What Is a Moroccan Hammam? (And Etiquette)

You sit in a hot, steamy room to open your pores, get coated in beldi black soap (made from olives), then are vigorously scrubbed with a coarse kessa glove that removes a startling amount of dead skin. A rinse with buckets of warm water, sometimes a rhassoul clay mask or argan-oil massage, finishes it. You emerge remarkably smooth.

It’s done in stages across hot and warm rooms, and an attendant typically does the scrubbing (or you can do it yourself in a public hammam).

A public (local) hammam is where Moroccans go — cheap (often around 10–20 MAD entry plus a small fee for an attendant scrub), communal, single-sex, and a real cultural immersion, though basic and not private. Bring your own kit.

A spa or riad hammam is private or semi-private, polished, more expensive, and includes towels, products and often a massage — easier for first-timers who want comfort and privacy. Both deliver the same core ritual.

For a public hammam bring flip-flops, a towel, a change of underwear, black soap and a kessa glove (buyable cheaply nearby); spa hammams provide everything. Hammams are single-sex (or have separate hours); most Moroccans keep underwear on — full nudity is uncommon, so do as others do.

Stay hydrated, don’t go right after a big meal, and tip the attendant (around 20–50 MAD) for a good scrub. Relax — being scrubbed by a stranger feels odd for about thirty seconds, then wonderful.