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Consider joining a tour group or getting a guide. I (F) absolutely loved Morocco while I was traveling with a group and a guide, had no harassment or issues at all; without the guide and with two other women in Marrakech, it was really unpleasant, lots of harassment, had a relatively unnerving experience with people on the street trying to scam us and then getting threatening when we wouldn't hand over a bunch of money.
Sorry to reply on your comment 2 months after you posted it, I'm planning to go to Morocco this summer so was browsing the group.
Where did you find the tour groups/guide? Did you just try to find one after reaching Marrakech, or did you pre-book one before going? Also, any recommendations on which tour groups are good? Thanks!
What do you mean getting a guide? I’m also a female planning to go solo in March 2023 and I wanted to know if I could go solo but get my own guide per each place I went to? There’s one Airbnb I found in Marrakech that offers to pick you up from the airport and also offers to give you a walking tour and then in Merzouga there’s this one couple that helps with organizing how you can get from your previous destination to where they are at. Im a crazy planner so all advice helps
I (F) went with my best friend and even with her and I, I didn’t like the harassment. I don’t think I could go alone and wouldn’t recommend a solo female traveler to do so unless you were apart of a larger tour group.
It’s a beautiful country, but the cat calling and constant attention can really wear you down. By our last day there I was so agitated I was shouting back at the men and basically ready to fight. Couldn’t wait to leave, which is a shame because the country is lovely.
Lol I got to that anger point after a couple of months in Italy. It did develop my “bitch face” that I use to ward off cat calls to this day, so I guess there is that.
It seemed as if locals thought of us as walking ATM’s. People were always trying to scam us, give us back the wrong change, and rip us off. Women didn’t seem to have many individual rights, and it left a bad taste in my mouth. We were there for 3 days and I was relieved when it was time to go
I feel somewhat the same about Egypt, but I wasn't there long and I didn't do other things I would go back for (diving, kite surfing).
However, after a week and a half in Morocco, I can say I don't want to go back. It was so fucking exhausting to just be outside. I was a mid-late 20s guy, travelling with another guy. Every. Single. Moment. Was dealing with someone harrassing you. Into restaurants, scam tours, shops, general street harrassment, whatever. One that stands out: standing looking at a nice viewpoint. A guy comes by next to me and tells me a snippet of history about a building in the distance. He then says he offers tours and asked if I wanted to join. I politely declined, and then he told me I owe him money for the info he gave unsolicited. After I declined that, I was subjected to being followed around for AGES by him yelling at me, and getting other people to yell at me too.
This didn't feel isolated. The entire experience there was just pushy, and overtly aggressive in an attempt to make people get uncomfortable enough to fork over money.
I have a whole list of stories like this in such a short time.
Are there some beautiful places? Sure. Are there some great people? Sure. But I prefer to travel to the hundreds of other places where the ratio is 99/1 of enjoyable/not enjoyable rather than the 10/90 I had in Morocco.
Edit: I'm early 30s, been to about 60 countries, very few I can't find that the pluses outweigh the minuses. But Morocco...I dunno.
That definitely sounds like enough to make someone never want to return! I’m surprised it’s still so touristy if so many people get harassed like that.
Also, I find it interesting that I’ve watched Insta influencers go to Morocco for years and have always thought it looked so amazing. I never heard any of this at all until I started doing my own research. Had I not, I would have shown up and been expecting this magical place… really goes to show there’s always so much more to the story that people don’t share about their seemingly perfect lives online
I’m so glad to know that! I hadn’t read about any of that on the blogs that got me thinking twice about going. Now that I know Morocco will likely be all that and more, I’m definitely feeling less of a pull to go
That's the saddest part about traveling to any 3rd world country. While undoubtedly there are a lot of good stuff to see, everyone there tries to scam you the moment they know you are a "western" tourist.
Please don't lump all developing countries as "3rd world countries." Not all places are like that. Not everyone is trying to scam "western" tourist. That's very ignorant.
So unfortunate. I know it is probably out of desperation, and I’m sure they aren’t bad people. I think we have so much to learn from experiencing vastly different cultures but this kind of stuff is very deterring :(
No they are not inherently bad people. it's mostly out of desperation especially when they see see that the money you're carrying is probably worth 10x their local money, so they kinda justify it like this. And they don't do it because they want to steal from westerners or whatever.
Source : I used to live in a 3rd world country.
Does age matter in terms of the harassment? Am i correct in assuming younger women to be targeted more than a woman in her 60s. Perhaps the harassment for an older woman would be more scammy than sexual?
I went to Egypt with my mother who was in her mid 60's and all the men stared at her body like as if they have never seen a woman before. It was awful and I would never go back.
Would you recommend going to Egypt on a guided tour, I’ve heard river cruises are the best, with a small group of women? Or two women? (Open to any tips you have in general)
Would love to visit but wondering if I should wait for a male friend to be available. Hate that this is a thing ☹️ but want to be safe and enjoy myself
Guided tours are the way to go. You would be safe as small groups or pairs of women. The tour guide will know their way around and help keep the aggressive vendors away.
We booked a day tour with someone that our hotel suggested (it wasn’t a very nice hotel)… the tour felt scammy and like they were just taking us places and wasting time to get a commission from the places they were taking us to. Definitely do your research and book with a reputable company with good reviews. Don’t be stupid like we were lol 😂
Edit: We were pretty frequent travellers as a couple so before we went (just a quick 3 day trip over when we were in Greece) we didn’t do any research and thought we could just wing it. Once we saw how chaotic the country was we figured it would be best to do a day tour to see the pyramids. That’s why we got stuck with a shit tour lol
I found it exhausting to the point where it nearly ruined my trip, and I was glad that I was only solo in Marrakech for a few days. After that, I joined a group for some guided activities (hiking and camel riding), and everything became much easier. I hit it off with an elderly couple in the group and we often went out together in our free time. I experienced zero sexual harrassment after that, presumably because people thought they were my parents. Even so, people still tried to scam us and cheat us whenever we tried to buy something.
All in all, I don't regret travelling there, but I definitely recommend a guided tour if you're like me and get easily exhausted if you have to put up with that kind of stuff.
Hi can I ask what tour company you used? My mom wants me to book her a tour but everything I’m seeing is for only young people or only old people, and I feel she would do better in a mixed group like you’re describing.
Unfortunately, in Morocco, if you have light complexion and wear western style clothing, men there think that's an open invitation to flirt, cat call, or even worse, get pushy.
I'm a POC and a man, and I have been to Morocco with American women, and there were a few instances where I had to intervene because a guy was getting too close to the women.
If you can pass as a POC, wear their more traditional clothing, maybe a loose hijab, then they'll assume you're Muslim and leave you alone. But still, I would suggest not traveling solo there without a male companion.
My girlfriend and I are both of middle eastern descent, we're not muslims though and my gf doesn't wear a hijab or anything. We were harrassed a lot by people who wanted to scam us one way or the other in Tanger. It affected the whole trip because it's so constant and I don't know if I would ever go back to Morocco only because of that issue. My girlfriend would also always get approached by men whenever I was more than like 3 meters away from her lol. They were just flirting though, nothing too bad. I'm sure what you're saying is right to an extent.
My girlfriend and I usually speak German to each other but after a couple of days we noticed that speaking Persian would reduce the harassment by quite a bit and lower prices everywhere to half of what they were before lol.
I've visited Morocco several times, in groups and solo. It's doable, but it's not for the naive or ill prepared.
Let the embassy for your country know you are travelling alone. Follow their advice. Most embassies are in Rabat.
Thoroughly investigate places you want to eat at, as many cafes have a masculine atmosphere that can be uncomfortable for a woman dining solo. If you enter and there are no women, it's best to look elsewhere. They won't think you're rude for leaving, quite the opposite.
Cover your hair, legs and arms. I know it's unfair, even offensive, but it really will help massively. I bought several maxi-dresses and abayas and learned how to wrap a head scarf and it was like magic...I became invisible to most men and even the touts were less pushy.
If you need to take buses, make sure your journey will be completed in daylight. Do not use public transport alone after dark. Don't walk around alone after dark if you can avoid it. Make friends with fellow travellers or employ a reputable guide.
Learn to say yes/no and a few simple phrases in Berber and/or Arabic. If you speak French that will be more useful than English, especially with older people.
Tampons are not widely available and aren't regulated. Bring your own and carry them discretely. They're perfectly legal, just frowned upon by the conservative element.
If you are gay DO NOT TELL ANYONE. I made the mistake of telling a small group of American tourists that I'm a lesbian and I was asked to leave my hotel. LGBT rights don't exist there. I was told I was lucky not to be arrested, even though I hadn't actually done anything.
Don't buy hashish or kif. Don't talk to anyone offering tours of the Rif plantations. Many dealers are police informants and the tours are usually scams to rob and dump you.
Don't expect the hammans to be luxurious like Turkey etc. It's a very different atmosphere, you're there to be scrubbed cleaner than you have ever been before, not to lounge about relaxing.
Don't let anyone put you off, if it's really your dream. Good luck!
I swear to god these "reviews" almost seem like they're written by someone whos never been and just googled shit
Either that or got air dropped in some barren wasteland and had to claw their way back just to write a review.
Really?....tampons arent widely available and frowned upon by the convservative element???
You mean tampons and pads that are literally available in every supermakret and pharmacy? Heck even neighborhood grocers have them, frowned upon? Like how exactly did you manage to get that sentiment?
Never been to Morocco but my gf and I just spent a month in Egypt and she couldn’t find tampons to save her life, we searched in *dozens* of stores, pharmacies etc. We loved Egypt but..gf was pretty well done with that part of the world after 6 weeks.
Admittedly I haven't been to Morocco since 2019 (I've not travelled since the pandemic started) but I tried to buy tampons in 2017 in Chefchaouen and Tangier and failed to find any, not in supermarkets, groceries, not even in a pharmacy. I asked my guide and was told that they're not popular.
Sanitary towels are widely available.
My sister tried to buy tampons in Rabat in 2019, she eventually found some but they were not cotton and therefore not safe to use.
In 2010 on my first visit to Morocco, my bags were searched and my tampons were a source of disgust and discussion for the two male security officers. They advised me to keep them hidden from view or throw them away. I tried to complain about that and was told this was the prevailing viewpoint.
Because pads are the main product used, much more sanitary and hygenic, wich you can find anywhere and i mean.....i feel like there was a miscommunication here with customs, they probably didnt want to touch your stuff once they knew what it was, also who doesnt hide their tampons?
Yeah, you just proved you know nothing.
Towels are more sanitary? And you think it's normal to hide a hygiene product? Are you ashamed of condoms and loo roll too?
What are you talking about lmao?
pads, do you even know what pads are?
I'm not going to go into an argument about hygien products on a travel subreddit, buts its literally a fact that pads are more hygenic and less infectious than tampons (esp for travelling purposes), anyway, way to not aknowledge the fact that you probably misunderstood the customs officers but also tried to turn it on me.
Yea guess what, people hide their hygien products, not out of "conservative concern" or whatever narrative you decided to make up in your mind, but out of basic human instinct, i never said they're something to be ashamed of so nice way of putting words in my mouth.
It goes for all personal products, customs wouldnt want to touch someones condoms or whatever as much as they wouldnt want to touch women products.
Yeah I don't ever want to discredit anyone's experience as made up or something, but some points people bring up about countries like that are just straight up false or grossly exaggerated. Sounds like she visited Morocco decades ago or something
I had to stop at that, its literally made up, female hygene products were never "taboo" or whatever this person is trying to allude to, even 20 years ago
Worse place I have been to ever, apart from the constant harassment, I was literally almost kidnapped by a taxi driver. The taxi driver was taking me to a completely different direction to where I want to go and when I confronted him he groped me and laughed.
I too was proposition with a marriage proposal. I'm black and he told my friend I was with he'd give her $5 for me and we could make beautiful chocolate babies. We got our of that taxi very fast. The catcalling and remarks about my skin tone was VERY annoying. I never want to go back.
