Bargaining in Marrakesh: How Your Shopping Tour Guide Makes It Easier

How do you bargain in the Marrakech souks, and how does a guide make it easier?

Bargaining in Marrakesh is a friendly conversation, not a fight. Know what the piece is worth before you ask, let the seller give the first price, answer with about half, move up slowly with a smile, and stop when you reach a price you're happy with, usually around 60 to 70% of the first price. A local shopping tour guide makes it much easier, because he knows the fair price of each rug, lantern or pair of babouches, takes you to honest artisans, speaks Darija with the sellers, and lets you buy without pressure. Our Private Souks Shopping Tour does exactly that, and our Private Medina Walking Tour shows you the souks with no shopping at all.

Our private tours, every day at 9 am or 2 pm, about 3 hours, with pickup at your riad

• 1 to 2 people, 1,000 MAD

• 3 to 4 people, 1,200 MAD

• 5 to 6 people, 1,500 MAD

• 7 people or more, on request

• Family, 2 adults and up to 3 children, 1,200 MAD

Included a relaxing stop with a bottle of mineral water, a cup of mint tea and a small souvenir, all complimentary.

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A couple from England once watched our guide bargain for a brass lantern in Souk El Attarine. The seller said 900 MAD. Our guide laughed, asked about the seller's family, admired the piercing, drank half a glass of mint tea, and talked about the weather in the Atlas. Ten minutes later the lantern was theirs for 500 MAD, and the seller was smiling too. They told us afterward it was the best show they saw in Marrakech. That's bargaining done right, slow, warm and fair for both sides.

Visit Marrakech Medina, The Best Shopping and Walking Tour Company in Marrakech, has guided travelers through the souks since 2004. Our Medina walking tour is featured by Daniel Jacobs in The Rough Guide To Morocco, which says our guide “guarantees (unlike most guides) not to stop at any shops”. Our guiding is also Recommended By Rick Steves.

Choose your tour

• Who Can Help You Bargain In The Souks? Our private souks shopping tour, fair prices, honest artisans and no pressure to buy.

• How Do You Negotiate The Price Of A Berber Rug? Our private rug shopping tour, quality checks, fair prices and DHL shipping.

• Can You Walk The Souks Without Bargaining At All? Our private Medina walking tour, Jemaa el-Fna, the Koutoubia, the Mellah, the fondouks and the herbalist.

• Can Your Family Shop With Its Own Guide? All our tours are private, one guide, one group, one truly personal experience.

• Can You Book A Shopping Guide For Today? Last-minute private tours, often within the hour.

Why is bargaining part of shopping in Marrakech?

In the souks, prices are rarely written. For centuries, traders in Rahba Kedima, the Criée Berbère and the craft souks agreed on a price face to face, and the conversation was part of the deal. Sellers expect it, and many enjoy it. The first price is not an insult, it's an opening. A visitor who pays it without a word often surprises the seller more than one who bargains politely.

• Expected almost everything in the souks is negotiable, rugs, leather, lanterns, babouches, jewelry, ceramics

• Social bargaining comes with questions, jokes and often a mint tea

• Not everywhere food stalls, orange juice on Jemaa el-Fna, pharmacies, cafés and fixed-price shops are not negotiable

How does bargaining work, step by step?

1. Look before you ask walk the whole lane first, Souk Semmarine, Souk El Attarine or Souk Smata, and see several shops selling the same thing.

2. Decide your price before you speak, decide what the piece is worth to you, and the most you'll pay.

3. Let the seller start ask "how much?" and let him give the first price.

4. Answer with about half calmly and with a smile. Too low, under a third, can end the conversation.

5. Move slowly raise your offer in small steps, while the seller comes down.

6. Talk about the piece the leather, the knots, the piercing, the embroidery. Respect for the work softens the price.

7. Use a bundle two pairs of babouches and a pouf get a better price per piece than one.

8. Walk away politely if you're far apart, say thank you and leave. Sometimes the seller calls you back, sometimes not, and both are fine.

9. Close the deal once you agree, pay. Changing your mind after agreeing is considered rude.

Most fair deals end around 60 to 70% of the first price, sometimes less near Jemaa el-Fna, sometimes more in the workshops of the artisans.

Which Darija words help you bargain in the souks?

A few words in Darija, Moroccan Arabic, make sellers smile and bargaining easier.

• Salam alaykum hello, the best way to start

• Bshhal hadi? how much is this?

• Ghali bzaf too expensive

• Nqass shwiya lower it a little

• Akhir taman? last price?

