PracticalCity Tours Morocco
Practical information
The Moroccan dirham, cash machines, exchange, cards, tipping, haggling and daily budgets: what to carry and how to pay.
The currency
Morocco's currency is the Moroccan dirham, code MAD, written locally as “DH” or “Dhs”. One dirham is 100 centimes, though centime coins are rare in everyday use.
The dirham is a closed currency. You generally can't buy it outside Morocco, and UK government travel advice gives the limit as 2,000 MAD in or out. Get your dirhams on arrival, from an airport ATM, exchange office or bank.
Moroccans often quote prices in rials. One dirham is 20 rials, so “100 rials” means 5 MAD. This can confuse you in souks and rural areas, so if in doubt, ask whether a price is in dirhams or rials. In tourist areas prices are almost always in dirhams.
Small vendors, taxi drivers and street food sellers often can't break a 200 MAD note, so keep a supply of 20 and 50 MAD notes. At an ATM, ask for an odd amount such as 800 MAD rather than 1,000 MAD to get a better mix of notes.
Exchange
The dirham is managed against a basket of the euro and the US dollar, so it moves slowly. Check the current rate on XE.com or Google Finance before you travel.
Keep your exchange receipts (bordereau de change). You need them to convert leftover dirhams back into foreign currency when you leave; without them, an exchange office may refuse.
Cash machines
ATMs (guichets automatiques in French) are easy to find in every city and most towns, and accept international Visa and Mastercard cards. In small Atlas villages and remote desert areas they may be scarce or empty, so withdraw enough before you head out.
Each machine has its own maximum per withdrawal, and your home bank may set a daily limit and charge its own fee. Any local fee is shown on screen before you confirm. To keep fees down, withdraw larger amounts less often.
Use ATMs inside bank branches or shopping malls when you can, and avoid standalone machines on quiet streets at night. Shield your PIN, check the card slot for loose plastic (a sign of a skimmer), and never accept help from a stranger at an ATM.
If an ATM or card terminal offers to charge you in your home currency, choose No and pay in MAD. The conversion rate offered is usually worse than your own bank’s.
Tell your bank your travel dates before you leave so it doesn’t block Moroccan withdrawals as suspicious. Carry a backup card from a different bank.
Major airports have ATMs in the arrivals area, and they are the easiest first stop for cash when you land.
Paying by card
Morocco is still largely a cash economy. Cards have their place, but you can't rely on them alone.
A card with no foreign transaction fee, such as Wise or Revolut, can save you money on every card payment and withdrawal compared with a traditional bank card.
Tipping
Tipping (pourboire) is a normal part of service in Morocco, and many service workers rely on tips to top up modest wages.
Budget about 50-100 MAD per person per day for tips, and keep a pocket of small notes and 5 MAD coins ready. The amounts below are guidelines; tip more for exceptional service.
| Service | Suggested amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant (sit-down) | 10-15% of bill | If service is not included. Leave cash on the table even if you pay by card. |
| Café | 2-5 MAD | Round up or leave small coins for mint tea and coffee. |
| Hotel porter | 10-20 MAD per bag | On delivery to your room. |
| Hotel housekeeping | 10-20 MAD per day | On the pillow each morning, or a lump sum at checkout. |
| Riad staff (at checkout) | 50-100 MAD total | A shared tip for the team, given to the manager or left in a tip jar. |
| Private tour guide | 100-200 MAD per day | More for a strong multi-day guide. Tip at the end of the tour. |
| Group tour guide | 50-100 MAD per day | Per person in the group. |
| Desert camp staff | 50-100 MAD total | For camel handlers, cooks and camp staff together. |
| Driver (multi-day) | 50-100 MAD per day | Separate from the guide tip. Give it at the end of the trip. |
| Taxi driver | Round up to nearest 5 MAD | Not obligatory but appreciated: for a 17 MAD fare, pay 20 MAD. |
| Parking attendant | 5-10 MAD | The informal guardians who watch your car. Pay when you return. |
| Hammam attendant | 20-50 MAD | More for a thorough scrub. Tip the person who helped you. |
| Fuel station attendant | 5 MAD | Attendants fill the tank and clean the windscreen. |
| Musician or performer | 10-20 MAD | If you stop to listen or they play at your table. |
| Unsolicited helper | 5-10 MAD or decline | Someone who gives directions or carries bags. You can decline politely. |
Haggling
In the souks the first price is almost never the real price. Vendors expect to negotiate and price accordingly, so paying the first figure quoted is the most common way visitors overpay.
