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If you’re ready to get off the beaten path and do some serious adventuring as a digital nomad, Marrakesh could be the place for you. Bigger cultural differences, less digital services, and possible language barriers mean you’ll be leaving easy-mode. But a thriving tourist economy makes Marrakesh one of the most accessible places to nomad in Africa, with tons to explore!

Where to Stay in Marrakesh as a Digital Nomad

Walkable and vibey Gueliz neighborhood is the place to be for any medium- or longer-term stay. It has a strong French influence and expat community, a lot of international eateries, high-end shopping, modern supermarkets, and easy accessibility to the old city center, or ‘medina,’ via a 30-minute walk or 10-minute taxi ride.  I can’t imagine staying in the chaotic medina for more than a day or two, personally, but that is where the city’s most popular hostels are located. If you are staying for just a few days or up to a week it makes a lot of sense to stay in the medina so that you can more easily take advantage of the best activities Marrakesh has to offer in your limited time.

Where to Work in Marrakesh

There are a couple of great co-working spaces in the Gueliz neighborhood. Check out  CWC Hub or L’Blassa.

If you are planning on relying on the Wi-Fi at your accommodations, know that you’ll most likely be working from a cellular connection. Internet speeds are passable but not the strongest in Morocco. I would highly suggest having a back-up hotspot to work from ready to go. Your cheapest option will be to pick up a free SIM from one of the major providers like Orange or Maroc Telecom at the airport. It is a lot more expensive to buy a SIM card and temporary data plan in the city.

Money Matters in Morocco

As the locals say, “cash is king” in Morocco. Credit cards are pretty widely used in touristy Marrakesh, but expect to encounter cash-only restaurants, most kiosks to be cash-only, and the service economy including taxis to be cash-only. Some places will allow you to add tips on credit card transactions (10% on food service is normal) but cash is appreciated and sometimes the only option. You can pull cash from the local ATMs with an international bank card, but you will get the best exchange rates if you bring USD, Euro, or Pounds Sterling to a cash exchange.

You may also want to keep in mind that haggling culture in Morocco is strong. You will find prices marked on merchandise in chain establishments, or in tourist-geared places where prices will tend to be higher. Expect to haggle for everything else. Restaurant menus, on the other hand, should have menus marked in any of the city centers that you are likely to frequent. If you are not given a menu with prices, that could be a red flag and you should make sure to confirm prices prior to service.

Things to Do in Marrakesh

Marrakesh does not have the most active digital nomad community, but you might not notice since there is so much to do, and it’s also such a great home base for adventuring throughout Morocco. In Marrakesh, plan on relaxing in a 5-star hammam, lounging in a hidden garden, or eating your way through the market stalls in the medina, Nearby to Marrakesh you can get a view from above in a hot air balloon, take a camel ride, or book a glamping trip in the desert. It is easy to book a group tour for most activities if you want to have some company. I have really enjoyed my experiences working with Morocco Travel Planner if you’re looking for somewhere to start.

Navigating Moroccan Culture as an Outsider

Morocco has a ton of interesting differences in culture to explore if, like me, you’re coming from the US or another “Western” country. First of all, Morocco is a kingdom with an actively ruling monarchy! You should know that it is a crime to undermine the monarchy in Morocco, which may include even criticism of the monarchy. That being said, the current king seems to be pretty popular and you’ll encounter images honoring him frequently throughout your trip.

Morocco has its own language, a number of related dialects of the local Berber populations. Most Moroccans speak at least one other language, mainly French, another Arabic dialect, Spanish, or English. In Marrakesh, it is mostly Moroccan and French, though most know at least some English.

Morocco is officially an Islamic state, and while there is freedom of religion and a relatively secular take on religion, Muslim practices are pretty embedded into the Moroccan culture. Make sure to mark major Muslim holidays on your calendar, as you’ll find even cosmopolitan Marrakesh is a ghost-town on these days. Alcohol is not allowed in public and is not commonly on the menu except in touristy restaurants. You’ll also find some official and unofficial adherence to traditional gender roles. For example, unmarried mix-gender nationals cannot book accommodations together, but foreigners can. There is a very strong family culture in Morocco, and families often go out together, but it is much less common to see local women socializing out the house together without the whole family. Similarly, there is a very strong café culture, but many cafes where locals frequent are exclusively male, in practice.

Before visiting for the first time, women might also have some apprehensions about what is appropriate to wear in a culture where women tend to cover up. Within the city centers, the population is very international and you’ll find women in shorts and crop tops as easily as in a burka. I would say that the average mode of dress for women in Marrakesh is modern and stylish but loose-fitting clothing that covers the arms and legs, with or without a head covering. You don’t need to dress this way to blend in, necessarily, and I personally do not adjust my standard travel wardrobe for Morocco. However, please note, you might receive more male attention than you are used to the more revealingly you dress, mostly in the form of longer stares, perhaps catcalling, or, less frequently, lewd passing comments. Also, incidentally, being covered-up in loose clothing is pretty practical as a way to combat day-time heat and transition to the overnight desert chill. Both men and women dress this way traditionally in Morocco.

Getting Around in Marrakesh

Marrakesh is pretty compact, so you will be able to walk to most places during your day-to-day. It is safe to walk around the touristy areas, even as woman, and even at night, within reason. The locals stay up pretty late, often having dinner at 10pm or 11pm, so there will be a lot of foot traffic fully until midnight. I wouldn’t recommend walking around solo after that time, though.

To get a little further afield, you will most likely rely on the taxi system. The ‘petit’ taxis are compact cars that drop you off from point A to point B. Make sure the driver turns on the meter, and again, be prepared to pay in cash. Having as close to your expected fare as possible would also be wise. The ‘grand’ taxis’ are vans that operate more like a bus, with shared occupation and a set destination. You have to ask the driver where they are headed and can pay for one or more seats in the taxi, so this might be a little more difficult to navigate if you don’t speak one of the languages of the driver. They will not usually head out until all seats are paid for. They are allowed to operate outside of the city, so it is in theory possible to hire an empty ‘grand’ taxi to take you to a further destination of your choice by purchasing all of the seats. Ride-share apps are not legal in Morocco though some people do use them.

Exploring Beyond Marrakesh

In reality, for longer trips outside the city limits or to another city within Morocco, it is much more comfortable to either hire private transport or to take mass transportation. Within Marrakesh, to the airport, or for a day trip, it is pretty affordable to hire a private driver and there are a ton of reputable companies to choose from. I even hired one to and from Casablanca once for a couple hundred US dollars. Hire one through a local tour company or online wholesaler, and get their card to book one-on-one in the future if you like their service.

Buses are a great option for intercity travel. There are a ton of routes on Supra Tours, which I had a positive experience with. They have big coach buses with reserved seating, air-conditioning and Wi-Fi, and will do a short break stop at a place with services and bathrooms on longer tours. CTM seems to offer a similar level of service.

A high-speed rail system also connects the major cities within the country, and is air-conditioned, modern and comfortable with reserved seating. These trains are ‘non-smoking’ and therefore no one will smoke in the seating areas of the car.  In practice, however, be aware that there will be people smoking in the bathroom 100% of the journey, and therefore smoke does proliferate through the entire air system to some extent.

Safe Travels to Marrakesh!

Marrakesh is a beautiful, vibrant city and a great gateway to exploring the rest of Morocco as a digital nomad. I hope you enjoy your travels there as much as I did. If you’re interested in more digital nomad content, please subscribe to my newsletter below!