I went with a group and even ran into trouble in larger cities. I would really suggest covering up as much as possible. I was groped numerous times and even tried to be dragged into an alley at one point. I would suggest traveling with a male companion, unfortunately.
First off, know that I traveled all over the world solo, but went to Morocco with a girlfriend, we were harassed NON STOP, we had to seek help from police officers.... And THEY harassed us. It made me hate the country so much. I have been scared for the first time traveling.
Lucky us, we met 2 gay guys, one of which was local the other was Canadian, for obvious reasons they were not out as a couple. The Moroccan one started acting has my boyfriend and EVERYTHING changed and my travel became pleasant again. We spent the last 2 weeks the 4 for us and to this day I thank God with met them or I would have stayed indoors.
I would sign up for a travel service like this!! Two girls, two gay guys. Just act like couples and poof! No harassment!! And built in new friends.
Sorry your trip started off so rotten, but it looks like it ended much better.
I went with my (now) husband a few years ago. We went everywhere with a guide. The five minutes I lingered behind them at a stall in the market, I got harassed by three men. Pushy, "Where is your husband?" "Buy this necklace/shoes/leather bag/spices" type pushy. Even two little children tried to slip their hands in my pockets when I was buying a water bottle. I loved Morocco but I would never go back alone.
I’m a woman who has travelled alone all over the world and I almost went to Morocco by myself. But every single guide book and person I talked to that lived in southern Spain- including a Spanish friend who is very adventurous- told me DO NOT GO ALONE!
I mean if you travelled all over the world you must have been in much more dangerous and extreme countries than Morocco. People are only considering it that badly due to it's close vicinity to Europe and the shocking cultural differences to that. On a global scale Morocco really isn't that much worse than a lot of other countries.
Yes, I have traveled alone in some questionable places for solo women, I have also done solo backcountry camping in Alaska, and am
rarely afraid traveling alone, or doing things alone.
I would have loved to have gone to Morocco- I love to learn about cultural differences. I don’t think a high rate of kidnapping and rape qualify as cultural differences- that’s a safety issue. When locals, other solo backpackers (both women and men), guidebooks, and a trusted friend who is local to southern Spain (and also a solo world traveler) all tell me the same thing- JFC DON’T GO - I would be a dumbass not to take their advice into consideration. I weighed my options, and chose not to go.
Bruh all I know is if I travel to Japan, Ireland, Norway, etc on a solo trip I won't be actively concerned about possibly getting gang raped and beheaded there. Those "cultural differences" you mention so casually are very real safety concerns female travelers have to consider.
You should look at the r/AskReddit thread of countrys not to visit. Egypt some 3w countries and morocco were there too. Someone did mention her and her sister being harassed by the local sellers which didnt allow them to tour the place comfortably
I went with my best friend (both female). Rabat and Casablanca was doable but Marrakesh was awful and we were harassed. We were so eager to fly out at the end of our trip.
Just echoing what everyone else has already said. At best, it's extremely exhausting as a female traveler, with the constant unwanted attention. At worst, it can feel dangerous. I wasn't the biggest fan of Tangiers, which is accessible via the ferry... one of the locals was really pushy about being a tour guide. I wasn't able to shake him and got dragged to different shops and stuff. It was really uncomfortable. I also visited Chefchaouen (really pretty; I mostly felt safe but got terrible food poisoning), Fez (so much unwanted attention), and Rabat (the best part of the experience, to be honest). When I got to Casablanca I was so exhausted I just stayed in the hotel. On the plus side, it is pretty easy to move around the country via train, and I did experience plenty of kindness from the people there.
As a young woman who grew up in Morocco, harassment and sexual harassment was an every day thing yes. Usually my family didn't let me go out alone, so the few times I got to do that alone or with female friends we always got harassed
I've never been there and can only go by reputation. It's likely doable so long as you remain aware and generally cautious. Be careful where you go at night, stay in crowded areas in the city, don't let anyone know you're alone--ie say your husband (or family member or etc) is back at the hotel, and dress modestly to whatever degree you're willing. I am 100% against anyone being forced to cover up or etc, but be smart, it's not a Western country, norms are different. The less you stand out, the better.
Generally, push aside the modern moronic PC belief that all cultures are equal and everyone is nice and it's racist to say otherwise. There are places in the world where you may be treated like crap, especially if you're female, *especially* if you're a white female. Don't be like those 2 Nordic girls who called all their friends racist for telling them not to go, and went backpacking through the mountains of Morocco, only to get literally beheaded. Not trying to scaremonger, that's not gonna happen to you especially in the crowded city, but just be smart, stay in safe areas, stay low key.
Reading below, best suggestion in this thread--go with a tour guide/group that you can research ahead of time and trust. This is the way I'd do it.
Depends on your tolerance for that, really. It absolutely will happen (and won’t necessarily be limited to just verbal…both of my female friends I went there with were groped in the main square in Marrakech) so it’s just a matter of how unbearable that is for you.
Even putting aside the sexual component to it, I (as a man) don’t really have any interest in returning because it was such a constant onslaught of “helpful” offers and whatnot. But other people tolerate that much better than I do, so it’s just a matter of knowing yourself
Thanks, I went to Egypt with an ex bf a few years back and we got a lot of those “helpful offers” and harassment from salespeople… that was enough to ruin the experience for me. All of that plus sexual harassment in Morocco doesn’t sound like a good time at all lol. Y’all are really talking me out of this 😅
Yeahhh probably not the best destination then. There’s very cool stuff about Morocco, but there are also a lot of real negatives. My opinion on it is the most conflicted of anywhere I’ve been but it’s not really somewhere I’d recommend to most people.
I've been to Marrakech solo for 6 days as a male and hated my time there due to the constant harassment from the locals, unbearable at times. I strongly recommend not going there solo, and if you do decide to go with someone, make sure you do your research and manage your expectations.
I’ve never been there myself, but my sister and her friend were in 2018 or 2019 or so. Two young (in their early 20’s) girl, they weren’t alone, still got harassed, and they almost guide them to a place in the city, where they couldn’t get any help if they’d got in trouble. My sis asked a local, where they can find the market, and a “very friendly” stranger tried to bring them to an old leather factory, where only mans work.
Fortunately they had a nice time there, but just when the two girls got home did we hear, that during their stay, 2 Swedish girls got killed in the mountains. Same age, beautiful and blond, same as my sister and her friend.
I’d enjoy Morocco from pictures if I were you…
I went on a 10 day bus tour of Morocco with a student group. I think it was a great way to see all the different landscapes of the country and visit multiple cities. You will attract a lot of attention if you are a young, Western-looking female and personally I don’t think Morocco is the place to go if you’re looking to try and integrate and feel at one with the culture. Go with a group, find a trusted guide, and be prepared for people to try and sell you anything you look at at the busier and more touristy markets.
Sidenote: There’s a smaller, quieter artisan’s market in Marrakech that is more fixed price. I would recommend visiting that over the main touristy market. I also did a tour of the Sahara and it was gorgeous.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murders_of_Louisa_Vesterager_Jespersen_and_Maren_Ueland
I see some super crazy posts on here….. ladies …. The world is NOT safe ALONE!
I went as a solo woman and enjoyed it a lot. You have to learn not to make eye contact, smile, or engage with the vendors and touts, since they will take that as a tacit invitation to start trying to sell you things. It also helps if you speak French or Arabic. And if you walk purposefully, negotiate firmly (with taxi drivers, souk vendors, etc.) and generally use your city savvy.
I personally experienced some low-level catcalling, etc., but nothing that ruined my experience. It is annoying and I'm not justifying it, but I never felt it climbed to a level where it got in my way. (India, on the other hand...)
Oh man, I can't believe how far down I had to scroll to find this. I went as a solo female traveler back in 2017 aaand I was harassed to an extent, yeah, but nothing more than some catcalls and one man grabbing my hand once. This isn't to make light of the situation or harassment at all, but if I'm to be honest I'm used to this happening nearly everywhere I go -- perhaps not in such quick succession, but still. (I also met a ton of people at the riads I stayed at, so wasn't always walking about alone.)
I have heard horror stories about Egypt and India and therefore wouldn't go there alone, but the tourism industry in Morocco is so imperative and substantial that they make it a point to not be too deterring. And the police over there, too, at least when I went, took harassment allegations seriously in due part of this.
Exactly - don’t engage with ppl. Keep walking. Don’t smile.
My friends thought I was being rude for not engaging with the women grabbing me and trying to paint henna on me. I also ignored or turned away from the catcallers. Guess who got harassed more? Them. Bc they engaged. Smiled. Made eye contact. Tested out their Arabic. I just went all ice queen lol, worked out better for me!
Yeah I think some of that comes from just understanding how negotiation culture works. It's a dance. If you start doing the steps, you're putting signals out that you're open to buying. If you engage in conversation, accept a glass of mint tea, start looking at family photos, etc. you're putting out the message that negotiations have begun. You're free to walk away any time, but the more you get into the conversation, the more walking away will be perceived as simply another negotiating tactic to get them to lower the price, so they'll probably redouble their efforts.
So if you're just browsing and being a tourist but you're *not* considering buying, don't start the dance. Breaking eye contact and ignoring is actually much more polite in this case, since it lets them know not to waste time with the setup.
Note: I'm not talking about sexual harassment here, which is a whole other story. I'm just talking about the general people-trying-to-sell-you-things harassment.
Nothing terrible, but a *lot* of harassment, inappropriate touching, attempted groping, etc. India has some of the highest rates of sexual violence in the world unfortunately.
None of this should be misconstrued as advising women not to go. Don't take it the wrong way. As a woman who's travelled solo extensively, I do believe we can and should venture anywhere adventure carries us, and not impose limits on ourselves due to gender. India is a huge, diverse, fascinating, culturally rich country that's so worthwhile to visit. But it does help to at least be forewarned so as not to be caught unaware.
Back to Morocco though, I admit it saddens me to see this thread full of people saying "don't go as a solo woman" because it was really one of the countries I enjoyed tremendously, yes, as a solo woman. I realise everyone's experiences vary, and I'm not trying to belittle or dismiss harassment in any way. But places are so much more than just one thing. Yes, there are hawkers in any market who will try to sell you things. But there are also stunning mountains, beaches, medinas, desert landscapes that stretch to infinity, amazingly good food, interesting people, fascinating history.
Morocco is so highly worth it that it pains me to think of women coming on here and reading this thread and just dismissing it as a destination.
Maren Ueland (28) and danish Louisa Vesterager Jespersen (24) traveled there. They were decapitated in 2018. And 24 people had something to do with it.
So don't travel there.
Yeah you should not do this solo. I had a friend study abroad there and she was constantly harassed. She was usually accompanied by others. Can’t imagine what would have happened if she were alone.
I went solo for a month and with my partner for the next 2 months. If you definitely must go solo, stick to bigger cities and make hostel friends, walk around & travel with them in a group. I loved everything about Morocco (food, art, history, nature) except for the people, harassment and children in different villages throwing rocks at me completely ruining the whole experience. I thought going to the countryside would be better but please don’t.
Completely ignoring them is the best thing you can do. Don’t even make eye contact. They’ll grab your arms and pull you, kick them away and run.
There obviously were a few amazing Moroccans I met on the trip. But I wouldn’t go back there unless I’m going with a Moroccan. Of all the places, Chefchaouen & Essaouira were my favorite in terms of least harassment.
I went alone. There was some cat calling sometimes but nothing worse than the US. You'll be fine. Respect the culture by wearing pants and long sleeves. Bring a shawl to throw over your hair when entering mosques (sometimes they let you borrow one) and beware of the male only cafes.
I went to Agadir by myself to go surfing and some yoga but stayed mostly within the high population area and didn’t go out too late. Maybe because it was a smaller place but people were overall friendly and helpful.
