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Where you can shoot freely, when to ask permission, what the mosque rules actually are, and how to get the best shots without causing offence in the medinas.
Daniel Okafor· Adventure & Outdoors Editor
Trekking guide and outdoor writer who has summited Toubkal more times than he can count and surfed every break from Taghazout to Imsouane. He covers hiking, surfing, climbing and adrenaline activities. Agadir · 13+ years covering Morocco
Published 2 August 2024 Last updated 19 March 2026
Morocco rewards photographers extravagantly — the light in the medinas is extraordinary, the colours are relentless, and almost every alleyway frames itself. But it punishes photographers who treat the country as an outdoor set without thinking about the people in it. Getting this right is not complicated; it mostly comes down to slowing down, making eye contact, and understanding a few specific rules that actually matter.
The core principle: landscape and architecture are almost always freely photographable; people require a moment of acknowledgement. Mosques have a blanket restriction for non-Muslims. Military and government buildings are off-limits. Everything else is context and courtesy.
These rules cover the vast majority of situations you will encounter as a tourist photographer in Morocco.
Non-Muslims cannot enter — and therefore cannot photograph the interior of — active mosques across Morocco. This is not a photography rule; it is an access rule. The sole major exception is the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, which runs structured guided tours for non-Muslims (from around 120 MAD / ~$12 indicative) during which interior photography is permitted in specific zones. Exterior shots from the street are always fine. Avoid pointing a lens through an open mosque door at worshippers — even from outside, that crosses a line.
Six locations that reward the prepared photographer — with honest notes on access, timing and local dynamics.
Best light is 07:00–09:00 before stalls set up. The square at dusk is excellent but vendors will ask for payment if you photograph performers directly. Shoot from a terrace café for overhead crowd shots without confrontation.
The Chouara tannery is photographed from leather-shop balconies — visit in the morning when the vats are active and lit. Tip the shop staff (20–30 MAD) or buy something small. The narrow derbs (alleyways) near Bou Inania madrasa are beautiful but residents are right there, so be discreet.
The most photogenic city in Morocco for architecture — every blue alleyway is a set piece. People here are more accustomed to cameras than almost anywhere else, though permission still matters for portraits. Arrive before 08:30 for empty streets.
Sunrise and sunset are the shots. No restrictions on landscape photography whatsoever. Camel handlers sometimes ask for a tip if you photograph them at work — 10–20 MAD is fine.
A UNESCO World Heritage ksar where filming and photography are fully permitted. The village is partially inhabited so knock before photographing interior courtyards.
Photography allowed in the garden (entry from 70 MAD / ~$7, indicative). The YSL Museum interior is no-photography. Arrive at opening to avoid the midday crowds that pack the cobalt-blue fountain.
The medinas of Marrakech, Fes and Chefchaouen are extraordinary in the first two hours after sunrise. The light is golden, the alleys are near-empty, and vendors have not yet set up their psychological defences against camera-carrying tourists. It also gives you most of the day for other activities.
This one change will transform how people respond to you. Look at the person, smile, mime holding a camera. A nod means go ahead. A shake means no. A smile with a turned back is also a no. Respecting that immediately — putting the camera down visibly — almost always defuses any tension and sometimes earns you the shot later when they relax.
A good Moroccan guide knows which tannery balcony has the cleanest view, which souk is active when, and which artisans are happy to work with photographers. Access that would take a solo traveller hours of negotiating often comes in minutes with a local introduction. A private guided tour is especially useful if photography is a primary reason for your trip.
Keep a pocket of 5 and 10 MAD coins (roughly $0.50–$1 each). If someone poses for you, a performer lets you photograph their act, or a spice trader lets you spend five minutes shooting their stall, a small tip acknowledges that their time and image have value. It also makes the whole transaction genuinely pleasant rather than extractive.
