling headphones, 100% of the time when I’m out of the house. Sometimes people are wanting to bother me, wanting to flirt, wanting money, or my attention for some reason, but that’s not my problem. I put in my noise-canceling headphones, turn on a podcast, and pay absolutely no mind to anybody.

I don’t make eye contact, I don’t look at anybody trying to approach me, I just keep my head down and walk. I still have people get in my path and try and force a conversation, but this is much rarer than when I would walk without headphones.

What to wear in Morocco as a woman

Morocco isn’t the West. Yes, we want to be ourselves and be free and liberated, but safety is more important than that. Some Moroccan women wear halter tops, skirts, shorts, and even bikinis. But this is their country and they have families and neighborhoods to look out for them and keep them safe. During Morocco solo female travel, women do not have that luxury and should not take those kinds of risks (in my opinion).

Some tips for dressing in Morocco

• Don’t wear revealing clothing.
• It’s a good idea to keep your shirts long enough so that you can pull them down if you need to cover up your arms, shoulders, or legs in the event that there’s an uncomfortable amount of attention being paid to you.
• If necessary, bring a shawl or scarf with you that can be used as modesty cover-ups when needed.
• Don’t wear short shorts or skirts/dresses/etc.
• Don’t wear a bikini or other skimpy bathing suit while swimming in Morocco.
• Loose-fitting clothing is your friend and always cover your butt. My best advice.

Read more of our advice on what to wear in Morocco.

Hire a guide

The unfortunate reality is that traveling alone as a female in Morocco is not necessarily safe. Maybe in Casablanca, Tangier, Rabat, and Marrakesh, you might be fine. But if you plan to go to the Sahara, smaller cities, or anywhere else that isn’t one of the major cities, you’re probably going to struggle with the language, the culture, or just dealing with a predominantly male society.

A guide can help you navigate the trickier parts of Morocco solo female travel, like finding accommodations and good restaurants, transportation, and navigating aggressive salespeople. A good guide is one that comes highly recommended by other female expats who have used their services.

Be wary of Moroccan romance scams

Speaking of tour guides, don’t fall in love with yours!

The reality is, morocco is a hard place to live. Many, many, many young men want out of the country, and the quickest, easiest, cheapest way is through marriage and relationship immigration. Especially in tourism and the hotel industry, many young men are targeting western women for quick romances to secure a path to another country. Don’t fall for flattery, and keep in mind that many men will flirt with Westerners because they have ulterior motives.

As a solo female traveler in Morocco, you are the biggest target for these kinds of scams. If he seems too good to be true, he probably is.

To learn more about this, read our guide on Moroccan men’s red flags.

Bring your own toilet paper when walking out-and-about

This one is more about comfort than safety, but it’s important. So important that I’ve written a whole article on it. But the importance of bringing tissue with you wherever you go cannot be understated!

Morocco is still not a friendly place for women in public spaces in many ways, and one of the most obvious ways is the lack of available and clean bathroom facilities. Even when you can find a bathroom, often there will be no toilet paper available. This is such a frustration for women travelers, and I highly recommend you bring your own TP with you wherever you go.

Don’t let fear stop you from Morocco solo female travel

Morocco is a great place to visit, and if you’re looking for an exciting adventure with beautiful sights and friendly people, Morocco will not disappoint. Don’t let the fear stop you from going to a country like Morocco! Just practice, universal safety precautions, dress conservatively, be aware of your surroundings and stand your ground.

What are your thoughts on Morocco solo female travel? What’s your advice for staying safe? Do you have a guide service that you’d recommend to other Morocco solo female travelers? Share below!