“This is the centre of life in Marrakech”, my guide Youssef explained on my first day of my Morocco trip last year. We’d walked into Jemaa el-Fnaa, the city’s most famous square. It was morning, and there were no snake charmers that make the Jemaa el-Fnaa famous; instead juice stalls lined the perimeter.
We walked over to a juice stall. “Do you want to go up to the top?” Youssef asked. “It’s fine to!”. I walked around the back, up the stairs that lead to the booth where the juice vendor was making his drinks. He welcomed me and showed me the array of fruit, turning up the music he played and dancing happily as he made my mum and I an orange juice.
We clambered down, and walked down a side street. Before I’d finished my juice, two people had said “welcome to Morocco!”.
And all I could think is… why do people think this city is unsafe?!
What popular culture says about Marrakech
If you look on a Reddit forum about Marrakech, you’ll see people come into one of two camps:
- People will share their love for the city, the friendliness of its people and gush about how they felt safer here than their hometown.
- People will share a horror story of being scammed, or, in more extreme situations, a woman received an uncomfortable amount of attention.
I think it generally comes down to cultural difference, rather than safety.
For starters, some market vendors may say things like “hey Shakira!”, usually to get people’s attention to their offerings. Most of the time, this is a jokey way to start chatting to someone. Moroccans generally have a great sense of humor, but they’re much more likely to approach and start talking to people than Europeans.
I’m not saying that there aren’t any creeps, there are everywhere, but I don’t believe there are any more than in Europe and the USA.
That said, my experience in the souks and in stores couldn’t be more different than the horror stories I’ve heard. I experienced zero hassle, and when I was approached by a few people and wasn’t interested in chatting, I just smiled and said “no thanks” or “not got time to chat” and that was that.
But let’s go through a few scams, crime, terrorism risk and female travel, to really lay out the facts!
Common scams in Marrakech
I didn’t personally experience any scams. That said, I was with a guide for around half the time I was in Marrakech, and I’d read up on them before travelling, so I knew what to look out for.
Scams I’ve heard of in Marrakech include:
| Scam or tactic | How it usually works | Where you’ll encounter it | How to avoid it |
| Fake guides in the medina | Someone approaches confidently, starts walking with you, gives unsolicited explanations, then demands payment at the end | Medina streets, especially near riads and major routes | Say a firm no immediately, hire a guide like ours, Youssef (click here to read more about his bespoke tours) |
| “This street is closed” redirection | A person claims your route is blocked due to prayer, construction, or police, then leads you another way and asks for a tip | Narrow medina alleys and quieter routes | Keep walking until you see a physical barrier |
| Henna scams in Jemaa el-Fnaa | Henna is applied quickly without consent, followed by aggressive payment demands | Jemaa el-Fnaa square | Don’t offer anyone your hand |
| Photo scams with performers | Performers pose for photos then demand high fees | Jemaa el-Fnaa and tourist-heavy areas | Don’t take photos of performers |
As a note, these scams are all monetary related, so the worst that would happen is you’d lose a bit of money.
Please don’t let the threat of scams put you off interacting with the wonderful Moroccan people. As mentioned, I didn’t experience any of these and instead had some lovely conversations with locals. Just go with your gut: if something doesn’t feel right, double check it.
And a good local guide can help you a lot! Our guide, Youssef, was fantastic. You can see my video featuring him here.
He organises bespoke tours for private groups, so you can get in contact with him and discuss what you’d like to see. Click here to go through to his Get Your Guide page, where you can read more information about the tours and book!
Crime rate in Marrakech
This is what makes me strongly believe that Marrakech is safer than most Western European capitals.
Take a look at the screenshot below from Numbeo, where I’ve compared the crime rate between London and Marrakech:
Marrakech ranks safer than London for everything other than “corruption and bribery”.
There are a lot more contributors to London, but from my personal experience, I felt a lot safer walking around in Marrakech than I do in London.
Moroccan laws
While it’s unlikely that tourists will get on the wrong side of the Moroccan law, there are a few things to be mindful of.
- Alcohol is legal but not sold everywhere. I’d highly recommend not being drunk on the streets!
- There’s no dress code, but I erred on the side of modesty (keeping my shoulders and knees covered).
- Don’t photograph people without their consent.
