Is Morocco Safe for Women? Find Out Now From a Local!

By far, the number one question I get from people traveling to Morocco is, “Is Morocco safe for women?”

My emphatic answer is always a resounding, “yes”. After all, I’ve lived here since January of 2023 and would NOT be living in Morocco if I didn’t feel safe.

Sure, I live here with my Moroccan partner. But, I also regularly travel alone and still feel safe traveling all over this beautiful country.

However, regardless of how I feel about safety in Morocco, the REAL answer to this question is a bit more complicated than a simple “yes” or “no”.

In truth, safety has a lot to do with perception. So, what one person perceives as safe another may perceive as dangerous.

Therefore, just because I feel safe in Morocco doesn’t mean you will. However, the reality is that you are safe.

After all, tourism is BIG business here. And if tourists don’t feel safe then they won’t travel here. So, the Moroccan government spends A LOT of money on security.

This means that in almost every Medina in the country, you will find secret undercover police roaming the streets. They are in plain clothes and looking for pickpockets or anyone who is bothering tourists.

So, if you ever feel unsafe, all you have to do is say the word “police” loudly and I can almost guarantee that whoever is bothering you will back off and leave you alone.

Trust me, there are HARSH punishments in place for ANY Moroccans that mess with tourists. My boyfriend has told me all about this and he basically says that unless someone is crazy they will NOT mess with tourists.

You could end up in jail for life, or worse. As a result, many Moroccans don’t want to deal with that, not for a few hundred Dirhams.

Therefore, women generally do not have to worry about violent crimes like muggings, murder, or sexual assault.

However, there are bad people out there (just like there are in the rest of the world). So, please take normal precautions when traveling as a woman in Morocco, especially if you are alone.

This is not some sort of eutopia where bad things do not happen. But, I generally feel safer living here then I did in the US and in parts of Europe.

What you will likely encounter as a woman in Morocco is unwanted male attention (Usually harmless but annoying. This also really only happens if you are traveling without a man) and potentially pickpockets.

Personally, though, I have never had anyone try to steal from me (I have a Pacsafe bag so that could be why). My partner did have his cell phone stolen but that’s because he was an idiot and just left it on the beach while he was swimming.

I mean really, what did he expect to happen?

Anyway, now that you know that Morocco is safe for women and what issues you will likely face, let’s have a look at some tips to help you stay safe.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure for more information. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Is Morocco Safe for Women?

I already answered this in the intro but just in case you skipped it yes! Morocco is very safe for women. The short answer is that no way in hell would I live here if I didn’t feel safe in most Moroccan cities.

However, there are some issues that you will likely encounter. The first is petty theft. Generally, you may encounter pickpockets in the Medina of most cities.

The streets are narrow, alleys are packed with people shopping, and it is super easy for someone to grab stuff out of your pockets.

Honestly, I have never had an issue with this and feel MUCH safer here than I do in Europe and the US. But this may be because I am very cautious, carry little on me, and use a PacSafe bag.

TBH, Casablanca is the exception to this rule. I would not have your cell phone out and would always watch your stuff since numerous locals were warning us about pickpockets and thieves who are always trying to steal your stuff.

Other than Casablanca, I have felt very safe in Morocco just about everywhere I’ve gone.

Now, the second issue you’ll likely have to deal with is unwanted male attention. It is very annoying and gets old really quickly. I have encountered it in MOST cities in Morocco, even from little boys (gross).

Generally, it is harmless and if you just ignore it or walk away they will stop. If you get nervous and someone seems to be following you, shout “police” and they will usually walk away since they could get in big trouble.

If you still have an issue, call the police! Morocco does not tolerate locals harassing foreign women and they will be severely punished.

Anyway, the city where I received the most unwanted male attention was Fes. I got hit on upwards of 20 times a day and was so over it by the time I left.

I also tried everything to deter them. I tried headphones, conservative clothes, walking with a female, etc. Nothing worked.

The only thing that prevented this type of unwanted male attention was walking around with a guy.

So, if you are a woman alone I would try to make male friends at a hostel and walk around with them. Or, hire a male guide for the day and walk around with him. This way you don’t have to deal with the unwanted male attention.

However, it can vary from city to city and based on where you are. So, sometimes you may not encounter anything at all and three cheers to that. I have been to several places where guys just kind of ignored me and that was awesome.

If you are concerned, then just book an excursion with a Morocco tour company. This way you can travel with a group and don’t have to worry as much about safety. I did this and loved my 3-day desert tour from Marrakech to Fes.

If Morocco is “Safe” then Why Do So Many Women Have Horror Stories?

Come on, I know you’ve probably been in a Facebook group or have a female friend who has a horror story about traveling to Morocco.

I get it. There are bad people everywhere and sometimes females just get unlucky and meet the wrong people.

Other times it’s just an issue of perception. Females may be nervous and on edge and may perceive a situation to be dangerous that isn’t actually dangerous.

I am not trying to invalidate their feelings. However, just because you feel unsafe doesn’t mean anyone is going to hurt you or do something to you.

It’s just a feeling and may come from the fact that you have never traveled to this part of the world before.

