13 tips to stay safe in Marrakech:
if you want to know about safety in Marrakech, you don’t need to look any further. In the guide that follows, I’ll tell you everything I know about staying safe in Marrakech. Marrakech is an interesting city in Morocco. It’s a place full of magic, mystery, and too much activity to handle. People come from all over the world to wander the small streets of this beautiful city in search of things that are so strange that they make them dizzy.
Marrakech is often said to be the best place to go in Morocco, but is it safe? People everywhere have different ideas about that. Many countries tell tourists going to Morocco to “exercise a high degree of caution” because the country is dangerous.
What to do in Marrakech: souk alleys
International SOS thinks that Morocco, like most of Europe, is a low-risk country. Most travel agencies around the world agree that Marrakech is a safe place to visit, but there are some things you should know before you go. Even though the city is beautiful and a feast for the eyes, pickpockets love it because it has small, narrow streets and lots of people.
to Marrakech activities
When you go there, you have to be on guard all the time because people will try to get your attention from all sides and the streets can be very crowded. Note: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links. If you buy something through them, at no extra cost to you, I’ll get a small commission. This way, you’re helping me run this website and make more guides like this one that are helpful and cool. I only tell people about things I like and trust. Thank you!
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MOROCCO AND WHERE TO GO
1. ARE TOURISTS SAFE IN MARRAKECH?
Marrakech is a safe place for tourists from all over the world.
In a recent conversation I had with an American friend, he told me that when he was younger, moreover he didn’t want to visit Marrakech. Because he thought it was dangerous for tourists and full of terrorists.
He decided to go when he found out that terrorists hadn’t attacked there in years. Later he fell in love with the city, so that’s not a surprise. Moreover, he has lived in Marrakech for the past five years. Therefore, he can say for sure that the city is safe.
The old city’s markets, Marrakesh, Morocco
Americans and tourists from other countries can feel safe in Marrakech. Students and ex-pats can feel safe in Marrakech.
It’s a beautiful city that really shows what Morocco is all about. But if you want to be completely safe in Marrakech, you need to take a few precautions and always be aware of your surroundings.
Some travel experts would have you believe that all there is to do in Marrakech is wear flowy clothes and drink from the fountains.
It’s a city that can be very chaotic at times, and your senses will always be on high alert. This can be a lot for some people to handle.crowd Marrakesh Ramadan iftar – journal of nomads
At night, there are a lot of people on the streets of Marrakech…Before you go to Marrakech, I would recommend that you read my book, What to do in Marrakech: A Complete Guide to Morocco’s Red City.
I would also recommend reading 12 Common Scams You Might Face in Morocco to learn about some common cons you might fall for in Marrakech (and how to avoid them).If you’re going to Marrakech and want some great tips and advice, you might also want to join the following two Facebook groups:
Outsiders in Marrakech
Is Marrakech safe? Here’s everything you need to know about safety in Marrakech
Things to do in Marrakech, Morocco – A Full Guide to the Red City of Morocco
IS MARRAKECH SAFE FOR WOMEN WHO ARE TRAVELING ALONE?
Women traveling alone should be fine in Marrakech as long as they don’t wear clothes that are too revealing and don’t walk around the Medina at night.
Even with these precautions, though, women traveling alone in the Medina of Marrakech will sometimes have to deal with the trouble.
It’s part of the culture and can be funny, but being bothered on the street can feel dangerous.
Souk of Marrakech, a market in Morocco
If you’re a woman traveling alone, my best advice would be to politely ignore any men who come up to you on the street or offer to help you find your way.
This is also a common way to rip people off in Morocco.
Marrakesh snake charmer – square Jemaa el Fna
Some con artists will approach you if they see you stop to look at your phone and look a little lost on the way to a popular attraction, like the tanneries. They will offer to help you find your way.
Once you get to your destination, though, they will ask for a ridiculous amount of money for the five minutes it took to help you and won’t leave until you give them a tip.
As you walk through the streets of Marrakech, it’s best to ignore anyone who tries to get your attention.
spices at the market in Marrakech
Reading Tip: How to avoid 12 common scams in Morocco
3. IS IT SAFE FOR FAMILIES TO VISIT MARRAKECH?
Don’t worry about whether or not Marrakech is safe for children. Morocco loves children. For them, children are holy, and in their culture, they have a very important place.
I would even say that traveling with kids will make the trip more fun. The way people in Morocco treat children will show you how kind and caring they are.
Family is important in Moroccan culture. Most Moroccans have big families, and they are very nice to children.
