Tipping in Morocco is customary but never compulsory. Typical amounts: 10% in restaurants, 10-20 MAD per bag for porters, approx. 100-200 MAD per day for a private driver and 150-300 MAD per day for a guide, per group.
Tipping in Morocco is part of daily life: small tips, called pourboire or baksheesh, are expected for many services, but they are always voluntary and should reflect the quality of service. As a guide, leave around 10% in restaurants, 10-20 MAD per bag for porters, and approx. 100-200 MAD per day for a private driver and 150-300 MAD per day for a full-day guide, per group. Tip in Moroccan dirhams (MAD), and keep small notes and coins handy.
Is tipping expected in Morocco?
Yes, in the sense that tipping is a normal social habit and many service jobs pay modest wages. Café waiters, porters, parking attendants, hammam staff, guides and drivers all count on tips as part of their income. But it is never compulsory, and no one should ever demand a specific amount from you for a service you did not ask for.
In our experience, the best approach is simple: tip modestly for small services, more generously for people who really made your day, and nothing at all if someone forces a "service" on you, such as unsolicited directions in the medina.
Which currency to tip in
Always tip in Moroccan dirhams (MAD). The dirham is a closed currency you can only obtain in Morocco. Euro or dollar notes are sometimes accepted by guides, but foreign coins are useless to the recipient because banks do not exchange them. As a rough benchmark, 10 MAD is about 1 EUR or 1 USD, but exchange rates move, so check before travel. Our Morocco currency and money tips explain where to change money and withdraw cash.
Tipping in Morocco: the cheat sheet (in MAD)
| Service | Typical tip (approx.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Café (coffee, mint tea) | 2-5 MAD | Leave the small change |
| Casual restaurant | 5-10% or round up | Check if service is already included |
| Upscale restaurant | 10% | Leave cash on the table even if paying by card |
| Hotel or riad porter | 10-20 MAD per bag | More if they carry bags far through the medina |
| Medina luggage cart (hand cart) | 20-50 MAD | Agree on the price before |
| Riad / hotel housekeeping | 10-20 MAD per night | Or 50-100 MAD in the staff box at check-out |
| Licensed city guide | 100-150 MAD half day; 150-300 MAD full day | Per group |
| Private driver | 100-200 MAD per day | Per group, given at the end of the tour |
| Camel handler (Sahara) | 30-50 MAD per person | For the sunset and sunrise ride |
| Desert camp staff | 50-100 MAD per group, per night | Cooks, hosts and musicians often share |
| Hammam attendant | 20-50 MAD | For a scrub or massage |
| Parking guardian | 2-5 MAD day; 10-20 MAD night | The man in a vest watching cars |
| Public toilet attendant | 2-5 MAD | Carry tissues too |
| Street performers (photos) | 10-20 MAD | Agree before taking pictures |
| Trekking guide / muleteer | approx. 100-150 MAD per day each | Per group, for multi-day treks |
How much to tip a private driver in Morocco
On a private tour, your driver is often also your fixer, translator and storyteller for several days. Tipping is customary and is not included in tour prices. A common range is approx. 100-200 MAD per day for the group (roughly 10-20 EUR), depending on the group size, the length of the trip and how much they went beyond the job.
- Couple on a 3-day desert tour: approx. 300-600 MAD in total.
- Family of four on a 7-day tour: approx. 800-1,400 MAD in total.
- Larger groups: increase slightly, as there is more luggage and more organisation.
Give it on the last day, ideally in an envelope or simply by hand with a few words of thanks. If you have also used a separate local guide (in Fes, for example), tip them separately. On our Morocco private driver service, drivers never ask for tips: what you give is entirely your choice.
How much to tip tour guides
Licensed local guides in Fes, Marrakech, Meknes or Rabat usually work by the half or full day. For a half day, approx. 100-150 MAD per group is a fair tip; for a full day, approx. 150-300 MAD. If the guide takes you into shops, you are not obliged to buy anything, and a good guide will respect that. For more on what an organised tour includes, read how much a Morocco tour costs.
Tipping in riads, hotels and restaurants
Riads and hotels
In small riads, the same few staff often cook, clean and carry your bags. Many riads keep a tip box at reception: approx. 50-100 MAD per room for a stay of two or three nights is appreciated. Porters receive 10-20 MAD per bag; in the medina, where cars cannot enter, a porter with a hand cart may carry luggage for 10 minutes — 20-50 MAD is fair.
Restaurants and cafés
In cafés, leave the small change or 2-5 MAD. In restaurants, 5-10% is standard, and 10% in upscale places. Check the bill: some high-end restaurants add a service charge. Card machines rarely allow a tip, so leave cash.
Tipping in the Sahara desert
A desert night involves a small team: the camel handler who walks your caravan to camp, the cooks, and often musicians playing drums around the fire. Many travelers give approx. 30-50 MAD per person to the camel handler and 50-100 MAD per group to the camp team, handed to the camp manager to share. If you take a 4x4 excursion around Merzouga with a local driver, 50-100 MAD for the half day is customary. To know what happens during a desert trip, see our Sahara desert tour guide: what to expect.
Situations where you do not need to tip
- Unsolicited "guides": people who start walking with you in the medina and then ask for money. A polite "la, shukran" (no, thank you) is enough.
- Taxi drivers using the meter: rounding up is nice but not expected. Agree on fixed fares beforehand when there is no meter.
- Shop owners: no tip is expected when you buy something.
- Poor or rude service: tipping is a reward, not a tax.
Practical tips to avoid awkward moments
- Break big notes early: ATMs give 100 and 200 MAD notes; change them in supermarkets or cafés.
- Separate your tip money from your wallet so you do not show all your cash.
- Agree on prices first for photos with performers, hand-cart porters and henna.
- Give discreetly, with your right hand, and a smile and "shukran".
- Watch out in Jemaa el-Fna: snake charmers and monkey handlers may ask for more after a photo; avoid animal shows altogether.
For general background, Visit Morocco, the national tourism office, has useful practical information on the country.
With our Morocco private tours, the price is clear from the start and tips stay optional. Tell us your plans and we will send a free, detailed quote within 24 hours — contact us.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I tip my driver in Morocco?
For a private driver on a multi-day tour, a common tip is approx. 100-200 MAD per day for the whole group, given at the end of the trip. For a couple on a three-day desert tour, that means roughly 300-600 MAD. Adjust upward for larger groups or exceptional service, and downward if you were not satisfied. Tipping always remains your choice.
Can I tip in euros or dollars in Morocco?
Euro and dollar notes are sometimes accepted by guides and drivers, but dirhams are always better, because the recipient must otherwise pay exchange fees. Never tip with foreign coins: Moroccan banks do not exchange them, so they are worthless to the recipient. Withdraw dirhams at an ATM on arrival and keep small notes for tips.
Is a service charge included in Moroccan restaurants?
Usually not in casual restaurants and cafés, where a tip of 5-10% or rounding up is the norm. Some upscale restaurants and hotels add a service charge to the bill, so check before tipping. Even when you pay by card, leave the tip in cash on the table, because most card terminals do not have a tip option.
Do I have to tip people who give directions in the medina?
No. If someone offers directions or starts guiding you without being asked, you are not obliged to pay. Politely decline at the start with la, shukran. If you do accept help to find your riad, 10-20 MAD is plenty. To avoid this situation, ask your riad to meet you at a known gate or use a licensed guide.
