Clothing advice for women traveling in Morocco can be skewed depending on who you speak to. Here’s what to wear as a woman traveling in Morocco from someone who has been there multiple times (it might surprise you!)
My very first trip to Morocco was in 2009 when I was 17. I went with a group of volunteers in order to get my parents to ‘sign off’ on my first solo trip abroad.
The clothing advice for Morocco that I received was varied. Because this was a more conservative group, I found that the clothing advice for women traveling in Morocco was quite restrictive.
However, when I was there, I saw a range of glamorous and modest women; and even some glamorously MODEST women. It’s impossible to make a sweeping statement about Morocco, which is why I love it so much.
General Clothing Advice: Wear What Makes You Feel Comfortable.
In the major cities, locals are very used to seeing a wide variety of tourists – some insta glam girls to oblivious, large tour groups – so it’ll take a lot to shock them.
However, if your clothing calls for attention, you will receive attention… and THAT might make you feel uncomfortable.
That being said, no one is going to steal you and sell you for camels for wearing cut-off shorts – so fear not! Whatever you wear will most likely be fine in most scenarios.
The one and only exception would potentially be a mosque if it’s male-only or Muslim-only, but that’s a case-by-case scenario.
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Can You Wear a Bikini in Morocco?
Yes, you can wear a bikini in Morocco as long as you are inside your resort or Riad.
However, do NOT walk around outside of your accommodation in a bikini or any other type of revealing clothing as it can be quite jarring to people – foreign and local.Just use your best judgment when it comes to walking the street in a thong bikini.
Can You Wear Shorts in Morocco?
You can wear shorts in Morocco as long as they come to the top of your knees, anything shorter than that will get you quite a bit of stares. You definitely want to cover the upper thigh.
Jeans are common as well, even tighter jeans, so it’s still better to choose tight jeans than short shorts.
Of course, you can choose to wear whatever you want whenever you want, but as we talked about before, you might get some looks that may make you feel uncomfortable.
Since it’s quite hot, I recommend long dresses and skirts if you want to avoid wearing pants in Morocco.
Specific Clothing Advice to Common Questions
- Keep your breasts and upper thighs covered in public spaces.
- Bikinis and skimpy clothing are totally fine at resorts and Riads.
- There is 100% no need to wear a headscarf in public.
I get the, “Do I need to wear a headscarf” question a lot when giving clothing advice. Moroccans don’t expect you to wear traditional Muslim wear because they rightfully assume you’re not Muslim.
If you were, you’d already know what to expect and how to behave. Basically, don’t over think 🙂
Medina & Souks Outfit
In Morocco, there are two types of market places: a Medina and Souks. A souk is an outdoor market; sometimes it’s covered by a roof to provide shade from the heat.
A ‘medina’ literally translates to ‘city’ in Arabic, but in this case, it’s a walled area found in many North African cities.
In Marrakesh, the Medina is filled with trinkets, food and so many tourist traps lol. If you have a reputable guide on hand, you’ll be fine and he or she will lead you away from the traps and into genuine cultural exchanges.
The Medina is very lively, often over-stimulating, but it’s definitely a ‘must-see’ for anyone visiting for the first time.
My Outfit of Choice While in Morocco
I typically go with a simple color dress that covers my knees and shoulders when I’m out in public. This dress is made of linen so it breathes really well and the scarf protects my chest from the sun. It’s very functional and was $60 from Zara. Check out Zara’s the ‘Midi Dress’ Selection.
What to Wear as a Woman Inside the Riad and Resort
Inside your accommodation, it’s completely fine to wear whatever you want. No clothing advice is necessary…other than to wear proper sunscreen! Bikinis, low-cut tops, booty shorts – go crazy.
These resorts, riads, and villas genuinely don’t care about what you wear because you’re there to spend money and have a good time (lol).
However, my only piece of clothing advice would be to NOT walk around outside of your accommodation with these things on as it can be quite jarring to people – foreign and local. Just use your best judgment when it comes to walking the street in a thong bikini.
My Outfit Choice Inside the Resort
When I’m at a resort or walled-off space, I typically wear short sundresses because I get warm quickly and I pair them with a floppy hat and scarf to protect my chest and face from the sun. My outfit choices are mostly driven by temperature control and sun protection.
Packing List for Women Traveling to Morocco
In case my clothing advice was not clear, I’ve put together this simple packing list to make things easier for you. Morocco can absolutely be done with just a carry-on so don’t be afraid to stick to the core basics!
Don’t forget to bring proper sunscreen, all of your necessary travel documents, and Euros in cash as Moroccan currency isn’t traded legally outside of the country.
Women’s Packing List for a 5-Day Trip to Morocco:
- 2 Midi Dresses
- 2 Shirts that cover your boobs
- 1 cut-off pair of day pants (Because it can be up to +37 C/100 F)
- 1 long pair of night pants (Because it can go down to 8 C/46F )
- 1 bathing-suits with a cover-up or shawl
- Comfortable white sneakers for walking (that go with the above outfits)
- Sandals or flip-flops for around the resort
- Hat & Scarf
- Underwear and bras (no wire if possible, it’ll get sweaty)
- Warm shawl or soft coat (something that is cozy and not sweaty)
If you’re planning a longer trip, just add or subtract to the list above.
Be sure to enjoy your incredible time in Morocco and not to over-think the dressing part. Morocco depends on tourism to support a significant part of their GDP so they don’t really care what you wear, as long as you’re here to spend money 😉
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