Is it safe in Marrakech? – Marrakech is a safe place
Because of this, children can help break the ice and get people to talk to Moroccans, who are usually very kind to families and look out for them. Another good thing about being a family in Marrakech is that scammers won’t bother you if you have kids with you.
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4. SHOULD YOU AVOID ANY PARTS OF MARRAKECH?
There aren’t really any places in Marrakech you should stay away from, but I wouldn’t spend too much time in the city’s suburbs late at night. At night, food stands are set up in Jemaa el Fna square.
At night, there is no danger in the city center…
5. IS IT SAFE TO DRIVE IN MARAKECH?
In the rest of Morocco, people don’t drive very fast, but car accidents happen a lot in Marrakech. If you can walk around the city instead of driving, and if you can’t, use public transportation.If you have to take a taxi, take a petit taxi and not a grand taxi.
Is driving in Marrakech safe? Most of the time, a “petit taxi” in Marrakech is a smaller, safer car. Make sure you and the driver agree on the final price ahead of time or ask him to turn on the taximeter.
Marrakech by horse carriage
Keep in mind that many taxi drivers in Marrakech try to rip off tourists by charging them too much. This kind of trick is used all over Morocco.
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small streets old medina Marrakesh – motorbike Marrakesh Journal of Nomads from Morocco
If you have your own car, it’s usually safe to drive on the country roads in Morocco. However, it can be hard to drive in big cities like Rabat, Tangier, or Marrakech.
Driving in the cities of Morocco can often feel very crazy. When it comes to driving, you will notice a big difference between cities, small towns, and rural areas.
Another thing to keep in mind is that red lights and stop signs in Marrakech are sometimes all the way on the right side of the road. This makes it very easy to miss them if you aren’t paying attention. They can also sometimes be a bit hidden by tree branches.
6. IS IT SAFE TO TAKE PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN MARRAKECH?
Public transportation in Marrakech, like small taxis and city buses, is usually very safe. Most small taxis have seatbelts, and fewer people share them than grand taxis (old Mercedes Benz that lack rear seatbelts). Keep a close eye on your things when you ride the city bus. Pickpockets often go there because it’s a small space with a lot of people in close proximity.
Keep your wallet in your front pocket when you take a public bus in Marrakech. You can also wear a money belt or travel with an anti-theft bag that can’t be cut and can be locked.
7. IS IT SAFE TO EAT IN MARRAKECH?
Most restaurants in Marrakech serve food that is not only safe to eat, but also very tasty. In Marrakech, you can try great exotic foods like chicken tagine, spicy Harira, and tasty lamb Tanjia. Not only is the food there delicious, but it’s also very cheap.
Moroccan food is taught in a cooking class in Marrakech.
Now, here’s some small advice to keep you from getting into trouble when you eat in Marrakech. Don’t eat anywhere near or in Jemaa el Fena for the following reasons:
REASON ONE:
Some restaurants in the square take advantage of tourists who don’t know what to look out for. For instance, the waiters might say that bread and water are free with the meal but then charge for them. You may also be charged for food you didn’t order. Having two separate menus is a more sinister trick. Before you order, they’ll show you one where the food costs less. When it’s time to pay, you’ll see that your bill is a lot higher than you thought it would be. If you ask for an explanation, they will bring you a different menu with much higher prices. You can’t argue with them because the first menu with cheaper prices will never come back.
During my first week in Marrakesh, this happened to me. After seeing how cheap the prices were on a restaurant’s menu, I ordered a lot of food, only to be tricked when they brought out a different menu at the end of the meal.
The waiters were all standing around me like a mob, telling me I was wrong about the prices even though they were holding a completely different menu with different prices. I finally got so mad that I just left without paying anything. Marrakech gives a class on cooking Moroccan food
How do you stay away from this con?
If you ever fall for this trick, just pay what you think the original price was and leave.
The restaurants that run this kind of scam are known to the police, so if you just walk away without paying their “tourist” prices, they won’t file a report against you.
REASON TWO
The square of Jemaa el Fena is a very exotic place that will blow your mind. People often see stands with Moroccan street food and eating there is an experience in and of itself.
I’d ask you to think again, though. The cleanliness of these food stands isn’t the best, and it’s not unusual for people to get sick from the food there.
what should you eat in Marrakesh?
8. CAN YOU DRINK THE WATER OUT OF THE PIPE IN MARRAKECH?
People often ask me if the tap water in Marrakech is safe because I lived there for years.
People who live in Marrakech often drink water from the tap, but tourists won’t have time to get used to it. Since their body isn’t used to all the new bacteria, bottled water is probably best for them.