And if something bad does happen, remember, that people are much more likely to talk about it, especially on social media. In my experience, people are always way more inclined to share their horror stories than about their totally normal vacation.

Plus, the horror stories that you do hear stick since they are sometimes full-on nightmares.

TBH, many of the horror stories I have seen are in Marrakech. Essentially, a solo female traveler arrives in Marrakech after dark.

Her taxi/bus drops her off outside the Medina because her hotel is inside the Medina and it is inaccessible by car.

She starts walking and has to go through narrow, dark alleys where men are standing/sitting in the shadows on the walls.

She is trying to follow her GPS but she has no signal and can’t find her riad/hotel. She keeps walking around and gets more and more nervous when she can’t find her riad. Do you see where I am going with this?

I mean, I get why she would be terrified and potentially freak out if some guy tried to approach her. That shit is scary.

Besides, I have been trained as a woman to always be hyper-alert in the US because God knows how many serial killers we have over there just waiting to abduct me.

But, I would be SHOCKED if anyone in the Marrakech Medina ever tried to hurt a foreigner. There are police EVERYWHERE and they would be SEVERELY punished if they messed with a foreigner.

Yes, bad things can happen in Morocco and you do need to exert NORMAL precautions. But, on the whole, I personally feel comfortable walking around on my own at night.

Heck, where I live you could probably leave the door open and no one would bother you besides a stray cat.

Local Tip: If you do plan to arrive in Marrakech after dark (or anywhere else), feel free to ask your hotel to send someone to pick you up.

They can either arrange a shuttle for you or have someone meet you at a designated meeting point (like where your taxi drops you off). The hotel employee can then escort you to the hotel so that you don’t have to walk around alone at night.

Best Safety Tips for Women in Morocco

Now that you know all about the issues you will encounter in Morocco, let’s look at some tips that you can use to feel safe and secure when traveling in Morocco.

1. Learn to Say “No”

You do not owe anyone anything. If someone is bothering you and you do not want them around, a firm “la shokran” (no thank you) is fine.

If you have made it clear you are not interested and they keep hassling you, you do not have to be polite and you do not have to be kind. Yell if you have to!

They are not getting the message and are not respecting your boundaries. So, you are allowed to assert yourself and protect yourself.

You could even say you are going to call the “police” since that word alone is enough to get most Moroccans to leave you alone. But, definitely be firm, say “no”, and don’t worry about being nice if someone is hassling you.

This happened to me in Tiznit. An older man came up to me and started chatting with me about coming to his shop. He even said he had a “present” for me and invited me to his house to meet his family.

I declined but said “Maybe later” I would go to his shop to get him away from me.

Well, it’s a small town and the next day I ran into him. AGAIN, he asked me to go to his shop. Again, I tried to be polite and said I was busy and had to go. I thought he would get the message, but clearly not.

He then came up to me one last time while I walking down the street. At this point, I VERY firmly said no thank you and that I did not want to go to his shop. He then got the message and finally stopped hassling me.

So, sometimes you have to stop worrying about being nice and just need to be assertive. No means no, end of sentence.

This is especially important in the souks of Marrakech where vendors can be extremely aggressive. I have seen this happen a lot and you can say “no” firmly or just walk away. Trust me, most vendors will not follow you if you just walk away.

2. Look Unapproachable

I’m from New York City originally. There, we don’t have time for people and their nonsense. We walk fast, we don’t make eye contact, and we have a stern look on our faces so that no one bothers us.

Do this and it is less likely that a man will approach you. I have found that if I smile, engage in conversation, and make eye contact, men are much more likely to chat me up since they think I might be interested.

But, if I walk with purpose and like I am late and in no mood to chat, men are less likely to try and catch my attention since it’s basically a lost cause.

If men still catcall you or try to engage with you, just keep walking. Most men will not follow you and if they do, ask for help from locals. Moroccans are very kind and will happily assist a tourist in need.

You can also try wearing headphones. I do this because it helps me ignore catcalls. I keep my music off though so that I still know what is going on around me and can remain aware of my surroundings.

This is important in many Medinas since you can run into everything from motorbikes to donkey carts. It’s one of my most important safety tips for Marrakech.

3. Dress More Conservatively

Do you have to cover up every inch of your skin when you come to Morocco? Absolutely not. You are free to wear whatever you want since there is no dress code.

In fact, I have seen locals and foreigners where everything from tube tops to crop tops to mini skirts. Should you wear these things? Probably not and that’s for two reasons.

Firstly, the sun is strong here. Yes, sunscreen can help, but it can also wear off. When it does, you can get badly burned.

Therefore, I highly recommend wearing lots of light, linen fabrics since they help protect your skin and keep you cool.

The second reason for dressing conservatively is to reduce unwanted male attention. To be fair, sometimes covering up doesn’t help.

But, when you wear revealing clothes, it just invites men to stare at you and call after you.

Basically, do not give men even more reasons to give you unwanted attention. They will do this on their own and wearing skimpy clothes makes them think you want attention.