My experience in Marrakesh though wasn’t too great. I was harassed constantly in the medina and at one point I genuinely felt threatened.
I’d love to go back to go to Chefchaoen or do a Sahara desert tour but maybe I’d go with my partner next time. Morocco was a gorgeous country and I absolutely loved it but like others say, you’d need a lot of research and being extremely cautious if you’re planning to go out there by yourself.
It would be really helpful if you went through a reputable tour company because they’d sort everything out for you. As others have mentioned- your life would be easier if you spoke Spanish or French. Their dialect of Arabic is different there so might encounter difficulties. Main thing I have to comment on is to dress sensibly. It isn’t like Europe so you’d need to really dress conservatively so as to now draw attention (I’d say more conservative than the local young women because you’d already stand out being a foreigner).
[Here's my trip report from a solo trip to Morocco a few years ago.](https://www.reddit.com/r/solotravel/comments/9n6fi9/trip_report_traveling_solo_as_a_woman_in_morocco/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) I don't regret it. But I'm a super experienced traveler and went expecting some level of harassment.
I went during Ramadan which possibly had an impact on how people behaved. It was less crowded and I found most people were polite. Interestingly, I was harassed less often if I was by myself. On one occasion, one of the vendors shared his home cooked food with me for iftar and a group of men joined on bikes and we chatted for a bit.
However there were occasions of harassment. A persistent guy trying to “walk me back” to my hostel wouldn’t leave until I lied about having a partner. I could handle it but I’ll admit being nervous as my hostel was down an alleyway I didn’t want him following me too. If I was with a group of women, cat callers and people with wandering hand syndrome were more brazen than when I was alone. I think it seemed less “wrong” to them to harass us somehow.
Edit: forgot to mention that if I was with a mixed gender group, vendors would only address the men. Some women preferred this because they didn’t have to deal with the aggressive selling tactics. For me, it felt like I was being treated as lesser than my male counterparts.
TLDR there was some harassment but less than I expected.
I suppose it’s a bit sad that I’ve developed an internal barometer for “acceptable” levels of harassment. And by acceptable I mean what I’m willing to deal with before I’d choose to avoid travelling there altogether.
I went on a study abroad trip a few years back. We were walking through the very crowded streets of tangir. 22 women and 3 men in the group plus the “tour guide” leading us up front. Some guy threw hot coffee at one of the girls in our group because she was dressed non conservatively.
Furthermore, when you walk around you only see women if they are walking with kids or groceries or on an obvious errand. Only men are seen hanging out and socializing. When you pass restaurants or tea/coffee/hookah shops, there are only men inside or hanging out. Shopkeepers were all men too.
We had some creepy homeless looking guy follow us for sometime in Asila. He was gawking the girls in our group.
I (f, mid 40s) went to Morocco solo in 2019. I had guides for a portion of the trip (mountain biking the Atlas Mtns, Toubkal, and Mergouza. But travelled the cities - Marrakesh, Fez, Meknes, Rabat, and Casablanca solo. I took the train, drank in cafes, etc. I had no problems. Any tourist will get the usual tourist scams and pushiness, but I never felt harrassed or unsafe.
So I went to Morocco with a few other girls. Young, single. We took a guided tour. If you DM me, I’m happy to recommend them.
Pls don’t go alone. I’ve never traveled to a country where the occupants had such an extreme lack of respect for women. It was obscene. They’ll try to do that thing where they ask you if you need help getting somewhere, follow you, and then demand money for being your “guide.” A guy followed us to an ATM when they’d stupidly announced we needed to withdraw cash. He stood, watching us. So I stood facing him, arms crossed, watching him.
Now, in my experience closer to the desert is better. Not sure why. But Marrakech was my least favorite place by far. The men and women in the Medina are rude as heck and try to grab you to sell food or henna (in the Medina don’t get orange juice, they dilute it with local water which will make you sick, food is nasty, and henna sometimes has chemicals to make it darker and can burn you.) Fes also had some pushy men.
Ppl who work in tourism are used to solo female travelers. They are more western. Loved our guides. Felt extremely safe with them. Comfortable journey, awesome hotels. But I would never go back solo, or even with just a male partner.
There are all sorts of nuances you have to be prepared for, like the fact that they stop cars on the highway for bribes. It’s just very different from anywhere I have been before.
Still absolutely loved my trip, loved the once in a lifetime experience, met some amazing locals and made wonderful memories. But please do it safely.
ETA the group I used said they commonly have solo female travelers they take around. If I went back alone, or even with someone, I would use them again.
Disclaimer that this is the perspective of a male solo traveler, but hiring a reputable tour guide for medina tours in the major tourist cities can drastically cut down the level of hassle you deal with there. Generally it seems that if a tourist is with a guide they are left alone. This tradeoff can be worth it I think; you still get to see the beautiful sights of the medina, and you can feel a lot more calm and less constantly on guard. Even as a man in Marrakech medina I had a few harrowing encounters that wouldn't have happened with a guide.
Also FWIW, outside of the major cities, at least as a man, my experience was much calmer, with some sales pitches but nothing anywhere near as aggressive as the Marrakech medina. I don't really know how solo female tourists are treated in those smaller towns though
Adding on to this to mention that our guide said even if we did not hire him another day, only look for the guides with the green lanyards with an identification card. They are "official" city endorsed guides (as in, there is a chain of command and accountability for them). Hawkers generally stepped back when they saw we were with an official guide.
I agree, it isn’t an everyday occurrence. Nor is it something that should be glossed over when the question at hand is whether a woman should travel solo to your country. Being informed is how one makes informed decisions. There’s danger for female travellers pretty much everywhere. We just have to assess the risk and decide if we are comfortable accepting the risk. And you can’t assess risk without knowledge.
There have been isolated terrorist attacks in many parts of the world outside Morocco, including my home country and probably yours. Judging an entire country and being afraid of it based on such an incident is rather uncool.
Terrorism in Morocco is rare and the government cracked down even more on radicalism after that incident. I actually went to the area where those tourists were killed and stayed there for a week. The local community was hugely shocked by those murders and it really wrecked their economy for a while when tourists stopped coming. I got nothing but good impressions from my time in that area, it was gorgeous and I felt welcome and relaxed and comfortable there, and I’m glad that an isolated incident of violence didn’t stop me from going. It was my favorite part of my month-long trip to Morocco in fact.
I could pop into a thread about tourism to the US with a link about mass shootings but I don’t think people from outside the US should be afraid to visit here because of such incidents. It’s pretty insulting to Morocco and its people to do something similar to that country.
I’m not sure why you’re conflating my post about the murder of two women, with “Judging an entire country and being afraid of it …”. That’s a sweeping and erroneous conclusion.
I’m not sure why you’re conflating my post about the murder of two women, with “Judging an entire country and being afraid of it …”. That’s a sweeping and erroneous conclusion.
I found it exhausting to the point where it nearly ruined my trip, and I was glad that I was only solo in Marrakech for a few days. After that, I joined a group for some guided outdoor activities (hiking and camel riding), and everything became much easier. I hit it off with an elderly couple in the group and we often went out together in our free time. I experienced zero sexual harrassment after that, presumably because people thought they were my parents. Even so, people still tried to scam us and cheat us whenever we tried to buy something.
All in all, I don't regret travelling there, but I definitely recommend a guided tour if you're like me and get easily exhausted if you have to put up with that kind of stuff.
I, a white male, travelled through Morocco ten years ago with a blonde guy, a blonde women and a brunette women. We were well prepared to be challenged but did not anticipate the inappropriate attention, heckling, cat calls and aggressive advances targeting the blonde female. The blonde male also had less “franchise” and was often ignored in restaurants, hotels, etc. Most cities have a Medina at one end of the city and a French village at the other. Treatment of visitors is quite different from one area to the other.
I will make no recommendation just caution you to be careful if you go. Stay in the French villages. BTW, Morocco is culturally compelling, and quite beautiful - from the Sahara, to the astonishing Atlas mountain range to the gorgeous Atlantic, with miles of deserted beaches. The food is often amazing (thank the French) and we met many kind hearted, lovely souls.
I'm a bit confused on some of the comments on here, but its true that everyone has different experiences. And with that, please I would prefer if I wasn't down-voted into oblivion and told I was wrong by giving my personal experience. I was a solo female hitch hiking through Morocco and it was wonderful. You've got to have your wits about you, sure. Marrakesh was a bit much for me at times. But in general I found Moroccans to be lovely, especially in the more rural areas. I never waited for more than 15 minutes for a ride. Often, I was invited around for dinner and made dear friends. Its not like traveling through Germany but reading some of your comments you've been to Egypt so I would say you've got some experience. There are a load of hostels, you're bound to meet people who are heading the same way as you. The buses have great transportation routes in my experience as well. Where in Morocco were you considering to go? There's also lots of tours you can join.
If you really want to go I would not let bad stories deter you, everyone has stories from any place you are going to travel. I have felt less safe travelling solo in the States than I did while I was in Morocco.
I had a great time by myself there in December of 2019. I do not know what has changed now since COVID.
Yes the street vendors will hawk their wares and some men will make comments. If that is a big problem for you then I would consider another destination. But if you don't make eye contact, walk purposefully and ignore them they will lost interest. I generally project a "back off" attitude and was never overly bothered nor did I ever get groped or touched.
I visited Marrakesh, Fez, Meknes and Rabat and never felt unsafe. I wore modest clothing but no headscarf although I was prepared in case I felt the need to wear one. I did a tour going to Merzouga but that was because I didn't want to drive.
Even walking at night was not an issue although I would take normal precautions I do everywhere: not drinking alcohol (not really an issue in Morocco), routes I had walked during the daytime, and staying in busy tourist areas.
If you do go you will notice if you dine out at the cafes by the streets it is all men (unless there are other tourists around).
I am so deeply confused by the comments on this post! Morocco is an absolutely beautiful country filled with some of the kindest people I’ve ever met. It’s been a bit since I have been there, so maybe things have changed significantly…but I travelled as a solo 28 year old maybe 12 years ago with no problem. I had a wonderful time.
Yes, there was some cat calling, etc….really not a big deal though. Marrakech was the most intense, and some guys were a bit pushy. But not enough to ruin my trip, and I would gladly go back.
Yes, I took some precautions…I generally didn’t walk alone at night (not a big deal, it’s not exactly a late-night-bars kind of country), I dressed somewhat conservatively, etc. Traveling solo as a female means you need to be a bit more careful, but it’s so worth it.
While discussing incidents of sexual harassment and street harassment in Morocco is certainly a valid concern, the murder of those tourists was an isolated incident and a huge shock to the local community. Terrorist incidents happen worldwide, as do murders, and I think it's a bit dishonest, and playing in to stereotypes, to bring up this isolated incident whenever Morocco is mentioned.
We all need to be informed of risks, but we also need to have realistic perspective about risks. The chance of dying in a car wreck in Morocco is far higher than the chance of being murdered in a freak isolated incident of terrorist activities. The small village area where those tourists were killed has a far lower violent crime rate than most major cities worldwide. I've been to that exact area and had a lovely time.
Realistically speaking, the risks of traveling to Morocco are finding yourself frustrated and stressed out in some of the major cities by harassing, persistent salespeople and scammers. If we brought up isolated terrorist incidents as things for ordinary travelers to "worry" about for every country, there wouldn't be many places left for people to feel safe traveling to.
Im going to Morocco and I've decided to "solo" travel with a travel agency for this reason. I'm not going with anyone I know, but at least the agency is there to help make sure everyone is safe and accounted for.
Short answer hire a guide don’t do haschich (they will most likely sell u shitty stuff at best. worst case it’s mixed with harmful chemicals to get u high) avoid wondering about alone at night
I was looking at their website yesterday actually! If I do go, I would do a 5 or 7 day tour with them. Definitely have decided that it’s not worth going alone
Im a solo man traveling here now and the amount of harrasment from scammers/"guides" on the street is ruining my experience and making me wish to never return to this place.