Military buildings, palaces, checkpoints, police stations and border posts are genuinely off-limits — this is enforced, occasionally leading to cameras being checked or deleted. The Royal Palace in Marrakech (Palais Royal) can be photographed from the exterior square but not from inside its walls. When in doubt near any official-looking building, put the camera away first and ask later.
| Situation | Typical tip (MAD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Snake charmer or performer posed shot | 10–20 MAD | Give before or right after; do not walk away without paying. |
| Market vendor lets you photograph their stall | 5–10 MAD | Or buy something small — often preferred. |
| Artisan at work (ceramics, carpet weaving) | 10–20 MAD | Ask first; many are proud to show their craft. |
| Portrait of a local who agreed | 10–20 MAD | Show them the photo on the screen — it usually delights. |
| Tannery balcony access (leather shop) | 20–30 MAD or purchase | Usually expected; budget accordingly. |
| Landscape / architecture — no people | None required | Shoot freely. |
All amounts indicative. Exchange rate approx. 10 MAD = $1 USD.
The questions travellers ask most before a first trip with a camera.
Technically you can photograph people in public, but culturally you should not — particularly in the medinas. Many Moroccans, especially older women and devout men, strongly dislike being photographed by strangers. The respectful approach is to make eye contact, mime your camera, and wait for a nod. If you get a shake of the head, lower the camera. In tourist-heavy areas like Jemaa el-Fna, some performers actively invite photos in exchange for a small tip (5–10 MAD). Ignoring this expectation causes real friction.
Non-Muslims cannot enter active mosques in Morocco, so interior photography is simply not an option for most visitors. The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca is the main exception — it runs organised non-Muslim tours (from around 120 MAD / ~$12, indicative) during which photography is permitted in designated areas. For all other mosques, you are limited to exterior shots from the street. Photographing worshippers arriving or departing is technically possible but considered disrespectful near prayer times.
There is no legal requirement to pay, but there is a well-established informal expectation in tourist areas. Performers in Jemaa el-Fna — snake charmers, acrobats, henna artists — rely on tips from photography as part of their income. If someone poses for you or lets you photograph their stall, 5–20 MAD is customary. Treating it as a transaction means the photo is clean, the interaction is positive, and the person feels respected. Sneaking photos and walking away quickly is what creates confrontation.
The Chouara Tannery in Fes (from leather-shop balconies, best at morning), Chefchaouen's blue medina (07:00–08:30 for empty alleys), the Erg Chebbi dunes at sunrise and sunset, Aït Benhaddou ksar, the rooftop terraces of Marrakech at dusk, and the Draa Valley palm groves near Zagora. For street-level colour, the spice and textile souks of Fes are extraordinary — they just require patience and a polite camera manner. A private guide helps enormously in all of these locations because they know the shop owners and can open doors.
Yes. Your entry ticket (from 70 MAD / ~$7 for adults, indicative) covers photography throughout the garden. Tripods require a separate permit, which you can request at the desk. The YSL Museum inside the same complex does not permit photography in its permanent galleries. Go early — by 10:00 the garden fills up and you will be fighting tour groups for a clear shot of the famous cobalt-blue villa.
No formal photography ban exists in the Fes el-Bali medina, but informal rules matter a great deal. Residents in the residential derbs (alleys away from the tourist circuit) are not performers — they are going about their lives, and unexpected cameras are unwelcome. The tanneries, madrasas and covered souks are fair game if you are tactful. The Bou Inania Madrasa (interior photography allowed, entry around 20 MAD) and the exterior of the Kairaouine Mosque are highlights. Hiring a local guide for even half a day in Fes makes the photography experience significantly easier and richer.
Generally yes, but read the room. In working crafts districts — the copper-beaters of Fes, the carpet weavers of Marrakech — a quick smile and a gesture go a long way. Many artisans are proud of their work and happy to be photographed. Avoid pointing your lens at someone's wares without looking at them first; it is the impersonal quality of that gesture that bothers people. Wide-angle shots of a whole souk alley are usually fine — it is the close portrait without acknowledgement that causes upset.
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