Solo female travel in Morocco is not for a timid traveler. And, while I really do enjoy traveling by myself, I have a love hate relationship with this country. Morocco is at the top of my list as one of most difficult solo trips I have taken and it was even more complicated by being a woman. Constantly drawing a man’s attention, and not in a good way, was just one issue. Arguing with people in French when my French is in a constant state of what I would call rusty, was another. Morocco can feel overwhelming, even if you have friends to lean on. It can be even more intimidating traveling by yourself.
I spent 10 days traveling as a solo female in Morocco and I saw several parts of the country. Each location had a different feel to it, and I was on edge during most of my trip. My first stop was in Marrakesh and it started out a tad rough when a taxi driver refused to listen to me. I repeatedly told the driver that I did not want a tour of the city, but he refused to take me to the destination I had requested. When he finally dropped me off, he upped the price of our original negotiated price.
As I tried to get out of the car, he grabbed my arm to try and force me to stay in the car. My very strong tone in limited French saved me and I was able to argue my way out of the situation. This all took place on my first day in Morocco, so it made me a little nervous for the rest of my trip.
After leaving Marrakesh, I did a 4 day trek through the Atlas Mountains as well as an overnight desert tour. The tour guide was a lifesaver, as I am not sure it would have been wise to travel without one as a solo female traveling in Morocco. I was initially worried about riding with two men through the mountains by myself. However, it turned out to be alright and they kept me from being harassed by other men during the trip.
That all ended when I arrived in Fez. My hotel was nice and located outside of the medina. However, walking through the medina was frustrating even when I had a male tour guide. Outside of the stares, cat calls, and men mumbling under their breaths as they passed me on the street, a guy aggressively followed me through the medina.
I know this will sound crazy, but if I had to do it all over again, I would still be okay with solo travel in Morocco. However, I would have done a better job mentally preparing myself for the many frustrations I experienced. Here are a few tips that I wish I had followed:
Do some planning
I highly recommend that you do some pre planning before arriving in Morocco regardless of whether or not you are doing solo female travel in Morocco. Get a feel for some of the culture, customs and norms of Morocco before your trip. It will help you to look like you know what you are doing on the street. And, that will help limit unwanted attention. It will also give you the confidence not to cave into unofficial tour guides. Tour guides seem helpful, but ultimately want your money. This may sound contrarian, but the easiest time I had during my trip was when I joined a tour group or hired an official guide. That generally created a buffer between me and strangers. I really liked using Authentic Morocco and Viator.com to book my tours.
Dress Modest
Remember that Morocco is a Muslim country. It is not necessary to cover your head, but you should dress modestly. Wear long pants, skirts and shirts that cover the arms. As a solo female traveling in Morocco, I think some sort of cover will help you not draw as much attention.
Lodging
I am not a budget traveler, so I had no issue staying in nice hotels in the major cities. I am not saying you must stay in the most expensive hotels to feel safe. However, you should take time in choosing lodging, read lots of hotel reviews and do some research about the location.
Shared cabs
I wish I knew that sharing a cab is normal in Morocco. Do not be surprised when a cab pulls over to pick you up and there are already several people in the cab. You will probably feel very uncomfortable, especially if you have to squeeze in between a bunch of men.
Someone will keep you company!
Even if you are a solo female traveling in Morocco, it is really hard to really be alone. The fact that you are enjoying time to yourself is an invitation for Moroccans to come chat with you. I do not think this only pertains to Morocco, but it stood out to me during my trip. Frankly, it is nice that people are friendly enough to make sure you are enjoying your time. Consider returning the kindness and take a moment to get to know Moroccans!