Practical guide · Souks and crafts
What to buy, where to find it, and how to pay a fair price in the souks of Marrakech, Fes, Essaouira and Meknes.
Photograph: Adam Harangozó, CC BY-SA 4.0
The medinas of Marrakech, Fes, Essaouira and Meknes hold thousands of workshops and stalls selling goods still made by hand: leather bags from the Fes tanneries, hand-knotted Berber rugs from the Atlas, ceramics from Fes and Safi, thuya boxes from Essaouira, and ras el hanout from the spice souks.
The hard part is telling good work from tourist stock and a fair price from an inflated one. This guide covers the ten things most worth buying, the main souks city by city, haggling step by step, the fixed-price Ensemble Artisanal shops, quality checks, customs rules and the common traps.
Prices are in Moroccan dirhams (MAD) at 2026 levels. They move with the season, especially in the busy months from October to April and around major holidays.
Ten crafts worth bringing home, with a price to start from and a check to run before you pay.
Fes tanneries still use traditional methods with vegetable dyes. Goat leather is soft and suits bags and jackets; camel leather is thicker and harder-wearing, and goes into belts and sandals. Bags, wallets, belts, journal covers and poufs sell most.
A handwoven Berber rug takes weeks or months to make. Each region has its own style: Beni Ourain (cream with dark geometric lines), Azilal (colourful and abstract), Boucherouite (recycled fabric in bold colours) and kilim (flat-woven and lighter). Machine-made imitations are common, so know what to look for.
The spice stalls sell cumin, paprika, turmeric, saffron, ginger, cinnamon and ras el hanout, the house blend that can run to 30 or more spices. Saffron is the most expensive and the most often faked. Whole spices keep their flavour longer than ground ones, so buy from shops that grind in front of you.
Argan oil comes in two kinds: cosmetic (cold-pressed, pale, for skin and hair) and culinary (pressed from roasted kernels, darker and nutty, for cooking). The best place to buy is a women's cooperative on the road between Marrakech and Essaouira, where the price is fixed and the money goes to the women who make it.
Fes and Safi are the two great pottery towns. Fassi pottery is hand-painted with blue geometric patterns on white glaze; Safi pottery is colourful and earth-toned. Decorative tagines, plates, bowls and tile panels are the usual buys. Tagines for cooking are heavier and unglazed inside.
Pierced brass and iron lanterns throw patterned shadows across a room. In Souk Haddadine in Marrakech, metalworkers hammer, cut and solder by hand. Candleholders, tea trays, mirror frames and small tables sell alongside the lanterns, and shops can ship large pieces.
Babouches are the pointed-toe leather slippers sold in every medina. Men’s pairs are usually plain yellow or brown; women’s pairs are often embroidered or sequined. They are soft and flat, and take a few days of wear to mould to your feet.
The kaftan is Morocco’s formal dress, worn at weddings and celebrations. Ready-made cotton or synthetic kaftans make light souvenirs. For a serious purchase, have one made by a tailor in silk or fine cotton with hand-embroidered trim. The hooded djellaba is the everyday equivalent.
Tiznit in the south is Morocco’s silver town, making Berber-style pieces set with coral, amber and semi-precious stones. Common designs are khamsa (Hand of Fatima) pendants, fibula brooches, heavy cuffs and ring sets.
Thuya is a slow-growing tree whose burl wood has a swirling grain, used for boxes, chess sets, frames and inlaid furniture. Essaouira is the centre of the craft, with workshops in the old rampart vaults where you can watch the carvers.
Each city shops differently. Where to go for what.
The largest and best-known souk network in Morocco. It runs north from Jemaa el-Fnaa and is organised by trade: leather workers in one alley, metalworkers in the next, spice sellers around the corner. Confusing on a first visit, logical once you learn the layout.
Fes el-Bali is a car-free medina of narrow lanes where the souks serve local shoppers as much as tourists. The tanneries, pottery workshops and textile looms are all within walking distance of each other.
A compact, walkable medina on the Atlantic. Essaouira is the place for thuya woodwork and silver jewellery, with argan oil cooperatives on the road in from Marrakech. The haggling is gentler than in Marrakech.
Meknes sees fewer foreign visitors than Fes or Marrakech, so the selling is less pushy. Good for pottery, textiles and everyday Moroccan goods.
Bargaining is a social ritual in Morocco, not a hostile act. Both sides expect it.
Browse Without Showing Interest
Walk the souk and look casually. If a seller calls you over, smile but do not commit: once you show strong interest in one piece, the price follows. Compare across shops and note where you saw things you liked.
Ask the Price (Without Reacting)
Ask "B'shhal?" (How much?). The opening price will be high. Keep a neutral face rather than wincing or saying "too much" at once; if you look keen, the seller knows it.
Counter at 40-50% of the Asking Price
Offer roughly 40-50% of the stated price. The seller will act shocked and counter somewhere in between. This is normal: neither side expects the first numbers to hold.
Trade Numbers 2-3 More Rounds
Raise your offer in small steps of 20-30 MAD while the seller comes down in similar steps. Three or four rounds is typical, and you usually meet around 60-70% of the first price.
Use the Walk-Away
If you are stuck, say "shukran" (thank you) and head for the door. If there is room to go lower, the seller will call you back. If not, the price was already near the floor, and you can come back later without losing face.