A rule of thumb: counter at roughly one-third of the asking price and work up. Many deals settle at 40-60% of the opening price, though it varies by item, place and how many tourists are around. Keep it friendly; it is a conversation, not a fight.
Walk through the souk first without buying, to get a feel for what is on offer and roughly what it costs at different stalls. Vendors will call out; a simple “la shukran” (no, thank you) keeps you moving.
When you find something you like, pick it up casually and ask the price with mild curiosity. If you look too eager, the opening price goes up.
React to the first price with mild surprise, then counter at about one-third of it. That leaves room to move up towards a fair price: if they say 300 MAD, offer 100 MAD.
Move up in small increments (20-30 MAD at a time) while the vendor comes down. Ask about the materials and the work, and keep the mood light. If you are offered mint tea during the negotiation, it is polite to accept.
If you can’t reach your price, say thank you and start to leave. Often the vendor calls you back with a lower offer. If not, the price was probably already fair, and you can come back later.
Once you agree a price, the deal is binding and backing out is rude. Pay, shake hands and enjoy what you bought. Don’t start negotiating unless you intend to buy.
These places have fixed prices:
Prices
Typical price ranges for food, transport and accommodation. They vary by city and season, so treat them as a guide.
| Item | Budget | Mid-range | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Street food meal | 15-30 MAD | – | – |
| Local restaurant lunch | 30-50 MAD | 60-100 MAD | – |
| Restaurant dinner | 40-70 MAD | 100-200 MAD | 300-600 MAD |
| Mint tea | 5-10 MAD | 10-20 MAD | 20-40 MAD |
| Fresh orange juice | 5-10 MAD | 10-15 MAD | 20-30 MAD |
| Beer (where available) | 25-35 MAD | 35-50 MAD | 50-80 MAD |
| Bottled water (1.5L) | 5-7 MAD | 5-7 MAD | 10-15 MAD |
| Item | Budget | Mid-range | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petit taxi (in-city) | 10-20 MAD | 15-30 MAD | 30-50 MAD |
| Grand taxi (shared, intercity) | 20-60 MAD | – | – |
| Car rental per day | – | 250-400 MAD | 500-1,200 MAD |
| Airport transfer | 150-200 MAD | 200-300 MAD | 400-600 MAD |
For trains and intercity buses, check current fares with ONCF and the bus companies before you travel.
| Item | Budget | Mid-range | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hostel dorm bed | 60-120 MAD | – | – |
| Budget riad or guesthouse | 200-400 MAD | – | – |
| Mid-range riad | – | 500-1,000 MAD | – |
| Boutique hotel | – | 800-1,500 MAD | – |
| Luxury riad or 5-star hotel | – | – | 2,000-6,000 MAD |
| Desert luxury camp | – | – | 3,000-8,000 MAD |
| Holiday apartment | 200-350 MAD | 400-800 MAD | 1,000-2,500 MAD |
Daily budgets
What a day costs depends on how you travel. Three common styles:
300-500 MAD · $30-50 per day
Hostels, street food, public transport and free sights. Suits long trips.
800-1,500 MAD · $80-150 per day
Private riad rooms, sit-down meals, some guided tours, and a mix of taxis and trains. Where most visitors land.
3,000-6,000+ MAD · $300-600+ per day
Five-star hotels, private guides, fine dining and spa treatments.
Staying safe
Pickpocketing is the most common petty crime in crowded souks and medinas. Keep your passport, large notes and backup cards in a flat money belt under your clothes, and only the day’s spending money in a front pocket or a bag worn in front of you.
Genuine Moroccan notes have a watermark visible against the light, a metallic security strip, raised printing you can feel and microprinting. Take care with change in dim souk stalls; if a note feels thin or waxy, or the colours look wrong, ask for another.
Count your change on the spot, especially after paying with a large note, and particularly at busy market stalls and street food stands. A calm count, without accusation, is perfectly normal.
