Marrakech

Is Marrakech safe?

Mostly, if you go in expecting hassle rather than danger. Morocco recorded 1.7 homicides per 100,000Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary people in 2023, according to UNODC data published by the World Bank, lower than the US, and attacks on tourists are uncommon. What wears visitors down is the constant low-level pressure of the medina: fake guides, inflated prices, men following women, and motorbikes squeezing past in alleys two metres wide.

There are a few serious risks too. The UK Foreign Office says terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Morocco and that criminals have used knives in street thefts in major cities. The US State Department has Morocco at Level 2, citing terrorism. We score Marrakech 62, below Istanbul and close to Bangkok.

The medina hustle

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary lists pickpocketing, bag-snatching and drive-by motorbike theft of jewellery and handbags as common in the medinas, alongside bogus guides, card fraud and shops that swap the goods you bought for cheaper ones. In Marrakech this plays out in predictable ways:

• "The road is closed." A young man tells you the way ahead is shut, or the tanneries are open today only, and leads you to a shop or demands a fee to get you out. Keep walking; use an offline map.
• Jemaa el-Fnaa. Snake charmers, monkey handlers and henna artists expect payment for any photo or service, and prices rise once it is done. Agree the price first. The square's crowds at dusk are also prime time for pickpockets.
• Motorbikes. Riders snatch phones and bags from pedestrians in the souks and along Avenue Mohammed V. Carry bags on the side away from traffic.
• Card skimming. Use cash machines inside banks, and pay small amounts in dirhams.

None of this is violent in most cases, but it is relentless. A riad that will send someone to meet you at the nearest landmark saves a lot of trouble on arrival.

Terrorism and the Atlas

Marrakech has been hit before. In April 2011 a bomb at Café Argana on Jemaa el-Fnaa killed 17 people, most of them foreigners. In December 2018 two Scandinavian women were murdered while hiking near Imlil, the trailhead for Toubkal, by men who had pledged allegiance to Islamic State. Moroccan police break up cells regularly and security at hotels and tourist sites is visible. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary advises using a professional guide for Atlas hikes, which also helps with weather and route-finding.

Women travelling alone

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says women may receive unwanted attention, especially when alone. In Marrakech that means comments, persistent conversation and sometimes being followed through the souks. It rarely becomes physical, but it is tiring. Loose clothing covering shoulders and knees reduces it. Walk with purpose, decline firmly and keep moving. After dark, stick to Jemaa el-Fnaa, Rue Riad Zitoun and the main lanes, or take a taxi to Gueliz and Hivernage, the new-town districts with wider streets, hotels and bars.

Roads, heat and earthquakes

Traffic is the bigger physical danger. Morocco's road safety agency NARSA counted 3,324 road deaths in the first nine months of 2025, up 24.4% on the year before, a pace of roughly 12 deaths per 100,000 people a year, several times the rate in Sydney. In the city, mopeds and scooters dominate, red lights are optional for many, and crossings mean little. On day trips to the Atlas or Essaouira, use an established driver and avoid driving yourself at night, when the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary notes poor lighting and animals on the road.

From June to September afternoon heat often goes above 40 °C. Plan the souks and gardens for the morning, drink bottled water and rest in the hottest hours. Air quality is dusty and generally above WHO guidelines, though no official annual figure is published for the city.

On 8 September 2023 a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck the High Atlas about 70 km south-west of Marrakech (USGS). The FCDO says almost 3,000 people died, most in mountain villages; parts of the medina's old walls and houses were damaged. Further strong quakes are possible. Heavy rain can cause flash floods in the Ourika and other Atlas valleys, so check the forecast before trips.

Drinks, drugs and the law

Alcohol is served in licensed hotels, bars and restaurants. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary reports deaths from drinks containing methanol in Morocco, so avoid cheap spirits of unknown origin. Cannabis offers are common in the medina, but possession is a serious offence. Same-sex relations are illegal, and public affection can draw police attention. For Fes, Chefchaouen, the coast and the desert, see our Morocco page.

How we scored it

Violent crime (80) is Marrakech's strongest factor. Traffic safety (48) is its weakest, followed by natural hazards (55) and theft and scams (55), which reflect the earthquake risk and the medina hustle. For another North African city with similar touts and worse roads, see Cairo.