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Morocco may not be the first place you think of when planning a solo trip, but solo travel in Morocco can be amazing to say the least.
There are a ton of rumours about Morocco and have it isn’t safe for solo female travellers.
While there may be some truth in the fact that Morocco isn’t like Europe, and there are different customs and culture, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t plan a solo trip to Morocco.
That being said, it might not be the best place for your first solo trip, but once you have some experience travelling alone, Morocco should definitely be added to the list of places you want to go!
Morocco is a beautiful country with amazing things do so, see, and eat.
If you’re wondering if solo travel in Morocco is right for you, keep reading! Hopefully this article will give you a better idea of what to expect when travelling alone in Morocco.
Is Marrakech safe for solo female travellers?!
Table of Contents
1. It’s Really Easy to Travel Around Morocco
A lot of people have this idea that Morocco is a difficult country to travel in, but that simply isn’t the case.
Morocco has a great train and bus system that can easily get you from one city to another. This makes it very easy for solo travellers to see more than one city in Morocco.
However, one important thing to note is that the buses and trains are often very busy, and tickets sell out fast.
You may want to go to the bus or train station a day or two before you travel to a new city to secure your seat. If you don’t, you may have to wait a little while for the next bus or train to depart.
Buses and trains run on a regular basis, so you won’t have to wait long.
Here are a few transportation guides I’ve written to help you figure out how to travel between cities in Morocco:
In terms of getting around within cities in Morocco, that’s pretty easy too!
I’ve found that most cities in Morocco are very walkable. I walked everywhere and didn’t have to rely on public transportation.
If you want to go somewhere that is beyond a distance you feel comfortable walking, there are lots of local buses, or you can take a taxi.
Just be sure to either agree on a price before you get in a taxi or demand they turn on their meter. This will ensure you get a fair price.
But, all in all, getting around Morocco is very easy and not something you have to worry about when you’re on a solo trip to Morocco.
2. You Need to Exchange Money Inside Morocco
One of the most important things you need to know when planning solo travel in Morocco is that it’s extremely difficult to access Moroccan Dirham (MAD) outside of Morocco.
You’re going to have to exchange your currency inside Morocco (likely at the airport).
Exchange however much you think you’ll need and then a little bit more just in case you fall in love with a few extra souvenirs or eat more than you anticipated.
If you have any MAD left over at the end of your trip, you can exchange it back into a variety of currencies at the airport.
You often get the best rate if you exchange it into Euros so keep that in mind. If you’re going to Europe next or planning a trip to Europe in the near future, you’ll probably want to exchange your MAD into Euro rather than your local currency.
I have heard of some banks giving you a very small amount of MAD before you arrive in Morocco.
I had one coworker who was able to get about $100 CAD worth of MAD from a Canadian bank inside Canada.
That would be enough to tide you over if something went wrong at the airport or if you arrived when the exchange places were closed.
I wouldn’t rely on being able to do that though and would expect to have to exchange all your currency inside Morocco.
3. The Food is Delicious
One of the biggest surprises for me the first time I went to Morocco was how incredible the food was.
I didn’t know what to expect and didn’t have any preconceived ideas of what the food would be like when I arrived in Morocco, and I was blown away by how delicious everything I ate was.
I even brought home a tajine, so I could make Moroccan food at home!
One of the most important things to do during solo travel in Morocco is indulge in the local cuisine.
Don’t be afraid to eat at a restaurant alone and don’t be afraid to try the local food even if you’ve never heard of it before.
Trying new food is one of the best parts of travel, and you don’t want to miss out on it in Morocco!
If you don’t know where to go, be sure to ask someone at your hotel or hostel. They’ll be able to point you in the right direction.
Tips for eating alone at restaurants
4. You’ll Probably Get Some Extra Attention
I hate to say this because I don’t like playing into stereotypes, but I want to give you a realistic idea of what solo travel in Morocco might look like.
Or at least what my perspective was as a young, white, blonde woman.
Unfortunately, as a solo female traveller in Morocco, you’ll likely get some extra attention.
It’s important to note that not all of it is unwanted advances or sexual in any way. Oftentimes, it’s just people noticing you’re alone and hoping they can “help” you in whatever you need and be tipped.
If someone is following you or asking to help you, confidentially say no thank you and keep walking.
Some people might still try to “help” you and others will move on to “help” another tourist. The important thing is to keep moving and stand your ground that you don’t need help.
I’ve had a couple of situations where a man walked me all the way to my riad front door and wouldn’t leave without a tip. These situations are few and far between. If that happens, I think it is just better to give them a small amount of money rather than getting into an argument.
Now, in terms of the souks and markets. That’s where I’ve found the unwanted attention to be at it’s worst.
Again. This is just my experience, and I’m not saying this to demonize a certain culture or anything like that. It’s just so you’re prepared.
I found that in the souks, people are more inclined to try to get your attention by cat calling.
This is likely a sales tactic to get your attention and try to lure you into their stall. The best thing you can do is keep walking and not interact if you don’t want to.
All things considered, I think solo travel in Morocco is very safe, and if a little unwanted attention is what you have to put up with to explore this beautiful country, then that’s a small price to pay.
I’ve never felt unsafe when people approached me in Morocco. The people are incredibly kind.
Even if a stranger is following you to your riad, they likely want a tip and aren’t interested in harming you in any way!
