Shopping Tour Marrakech: How to Avoid Tourist Traps

Which shopping traps should you watch for in the Marrakech souks?

The most common tourist traps in the Marrakech souks are the "it's closed" trick, street helpers who lead you to a shop, the "Berber market only today" story, fake cooperatives, machine-made rugs sold as handmade, fake saffron and argan oil, plated metal sold as silver, imitation leather, and pressure to buy after a "free" glass of tea. None of them is dangerous, and most sellers in the souks are honest families who have worked there for generations. But knowing these traps saves you money and stress. Below we explain each one, how to spot it and what to do. Our Private Souks Shopping Tour takes you to the artisans we trust, and our Private Medina Walking Tour shows you the souks with no shopping pressure at all.

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

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

See prices and details on our Private Souks Shopping Tour page.

Message Us On WhatsApp or use our Booking Form.

Almost every guest we meet has a story from their first hour in the souks. A friendly young man told them the main souk was closed for prayer. Another one walked them, very kindly, to a "cooperative" they never asked to see. They don't feel robbed, just a little silly, and a bit less relaxed for the rest of the trip. That's what we want to avoid. When you know the traps, the souks become what they really are, one of the most beautiful markets in the world.

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 Take You Shopping Without The Traps? Our private souks shopping tour, rugs, leather, lanterns, ceramics and spices from the artisans.

• Can You See The Souks With No Shopping At All? Our private walking tour, Jemaa el-Fna, the souks, the Mellah, the fondouks and the herbalist.

• How Do You Buy A Real Rug Without Getting Fooled? Our private rug shopping tour, weaving cooperatives, Beni Ourain, Azilal and kilims.

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

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

Trap 1. Is the souk really closed?

A friendly man stops you and says "this way is closed", "the souk is closed for prayer" or "the square is closed today", then offers to show you another way. The souks of Marrakech don't close during the day, except some shops for a few hours around Friday midday prayer. The "other way" usually ends in a shop.

• How to spot it if people are still walking past you, it isn't closed

• What to do smile, say "la, shukran" (no, thank you) and keep walking on the main lane

Trap 2. Who are the street helpers?

Young men who walk next to you, offer directions, then lead you somewhere, the tanneries, a "cooperative", a "museum", a "riad". At the end, they often ask for money or bring you to a shop.

• How to spot it nobody asked them, and they keep walking with you even after you said no

• What to do stay polite and firm, ask a shopkeeper or a café for directions instead, or call your riad

• Know the avenue Souk Semmarine is the main lane of the souks. Explore left and right, then always come back to it. See How Does Souk Semmarine Help You Find Your Way?

Trap 3. Is there really a Berber market today only?

"Today is the last day of the Berber market", "the caravan from the desert leaves tomorrow", "the women's cooperative is open only this morning". These stories create urgency so you follow quickly and buy quickly.

• How to spot it anything "only today" that a stranger tells you in the street

• What to do real markets and cooperatives are open every day, there's no rush

Trap 4. Is the cooperative a real cooperative?

Real cooperatives exist, for argan oil, weaving and crafts, and many are wonderful. But in the Medina, the word is also used on shop signs to make a shop look like a non-profit run by artisans.

• How to spot it a real cooperative shows you the artisans at work and the origin of the products

• What to do ask who makes the products and where, and judge the quality, not the sign

Trap 5. Is the rug handmade or machine made?

Machine-made rugs, sometimes imported, can be sold as handmade Berber rugs, and new rugs are sometimes washed and sun-faded to look "antique".

• How to spot it turn the rug over, on a hand-knotted rug the pattern is clear on the back, with small irregular knots, and the fringe is the end of the warp threads

• Watch the antique label a very old-looking rug with perfect edges and no wear is probably new

• What to do ask for a written receipt that describes the rug. See Which Questions Should You Ask Before Buying A Rug?

Trap 6. Is the saffron real?

Saffron is the most precious spice in Morocco, and the most copied. Fake saffron can be made of dyed safflower, corn silk or even paper threads.

