Fake guides and unsolicited help
Someone tells you the street is closed, the square is the other way, or that a Berber market is on "today only". You follow, and the help ends with a request for money, often after a detour through a shop.
The remedy is simple: a firm "no thank you" and keep walking. Do not justify yourself, do not argue. If you are lost, step into a shop or café and ask someone who works there — never someone who approached you.
Verified figures
- Petits taxis
- The meter is compulsory. A legal night surcharge applies. Airport fares are posted at the exit.
- Guides
- The profession is regulated in Morocco: an official guide holds a professional licence card.
- Jemaa el-Fna
- Listed by Unesco as intangible cultural heritage (proclaimed 2001, inscribed 2008). Services on the square — photographs included — are paid for.
- Medina
- About 19 km of ramparts and a network of lanes mostly closed to cars: taxis stop at the gates.
- Souks
- No prices are displayed: bargaining is the norm. In fixed-price shops it is not.
- Currency
- The Moroccan dirham is not convertible outside the country: change on arrival and keep small notes.
Figures checked in August 2026 (Unesco, climate data from the Menara station, public geographic sources). Where sources disagree, we give a range rather than a single number.
Taxis: the real issue
Petits taxis have meters, and the meter should be running. Many drivers will offer tourists a flat fare, typically two to three times the real cost. Ask for the meter before getting in; if the driver refuses, take another — there are plenty.
At night a legal surcharge applies. For the airport, fares are posted at the exit: read them before negotiating.
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Photographs, monkeys and snake charmers
On Jemaa el-Fna, every photograph is paid for. Photograph a monkey, a snake or a water seller and money will be asked for — sometimes a lot. That is not a scam, it is how the square works; the problem is the sum demanded afterwards.
Two honest options: agree the price first, or do not photograph. Be aware, too, that the monkeys on the square are kept in poor conditions — many visitors abstain for that reason.
Shopping: the only rule that matters
Buy nothing on your first day. Walk around, look at prices, come back. Bargaining is not combat: someone names a price, you laugh, you agree — and if the price does not suit you, you leave without awkwardness.
Be wary of "workshops" you are taken to: the tout’s commission is in the price. Buy in shops you entered on your own, or ask your riad, which has no interest in steering you wrong.
Frequently asked questions
Is Marrakech safe?
Yes. Violent crime is rare and the medina is closely watched. The nuisances are commercial rather than security-related — stay aware of your belongings in crowds, as in any large city.
Do I have to bargain everywhere?
In the souks, yes. In fixed-price shops, cafés and restaurants, no — the price is the price.
How do I avoid fake guides at monument entrances?
By booking a guided visit in advance. An accompanying guide deters most approaches, and you know who you are dealing with.