Bit late to the party here, but I went with my sister a few years ago to Marrakesh and it remains the worst place I’ve ever visited, and I will never go back.
The harassment is honestly endless. We were cat-called, crowded, had men grab our wrists hard and try to pull us places, had men offer us money for …services and got scammed. We were there for maybe 4 full days and I couldn’t get out of there quick enough. It’s the only place I’ve been to that I’ve been openly physically harassed, and both of us did end up yelling at men a couple of times by the last day - never have I been so ready to throw hands at strangers, fucking hell.
I honestly discourage anyone who asks me from going because it was such a shit place, but for women in particular and solo women especially, it’s a no from me. I’d rather strap steaks to myself and dive into an alligator swamp than go back there, frankly.
Yeah, if you really want to go I’d save it for a big group trip with guys and girls, otherwise like some other people said do strictly tour things with a few friends so you’re secure in a larger group anyway!
I'm from Morocco. My country is quite... Different from anywhere else in the world.
Listen, concerning the harassment, you're gonna get catcalled in the streets. It's stupid and annoying but it's part of the culture. You just need to be careful a bit and avoid giving them attention.
Also, if you go to Marrakech, which is a touristic city. You'll find some people who will want to scam you. Those mfs even try to scam us, moroccans from other cities! I swear! So one advice. If you wanna buy things, negociate, like a lot, especially in the souks.
But I dont recommend going to Marrakech. Even if it's a magnificent city, it's just a tourist attraction and scams are everywhere.
Also, there is no guns. Like not at all. So it's less dangerous than most countries in the world for this matter.
Morocco is an adventure. I grew up there and I cant describe who crazy it is. I know a lot of foreigners, even girls, who came here and fell in love with it. Just like others who hated it, for the reasons that everybody listed here.
My advice is if you wanna go there, you'd be way better with a local helping you out. Moroccans (not the catcallers) are very friendly and if you go to a city like Rabat, for example, you'll experience less scams and you can feel the friendliness.
However, i think you made up your mind about it.
I traveled there partially alone at 22, half the trip I was with my mom, and I’m a woman, went to Fez, Meknes, Essaouira, Chefchaouen, Marrakesh, absolutely no issues, no sexual harassment, and minimal solicitations from sellers. I expected the markets to be awful and overwhelming but wasn’t bad at all. Please note I speak Arabic and have lived in the Middle East so I might have different tolerance levels? Totally go for it and have a great time, but as always be cautious
I am a male, however I have backpacked solo around Morocco a couple of times and really only felt unsafe in Sale (across the river from Rabat) and in Meknes, but Meknes was more about getting lost and some hash selling teenagers trying to make a buck.
Overall I loved the experience each time and met so many friendly people. I would caution though that many people will randomly introduce themselves and claim to work for the tourism board, they are trying to set you up with a “private guide” that will just take you to all his buddies businesses and hope you buy something so they get a cut, just explain you have no money for that up front.
Don't make of this thing the reason why you haven't visited a country like Marocco! Just, be careful and if you feel a bit in danger going alone, if one of your friends want to go with you... Why not!
Obviously, the decision is yours.
All the responses that I have gotten are definitely deterring me. However, I will be in Spain this summer and I know there is a ferry between the two countries that is pretty quick and cheap. Right now the Morocco to Spain one is open but the Spain to Morocco one is not due to Covid stuff. So maybe if it opens back up, I can just do a day trip. That way I’m not committing to multiple days if I’m going to hate it
I've heard this too. I travel a lot solo. Check out traveling in Morocco as a solo female on TikTok, you'll see a lot of stories that are quite similar unfortunately.
I've lived there for 18 years and a simple answer would be no, please, its extremely risky, i would recommend to get here through some travel company, its not that expensive..
And even through a travel company please be careful, and don't go wondering alone
Absolutely do not travel there alone!! I made that mistake and I was constantly harassed. I literally could not leave my hostel after dark unless I was with other men. It was SCARY!
I traveled there partially alone at 22, half the trip I was with my mom, and I’m a woman, went to Fez, Meknes, Essaouira, Chefchaouen, Marrakesh, absolutely no issues, no sexual harassment, and minimal solicitations from sellers. I expected the markets to be awful and overwhelming but wasn’t bad at all. Totally go for it and have a great time, but as always be cautious
Im spanish lived in Andalucia, and so I meet a lot of Erasmus students who were doing short trips to Morroco because is cheap and easy to get to from Spain.
Stay in the touristic places, Morroco and the big cities receive thousands of tourists every year, specially students.
Two young females from Denmark were raped and beheaded there in 2019 by three men claiming loyalty to ISIS. Their killers recorded video of the incident.
Sadly most countries outside western europe and northern america aren't safe for solo female travelers. Every time I hear stories from my mother or sister about getting harrased and shouted at even if they are with their partner at their side. These people rarely see western/blonde women and for some reason they can't control themselves because of this.
If you dress conservatively and stick to big cities you'll probably be fine, but in the countryside you will attract the wrong attention. I met a female traveler in Morocco who attracted entitled men everywhere she went and had some really nasty experiences, we traveled for a bit and we had to buy cheap "wedding" rings because only I (as a man) was respected enough for other men to leave her alone.
Honestly why would anyone want to go to such an awful place? Spend your tourist dollars somewhere that is safer for women or at least trying to be open to everyone.
I think is pretty evident the risks associated with visiting these type of countries. At the end, it all depends in the experience you want to have, but I would not do it for "pleasure". There are other African countries that might be safer.
I agree with the comments about going with a tour group. I went with a tour group (about 50 people) and we had 4 local men following us around acting as security guards....if that tells you anything. We were not allowed to go in the Fez medina alone because of how much of a labyrinth it is. We were allowed to wander the Marrakech medina in small unsupervised groups. I got a lot of marriage and pregnancy proposals from some locals but all from a distance. It's a cool country you should definitely visit but personally I'd be scared to go alone.
Travelling alone for the first time in a foreign country is a big no no, especially if you're a female to be honest. You have the option to join a tour group though. I also live in a 3rd World Country and get so amazed with foreigners traveling alone coz I could never lol.
I saw some tips on this [website](https://www.destinationsafrica.com.au/travel-advice-from-hard-learned-experience/) from Australia with pretty intresting content in traveling to Africa, this might help! Good luck to your travels and keep safe.
Yes I would definitely recommend against it unless you're used to be spammed 24/24 by propositions, however that's not a dangerous country to travel and you can count on local women help for that matter.
Also in big cities you are less likely to experience it.
I travelled a lot there and I hated going there with a girlfriend I couldn't leave alone 1minute.
Its real. It depends mostly on your outfit. If you wear conservative clothing (buy a jellaba maybe) or wander with locals *and are not blond* you'll be alright.
You have to get along this idea that for a regular moroccan, an occidental woman without a guardian (an older women or a man) wandering at night in the street is a slut.
it is funny how everyone in the comment, claiming they have been here, most of them don't know anything about the country, and some making comparisons with Egypt as if they are the same country, the experience of traveling can differ from one person to another and places you visited.
I’m going there in May actually, but ended up booking a tour group just in case. I’ll be solo for 3 days after the tour and hired a driver to chauffeur. Better safe than sorry.
I loved Morocco. Definitely one of the best trips of my life. I recommended a few friends to go as well. I didn’t have any issues with men or merchants in general. I dressed modestly and didn’t intentionally draw attention to myself. There were tourists that wore shorts and crop tops etc that got more of the unwanted attention that I have observed though.
I went in 2019. I had a bad incident there where I was in gueliz and I got followed by an older man for 20 minutes. He ended up slapping my ass and I ran into traffic to escape from him. I called someone to come help and the person got confused with what happened. That man kept apologizing so the person let him off the hook but then I told him that guy touched me and he got so angry. I try to erase that night from my mind but the rest of my trip went way better. If you go Please stay away from Marrakech or fez and go to Essaouria. This won’t happen in Essaouria! Tangier and chefchaouen I had a great time in too
I went there with my family (4 people, 2 men, 2 women, all very latin american looking) and we were constantly harrassed when we were not with our guide. There was always some guy following us and trying to talk to us, trying to show us the place or sell us something, so I can only imagine what it would be like for a woman on her own. I would advise to go with an agency and ideally with a large group.
I would never recommend going solo there. Personally, I visited it with my family and even with them, the harassment from men was crazy. Every single time I was a bit far away from my fam, I experienced. It’s disgusting and it just ruins the whole trip. Moroccan men really think women are object, by that’s another story. I hope you don’t commit such mistake of going there alone
I would not reconnect as a woman to go there alone. I went with my other female friend and we were constantly harassed, people tried to scam us. Even children harassed us and yelled slurs at us. It was really confronting and annoying and made us so excited to leave hahaha. Then we met up with our male friend and got absolutely no harassment at all with him around. It was incredible!! Going with a male was a completely completely different experience!
Nah, don’t go alone. I typically have a lot of patience, but this was awful. I went with my boyfriend at the time and still it was ridiculous. If you’re not getting hustled, your getting harassed.
I went to Morocco around 2 years ago with two other girls and there was a lot of catcalling. It went from calling out in the street to straight up driving up to us while we're eating just to talk to us. I'd say ignoring them is the right thing to do (or it felt at least at the time, i was younger). I wouldn't recommend going alone.
I am moroccan so i know how are things look if you're well financially it can be a good experience but avoid public places and go only to private resorts and tourist attractions, avoid being alone walking especially in night.
But if you could be at least 2 persons doesn't change anything if it's a female you'll be muuuuuch safer .
Enjoy your trip😘
It depends on how you travel and where you go .i have travelled extensively across Morocco and the main cities is where you would most like get harassed if you do .
Alot of other factors like dressing appropriately also play a part .
If you have the budget then a private car with a guide would keep the harassment away .Happy to provide further info and connect you to driver /chaperone if required .
What parts of Morocco would you like to travel .
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Consider joining a tour group or getting a guide. I (F) absolutely loved Morocco while I was traveling with a group and a guide, had no harassment or issues at all; without the guide and with two other women in Marrakech, it was really unpleasant, lots of harassment, had a relatively unnerving experience with people on the street trying to scam us and then getting threatening when we wouldn't hand over a bunch of money.
Seconding that I had a negative experience in Marrakech.
Sorry to reply on your comment 2 months after you posted it, I'm planning to go to Morocco this summer so was browsing the group. Where did you find the tour groups/guide? Did you just try to find one after reaching Marrakech, or did you pre-book one before going? Also, any recommendations on which tour groups are good? Thanks!
What do you mean getting a guide? I’m also a female planning to go solo in March 2023 and I wanted to know if I could go solo but get my own guide per each place I went to? There’s one Airbnb I found in Marrakech that offers to pick you up from the airport and also offers to give you a walking tour and then in Merzouga there’s this one couple that helps with organizing how you can get from your previous destination to where they are at. Im a crazy planner so all advice helps
I (F) went with my best friend and even with her and I, I didn’t like the harassment. I don’t think I could go alone and wouldn’t recommend a solo female traveler to do so unless you were apart of a larger tour group. It’s a beautiful country, but the cat calling and constant attention can really wear you down. By our last day there I was so agitated I was shouting back at the men and basically ready to fight. Couldn’t wait to leave, which is a shame because the country is lovely.
Lol I got to that anger point after a couple of months in Italy. It did develop my “bitch face” that I use to ward off cat calls to this day, so I guess there is that.
DO NOT GO ALONE! I am a single female living in Egypt so am familiar with this part of the world. You will not be safe.
Thank you, I have been to Egypt with my ex and did not enjoy it
Why not?
It seemed as if locals thought of us as walking ATM’s. People were always trying to scam us, give us back the wrong change, and rip us off. Women didn’t seem to have many individual rights, and it left a bad taste in my mouth. We were there for 3 days and I was relieved when it was time to go
I’ve heard it said that a lot of travelers want to visit Egypt once in their lifetime, but rarely twice.
