Wondering what are the most important things to know before going to Morocco? I’m giving you my honest advice based on my trip there this past June. 

If you follow a smattering of fashion or travel bloggers on Instagram, there’s a good chance that you’ve seen more than a few women posting whimsical photos twirling around in maxi dresses in Morocco.

But if you’re a 24 year old woman (like me) and you tell your parents that you’re taking a trip to Morocco, there’s a good chance they’ll look at you with a face that blends concern and confusion.

Ask some friends, and they might tell you that you better make sure to cover up because men in Morocco hardly see women in “regular” clothing and will harass you.

I dealt with a lot of mixed reactions (and warnings) when I told people I was going to Morocco.

Of course, I took them to heart, as I don’t have a ton of experience traveling overseas, and I hadn’t been to a Muslim country in over 10 years (not to mention I’d never been to Africa).

While it’s never a bad thing to be over-prepared and extra safe, I really felt that I didn’t need to have been “scared” so much — especially as someone who has lived in a major city for the last six years.

Here are my real tips for traveling to Morocco regarding what to expect, based on my experience. I will probably do a post about what to eat, what to wear, and what to do later on — If you’re particularly interested in any of these topics, LMK!

5 Things to Know Before Going to Morocco

1. Dress Conservatively, But There’s No Sense In Buying Anything New

If you know my personal style, you know that nobody in their right mind would describe me as conservative. When everybody told me that you needed to be covered from neck down, in loose clothing, I immediately figured I was going to have to buy something because I owned nothing that fit the bill.

But I didn’t want to have to spend money on clothes I would never wear again, and I also didn’t want all my pictures from the trip to involve photos of me wearing clothes I hated.

Luckily, I found some old maxi dresses in the back of my closet that would fit the bill as long as I wore a t-shirt over it. I also packed a bunch of kimonos (my go-to cover up for warm weather), and flowy pants. I figured if I felt too revealing once I got there, I could always buy something there (which would be cheaper anyway).

But the thing is, I definitely didn’t have to buy anything once I got there. In fact, I got catcalled less than I did while living in NYC or Philly.

When I did get catcalled, which only happened once or twice when I was out later in the evening and alone with one other girlfriend, I just ignored it and walked by confidently like I would in any American city.

Granted, I was mostly covered up, and I have the benefit of dark features that could lead people to believing I was Moroccan, but still.

When I visited Marrakesh (I stayed in Casablanca for the majority of the trip, which I don’t recommend), I wore a much more revealing outfit and felt totally fine, which I figured would be the case since it’s the tourist capital.

Another good thing to note is that Morocco is not super hot in the summertime, so even if you’re a hot-blooded, sweaty mess like me, you’ll be fine in jeans and even in a jacket.

BOTTOM LINE: Pack your most conservative clothing, but don’t stress yourself out worrying about it.

2.Don’t Expect To Drink Alcohol At Every Meal

While Morocco is not a strict Muslim country by any means, they are still a Muslim country by law, which means alcohol is technically forbidden.

Do locals still drink alcohol? Yes, but at specific places and specific times, and they still keep it on the DL.

Most hotels and tourist spots will offer alcoholic beverages, but more local places may not.

As someone who’s sober, I was hyped to see all the virgin beverage choices. My friend, who tried ordering a mojito only to be informed it was non-alcoholic, was a little surprised at first.

Obviously, you’re not going to Morocco to drink (right?!), so it’s no biggie, but just know what to expect.

3.Consider Hiring a Guide

When I was researching a potential trip to Thailand, I read a lot of comments from people saying to hire a local “guide” to show you spots, but also to translate and make sure you don’t get ripped off.

The group I was traveling with hired a guide for our entire trip, and when a smaller group of us decided to take the trip to Marrakech, he offered to come along too — and I’m so glad he did.

While I’m more of a “wander by myself” traveler, having a guide was extremely helpful in so many ways — from knowing which shops were authentic to knowing how much we should actually pay for taxis.

Speaking of shops, everyone had told me that the vendors were super aggressive in Morocco, and again I felt that they weren’t more aggressive than some street vendors I’ve passed by in NYC (although they were definitely less aggressive than the ones in Turkey).

Again, if you’re a city girl, you already know not to take “free gifts,” or to entertain random salespeople on the street, so you’ll be totally fine.

Here’s a hint: No is “la” in arabic, which is the most important word to know as a woman, in my humble opinion.

4. Get Mint Tea Everywhere Instead of Booze

Okay, this might not be the most important things to know before going to Morocco, but dining is important!

Instead of your go-to cocktail, just order mint tea everywhere instead.

Seriously, it’s that good.

I’ll admit that I’m a tea person already, but Morocco is known for their mint tea and it was probably one of my favorite things about the trip.

Pretty much every place will have it, it’s sweet without being over the top, and the pretty kettles they serve it in will make for great Instagram boomerangs — trust me.

5. Be Safe, But Don’t Take Every Rumor You’ve Heard To Heart

I understand that my post is sort of downplaying all the negative rumors you may have heard about Morocco, which was mostly my intention just because I felt that I was unnecessarily scared by so many people before taking the trip.

That being said, you obviously don’t want to go into any new country (especially if you’re a female traveling alone), with your guard down. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. This post is simply stating my personal experience traveling in Morocco.

For more tips on how to stay safe while traveling solo without feeling like a hermit, you might want to check out this post I wrote for Galore with The Social Girl Traveler!

I hope this post helped you with things to know before going to Morocco! I don’t normally do posts like this, so I’d love any feedback!