I really think that you should get a Lifestraw Water Filter Bottle. Even though the tap water in Marrakech is safe, it may have a lot of new bacteria that your body doesn’t like.
If you drink water from this bottle, the filter will catch any dirt, bacteria, or parasites, while clean water will pass through.
Expats who have been living in Marrakech for a while shouldn’t have any trouble drinking tap water because their bodies should have fully adjusted.
9: How is the health care system in Marrakech?
You should make sure you have good health insurance if you go to Marrakech. There aren’t many good public hospitals in Marrakech, and private hospital care in the city is very expensive. Morocco has both private and public health care systems. You have to pay to use the private system, and even for a foreigner, it usually costs a lot. The government health care system is very different from what people from Europe or the United States are used to. small streets gate Marrakesh Journal of Nomads from Morocco
Clinique Internationale is a good choice if you are in Marrakech and need a modern hospital or clinic. It’s a private hospital in the center of Marrakech that ex-pats recommend. It is east of the Menara Gardens, right next to the road that goes to the airport.
You can also get help in English at this modern hospital. Polyclinique du sud is another hospital in Marrakech that has a good name among foreigners. Gueliz is where this one is.
10. MARRAKECH TRAVEL INSURANCE
There aren’t many violent crimes in Marrakech, and almost none of them happen to tourists. You can walk around the city without worrying about getting robbed because there is no chance of that happening in Marrakech. Even so, you should still be careful with your personal belongings, especially in Marrakech’s souks or street markets.
In the small streets of these open-air markets, pickpocketing happens often. Staying alert and aware of your belongings at all times is the best way to avoid being pickpocketed.
You should leave everything important and valuable at your hotel and only take what you need with you. Think about getting travel insurance, like IATI Travel Insurance, that covers the loss or theft of personal items.
Besides getting good travel insurance, you should keep your wallet in your front pocket or wear a money belt. Another great idea is to bring a bag that can’t be cut and can’t be stolen.
11. DOES MARRAKECH HAVE TERRORISM?
Marrakech is not a city where terrorism has never happened. In 2011, a terrorist bomb went off in a small cafe in the center square of Marrakech. Most of the 17 people who died in the attack were tourists.
ISIS has done a few attacks in Morocco over the years. Tourists and other foreigners have been the main targets of these attacks.
Isis members killed two Scandinavian girls near Toubkal in the Atlas Mountains last year, which scared a lot of people and made them wonder if Morocco is a dangerous place to live.
In response to the threat of terrorism, the Moroccan government has tightened security all over the country, making Morocco much safer than it used to be.
Even though terrorism has happened in Marrakech in the past, the city is safer than ever now, and you can walk freely through its busy streets.
12: IS IT SAFE TO STAY IN MARRAKECH AT NIGHT?
As long as you stay close to the city center and don’t go too far from it, you’re not likely to be harassed, robbed, or hurt in Marrakech. At night, when street musicians and performers come to Jemaa el Fena, the city comes alive.
If you want to be completely safe, stay away from Gueliz and Hivernage at night. Prostitutes often go to the nightclubs in these areas, and fights can break out on the street at any time.
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13: Here are ten useful phrases for getting around in Marrakech:
Afak: The Derija word for “please” is “Afak.” Use it after you’ve asked for something. When I first moved to Morocco, I used this word to point at fruits or vegetables and say “heda afak.” This means “this, please,” and while it doesn’t seem like much on its own, trust me, it goes a long way.
Fayn: The word “Fayn” means “where.” “Fayn al toilet afak?” can be used to ask Could you tell me where the bathroom is? – Please tell me where the cafe is. You could also use this word to ask for a taxi.
Shukran means “thank you” in Arabic. You can use it after the waiter brings your food or after someone shows you the way to the bathroom or the market. Moroccans love it when people from other countries speak their language, and using this phrase will make them smile for sure.
Ech Hal or Bech Hal: This is how you say “How much” when you want to buy something. You can say “Ech Hal heda?” or Bech Hal while pointing to some vegetables at the market. This means, “How much is this?”
Smeetee: “Smeetee” literally means “My name is…” So you could say “smeetee” and then your name when you met someone.
Shno smeetek? : The best thing to do after telling someone your name is to ask them. “What’s your name?” (Shno smeetek) means “What’s your name?”
This is how you say “Good morning,” Sabah al Khayr.
La bass? is a way to say hello and ask how someone is doing at the same time.
This means goodbye in Bislama.
Anta tahdar al engleezeeya?: This means “Do you speak English?” in English.
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The city walls of Marrakech, the Marrakech Gates, and the Moroccan Gate.
I hope you learned more about security and safety in Marrakech from this article.