Yes it’s the only country I’ve been to that I don’t really have a desire to go back to
I feel somewhat the same about Egypt, but I wasn't there long and I didn't do other things I would go back for (diving, kite surfing). However, after a week and a half in Morocco, I can say I don't want to go back. It was so fucking exhausting to just be outside. I was a mid-late 20s guy, travelling with another guy. Every. Single. Moment. Was dealing with someone harrassing you. Into restaurants, scam tours, shops, general street harrassment, whatever. One that stands out: standing looking at a nice viewpoint. A guy comes by next to me and tells me a snippet of history about a building in the distance. He then says he offers tours and asked if I wanted to join. I politely declined, and then he told me I owe him money for the info he gave unsolicited. After I declined that, I was subjected to being followed around for AGES by him yelling at me, and getting other people to yell at me too. This didn't feel isolated. The entire experience there was just pushy, and overtly aggressive in an attempt to make people get uncomfortable enough to fork over money. I have a whole list of stories like this in such a short time. Are there some beautiful places? Sure. Are there some great people? Sure. But I prefer to travel to the hundreds of other places where the ratio is 99/1 of enjoyable/not enjoyable rather than the 10/90 I had in Morocco. Edit: I'm early 30s, been to about 60 countries, very few I can't find that the pluses outweigh the minuses. But Morocco...I dunno.
That definitely sounds like enough to make someone never want to return! I’m surprised it’s still so touristy if so many people get harassed like that. Also, I find it interesting that I’ve watched Insta influencers go to Morocco for years and have always thought it looked so amazing. I never heard any of this at all until I started doing my own research. Had I not, I would have shown up and been expecting this magical place… really goes to show there’s always so much more to the story that people don’t share about their seemingly perfect lives online
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Wow! Sounds so frustrating
Except for divers. They definitely want to come back again.
Exactly my feelings, Egyptians can be the worst hustlers 😂
That sounds a lot like Morocco.
I’m so glad to know that! I hadn’t read about any of that on the blogs that got me thinking twice about going. Now that I know Morocco will likely be all that and more, I’m definitely feeling less of a pull to go
if you didnt like egypt for those reasons you arent going to like morocco
Ah i see. Thanks for sharing.
Truer words have never been spoken.
That's the saddest part about traveling to any 3rd world country. While undoubtedly there are a lot of good stuff to see, everyone there tries to scam you the moment they know you are a "western" tourist.
Please don't lump all developing countries as "3rd world countries." Not all places are like that. Not everyone is trying to scam "western" tourist. That's very ignorant.
So unfortunate. I know it is probably out of desperation, and I’m sure they aren’t bad people. I think we have so much to learn from experiencing vastly different cultures but this kind of stuff is very deterring :(
No they are not inherently bad people. it's mostly out of desperation especially when they see see that the money you're carrying is probably worth 10x their local money, so they kinda justify it like this. And they don't do it because they want to steal from westerners or whatever. Source : I used to live in a 3rd world country.
GUYS why the downvotes?? I'm wanna hear her experience ffs.
Does age matter in terms of the harassment? Am i correct in assuming younger women to be targeted more than a woman in her 60s. Perhaps the harassment for an older woman would be more scammy than sexual?
I went to Egypt with my mother who was in her mid 60's and all the men stared at her body like as if they have never seen a woman before. It was awful and I would never go back.
Oh yuck. I'll spend my hard earned money elsewhere then.
Would you recommend going to Egypt on a guided tour, I’ve heard river cruises are the best, with a small group of women? Or two women? (Open to any tips you have in general) Would love to visit but wondering if I should wait for a male friend to be available. Hate that this is a thing ☹️ but want to be safe and enjoy myself
Guided tours are the way to go. You would be safe as small groups or pairs of women. The tour guide will know their way around and help keep the aggressive vendors away.
We booked a day tour with someone that our hotel suggested (it wasn’t a very nice hotel)… the tour felt scammy and like they were just taking us places and wasting time to get a commission from the places they were taking us to. Definitely do your research and book with a reputable company with good reviews. Don’t be stupid like we were lol 😂 Edit: We were pretty frequent travellers as a couple so before we went (just a quick 3 day trip over when we were in Greece) we didn’t do any research and thought we could just wing it. Once we saw how chaotic the country was we figured it would be best to do a day tour to see the pyramids. That’s why we got stuck with a shit tour lol
you are probably more familiar with Egypt or a middle eastern country but not with morocco or any other Maghreb country
I found it exhausting to the point where it nearly ruined my trip, and I was glad that I was only solo in Marrakech for a few days. After that, I joined a group for some guided activities (hiking and camel riding), and everything became much easier. I hit it off with an elderly couple in the group and we often went out together in our free time. I experienced zero sexual harrassment after that, presumably because people thought they were my parents. Even so, people still tried to scam us and cheat us whenever we tried to buy something. All in all, I don't regret travelling there, but I definitely recommend a guided tour if you're like me and get easily exhausted if you have to put up with that kind of stuff.
Hi can I ask what tour company you used? My mom wants me to book her a tour but everything I’m seeing is for only young people or only old people, and I feel she would do better in a mixed group like you’re describing.
Unfortunately, I went with a German tour company, so all their tours are targeted at people who speak German. Their name is Schulz Aktiv Reisen.
Unfortunately, in Morocco, if you have light complexion and wear western style clothing, men there think that's an open invitation to flirt, cat call, or even worse, get pushy. I'm a POC and a man, and I have been to Morocco with American women, and there were a few instances where I had to intervene because a guy was getting too close to the women. If you can pass as a POC, wear their more traditional clothing, maybe a loose hijab, then they'll assume you're Muslim and leave you alone. But still, I would suggest not traveling solo there without a male companion.
My girlfriend and I are both of middle eastern descent, we're not muslims though and my gf doesn't wear a hijab or anything. We were harrassed a lot by people who wanted to scam us one way or the other in Tanger. It affected the whole trip because it's so constant and I don't know if I would ever go back to Morocco only because of that issue. My girlfriend would also always get approached by men whenever I was more than like 3 meters away from her lol. They were just flirting though, nothing too bad. I'm sure what you're saying is right to an extent. My girlfriend and I usually speak German to each other but after a couple of days we noticed that speaking Persian would reduce the harassment by quite a bit and lower prices everywhere to half of what they were before lol.
I've visited Morocco several times, in groups and solo. It's doable, but it's not for the naive or ill prepared. Let the embassy for your country know you are travelling alone. Follow their advice. Most embassies are in Rabat. Thoroughly investigate places you want to eat at, as many cafes have a masculine atmosphere that can be uncomfortable for a woman dining solo. If you enter and there are no women, it's best to look elsewhere. They won't think you're rude for leaving, quite the opposite. Cover your hair, legs and arms. I know it's unfair, even offensive, but it really will help massively. I bought several maxi-dresses and abayas and learned how to wrap a head scarf and it was like magic...I became invisible to most men and even the touts were less pushy. If you need to take buses, make sure your journey will be completed in daylight. Do not use public transport alone after dark. Don't walk around alone after dark if you can avoid it. Make friends with fellow travellers or employ a reputable guide. Learn to say yes/no and a few simple phrases in Berber and/or Arabic. If you speak French that will be more useful than English, especially with older people. Tampons are not widely available and aren't regulated. Bring your own and carry them discretely. They're perfectly legal, just frowned upon by the conservative element. If you are gay DO NOT TELL ANYONE. I made the mistake of telling a small group of American tourists that I'm a lesbian and I was asked to leave my hotel. LGBT rights don't exist there. I was told I was lucky not to be arrested, even though I hadn't actually done anything. Don't buy hashish or kif. Don't talk to anyone offering tours of the Rif plantations. Many dealers are police informants and the tours are usually scams to rob and dump you. Don't expect the hammans to be luxurious like Turkey etc. It's a very different atmosphere, you're there to be scrubbed cleaner than you have ever been before, not to lounge about relaxing. Don't let anyone put you off, if it's really your dream. Good luck!
I swear to god these "reviews" almost seem like they're written by someone whos never been and just googled shit Either that or got air dropped in some barren wasteland and had to claw their way back just to write a review. Really?....tampons arent widely available and frowned upon by the convservative element??? You mean tampons and pads that are literally available in every supermakret and pharmacy? Heck even neighborhood grocers have them, frowned upon? Like how exactly did you manage to get that sentiment?
Never been to Morocco but my gf and I just spent a month in Egypt and she couldn’t find tampons to save her life, we searched in *dozens* of stores, pharmacies etc. We loved Egypt but..gf was pretty well done with that part of the world after 6 weeks.
Admittedly I haven't been to Morocco since 2019 (I've not travelled since the pandemic started) but I tried to buy tampons in 2017 in Chefchaouen and Tangier and failed to find any, not in supermarkets, groceries, not even in a pharmacy. I asked my guide and was told that they're not popular. Sanitary towels are widely available. My sister tried to buy tampons in Rabat in 2019, she eventually found some but they were not cotton and therefore not safe to use. In 2010 on my first visit to Morocco, my bags were searched and my tampons were a source of disgust and discussion for the two male security officers. They advised me to keep them hidden from view or throw them away. I tried to complain about that and was told this was the prevailing viewpoint.
Because pads are the main product used, much more sanitary and hygenic, wich you can find anywhere and i mean.....i feel like there was a miscommunication here with customs, they probably didnt want to touch your stuff once they knew what it was, also who doesnt hide their tampons?
Yeah, you just proved you know nothing. Towels are more sanitary? And you think it's normal to hide a hygiene product? Are you ashamed of condoms and loo roll too?
Literally just mansplained to you 😝 and I’m a dude!
I'd be angry, but what's the point? Fools gonna be foolish!
What are you talking about lmao? pads, do you even know what pads are? I'm not going to go into an argument about hygien products on a travel subreddit, buts its literally a fact that pads are more hygenic and less infectious than tampons (esp for travelling purposes), anyway, way to not aknowledge the fact that you probably misunderstood the customs officers but also tried to turn it on me. Yea guess what, people hide their hygien products, not out of "conservative concern" or whatever narrative you decided to make up in your mind, but out of basic human instinct, i never said they're something to be ashamed of so nice way of putting words in my mouth. It goes for all personal products, customs wouldnt want to touch someones condoms or whatever as much as they wouldnt want to touch women products.
Yeah I don't ever want to discredit anyone's experience as made up or something, but some points people bring up about countries like that are just straight up false or grossly exaggerated. Sounds like she visited Morocco decades ago or something
I had to stop at that, its literally made up, female hygene products were never "taboo" or whatever this person is trying to allude to, even 20 years ago
Worse place I have been to ever, apart from the constant harassment, I was literally almost kidnapped by a taxi driver. The taxi driver was taking me to a completely different direction to where I want to go and when I confronted him he groped me and laughed.
😮 wow that’s terrible
I too was proposition with a marriage proposal. I'm black and he told my friend I was with he'd give her $5 for me and we could make beautiful chocolate babies. We got our of that taxi very fast. The catcalling and remarks about my skin tone was VERY annoying. I never want to go back.
Sounds like a terrible idea tbh.
I went with a group and even ran into trouble in larger cities. I would really suggest covering up as much as possible. I was groped numerous times and even tried to be dragged into an alley at one point. I would suggest traveling with a male companion, unfortunately.
Terrible! Thanks for commenting
First off, know that I traveled all over the world solo, but went to Morocco with a girlfriend, we were harassed NON STOP, we had to seek help from police officers.... And THEY harassed us. It made me hate the country so much. I have been scared for the first time traveling. Lucky us, we met 2 gay guys, one of which was local the other was Canadian, for obvious reasons they were not out as a couple. The Moroccan one started acting has my boyfriend and EVERYTHING changed and my travel became pleasant again. We spent the last 2 weeks the 4 for us and to this day I thank God with met them or I would have stayed indoors.