Seal the Deal with Goodwill
When you agree, shake hands and pay the agreed amount. Ask for a bag or wrapping. If the seller offers tea and you have time, accept it.
Benchmarks to carry into a negotiation.
| Item | Tourist price | Fair price |
|---|---|---|
| Leather bag (medium) | From 500 MAD | 250-350 MAD |
| Argan oil (100ml cosmetic) | From 250 MAD | 120-160 MAD |
| Ras el hanout (100g) | From 60 MAD | 20-35 MAD |
| Ceramic serving plate | From 200 MAD | 80-130 MAD |
| Small Berber rug | From 1,500 MAD | 600-900 MAD |
| Brass lantern (medium) | From 600 MAD | 250-400 MAD |
| Babouche slippers | From 150 MAD | 60-90 MAD |
| Silver pendant | From 350 MAD | 150-250 MAD |
| Thuya wood box (small) | From 200 MAD | 60-100 MAD |
| Kaftan (ready-made) | From 600 MAD | 300-450 MAD |
Rough guide prices in dirhams, 2026. They vary with quality, city and season.
| Darija | English | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| B'shhal? | How much? | The opening question in any shop |
| Ghali bezzaf! | Too expensive! | For the first asking price |
| Nqess shwiya | Reduce a little | A polite request for a lower price |
| Akher taman? | Last price? | Shows you are ready to close |
| La shukran | No thank you | Decline politely and walk on |
| Wakha | Okay / agreed | Seals the deal |
Government-backed crafts centres where artisans sell at fixed prices, with no haggling, and where you can often watch them work.
Aimed at first-time visitors. Knowing them in advance saves money and temper.
For large or fragile items, many established souk shops can arrange international shipping, and DHL and FedEx operate in the major cities. For rugs and furniture, a freight forwarder can handle the customs paperwork and door-to-door delivery.
Get a detailed written receipt with the shop’s name, your address, the item description and the tracking number. Photograph your items before they are packed, and insure anything valuable.
Check your home country’s duty-free limit before you shop, and keep the receipts.
| Arriving in | Allowance | Note |
|---|---|---|
| European Union | Up to 430 EUR in goods duty-free (air travel). Dried spices, leather and handicrafts are fine; live plants, seeds and raw animal products may be restricted. | Keep receipts. VAT and duty may apply above the limit. |
| United Kingdom | Up to 390 GBP duty-free. No restrictions on dried spices, leather or handicrafts. | Declare goods over the limit in the red channel. |
| United States | Up to 800 USD duty-free per person. Most Moroccan handicrafts qualify; leather from some animals may need CITES documents. | Declare all food on the customs form. Dried spices are generally fine. |
| Canada | Up to 800 CAD after an absence of 48 hours or more. Handicrafts, spices and textiles pass without issue; alcohol and tobacco have their own limits. | Fresh food may be confiscated. Stick to dried and packaged goods. |
| Australia | Up to 900 AUD duty-free. Strict biosecurity on food, seeds and raw plant material; processed spices in sealed packaging are allowed. | Declare all food on the incoming passenger card. Undeclared items can mean heavy fines. |
Start at 40-50% of the asking price and aim to settle around 60-70%. First prices are highest in the tourist-heavy souks around Jemaa el-Fnaa and lower in less-visited markets. Stay friendly and treat it as a conversation, not a confrontation.
Most major cities have an Ensemble Artisanal, a government-backed crafts centre where artisans sell at fixed prices. Marrakech, Fes, Essaouira, Meknes and Rabat all have one. Prices are a little higher than a good souk deal, but there is no haggling.
Genuine cosmetic argan oil has a light golden colour, a faint nutty smell, and absorbs quickly without leaving a greasy film. It should come in a dark glass bottle, because light degrades it. Avoid argan oil with a strong smell or sold in plastic. Buy from women's cooperatives or established shops. Expect to pay from 150 MAD for a 100ml bottle.
Dried spices in normal travel quantities, such as ras el hanout, cumin, paprika, turmeric and cinnamon, are generally allowed into the EU, UK, US, Canada and Australia. Pack them in sealed bags in checked luggage and keep receipts. Fresh herbs, raw seeds and large quantities of saffron may be questioned, and Australia declares all food at the border.
Many rug shops in Fes and Marrakech arrange international shipping through courier companies such as DHL and FedEx or a freight forwarder. Get a written receipt with the item description and your address, ask for the shipping cost and delivery time in writing, and insure anything valuable.
Spice mixes like ras el hanout (from 20 MAD), small ceramic tagine pots (from 30 MAD), orange blossom water (from 15 MAD), leather coin purses (from 40 MAD), hand-painted tea glasses (from 15 MAD each), woven baskets (from 50 MAD) and henna kits (from 30 MAD) all make affordable gifts.
Fes produces goat and camel leather, but quality varies widely between shops. Check for suppleness, even colour and a smooth interior finish. Good leather bends without cracking. Avoid stiff or very shiny leather, which often has a synthetic coating.
Weekday mornings between 9:00 and 11:00: fewer tourists, cooler temperatures and unhurried shopkeepers. Many sellers consider the day's first sale lucky and may give a better price for it. Avoid the midday heat and Friday around midday prayers, when many shops close.
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