Safety & Solo Travel Tips

We have already dealt with various safety issues elsewhere on this site, such as what to wear, the common scams in Marrakech, and safety measures that are specific to women and men. This article brings together all the other aspects, namely the practical and rather less exciting basics which ensure that a solo trip goes smoothly, including information on health, emergencies, valuables, and the daily habits that quietly stop the majority of problems before they occur.

It makes sense that most information on safety in Morocco centres on solo women, even though solo men do ask the same question and therefore deserve a clear and precise answer rather than just having it mentioned in a footnote somewhere else. So here is the answer. Yes, Morocco is generally safe for lone men travellers, perhaps even easier on a day-to-day basis than it is for women, since you’re likely to encounter much less persistent verbal attention. Of course that doesn’t mean there aren’t any risks; the dangers that solo men do face here are just of a different nature, not fewer in number.

This is one of the most commonly asked questions, and the simple answer is more relaxed than most people expect, even though it is also more complex than can be expressed in one sentence. Even though there is no legal dress code for tourists in Morocco and you won’t be stopped or fined for the way you dress, the clothes you pick do affect the amount of attention you draw and the comfortable you feel while walking through medinas, souks, and smaller towns, so it is important to consider the matter rather than either packing an excessive amount of modest clothing when you never actually needed to or packing too little and feeling out of place on the first day.

Marrakech is truly one of the most rewarding cities in Morocco to visit and it is, in fact, one of the most thoroughly documented places where tourist scams take place. The city is by no means dangerous since these are mostly non-violent, minor annoyances rather than anything serious; however, by knowing the various scams in advance you can turn a frustrating first day into a trouble-free one. The following are the actual situations that occur, according to current travel reports, together with exactly how to avoid each one.

This is the question that almost every woman poses before arranging a trip to Morocco, and it calls for a direct answer rather than one that has been polished for the brochure or one that is based on fear. So here is the answer: yes, Morocco is usually safe for single female travelers, and hundreds of thousands of women visit there on their own each year and return with tales concerning hospitality, mint tea, and sunsets over the Sahara, not tales of danger. Nevertheless, safety doesn’t mean that it’s exactly like traveling back home, and Morocco does require a certain level of cultural understanding as well as a few practical habits if the experience is to be smooth rather than stressful.