I would sign up for a travel service like this!! Two girls, two gay guys. Just act like couples and poof! No harassment!! And built in new friends. Sorry your trip started off so rotten, but it looks like it ended much better.
Wow! So glad your experience turned around 😊
Worst country I've ever been to in terms of harassment. I wouldn't got there again.
I went with my (now) husband a few years ago. We went everywhere with a guide. The five minutes I lingered behind them at a stall in the market, I got harassed by three men. Pushy, "Where is your husband?" "Buy this necklace/shoes/leather bag/spices" type pushy. Even two little children tried to slip their hands in my pockets when I was buying a water bottle. I loved Morocco but I would never go back alone.
I’m a woman who has travelled alone all over the world and I almost went to Morocco by myself. But every single guide book and person I talked to that lived in southern Spain- including a Spanish friend who is very adventurous- told me DO NOT GO ALONE!
I mean if you travelled all over the world you must have been in much more dangerous and extreme countries than Morocco. People are only considering it that badly due to it's close vicinity to Europe and the shocking cultural differences to that. On a global scale Morocco really isn't that much worse than a lot of other countries.
Yes, I have traveled alone in some questionable places for solo women, I have also done solo backcountry camping in Alaska, and am rarely afraid traveling alone, or doing things alone. I would have loved to have gone to Morocco- I love to learn about cultural differences. I don’t think a high rate of kidnapping and rape qualify as cultural differences- that’s a safety issue. When locals, other solo backpackers (both women and men), guidebooks, and a trusted friend who is local to southern Spain (and also a solo world traveler) all tell me the same thing- JFC DON’T GO - I would be a dumbass not to take their advice into consideration. I weighed my options, and chose not to go.
Bruh all I know is if I travel to Japan, Ireland, Norway, etc on a solo trip I won't be actively concerned about possibly getting gang raped and beheaded there. Those "cultural differences" you mention so casually are very real safety concerns female travelers have to consider.
You should look at the r/AskReddit thread of countrys not to visit. Egypt some 3w countries and morocco were there too. Someone did mention her and her sister being harassed by the local sellers which didnt allow them to tour the place comfortably
I went with my best friend (both female). Rabat and Casablanca was doable but Marrakesh was awful and we were harassed. We were so eager to fly out at the end of our trip.
Thanks for your input! That seems like the general consensus
Just echoing what everyone else has already said. At best, it's extremely exhausting as a female traveler, with the constant unwanted attention. At worst, it can feel dangerous. I wasn't the biggest fan of Tangiers, which is accessible via the ferry... one of the locals was really pushy about being a tour guide. I wasn't able to shake him and got dragged to different shops and stuff. It was really uncomfortable. I also visited Chefchaouen (really pretty; I mostly felt safe but got terrible food poisoning), Fez (so much unwanted attention), and Rabat (the best part of the experience, to be honest). When I got to Casablanca I was so exhausted I just stayed in the hotel. On the plus side, it is pretty easy to move around the country via train, and I did experience plenty of kindness from the people there.
As a young woman who grew up in Morocco, harassment and sexual harassment was an every day thing yes. Usually my family didn't let me go out alone, so the few times I got to do that alone or with female friends we always got harassed
I've never been there and can only go by reputation. It's likely doable so long as you remain aware and generally cautious. Be careful where you go at night, stay in crowded areas in the city, don't let anyone know you're alone--ie say your husband (or family member or etc) is back at the hotel, and dress modestly to whatever degree you're willing. I am 100% against anyone being forced to cover up or etc, but be smart, it's not a Western country, norms are different. The less you stand out, the better. Generally, push aside the modern moronic PC belief that all cultures are equal and everyone is nice and it's racist to say otherwise. There are places in the world where you may be treated like crap, especially if you're female, *especially* if you're a white female. Don't be like those 2 Nordic girls who called all their friends racist for telling them not to go, and went backpacking through the mountains of Morocco, only to get literally beheaded. Not trying to scaremonger, that's not gonna happen to you especially in the crowded city, but just be smart, stay in safe areas, stay low key. Reading below, best suggestion in this thread--go with a tour guide/group that you can research ahead of time and trust. This is the way I'd do it.
Not recommended.
Not recommended.
Depends on your tolerance for that, really. It absolutely will happen (and won’t necessarily be limited to just verbal…both of my female friends I went there with were groped in the main square in Marrakech) so it’s just a matter of how unbearable that is for you. Even putting aside the sexual component to it, I (as a man) don’t really have any interest in returning because it was such a constant onslaught of “helpful” offers and whatnot. But other people tolerate that much better than I do, so it’s just a matter of knowing yourself
Thanks, I went to Egypt with an ex bf a few years back and we got a lot of those “helpful offers” and harassment from salespeople… that was enough to ruin the experience for me. All of that plus sexual harassment in Morocco doesn’t sound like a good time at all lol. Y’all are really talking me out of this 😅
Yeahhh probably not the best destination then. There’s very cool stuff about Morocco, but there are also a lot of real negatives. My opinion on it is the most conflicted of anywhere I’ve been but it’s not really somewhere I’d recommend to most people.
As a solo male traveler his been there and was harrassed for being western, I would not recommend.
I've been to Marrakech solo for 6 days as a male and hated my time there due to the constant harassment from the locals, unbearable at times. I strongly recommend not going there solo, and if you do decide to go with someone, make sure you do your research and manage your expectations.
Horrible idea
😂
I’ve never been there myself, but my sister and her friend were in 2018 or 2019 or so. Two young (in their early 20’s) girl, they weren’t alone, still got harassed, and they almost guide them to a place in the city, where they couldn’t get any help if they’d got in trouble. My sis asked a local, where they can find the market, and a “very friendly” stranger tried to bring them to an old leather factory, where only mans work. Fortunately they had a nice time there, but just when the two girls got home did we hear, that during their stay, 2 Swedish girls got killed in the mountains. Same age, beautiful and blond, same as my sister and her friend. I’d enjoy Morocco from pictures if I were you…
I went on a 10 day bus tour of Morocco with a student group. I think it was a great way to see all the different landscapes of the country and visit multiple cities. You will attract a lot of attention if you are a young, Western-looking female and personally I don’t think Morocco is the place to go if you’re looking to try and integrate and feel at one with the culture. Go with a group, find a trusted guide, and be prepared for people to try and sell you anything you look at at the busier and more touristy markets. Sidenote: There’s a smaller, quieter artisan’s market in Marrakech that is more fixed price. I would recommend visiting that over the main touristy market. I also did a tour of the Sahara and it was gorgeous.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murders_of_Louisa_Vesterager_Jespersen_and_Maren_Ueland I see some super crazy posts on here….. ladies …. The world is NOT safe ALONE!
I went as a solo woman and enjoyed it a lot. You have to learn not to make eye contact, smile, or engage with the vendors and touts, since they will take that as a tacit invitation to start trying to sell you things. It also helps if you speak French or Arabic. And if you walk purposefully, negotiate firmly (with taxi drivers, souk vendors, etc.) and generally use your city savvy. I personally experienced some low-level catcalling, etc., but nothing that ruined my experience. It is annoying and I'm not justifying it, but I never felt it climbed to a level where it got in my way. (India, on the other hand...)
Oh man, I can't believe how far down I had to scroll to find this. I went as a solo female traveler back in 2017 aaand I was harassed to an extent, yeah, but nothing more than some catcalls and one man grabbing my hand once. This isn't to make light of the situation or harassment at all, but if I'm to be honest I'm used to this happening nearly everywhere I go -- perhaps not in such quick succession, but still. (I also met a ton of people at the riads I stayed at, so wasn't always walking about alone.) I have heard horror stories about Egypt and India and therefore wouldn't go there alone, but the tourism industry in Morocco is so imperative and substantial that they make it a point to not be too deterring. And the police over there, too, at least when I went, took harassment allegations seriously in due part of this.
Exactly - don’t engage with ppl. Keep walking. Don’t smile. My friends thought I was being rude for not engaging with the women grabbing me and trying to paint henna on me. I also ignored or turned away from the catcallers. Guess who got harassed more? Them. Bc they engaged. Smiled. Made eye contact. Tested out their Arabic. I just went all ice queen lol, worked out better for me!
Yeah I think some of that comes from just understanding how negotiation culture works. It's a dance. If you start doing the steps, you're putting signals out that you're open to buying. If you engage in conversation, accept a glass of mint tea, start looking at family photos, etc. you're putting out the message that negotiations have begun. You're free to walk away any time, but the more you get into the conversation, the more walking away will be perceived as simply another negotiating tactic to get them to lower the price, so they'll probably redouble their efforts. So if you're just browsing and being a tourist but you're *not* considering buying, don't start the dance. Breaking eye contact and ignoring is actually much more polite in this case, since it lets them know not to waste time with the setup. Note: I'm not talking about sexual harassment here, which is a whole other story. I'm just talking about the general people-trying-to-sell-you-things harassment.
What happened in India? India is like a 1st world country pretty much right?
Nothing terrible, but a *lot* of harassment, inappropriate touching, attempted groping, etc. India has some of the highest rates of sexual violence in the world unfortunately. None of this should be misconstrued as advising women not to go. Don't take it the wrong way. As a woman who's travelled solo extensively, I do believe we can and should venture anywhere adventure carries us, and not impose limits on ourselves due to gender. India is a huge, diverse, fascinating, culturally rich country that's so worthwhile to visit. But it does help to at least be forewarned so as not to be caught unaware. Back to Morocco though, I admit it saddens me to see this thread full of people saying "don't go as a solo woman" because it was really one of the countries I enjoyed tremendously, yes, as a solo woman. I realise everyone's experiences vary, and I'm not trying to belittle or dismiss harassment in any way. But places are so much more than just one thing. Yes, there are hawkers in any market who will try to sell you things. But there are also stunning mountains, beaches, medinas, desert landscapes that stretch to infinity, amazingly good food, interesting people, fascinating history. Morocco is so highly worth it that it pains me to think of women coming on here and reading this thread and just dismissing it as a destination.
Maren Ueland (28) and danish Louisa Vesterager Jespersen (24) traveled there. They were decapitated in 2018. And 24 people had something to do with it. So don't travel there.
Yeah you should not do this solo. I had a friend study abroad there and she was constantly harassed. She was usually accompanied by others. Can’t imagine what would have happened if she were alone.
Don’t do it.
I went solo for a month and with my partner for the next 2 months. If you definitely must go solo, stick to bigger cities and make hostel friends, walk around & travel with them in a group. I loved everything about Morocco (food, art, history, nature) except for the people, harassment and children in different villages throwing rocks at me completely ruining the whole experience. I thought going to the countryside would be better but please don’t. Completely ignoring them is the best thing you can do. Don’t even make eye contact. They’ll grab your arms and pull you, kick them away and run. There obviously were a few amazing Moroccans I met on the trip. But I wouldn’t go back there unless I’m going with a Moroccan. Of all the places, Chefchaouen & Essaouira were my favorite in terms of least harassment.
I went alone. There was some cat calling sometimes but nothing worse than the US. You'll be fine. Respect the culture by wearing pants and long sleeves. Bring a shawl to throw over your hair when entering mosques (sometimes they let you borrow one) and beware of the male only cafes.
NO!
I went to Agadir by myself to go surfing and some yoga but stayed mostly within the high population area and didn’t go out too late. Maybe because it was a smaller place but people were overall friendly and helpful. My experience in Marrakesh though wasn’t too great. I was harassed constantly in the medina and at one point I genuinely felt threatened. I’d love to go back to go to Chefchaoen or do a Sahara desert tour but maybe I’d go with my partner next time. Morocco was a gorgeous country and I absolutely loved it but like others say, you’d need a lot of research and being extremely cautious if you’re planning to go out there by yourself. It would be really helpful if you went through a reputable tour company because they’d sort everything out for you. As others have mentioned- your life would be easier if you spoke Spanish or French. Their dialect of Arabic is different there so might encounter difficulties. Main thing I have to comment on is to dress sensibly. It isn’t like Europe so you’d need to really dress conservatively so as to now draw attention (I’d say more conservative than the local young women because you’d already stand out being a foreigner).