It’s not right and you should be able to wear whatever you want, but that’s just not how things are in Morocco. So, consider dressing a bit more conservatively and use this Marrakech packing list as a guide.

The exception to this is the pool. If you are at a Western hotel then rock a bikini and no one will bat an eyelash. You could also do this at the beach and I doubt anyone would really care.

Additionally, if you are traveling with a male I would still cover up. Men won’t hassle you but you will want to protect yourself from the sun.

4. Watch Out for Pickpockets

Again, I have never had anything stolen in Morocco. However, that is probably because I always do a couple of things.

Typically, I always use my Pacsafe backpack wherever I go. It is slash-proof, is made of RFID-blocking material, and has special locks that make it extremely difficult to open my backpack.

Additionally, I only carry what I need for the day. This usually means that I have a credit card and a little bit of cash on me and that’s it. Everything else stays safe at home. This way if someone does steal from me, I don’t lose everything at once.

Generally, pickpockets aren’t a HUGE thing in Morocco and you only need to exert normal caution to prevent petty theft. The exception to this rule is Casablanca. Watch your stuff like a hawk there because pickpockets are everywhere.

5. Avoid Walking Around the Medina in Fes and Marrakech Alone at Night

If I am traveling alone, I generally like to be home before dark and skip some of the best bars in Marrakech. There are exceptions to this rule and I’m not afraid to walk around alone at night, especially if I need to get dinner.

I do this in Gueliz all the time since there are well-lit boulevards and families hanging out on the street. But, I am just really not into wandering around the Medina alone at night.

It just feels a bit sketch. There is very little light, you are walking down narrow alleys, and streets can sometimes close in the souks, making it more difficult to navigate the Medina.

Many people also like to hang out on the street since homes can be small. It’s not that I think anyone is gonna attack me, it’s just that my anxiety flairs up and I low-key freak out in my head.

So, if you are like me then you may want to avoid walking around Fes and Marrakech alone after dark. Both cities have very big, hard-to-navigate Medinas with lots of low-lit narrow alleys.

They can feel super creepy once the sun goes down and you may want to plan accordingly.

6. Download the Maps.me App for Offline Navigation

Cell phone service is notoriously terrible in many Moroccan Medinas. Yes, Marrakech, I’m referring to you. So, even if you have a Moroccan SIM card you probably won’t get the service you need to navigate using Google Maps.

That’s why I like to use Maps.Me. It works offline, is much more detailed than Google Maps, and is totally free. I use it whenever I stay at an affordable riad in Marrakech since I am always getting lost in the Medina.

Whatever you do though, do not accept help from anyone who offers to escort you somewhere in the Marrakech medina.

it is a scam and once they take you to your chosen destination, they will charge you an insane amount of money. Do not fall for it and just use Maps.me instead.

7. Use In Drive Instead of a Taxi

A lot of Moroccan taxi drivers are big-time scammers. Not so much in Essaouira, but in Marrakech and Casablanca. They’ll refuse to use the meter and will overcharge you a stupid amount of money for your fare.

That’s because you’re a tourist and they know you have no idea what the price of your ride should be. To be fair, they tried to do this to my Moroccan partner and he was like WTH? I live here. What’s wrong with you???

Anyway, we have started to skip the taxis and use In Drive instead. It’s basically a rideshare app (like Uber) and you can use it in most major cities in Morocco.

I like it because it tends to be cheaper and you know exactly what you are paying up front. Just know that taxi drivers HATE when they see you use In Drive and can become very aggressive with In Drive drivers.

So, if your In Drive driver asks you to meet him in a different location, don’t be alarmed. The driver may just be trying to avoid taxi drivers.

Local Tip: If you want to take a taxi, ask them to use the meter. They should always use the meter. If not, ask your hotel how much the ride should cost first so that you don’t get overcharged.

8. Hire a Male Guide If You’re Traveling Alone

To be fair, I never use guides in Morocco. Medinas are usually small and if you have Maps.me, you can generally find your way around.

However, some women traveling alone (or with female friends) may want to hire a male guide. It’s helpful since you’ll get to learn a detailed history of the city and see all of the top landmarks in a short amount of time.

Plus, you won’t have to worry about unwanted male attention since you’ll be walking around with a male guide. Yup, men will never bother you if they see you walking around with a man.

Just be careful since some guides like to get super friendly (wink, wink). They like to start a romance in the hope that they can get a visa to live in Europe, the US, and beyond.

FYI, there ARE exceptions to this rule. My partner is one and is the most beautiful human ever.

Conclusion

I hope this guide has been helpful and that you now understand that Morocco is safe for women. Just be prepared for petty theft and unwanted male attention and you should have an amazing trip.

If you are still concerned, please get in touch with me at info@travelmoroccotoday.com. I am happy to help and will provide you with REAL, practical advice for your trip.

I just do not want anyone to be scared about traveling here. The Moroccan people are amazing and if you give them a chance, they will blow your mind with their warmth, kindness, and generosity.

Remember, me and my friends would NOT live here if it wasn’t an amazing place to be.

If you enjoyed this post, please join our email list and Facebook group for even more Morocco travel advice.