- Drugs are highly illegal, despite Morocco being a grower of hasish! Don’t seek drugs out, it’s not a world you want to be getting involved in.
- Unfortunately, same sex relationships are criminalised under Moroccan law. I’d recommend not showing affection in public; there shouldn’t be any problems sharing hotel rooms.
- Gambling is legal, but only for non-Moroccans. There are casinos in Marrakech but you’ll be asked for your passport when entering.
There are also a variety of online casinos that offer a wide range of games and can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, including hotels and Airbnbs in Morocco!
Is Marrakech safe at night?
I wouldn’t walk around many places late at night (in all honesty, this is largely because I like to be in bed by 10pm latest!), but I did find Marrakech to feel fine after dark.
In Jemaa el-Fnaa, there will be more snake charmers and henna artists after dark, so just be wise of scams and don’t walk through the square itself if you’re concerned. There are plenty of bars and restaurants along the sides where you can enjoy a mint tea and see the square from above!
You might find it’s busy, so keep your belongings close (I use a cross-body bag) and wits about you, but it’s very unlikely that anything dramatic will happen.
Getting around Marrakech safely
Taxis in Marrakech
We were warned about the chance of paying higher rates for taxis (and this is something that my partner and I had experienced when we went to Tunisia a few years before).
My mum and I only used a taxi once – my mum managed to haggle a little in French (many Moroccans speak excellent English, but many speak French as a second language).
We think we overpaid, but it wasn’t by too much.
As of late 2025, Uber is now available in Marrakech, although I’m not sure how it’s operating at the moment!
I’d also recommend booking an airport transfer for when you first arrive, so someone is waiting for you to take you to your accommodation. Click here to see a suggested transfer.
Walking in the medina
The winding streets of the medina can be a sensory overload, but generally they’re very safe. There are no cars, but quite a few motorbikes (in Fes they’ve banned bikes in the medina and it was much safer!).
It’s easy to get lost in the medina, and that’s part of the charm, but be mindful that it’s best to never look like a “lost tourist” if you can help it.
That said, we were genuinely helped by a few people in the Medina who had no motive but to make sure we got to our destinations.
Is Marrakech safe for solo female travellers?
I have not visited Marrakech as a solo female traveller, but I have visited with just my mum. I’ve also been to Tangier on my own.
Personally, I found both fine, but I didn’t walk around too much at night, wore relatively modest clothes and didn’t engage with people if my gut was telling me not to.
Based on my previous experiences, I’d happily return to Morocco on my own.
Terrorism and political safety in Marrakech
Gov UK says there is a high risk of terrorism in Marrakech, but when you look at the actual incidents that have occured here, the rates are far less than London.
The last terror attack was in 2011, whereas in London there have been eight since 2011.
Please don’t let worries about terror attacks stop you from travelling to North Africa; while the risk isn’t zero, the rates are lower than many major European cities.
Natural disasters in Marrakech
One of Marrakech’s most devastating natural disasters happened recently, in 2023.
An earthquake started in the High Atlas Mountains and caused destruction in the city, with lots of people losing their homes.
Such an earthquake – especially one that impacts the city – is rare.
The most realistic natural risk is heat. I’d recommend avoiding the summer months and if you are there then, taking regular breaks and drinking plenty of water. A riad with a pool helps too!
There are occasional floods, but this rarely causes danger.
Tips for staying safe in Marrakech
While I believe that Marrakech is a safe city, here are some general staying safe tips:
- Expect things to be different: It can be busy and strangers will start talking to you. That doesn’t mean it’s unsafe.
- Get a local SIM card: This enables you to use maps and look things up on the go. You can buy a physical SIM at the airport or click here to buy one with Airalo.
- Wear a cross body bag: Have your valuables with you at all times.
- Book a tour for your first day in the city: Here’s the tour we had with Youssef.
So, is Marrakech safe?
I strongly felt that Marrakech was safe, its people were wonderful and most of the warnings I heard were based on cultural difference, rather than safety levels.
On our tour, Youssef mentioned how selling culture in Morocco has changed a lot since the pandemic. We visited the metalworks and spent some time chatting to a stall owner who was creating a metal plate. We weren’t in the market to buy anything, so wished him a good day and walked off.
“A few years ago, people would be more pushy to get a sale”, Youssef explained. “But its changed since we lost a lot of tourism during Covid. Now we want to approach tourism differently”.