At ATMs, check for loose card readers or a camera above the PIN pad, and prefer machines inside bank branches. When paying by card in a restaurant, watch the card being processed and don’t let it out of your sight for long.
Never keep all your cash and cards in one place. Split them between a money belt, a day bag and the hotel safe, and keep a backup card and an emergency reserve (200-300 MAD) hidden separately in your luggage.
Watch for “quick change” tricks that confuse you by counting and recounting notes. If a vendor says they have no change for a large note, don’t hand it over until they produce the change. Never change money with unofficial street changers.
Transfers
Options for emergency funds from home or paying a guide or tour company in advance. Because of currency controls, sending money out of Morocco is more restricted than sending it in.
VAT refunds
Morocco charges VAT (TVA) at 20% on most goods. Non-resident visitors can claim a refund on purchases over 2,000 MAD from participating stores, but the system is less developed than in Europe.
How it works: look for a “Tax Free” sign or ask the shop. At the time of purchase, ask for a tax-free form (bordereau de détaxe) and show your passport. Have the form stamped by customs at the airport before check-in, then take it to the refund desk.
In practice: most souk and small-shop purchases won't qualify. The scheme is mainly found at larger stores, high-end boutiques and some galleries in cities like Marrakech and Casablanca, so it is usually worth it only for one large purchase, such as a rug or a work of art.
Claiming: keep your receipts together, allow extra time at the airport, and keep the goods where customs can inspect them.
The rules
The dirham is a closed currency. UK government travel advice gives the limit as 2,000 MAD in or out of the country, and foreign currency worth 100,000 MAD or more must be declared.
Convert leftover dirhams at the airport before security. You will need your original exchange receipts: you can usually only convert back money you exchanged in Morocco. Or spend them: airport shops and cafés take dirhams, and a final tip at your riad is always welcome.
You may bring in any amount of foreign currency, but amounts above the equivalent of 100,000 MAD must be declared in writing to customs on arrival.
Keep the declaration with your travel documents: it is how you show where the money came from if you take foreign currency out again. Major currencies (euros, US dollars, pounds sterling) are easy to exchange at banks and exchange offices; less common currencies can be harder.
A practical approach: carry a day or two of spending money in euros or dollars as a backup and use ATMs for dirhams. On your last day, stop withdrawing and spend what you have left rather than paying to convert it back.
Digital payments
Digital payments are growing in Morocco, but cash still covers most daily spending, especially for visitors. Local mobile wallets are designed for residents with a Moroccan account or phone line.
Many hotels, riads, tour companies and activity providers take card payments online when you book, which cuts the cash you need to carry.
Bottom line: take enough dirhams from ATMs for daily spending and use cards for hotels and larger restaurants. You can't travel cash-free in Morocco yet, especially in medinas, souks and rural areas.
Questions
Morocco uses the Moroccan Dirham (MAD). One Dirham is divided into 100 centimes. The Dirham is a partially closed currency, meaning it cannot easily be purchased or sold outside of Morocco. Plan to exchange money upon arrival.
Credit cards (Visa and Mastercard) are accepted at upscale hotels, restaurants, and larger shops in cities. However, Morocco is primarily a cash economy. Souks, street food vendors, petit taxis, and rural areas are cash-only. Always carry sufficient Dirhams.
Tipping is customary in Morocco. At restaurants, leave 10-15% if no service charge is included. Hotel porters receive 10-20 MAD per bag, housekeeping 10-20 MAD per day. Tour guides receive 100-200 MAD per day for private tours. Budget approximately 50-100 MAD per day for tips.
Start by offering roughly one-third of the asking price, then negotiate up. Most transactions settle at 40-60% of the initial asking price. Keep the exchange friendly, never start bargaining unless genuinely interested, and walking away is a legitimate tactic. Fixed-price cooperatives offer fair prices without negotiation.
The Dirham is a closed currency: UK government travel advice says you can take up to 2,000 MAD in or out, and you must declare foreign currency worth 100,000 MAD or more. Spend or convert leftover Dirhams before you leave; keep your exchange receipts, because you can usually only convert back money you exchanged in Morocco.
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