What to Wear in Morocco

Shorts are fine in beach resorts like Agadir and in Casablanca’s modern neighbourhoods, but they attract unwanted attention in traditional medinas like Marrakech or Fes. The practical fix is simple: pack one pair of lightweight linen trousers. You can wear them over shorts when entering a medina and strip back down at the beach. Many female travellers find a midi skirt even cooler than shorts in 35°C heat because it allows airflow while remaining fully medina-appropriate.

No — head covering is not legally or socially required for tourist women on the street in Morocco. The exception is entering a mosque: you should carry a lightweight scarf and drape it over your hair before going inside. A thin pashmina takes up almost no luggage space and doubles as a sun cover and desert night layer, so it is worth packing regardless. In everyday city life, uncovered hair is completely normal for foreign women.

Men have considerably more flexibility than women in Morocco. In the Marrakech medina, a T-shirt and chino or linen trousers is the most practical combination — shorts work but narrow alleyways and sitting on woven rugs in shops can get uncomfortable. Long trousers are also cooler than they sound because loose cotton breathes well. For mosque visits (the courtyard of Koutoubia is the typical stop), shorts are technically fine outside but trousers are more respectful.

Yes, at Agadir beach and resort hotel pools. Agadir is a modern Atlantic beach resort where bikinis are completely normal and nobody bats an eye. The rule of thumb is simple: beach-appropriate at the beach, covered up the moment you step onto a public street or enter a shop. In Marrakech, rooftop pools and hotel pools are fine for swimwear. Public swimming at urban beaches in Casablanca or Tangier is more mixed — one-piece swimwear or a bikini with a wrap works best.

Long trousers or a skirt below the knee; covered shoulders; and a hair covering for women. Shoes come off at the entrance so slip-on footwear makes the process easier. Most mosques in Morocco are closed to non-Muslim visitors — the main exception is the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, which runs timed guided tours. Always check at the entrance; attempting to enter an active mosque uninvited is considered disrespectful regardless of what you are wearing.

During Ramadan (dates shift annually), dressing modestly is more important than at other times of year, particularly near mosques and in religious neighbourhoods. Eating, drinking, or smoking in public during daylight hours is culturally sensitive — and in some areas technically subject to local rules — so covering up and being discreet is appreciated. Evening after iftar (the fast-breaking meal) is more relaxed. As a baseline, stick to your usual medina-appropriate clothing and you will be fine throughout Ramadan.

Quite different. Casablanca is a modern commercial city where jeans, regular tops, bare arms and shorts are common in business districts, the Corniche promenade and shopping malls — similar to a southern European city. Marrakech’s old medina is far more traditional, and wandering through tight souk lanes in a sleeveless top will attract more hassle and discomfort. The gap narrows in Marrakech’s Gueliz district (the new town), which is considerably more relaxed than the medina.