• Wakha okay, deal

• La, shukran no, thank you, said with a smile while you keep walking

• Shukran thank you

In French, which most sellers speak, you can say "c'est trop cher" (it's too expensive) and "c'est quoi votre dernier prix?" (what's your last price?).

What are fair bargaining targets for common souk items?

These are typical first prices and fair final prices we see in the souks. They change with size, quality and season.

• Classic leather babouches first price often 300 to 400 MAD, fair price about 150 to 250 MAD

• Small brass lantern first price often 500 to 700 MAD, fair price about 200 to 400 MAD

• Leather pouf, empty first price often 800 to 1,000 MAD, fair price about 300 to 600 MAD

• Leather shoulder bag first price often 1,000 to 1,500 MAD, fair price about 400 to 900 MAD

• Silver hand of Fatima pendant first price often 400 to 600 MAD, fair price about 100 to 300 MAD

• Ras el hanout, 100 grams first price often 60 to 80 MAD, fair price about 20 to 40 MAD

• Small Berber rug first price often 2,000 to 3,000 MAD, fair price about 750 to 1,500 MAD

For more prices and quality checks, read What Should You Buy In The Marrakech Souks And For How Much?

What should you never do when bargaining?

• Don't insult the work criticizing the craft to lower the price offends the artisan

• Don't start ridiculously low an offer under a third of the first price often ends the conversation

• Don't bargain for fun only negotiate for something you really want to buy

• Don't agree and walk away once you say "wakha", the deal is done

• Don't fight over 10 dirhams on a handmade piece, a few dirhams mean more to the artisan than to you

• Don't feel obliged accepting a mint tea in a shop never means you must buy

• Don't forget the currency always check if the price is in dirhams or euros

How does a shopping tour guide make bargaining easier?

• He knows the real price you know what a piece is worth before you start, so you never go in blind

• He knows the right souk Souk Smata for babouches, Souk Cherratine for leather, Souk El Attarine for brass, Rahba Kedima for spices, the Criée Berbère for rugs, the Souk des Bijoutiers for jewelry

• He speaks Darija sellers relax when a local is with you, and conversations go faster

• He takes you to the makers workshops where artisans sell what they make, often at better prices than the bazaars near Jemaa el-Fna

• He checks quality the leather, the knots of a rug, the silver, the saffron, so you don't overpay for low quality

• He protects you from pressure you can say no in any shop, and leave without a problem

• He handles shipping written prices, packing and DHL for rugs, lanterns and big pieces

Want to shop without stress? Read How Do You Shop Safely In The Marrakech Souks?

Where in the souks does bargaining matter most?

• Near Jemaa el-Fna the first shops of Souk Semmarine often ask the highest prices, bargain the most here

• Rug shops prices vary the most, from a few hundred to many thousands of dirhams, take your time and look at the back of each rug. See How Do You Pay A Fair Price For A Moroccan Rug?

• Lantern and brass shops in Souk El Attarine, compare several shops before you start

• Artisan workshops deeper in the souks, near Souk Haddadine and Souk Chouari, first prices are often closer to fair

• Cooperatives and fixed-price shops little or no bargaining, but clear prices, a good option for shy shoppers

For the main lane of the souks, read How Do You Shop Along Souk Semmarine?

When is the best time to bargain in the souks?

• Morning from about 9 am, sellers are calm, and an early first sale is said to bring luck for the day

• Afternoon busier souks and more choice, but sellers have more customers

• End of your trip buy big pieces after you've seen several shops and know the prices

• Friday many shops close for a few hours around midday prayer

See What Time Do The Souks Of Marrakech Open?

Ready to bargain like a local, with a local? Our Top Rated Shopping Tour In The Marrakech Souks takes you to the artisans we trust.

What Happens On A Real Tour With Us?

Traveler from the United Kingdom

"Our guide knows Marrakech inside and out."

What Do Our Guests Usually Ask On The Tour?

Traveler from Ireland

"Our guide tailored everything to our interests."

What Surprises Travelers Most On Our Walks?

Traveler from the United States

"Our guide's passion for the city really shows."

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Ready to shop the souks with a local at your side? Book On WhatsApp for a fast reply, or use our Booking Form.

Who Wrote This Guide?

This guide was written by the Local Team of Visit Marrakech Medina, Marrakchis who were born and raised in the Medina and have guided travelers through the souks since 2004. Our Medina walk is featured in The Rough Guide to Morocco, and our guiding is recommended by Rick Steves. Everything here comes from what we see and hear on our tours every day.

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Visit Marrakech Medina is a specialist local resource for discovering the traditional souks, shopping streets, artisans and crafts of the Marrakech Medina, and the authentic shopping experiences they offer, backed by more than 20 years of local guiding experience.