Tipping in Morocco: How Much to Tip Guides, Drivers, Restaurants and More
Tipping in Morocco is customary but not compulsory. As a rough guide, leave around 5-10% in restaurants, a few dirhams in cafés, 10-20 MAD per bag for porters, and roughly 100-200 MAD per day for a private guide or driver, adjusted to the service. Tip in dirhams, in small notes and coins.
Is tipping expected in Morocco?
Yes, in most service situations. Wages in tourism and hospitality are often modest, and tips form an important part of many people's income. There is no rigid percentage, and nobody should demand a specific amount; tip according to the quality of the service. It is also common to give small amounts for small services — carrying luggage, directing you to a parking space, or watching your car.
Quick reference: how much to tip
| Service | Approximate tip |
|---|---|
| Café (coffee or mint tea) | 2-5 MAD, or round up |
| Restaurant meal | 5-10% if service is not included |
| Hotel or riad porter | 10-20 MAD per bag |
| Riad housekeeping | 20-30 MAD per day, left at the end |
| Licensed city guide (half day) | 100-150 MAD per group |
| Private driver (multi-day) | 100-200 MAD per day per group |
| Camel handler | 20-50 MAD per person |
| Hammam attendant | 20-50 MAD |
| Public toilet attendant | 2-5 MAD |
| Parking guardian | 2-10 MAD |
These are approximate figures at the time of writing, intended as a starting point rather than a rule. At roughly 10-11 MAD to €1, most tips are small amounts in euro terms.
Restaurants and cafés
In local cafés, leaving small change or rounding up is normal. In restaurants, check whether a service charge is already on the bill; if not, 5-10% is appreciated. In upmarket restaurants in Marrakech or Casablanca, 10% is common. Leave the tip in cash on the table or hand it to the waiter, as card tips do not always reach staff.
Tour guides
For a licensed guide on a half-day medina tour, roughly 100-150 MAD per group is common, a little more for a full day or a larger group. On shared group tours, each traveller typically gives a smaller amount. If your guide takes you into a shop, remember that buying is never obligatory, and a tip is for the guiding, not the shopping.
Drivers on multi-day tours
On a private tour, your driver usually spends many hours a day with you and often acts as a fixer for meals, stops and photos. Around 100-200 MAD per day for the group, given at the end of the trip, is a widely used guideline. On shared minibus tours, 20-50 MAD per person per day is typical. Our guide to money and the dirham in Morocco explains how to make sure you have enough small notes.
Tipping in the Sahara
A desert trip involves several people: the driver, the camel handler who leads your caravan, and the camp team who cook and serve dinner, often with Berber drumming around the fire. Common practice is:
- Camel handler: roughly 20-50 MAD per person, given after the ride.
- Camp staff: roughly 20-50 MAD per person, often left in a shared tip for the team.
- Driver: at the end of the tour, as above.
You may also be offered fossils or souvenirs at camp or in the dunes; buying is optional and separate from tipping.
Hotels, riads and hammams
In riads, a small team often handles everything from breakfast to carrying your bags through the medina. Leave a tip for housekeeping at the end of your stay, and tip the person who carries your luggage from the nearest road to the door, which can be a long walk. In a hammam, tip the attendant who scrubs you, typically 20-50 MAD depending on the setting.
Street performers and photos
In Jemaa el-Fnaa and other squares, musicians, dancers and performers expect a tip if you watch or take photos — around 10-20 MAD is reasonable. Agree before photographing anyone, and avoid encouraging performances involving monkeys or snakes if you are concerned about animal welfare.
Practical tipping tips
- Always tip in dirhams; foreign coins cannot be exchanged.
- Carry a separate pocket of 10, 20 and 50 MAD notes and coins for tips.
- Give tips discreetly, by hand, with a thank you ("shukran").
- If service was poor, a smaller tip or none is acceptable.
- Dress and behave respectfully; our guide on what to wear in Morocco helps with the rest of the etiquette.
For more on staying comfortable and safe, read is Morocco safe for tourists.
Do you tip taxi drivers?
Tipping taxi drivers is not expected in the same way as for guides. For petit taxis in cities, rounding up the metered fare to the nearest few dirhams is common and appreciated. For longer private transfers, such as an airport run or a day trip, a tip of 20-50 MAD is a kind gesture if the driver helped with luggage or waited for you.
Tipping during Ramadan and holidays
Around Ramadan and Eid al-Adha, household costs rise significantly for many Moroccan families, and slightly more generous tips are appreciated by staff who look after you. It is also polite to wish people "Ramadan Mubarak" or "Eid Mubarak" at these times. Tipping never replaces courtesy: a smile, a thank you and a few words of Darija or French are valued just as much.
When not to tip
You do not need to tip people who offer unsolicited help, such as someone who insists on showing you the way through the medina and then asks for money; a polite refusal is fine. Fixed-price services such as shop purchases, museum tickets and train tickets do not involve tips.
Book it with a local operator
On our 3-day Sahara desert tour from Marrakech to Merzouga, from €145 per person, you cross the Tizi n'Tichka pass, visit Ait Benhaddou and the Todra Gorge, and ride a camel into the Erg Chebbi dunes; gratuities are not included, so this guide tells you what to budget. Learn more about the region in our Sahara Desert guide, browse all our tours, and reserve now to pay later, with free cancellation up to 7 days before multi-day departures. Questions? WhatsApp +212 606 957 514.
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