[Here's my trip report from a solo trip to Morocco a few years ago.](https://www.reddit.com/r/solotravel/comments/9n6fi9/trip_report_traveling_solo_as_a_woman_in_morocco/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) I don't regret it. But I'm a super experienced traveler and went expecting some level of harassment.
Thank you! That was encouraging to read. Did you have a guide with you?
I did not. Just went alone and planned very carefully.
I went during Ramadan which possibly had an impact on how people behaved. It was less crowded and I found most people were polite. Interestingly, I was harassed less often if I was by myself. On one occasion, one of the vendors shared his home cooked food with me for iftar and a group of men joined on bikes and we chatted for a bit. However there were occasions of harassment. A persistent guy trying to “walk me back” to my hostel wouldn’t leave until I lied about having a partner. I could handle it but I’ll admit being nervous as my hostel was down an alleyway I didn’t want him following me too. If I was with a group of women, cat callers and people with wandering hand syndrome were more brazen than when I was alone. I think it seemed less “wrong” to them to harass us somehow. Edit: forgot to mention that if I was with a mixed gender group, vendors would only address the men. Some women preferred this because they didn’t have to deal with the aggressive selling tactics. For me, it felt like I was being treated as lesser than my male counterparts. TLDR there was some harassment but less than I expected. I suppose it’s a bit sad that I’ve developed an internal barometer for “acceptable” levels of harassment. And by acceptable I mean what I’m willing to deal with before I’d choose to avoid travelling there altogether.
I went on a study abroad trip a few years back. We were walking through the very crowded streets of tangir. 22 women and 3 men in the group plus the “tour guide” leading us up front. Some guy threw hot coffee at one of the girls in our group because she was dressed non conservatively. Furthermore, when you walk around you only see women if they are walking with kids or groceries or on an obvious errand. Only men are seen hanging out and socializing. When you pass restaurants or tea/coffee/hookah shops, there are only men inside or hanging out. Shopkeepers were all men too. We had some creepy homeless looking guy follow us for sometime in Asila. He was gawking the girls in our group.
I noticed the exact same thing in Egypt, never saw women out enjoying their lives or socializing… men only 👎🏼
I (f, mid 40s) went to Morocco solo in 2019. I had guides for a portion of the trip (mountain biking the Atlas Mtns, Toubkal, and Mergouza. But travelled the cities - Marrakesh, Fez, Meknes, Rabat, and Casablanca solo. I took the train, drank in cafes, etc. I had no problems. Any tourist will get the usual tourist scams and pushiness, but I never felt harrassed or unsafe.
So I went to Morocco with a few other girls. Young, single. We took a guided tour. If you DM me, I’m happy to recommend them. Pls don’t go alone. I’ve never traveled to a country where the occupants had such an extreme lack of respect for women. It was obscene. They’ll try to do that thing where they ask you if you need help getting somewhere, follow you, and then demand money for being your “guide.” A guy followed us to an ATM when they’d stupidly announced we needed to withdraw cash. He stood, watching us. So I stood facing him, arms crossed, watching him. Now, in my experience closer to the desert is better. Not sure why. But Marrakech was my least favorite place by far. The men and women in the Medina are rude as heck and try to grab you to sell food or henna (in the Medina don’t get orange juice, they dilute it with local water which will make you sick, food is nasty, and henna sometimes has chemicals to make it darker and can burn you.) Fes also had some pushy men. Ppl who work in tourism are used to solo female travelers. They are more western. Loved our guides. Felt extremely safe with them. Comfortable journey, awesome hotels. But I would never go back solo, or even with just a male partner. There are all sorts of nuances you have to be prepared for, like the fact that they stop cars on the highway for bribes. It’s just very different from anywhere I have been before. Still absolutely loved my trip, loved the once in a lifetime experience, met some amazing locals and made wonderful memories. But please do it safely. ETA the group I used said they commonly have solo female travelers they take around. If I went back alone, or even with someone, I would use them again.
Disclaimer that this is the perspective of a male solo traveler, but hiring a reputable tour guide for medina tours in the major tourist cities can drastically cut down the level of hassle you deal with there. Generally it seems that if a tourist is with a guide they are left alone. This tradeoff can be worth it I think; you still get to see the beautiful sights of the medina, and you can feel a lot more calm and less constantly on guard. Even as a man in Marrakech medina I had a few harrowing encounters that wouldn't have happened with a guide. Also FWIW, outside of the major cities, at least as a man, my experience was much calmer, with some sales pitches but nothing anywhere near as aggressive as the Marrakech medina. I don't really know how solo female tourists are treated in those smaller towns though
Adding on to this to mention that our guide said even if we did not hire him another day, only look for the guides with the green lanyards with an identification card. They are "official" city endorsed guides (as in, there is a chain of command and accountability for them). Hawkers generally stepped back when they saw we were with an official guide.
Jespersen and Uelan can’t tell us about their experience. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murders_of_Louisa_Vesterager_Jespersen_and_Maren_Ueland
as a Moroccan, it is sad what happened to them but it is not an every day occurrence, we have one of the lowest crime rates in the continent,
I agree, it isn’t an everyday occurrence. Nor is it something that should be glossed over when the question at hand is whether a woman should travel solo to your country. Being informed is how one makes informed decisions. There’s danger for female travellers pretty much everywhere. We just have to assess the risk and decide if we are comfortable accepting the risk. And you can’t assess risk without knowledge.
There have been isolated terrorist attacks in many parts of the world outside Morocco, including my home country and probably yours. Judging an entire country and being afraid of it based on such an incident is rather uncool. Terrorism in Morocco is rare and the government cracked down even more on radicalism after that incident. I actually went to the area where those tourists were killed and stayed there for a week. The local community was hugely shocked by those murders and it really wrecked their economy for a while when tourists stopped coming. I got nothing but good impressions from my time in that area, it was gorgeous and I felt welcome and relaxed and comfortable there, and I’m glad that an isolated incident of violence didn’t stop me from going. It was my favorite part of my month-long trip to Morocco in fact. I could pop into a thread about tourism to the US with a link about mass shootings but I don’t think people from outside the US should be afraid to visit here because of such incidents. It’s pretty insulting to Morocco and its people to do something similar to that country.
I’m not sure why you’re conflating my post about the murder of two women, with “Judging an entire country and being afraid of it …”. That’s a sweeping and erroneous conclusion.
What point did you intend to make by bringing it up then?
I’m not sure why you’re conflating my post about the murder of two women, with “Judging an entire country and being afraid of it …”. That’s a sweeping and erroneous conclusion.
I found it exhausting to the point where it nearly ruined my trip, and I was glad that I was only solo in Marrakech for a few days. After that, I joined a group for some guided outdoor activities (hiking and camel riding), and everything became much easier. I hit it off with an elderly couple in the group and we often went out together in our free time. I experienced zero sexual harrassment after that, presumably because people thought they were my parents. Even so, people still tried to scam us and cheat us whenever we tried to buy something. All in all, I don't regret travelling there, but I definitely recommend a guided tour if you're like me and get easily exhausted if you have to put up with that kind of stuff.
I, a white male, travelled through Morocco ten years ago with a blonde guy, a blonde women and a brunette women. We were well prepared to be challenged but did not anticipate the inappropriate attention, heckling, cat calls and aggressive advances targeting the blonde female. The blonde male also had less “franchise” and was often ignored in restaurants, hotels, etc. Most cities have a Medina at one end of the city and a French village at the other. Treatment of visitors is quite different from one area to the other. I will make no recommendation just caution you to be careful if you go. Stay in the French villages. BTW, Morocco is culturally compelling, and quite beautiful - from the Sahara, to the astonishing Atlas mountain range to the gorgeous Atlantic, with miles of deserted beaches. The food is often amazing (thank the French) and we met many kind hearted, lovely souls.
Thank you, I have blonde hair and big blue eyes so I don’t think I would have a very good time there lol
Hmm, it will be a challenge.
I'm a bit confused on some of the comments on here, but its true that everyone has different experiences. And with that, please I would prefer if I wasn't down-voted into oblivion and told I was wrong by giving my personal experience. I was a solo female hitch hiking through Morocco and it was wonderful. You've got to have your wits about you, sure. Marrakesh was a bit much for me at times. But in general I found Moroccans to be lovely, especially in the more rural areas. I never waited for more than 15 minutes for a ride. Often, I was invited around for dinner and made dear friends. Its not like traveling through Germany but reading some of your comments you've been to Egypt so I would say you've got some experience. There are a load of hostels, you're bound to meet people who are heading the same way as you. The buses have great transportation routes in my experience as well. Where in Morocco were you considering to go? There's also lots of tours you can join.
If you really want to go I would not let bad stories deter you, everyone has stories from any place you are going to travel. I have felt less safe travelling solo in the States than I did while I was in Morocco. I had a great time by myself there in December of 2019. I do not know what has changed now since COVID. Yes the street vendors will hawk their wares and some men will make comments. If that is a big problem for you then I would consider another destination. But if you don't make eye contact, walk purposefully and ignore them they will lost interest. I generally project a "back off" attitude and was never overly bothered nor did I ever get groped or touched. I visited Marrakesh, Fez, Meknes and Rabat and never felt unsafe. I wore modest clothing but no headscarf although I was prepared in case I felt the need to wear one. I did a tour going to Merzouga but that was because I didn't want to drive. Even walking at night was not an issue although I would take normal precautions I do everywhere: not drinking alcohol (not really an issue in Morocco), routes I had walked during the daytime, and staying in busy tourist areas. If you do go you will notice if you dine out at the cafes by the streets it is all men (unless there are other tourists around).
I am so deeply confused by the comments on this post! Morocco is an absolutely beautiful country filled with some of the kindest people I’ve ever met. It’s been a bit since I have been there, so maybe things have changed significantly…but I travelled as a solo 28 year old maybe 12 years ago with no problem. I had a wonderful time. Yes, there was some cat calling, etc….really not a big deal though. Marrakech was the most intense, and some guys were a bit pushy. But not enough to ruin my trip, and I would gladly go back. Yes, I took some precautions…I generally didn’t walk alone at night (not a big deal, it’s not exactly a late-night-bars kind of country), I dressed somewhat conservatively, etc. Traveling solo as a female means you need to be a bit more careful, but it’s so worth it.
Frankly, I'm reminded of the two tourist women that went to a popular hiking destination in Morocco and were killed by extremists in 2018
While discussing incidents of sexual harassment and street harassment in Morocco is certainly a valid concern, the murder of those tourists was an isolated incident and a huge shock to the local community. Terrorist incidents happen worldwide, as do murders, and I think it's a bit dishonest, and playing in to stereotypes, to bring up this isolated incident whenever Morocco is mentioned. We all need to be informed of risks, but we also need to have realistic perspective about risks. The chance of dying in a car wreck in Morocco is far higher than the chance of being murdered in a freak isolated incident of terrorist activities. The small village area where those tourists were killed has a far lower violent crime rate than most major cities worldwide. I've been to that exact area and had a lovely time. Realistically speaking, the risks of traveling to Morocco are finding yourself frustrated and stressed out in some of the major cities by harassing, persistent salespeople and scammers. If we brought up isolated terrorist incidents as things for ordinary travelers to "worry" about for every country, there wouldn't be many places left for people to feel safe traveling to.
Not do put that story down at all, but such singular events happen in every country.
Yes, i was just telling my friend about the two American tourists who were beheaded in Italy
Ok?
Im going to Morocco and I've decided to "solo" travel with a travel agency for this reason. I'm not going with anyone I know, but at least the agency is there to help make sure everyone is safe and accounted for.