5. Never Look Lost
This tip goes hand in hand with the last one.
I personally think it is best to never look lost in Morocco even if you are. Looking lost will make people want to come up and help you, and if you’re like me, that just causes even more stress.
So, keep your map in your bag or pocket and walk like you know exactly where you’re going.
If you do happen to be lost, pop into a corner shop, café, hotel, or restaurant to look at your map and ask for directions if you need to.
This may be a bit overkill, but I prefer it to looking lost on the streets and potentially having multiple people come up to me to “help”.
You may not be as introverted as I am and not mind the help, but if you’re like me and find a situation like that stressful, never look lost.
6. Internet Safety is Key
Just like any country in the world, on a solo trip to Morocco you’re going to be relying on public wifi to access the internet.
The problem with public wifi is that anybody can access it, and if someone wants, they can access your personal online information and data.
I’m talking banking information, social media passwords. Anything you can think of can be stolen if you’re not being internet safe.
The only way to be internet safe when using public wifi networks is by installing a VPN on your devices.
A VPN essentially puts up an imaginary forcefield around your devices that makes it impossible for someone to access your online information when you’re using a public wifi network.
It makes using public wifi just as safe as using your home wifi where you’re the only person who knows the password.
My Favourite VPN
I’ve used a lot of different VPNs over my years of travel, and, frankly, most of them suck.
VPNs are notorious for slowing down your internet speed, which is not what you want when travelling. It makes using the internet frustrating.
The reason I love NordVPN and continue to use it year in and year out is because they’re the fastest VPN on the market.
You don’t even notice that you’re using a VPN because your internet connection isn’t slowed down!
The best part is you can protect up to six devices with one NordVPN subscription. You can protect all your devices for one low fee.
The price of a two-year NordVPN subscription costs less per month than a single Starbucks latte.
With prices like that, you can’t afford to not protect your online information.
My philosophy is that if you can afford to travel, you can afford to install a VPN on your devices and keep your online information safe.
7. Be Prepared to Haggle
One of the things you need to know about solo travel in Morocco is that you’re going to have to haggle.
You’ll need to haggle when purchasing souvenirs and if you take a taxi somewhere.
It isn’t a big deal, but if you’re like me, haggling just feels uncomfortable and awkward. I know it’s a cultural thing, and lots of people do it. I was born and raised in Canada though, so I’m not used to haggling.
Haggling can become even more awkward and uncomfortable if you’re travelling alone.
But it’s something you need to be prepared for. Otherwise you’ll be way overpaying.
You’ll likely still be paying more than a local would unless you’re really good at haggling, but at least you’re not paying an absurd amount more than you should be.
Now if you’re like me and are terrible at haggling, here’s an article that’ll give you some tips on how to haggle properly.
The challenge is putting them into practice though!
A tourist’s guide to wifi in Morocco
8. Be Aware of Local Scams
Just like anywhere else in the world, there are local scams you need to be aware of during a solo trip to Morocco.
The local scams aren’t just pick pocketing, and there are some larger scams you need to be aware of. Some of them seem so innocent that you don’t realize you’ve been scammed until it happens.
This article outlines the top scams in Morocco, and I definitely recommend you give it a read.
If you don’t have time to read that article, here are a few of the top ones you need to be aware of:
- The carpet scam where you’re invited to have a drink of tea then the store owner gets upset that you didn’t purchase a rug and drank his/her tea.
- Fake goods (such as saffron) being sold as if there were the real thing.
- Inflated prices for camel rides (be sure to book online rather than with someone randomly on the street).
- Live animal photos. Someone demands you take a picture with their animal and then demands payment after you take the photo.
Just be safe when you travel alone in Morocco.
Use your best judgement. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. If something seems sketchy, it probably is.
Listen to your gut.
9. You Can’t Enter Mosques Unless You’re Muslim
This last one technically isn’t a tip specific to solo travel in Morocco, but it’s still important to know.
Unless you’re Muslim, you’re not allowed to tour the mosques.
There is a mosque in Marrakech that sometimes allows non-Muslims to tour it depending on the time of day and what other functions are going on that day. It isn’t a guarantee though.
I tell you this to hopefully prevent you from accidentally embarrassing yourself if you try to enter a mosque just to tour it.
A lot of us are used to being able to tour any religious building we want. It’s very common in Europe, Asia, and North America to walk into a religious building without practicing that religion and just tour it.
We can sometimes take that for granted and think that’s the case everywhere we travel, but it isn’t in Morocco.
Knowing this information will help you respect the local culture and save yourself a little bit of embarrassment.
There are lots of other amazing things to do and see in Morocco that not being able to tour a mosque won’t make you feel like you’re missing out.
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Best Things to do in Morocco
Conclusion
There you go! All my top tips and tricks for solo travel in Morocco.
Hopefully this guide helped give you a picture of what solo travel in Morocco is like and help you decide whether or not Morocco is the right place for you to visit alone.
I really liked Morocco and am obsessed with their food to say the least, but it was definitely a culture shock when I visited.
I had only been to European and North American cities at that point in my travel career, and Morocco was definitely a different experience.
It took a little bit of getting used to, but it was a different experience in the best way possible.
If you’re up for an adventure and an amazing experience, Morocco might just be the perfect place for you!
