What To Expect From Your First Time Shopping in a Moroccan Souk

My first experience of Moroccan shopping culture was actually a couple of years ago. On my final day in the country, when I was all surfed out, I decided to take my aching body into Agadir with some of the guys from my hostel before my flight, to check out the Souk El Had, the city’s best-known market.

It was the first time I’d been shopping in Morocco, and my first experience of a Moroccan souk market. It’s a shopping experience dissimilar to any I’d experienced on my travels, and definitely could be overwhelming on your first visit.

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What IS a Moroccan souk?

Souk markets are basically big open air marketplaces, with local traders and craftspeople selling everything from clothes and shoes to food and furniture – plus a whole lot of tourist-friendly souvenirs.

Souk El Had, is the biggest urban souk in Morocco, with around 3,000 stores. That’s a lotta shopping. They’re popular places with both locals and tourists alike, and there are some great deals to be found if you get the hang of the haggle. More on that coming soon…

What can you buy in a Moroccan souk market?

The first area we walked around were selling clothes, and the bigger stores almost had a ‘jumble sale’ vibe, with all kinds of clothing on offer in no particular methodical order. Some of the stalls were more specific, including leather goods, trainers, underwear and pretty much any item of clothing you could think of. And then some.

Some of my favourite stalls were the ones filled with all sorts of trinkets and bits and pieces – from jewellery and lamps to pretty pots and kitchenware. As I didn’t have much space in my hand luggage, it limited what I could pick up but it was still incredibly fun just to look at everything on offer! Another part of the beauty of souk shopping…

How to navigate a Moroccan souk

Like Souk el Had, some Moroccan markets can be pretty massive, sprawling, and often with similar looking alleyways and stalls – making it quite easy to get lost. Which is lovely if you have all the time in the world, but if you’ve got limited time, I’d recommend using your GPS (download Google Maps to your phone) or printing out a map to work out which bits you most want to visit.

If you do get lost while in a souk market, the best plan to find your way out is to simply walk in a straight line as far as possible, because *eventually* you’ll reach the edge.

Hiring a local guide is also an option if you’re concerned about getting lost or apprehensive about your first time visiting. Make sure they’re licensed – your hotel or hostel should be able to help with finding a reputable company.

Are the souk market traders pushy?

From what I’d read, I was expecting the stallholders to be quite pushy about getting you to buy things, but I actually found most of them to be quite laid back, and happy to just let us browse. One of the stallholders even introduced me to his pet lizard while the boys were making their purchases…

I did feel slightly more apprehensive when I was on my own, and have heard stories of others who’ve felt pressured when shopping in Morocco, particularly Marrakech. For this, I’d give the same advice I’d give to anyone visiting this sometimes overwhelming country – keep your head up, walk with a purpose, and be polite but firm when browsing.

If you’re feeling particularly nervous, a guided Souk el Had tour is a great way to experience the market with the support of a local guide.

How to haggle in a Moroccan souk

There’s also the aspect of haggling when you’re shopping in Morocco, which is a big thing with market/street traders. Basically – you don’t have to pay the price they ask – instead, you negotiate your way to a cheaper deal. I ended up offering at least half the original asking price, and with a bit of negotiation, ended up paying quite a bit less than their first offers.

A quick guide to haggling in Morocco…

• Don’t start the bartering process until you’re sure you want to buy something
• Offer around half/a third of the asking price to begin with, and negotiate from there.
• Don’t show too much excitement – if you love a piece, they’ll notice and try and bring the price up more.
• If you really can’t get the price you want, politely decline and walk away. The stallholder may follow you trying to push for a sale – just continue to be polite and carry on with your business.
• Have fun! It’s all part of the experience, so don’t get *too* serious about getting a low price.

I actually really enjoyed the bartering, and managed to pick up some inexpensive souvenirs for a couple of quid each (including a fridge magnet for 5dh, which is basically about 40p…).

Can you take photos in a Moroccan souk?

Some of the stall-holders were a bit negative about photos being taken of their stalls – so if you want photos if you’re exploring yourself, just ask first. Most stallholders didn’t have an issue at all though, especially if you’re just taking snaps from the outside of the stall/shop area. If you’re taking photos of the stall or stallholder specifically, with permission, it’s usually nice to buy a little something from the stall as a thankyou.

Shopping in Morocco: Food & Drink

As well as trinkets and all kinds of goods, souk markets also sell fresh fruit and veg – and this section was pretty huge. With every kind of produce under the sun, this area seemed to be populated by mostly locals rather than visitors.

Definitely a good place to pick up some snacks for a day out, just make sure you wash any fruit and veg first – as you probably would anyway with any you pick up from your local supermarket!

Eating out in a Moroccan Souk

After managing to find a couple of the guys again, somehow, we sat down and had some food. It was actually the first time I’d eaten anywhere other than the hostel, as they provided us with some amazing Moroccan food every day as part of the stay, so I didn’t actually need to go elsewhere.

That being said, I was super excited to try a Lamb Tagine – a classic Moroccan dish. This one was delicious, and only 30 dirham – around £2.40 – including the big ol’ flatbread it came with as well. Bargain! My only regret was that I didn’t order the bigger bowl, I could have happily wolfed down another portion.

My first experience shopping in Morocco souk was fun, chaotic and held so much to see (and buy). I was actually quite good, and only picked up a few bits that would fit into my limited hand luggage…

Shopping in Morocco: Popular Souk Markets

• Marrakech: The Souk District in Marrakech stretches from Jemaa el Fna square to the Musée de Marrakech, with souks named after the goods sold there. Try Carpet Souk for intricate rug designs, Souk el Attarine for lanterns and metalwork, or Souk Sebbaghine for gorgeous fabrics.
• Fez: Souk el Henna, Boujloud Souk, Souk Al-Attarine
• Agadir: Souk El Had
• Casablanca: Old Medina, New Medina, Soco de Moina
• Outside the cities: Souk el Tnine (Ourika Valley), Souk el Tieta (Tuesdays, Atlas Mountains region), Souk el Arba, (Wednesdays, Kénitra)

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