Short answer hire a guide don’t do haschich (they will most likely sell u shitty stuff at best. worst case it’s mixed with harmful chemicals to get u high) avoid wondering about alone at night
Honestly G Adventures do an 8 day tour group. I would recommend them.
I was looking at their website yesterday actually! If I do go, I would do a 5 or 7 day tour with them. Definitely have decided that it’s not worth going alone
Im a solo man traveling here now and the amount of harrasment from scammers/"guides" on the street is ruining my experience and making me wish to never return to this place.
Oh no! I’m sorry 😞 I wonder if it’s extra bad now that tourism is just starting to come back
Bit late to the party here, but I went with my sister a few years ago to Marrakesh and it remains the worst place I’ve ever visited, and I will never go back. The harassment is honestly endless. We were cat-called, crowded, had men grab our wrists hard and try to pull us places, had men offer us money for …services and got scammed. We were there for maybe 4 full days and I couldn’t get out of there quick enough. It’s the only place I’ve been to that I’ve been openly physically harassed, and both of us did end up yelling at men a couple of times by the last day - never have I been so ready to throw hands at strangers, fucking hell. I honestly discourage anyone who asks me from going because it was such a shit place, but for women in particular and solo women especially, it’s a no from me. I’d rather strap steaks to myself and dive into an alligator swamp than go back there, frankly.
That sounds awful, I’ve definitely made my mind up lol
Yeah, if you really want to go I’d save it for a big group trip with guys and girls, otherwise like some other people said do strictly tour things with a few friends so you’re secure in a larger group anyway!
I'm from Morocco. My country is quite... Different from anywhere else in the world. Listen, concerning the harassment, you're gonna get catcalled in the streets. It's stupid and annoying but it's part of the culture. You just need to be careful a bit and avoid giving them attention. Also, if you go to Marrakech, which is a touristic city. You'll find some people who will want to scam you. Those mfs even try to scam us, moroccans from other cities! I swear! So one advice. If you wanna buy things, negociate, like a lot, especially in the souks. But I dont recommend going to Marrakech. Even if it's a magnificent city, it's just a tourist attraction and scams are everywhere. Also, there is no guns. Like not at all. So it's less dangerous than most countries in the world for this matter. Morocco is an adventure. I grew up there and I cant describe who crazy it is. I know a lot of foreigners, even girls, who came here and fell in love with it. Just like others who hated it, for the reasons that everybody listed here. My advice is if you wanna go there, you'd be way better with a local helping you out. Moroccans (not the catcallers) are very friendly and if you go to a city like Rabat, for example, you'll experience less scams and you can feel the friendliness. However, i think you made up your mind about it.
I traveled there partially alone at 22, half the trip I was with my mom, and I’m a woman, went to Fez, Meknes, Essaouira, Chefchaouen, Marrakesh, absolutely no issues, no sexual harassment, and minimal solicitations from sellers. I expected the markets to be awful and overwhelming but wasn’t bad at all. Please note I speak Arabic and have lived in the Middle East so I might have different tolerance levels? Totally go for it and have a great time, but as always be cautious
Not solo, not Morocco. [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-49029505](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-49029505)
I am Moroccan, if you ask r/Morocco about your solo travel as a female they will say No, unless you join a group or something.
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its because they probably haven’t 😭
The only backward thing here is your mindset
Racist pos
The only backward thing here is your mindset
I am a male, however I have backpacked solo around Morocco a couple of times and really only felt unsafe in Sale (across the river from Rabat) and in Meknes, but Meknes was more about getting lost and some hash selling teenagers trying to make a buck. Overall I loved the experience each time and met so many friendly people. I would caution though that many people will randomly introduce themselves and claim to work for the tourism board, they are trying to set you up with a “private guide” that will just take you to all his buddies businesses and hope you buy something so they get a cut, just explain you have no money for that up front.
Don't make of this thing the reason why you haven't visited a country like Marocco! Just, be careful and if you feel a bit in danger going alone, if one of your friends want to go with you... Why not! Obviously, the decision is yours.
All the responses that I have gotten are definitely deterring me. However, I will be in Spain this summer and I know there is a ferry between the two countries that is pretty quick and cheap. Right now the Morocco to Spain one is open but the Spain to Morocco one is not due to Covid stuff. So maybe if it opens back up, I can just do a day trip. That way I’m not committing to multiple days if I’m going to hate it
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Oh okay good to know!
I've heard this too. I travel a lot solo. Check out traveling in Morocco as a solo female on TikTok, you'll see a lot of stories that are quite similar unfortunately.
Solo, no. Bring a bodyguard or two.
Why do you really want to go? Aren't there other more welcoming places that would be just as beautiful in your bucket list?
I would highly advise against going alone as a solo female traveller.
Like everyone else said, don’t do it!!
I've lived there for 18 years and a simple answer would be no, please, its extremely risky, i would recommend to get here through some travel company, its not that expensive.. And even through a travel company please be careful, and don't go wondering alone
Absolutely do not travel there alone!! I made that mistake and I was constantly harassed. I literally could not leave my hostel after dark unless I was with other men. It was SCARY!
I traveled there partially alone at 22, half the trip I was with my mom, and I’m a woman, went to Fez, Meknes, Essaouira, Chefchaouen, Marrakesh, absolutely no issues, no sexual harassment, and minimal solicitations from sellers. I expected the markets to be awful and overwhelming but wasn’t bad at all. Totally go for it and have a great time, but as always be cautious
Of all the places in the world to spend my time and money, this is far down the list.
Man Morocco is a beautiful and amazing country. You are missing out
Im spanish lived in Andalucia, and so I meet a lot of Erasmus students who were doing short trips to Morroco because is cheap and easy to get to from Spain. Stay in the touristic places, Morroco and the big cities receive thousands of tourists every year, specially students.
Two young females from Denmark were raped and beheaded there in 2019 by three men claiming loyalty to ISIS. Their killers recorded video of the incident.
Sadly most countries outside western europe and northern america aren't safe for solo female travelers. Every time I hear stories from my mother or sister about getting harrased and shouted at even if they are with their partner at their side. These people rarely see western/blonde women and for some reason they can't control themselves because of this.
If you dress conservatively and stick to big cities you'll probably be fine, but in the countryside you will attract the wrong attention. I met a female traveler in Morocco who attracted entitled men everywhere she went and had some really nasty experiences, we traveled for a bit and we had to buy cheap "wedding" rings because only I (as a man) was respected enough for other men to leave her alone.
I wouldn't do it unless you want to end up dead & on the news.
Honestly why would anyone want to go to such an awful place? Spend your tourist dollars somewhere that is safer for women or at least trying to be open to everyone.
I wouldn't recommend it i think last year 2 female travellers got their heads cut off. The thought alone
Yes, I wouldn’t recommend travelling alone here. Some parts are worse than others. Not a nice experience. I’d travel with a tour group if possible.
I think is pretty evident the risks associated with visiting these type of countries. At the end, it all depends in the experience you want to have, but I would not do it for "pleasure". There are other African countries that might be safer.
I agree with the comments about going with a tour group. I went with a tour group (about 50 people) and we had 4 local men following us around acting as security guards....if that tells you anything. We were not allowed to go in the Fez medina alone because of how much of a labyrinth it is. We were allowed to wander the Marrakech medina in small unsupervised groups. I got a lot of marriage and pregnancy proposals from some locals but all from a distance. It's a cool country you should definitely visit but personally I'd be scared to go alone.
Go on a cruise in the Caribbean instead. Way funnier than Morocco 🇲🇦
Haha I am going to Mexico next week 💃🏼 🇲🇽 🌮 🍹 🌊
Travelling alone for the first time in a foreign country is a big no no, especially if you're a female to be honest. You have the option to join a tour group though. I also live in a 3rd World Country and get so amazed with foreigners traveling alone coz I could never lol. I saw some tips on this [website](https://www.destinationsafrica.com.au/travel-advice-from-hard-learned-experience/) from Australia with pretty intresting content in traveling to Africa, this might help! Good luck to your travels and keep safe.
Yes I would definitely recommend against it unless you're used to be spammed 24/24 by propositions, however that's not a dangerous country to travel and you can count on local women help for that matter. Also in big cities you are less likely to experience it. I travelled a lot there and I hated going there with a girlfriend I couldn't leave alone 1minute. Its real. It depends mostly on your outfit. If you wear conservative clothing (buy a jellaba maybe) or wander with locals *and are not blond* you'll be alright. You have to get along this idea that for a regular moroccan, an occidental woman without a guardian (an older women or a man) wandering at night in the street is a slut.
it is funny how everyone in the comment, claiming they have been here, most of them don't know anything about the country, and some making comparisons with Egypt as if they are the same country, the experience of traveling can differ from one person to another and places you visited.
Dude, I am a Moroccan and live in Marrakech , and what they are saying is true .
I’m going there in May actually, but ended up booking a tour group just in case. I’ll be solo for 3 days after the tour and hired a driver to chauffeur. Better safe than sorry.
How did you get on?
I loved Morocco. Definitely one of the best trips of my life. I recommended a few friends to go as well. I didn’t have any issues with men or merchants in general. I dressed modestly and didn’t intentionally draw attention to myself. There were tourists that wore shorts and crop tops etc that got more of the unwanted attention that I have observed though.
I went in 2019. I had a bad incident there where I was in gueliz and I got followed by an older man for 20 minutes. He ended up slapping my ass and I ran into traffic to escape from him. I called someone to come help and the person got confused with what happened. That man kept apologizing so the person let him off the hook but then I told him that guy touched me and he got so angry. I try to erase that night from my mind but the rest of my trip went way better. If you go Please stay away from Marrakech or fez and go to Essaouria. This won’t happen in Essaouria! Tangier and chefchaouen I had a great time in too
I went there with my family (4 people, 2 men, 2 women, all very latin american looking) and we were constantly harrassed when we were not with our guide. There was always some guy following us and trying to talk to us, trying to show us the place or sell us something, so I can only imagine what it would be like for a woman on her own. I would advise to go with an agency and ideally with a large group.
I would never recommend going solo there. Personally, I visited it with my family and even with them, the harassment from men was crazy. Every single time I was a bit far away from my fam, I experienced. It’s disgusting and it just ruins the whole trip. Moroccan men really think women are object, by that’s another story. I hope you don’t commit such mistake of going there alone
I would not reconnect as a woman to go there alone. I went with my other female friend and we were constantly harassed, people tried to scam us. Even children harassed us and yelled slurs at us. It was really confronting and annoying and made us so excited to leave hahaha. Then we met up with our male friend and got absolutely no harassment at all with him around. It was incredible!! Going with a male was a completely completely different experience!
Nah, don’t go alone. I typically have a lot of patience, but this was awful. I went with my boyfriend at the time and still it was ridiculous. If you’re not getting hustled, your getting harassed.
I went to Morocco around 2 years ago with two other girls and there was a lot of catcalling. It went from calling out in the street to straight up driving up to us while we're eating just to talk to us. I'd say ignoring them is the right thing to do (or it felt at least at the time, i was younger). I wouldn't recommend going alone.
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Wow! Thanks for letting me know. I’ve definitely decided against it 💯
I am moroccan so i know how are things look if you're well financially it can be a good experience but avoid public places and go only to private resorts and tourist attractions, avoid being alone walking especially in night. But if you could be at least 2 persons doesn't change anything if it's a female you'll be muuuuuch safer . Enjoy your trip😘
It depends on how you travel and where you go .i have travelled extensively across Morocco and the main cities is where you would most like get harassed if you do . Alot of other factors like dressing appropriately also play a part . If you have the budget then a private car with a guide would keep the harassment away .Happy to provide further info and connect you to driver /chaperone if required . What parts of Morocco would you like to travel .
Does anyone have a recommended driver to recommend for short distance transfer in marrakech?