20 insider Morocco travel tips (from people who live here) 🇲🇦

Anas and I live here in the “Kingdom of Morocco” (yes, it’s actually a kingdom)! We’ve spent a lot of our free time exploring the beautiful and complicated country, both as a local who has always lived here, and an outsider who has made it home. Here are a few of our top Morocco travel tips for visiting this beautiful country!

Morocco Travel Tips #1: Learn a few Darija phrases

Many people in bigger cities like Marrakech and Casablanca will speak some English, but a surprising amount of people have English as their third or even fourth language. Darija (Moroccan Arabic), Modern Standard Arabic, Berber and French are more common than English. English is getting more popular, but relying on it is going to make your trip much harder. Knowing a few key Darija phrases will help you get around. Check out this page for a few helpful and polite phrases for getting around Morocco.

Travel Tip #2: Use cash, not credit cards

Many places don’t take credit cards still. Relying on credit cards at the souks or cafes is not a good idea, particularly out of the biggest cities.

But! Don’t get out more cash than you need, because getting Moroccan dirham OUT of the country is really difficult! If you can, just pull out the cash you need for a few days at a time.

Morocco Travel Tips #3: Hire a guide

You can certainly visit Morocco without a travel guide, but having one will help you navigate the often complicated cities. Most Moroccans only speak French and Arabic, which makes it sometimes difficult to even do simple things like order coffee or rent a room. A guide will help you with this, and often knows the best places to go and see. Check out our list of the best travel guides in Morocco!

Travel Tip #4: Get a local sim card for internet use

Navigating Morocco without internet is really difficult. The streets are confusing and it is easy to get lost, even with maps and navigation! Stop by a local Inwi or Orange and get a local sim card for just a few dollars. Trust me, it’s worth it when you aren’t stranded looking for your riad in the middle of the night!

Morocco Travel Tips #5: Download Google translate in French and Arabic

While Darija is the most common language spoken in Morocco, many people speak French and Modern Standard Arabic, at least to a degree. Having Google Translate downloaded on your phone will help in a pinch if you need directions.

Note: Modern Standard Arabic is quite far from Darija. Many of the words are just completely different. However, it’s better than nothing. I find translating to French to be more useful than Arabic half the time.

Travel Tip #6: Dress in light layers

Morocco’s weather tends to be pretty warm, but it can get quite cold at night! Layering up can help cut down on the discomfort of being frozen when you expected to be overly warm! I wear a light scarf when I leave the house and it helps me stay insulated when the temperature dips unexpectedly.

Morocco Travel Tip #7: Dress modestly

Speaking of clothing, err to the side of dressing modestly. Morocco is still a Muslim country, and dressing modestly is a way to show respect to the local culture. You definitely don’t need to wear hijab (unless you’re in a Mosque), but being mindful of local religious customs is always appreciated. Plus it will help you avoid unwanted attention on the streets!

Travel Tip #8: Practice safety awareness

Many people will argue that Morocco is a safe country, but this is debatable. In any case, do your best to keep yourself safe while traveling through Morocco. Guard your valuables, don’t keep your phone visible while you walk around, and leave the expensive accessories at home.

Morocco Travel Tip #9: Bring wet wipes and toilet paper with you EVERYWHERE!

I have been all over this country and I can say with complete confidence that toilet paper is not a given. 9 times out of 10, you will not find toilet paper in a public restroom. If TP is something you need for your business, bring it with you! I always carry a pack of wet wipes and a pack of toilet paper, and I have literally never once thought to myself “dang, I should not have brought this!”

In fact, quite the contrary. I’ve been saved many a time by my forethought in bringing my own. I even wrote a whole post about it because this topic is important as hell.

Travel Tip #10: Keep valuables hidden away

Don’t walk around with your phone out. Walking with obvious valuables is a good way to have them swiped by someone much faster than you.

Morocco Travel Tip #11: Be careful of the street cats and dogs

Don’t pet the street animals. Feeding them is fine, but rabies is still common in Morocco and is extremely deadly. I got bit by a street cat and had to get an emergency rabies shot and it was horrible.

Travel Tip #12: Ignore people who want you to follow them

Don’t follow people in the medinas. They’ll try and get you to follow them by being pushy and telling you they’ll show you X, Y, and Z famous attractions, but they’ll end up sending you on a wild goose chase and pressuring you to give them money (if they don’t outright isolate and rob you). Ignore these people. Ask locals who aren’t trying to get you to follow them if you are lost.

Morocco Travel Tip #13: Be careful with the food

Be very careful with street food. I can’t count the number of times I didn’t listen to my husband and ate street food anyway and got sick af. Often they reuse the oil a crazy amount of times, or the food sits there a super long time before it’s sold.

Travel Tip #14: Use a VPN when using Wifi

This is just good advice in general, but make sure you’re using a VPN when using public Wi-Fi or cafe Wi-Fi. It’ll keep your data safe from hackers.

Morocco Travel Tip #15: Shop at BIM, Marjane and Carrefour

I like to shop at these stores because the prices are posted and being upcharged as a foreigner gets old (and expensive) fast. Plus they take credit cards, which is great because we all know money gets lost in international ATM fees and

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