• How to spot it put a thread in warm water, real saffron colors it slowly in yellow, fake saffron colors it red at once

• Watch the price very cheap saffron is rarely real

• What to do buy small quantities from a herbalist you trust, in a sealed jar

Trap 7. Is the argan oil pure?

Argan oil can be mixed with cheaper oils. The bottles look the same.

• How to spot it pure cosmetic argan oil has almost no smell and absorbs quickly, culinary argan oil smells of roasted nuts

• Check the bottle look for a sealed bottle and a clear label

• What to do avoid plastic bottles sold by the street and unlabeled oil

Trap 8. Is the silver real silver?

Berber jewelry, teapots and trays are often called "silver" when they are silver-plated, nickel silver or another alloy.

• How to spot it real silver jewelry usually carries a hallmark, and a magnet doesn't stick to silver

• Ask clearly is it solid silver or plated? Write the answer on the receipt

• What to do buy a teapot because you love it, not because it's called silver

Trap 9. Is the leather real leather?

Imitation leather is common in the bags and jackets at the entrance of the souks, and "camel leather" is often goat or cow.

• How to spot it real leather smells earthy, its cut edges show fibers, and the back side is suede-like, imitation shows fabric or plastic

• What to do go deeper toward the leather workshops of Souk Cherratine, where you can see bags being made

Trap 10. Do you have to buy after the tea?

Mint tea is the heart of Moroccan hospitality, and most shopkeepers offer it sincerely. Some use it to make you feel you owe them a purchase, then unroll rug after rug.

• How to spot it you start feeling guilty for not buying

• What to do enjoy the tea, say thank you, and leave without buying if nothing is right. It's normal in the souks

Trap 11. Is the photo free?

On Jemaa el-Fna, snake charmers, monkey handlers and water sellers often ask for money after a photo, sometimes more than expected. Henna ladies may start drawing on your hand before you agree.

• How to spot it someone approaches you with an animal or takes your hand

• What to do agree on everything before the photo or the henna, or simply say no and keep your hands to yourself

Trap 12. Will your rug arrive at home?

Shipping from Marrakech works very well with honest rug houses. The risk is receiving a different rug, or none at all.

• How to spot it the seller refuses to give a receipt or a tracking number

• What to do photograph your rug, its back and your receipt, ask for DHL tracking and pay part by card when possible

How do you shop safely in the Marrakech souks?

• Go early from about 9 am, the souks are calmer and sellers have time to explain

• Walk the lane first look, compare, then come back to the shops you liked

• Set your budget before the first item is shown

• Bargain with a smile the first price is an opening, never a final number

• Carry cash in dirhams, and keep small notes for small purchases

• Ask for receipts for anything valuable, especially rugs and jewelry

• Trust your feeling if a shop feels wrong, leave, there are thousands of other shops

More advice in When Are The Souks Calmest For Shopping? and Where Can You Buy Directly From The Last Artisans?

How does a shopping tour help you avoid the traps?

A trusted local guide changes everything in the souks. Street helpers leave you alone, you go straight to the right souk for what you want, you learn the quality checks for rugs, leather, silver and spices, and you meet artisans in their workshops. We explain the fair value of each piece, and the final decision is always yours. Many of our guests buy nothing on the tour, and come back alone the next day, confident.

• With us no pressure, nothing to pay upfront, and you can say no to any shop

• For rugs our Best Rug Shopping Tour In Marrakech with a rug specialist

• For everything else our Top Rated Marrakech Souks Shopping Tour

Prefer a calmer route through the old city? See Is There A Quiet Way Through The Souks?

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?

Solo traveler from the United States

"I went on the walking tour alone and felt very safe with our guide."

What Surprises Travelers Most On Our Walks?

Traveler from Ireland

"Our guide tailored everything to our interests."

Our tours are rated 5 stars on Google. Read Our Google Reviews

Ready to shop the souks with a local? 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.